LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Agreement Paves Way for Art Museum Expansion

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has given final approval to a new 99-year contract that will allow for a major expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

“This agreement restores a measure of stability to museum funding and paves the way for substantial improvements in programs and operations,” Supervisor Ed Edelman said.

The agreement with the nonprofit Museum Associates, which manages the facility, would make possible the long-awaited purchase of the vacant May Co. facility next to the museum complex on Wilshire Boulevard. The $25-million purchase and renovation project would allow the museum to expand and act as a hub to attract other cultural organizations, officials said.

Under the agreement, the county would provide an annual base amount of $14.2 million, which could increase under certain escalator clauses related to increased costs of labor and supplies. The Museum Associates would be required to provide a contribution equal to 80% of the county’s funding.