NORTH HOLLYWOOD : City Plans New Uses for Police Station

When Los Angeles police move out of the North Hollywood station in the fall of next year, the interrogation rooms and jail cells they leave behind may be occupied by an unlikely group of newcomers: senior citizens and preschoolers.

The iron bars will be taken down and the interview rooms will be remodeled to fit the new intended use of the facility, a senior citizens center and, eventually, perhaps rooms for day care.

It’s all part of a remodeling project proposed by the city parks department, which will take ownership of the station as part of a land swap approved by the City Council this week. Under the deal, the Police Department will gain title to former parks property where it is building a new North Hollywood station.

Arline DeSanctis, an aide to Councilman Joel Wachs, said there is a great need for senior services near the current station. According to DeSanctis, some of the programs Wachs would like to see are a nutrition project and an Adopt-a-Grandparent service that could be coordinated with a child-care facility.

Barry Simon, an administrator with the parks department, said the senior center will probably include a multipurpose room, meeting rooms and dining facilities. Offices for nurses, a travel consultant and parks employees are also expected as part of the package.

Parks officials plan to make the facility available to the wider community for a variety of uses.

The senior center will probably not open until the spring of 1997, Simon said, because of the significant modifications needed. Because the parks department has not determined the scope of the project, the cost is unknown.

The city parks commission would have to approve the project, and the department must still identify funds to pay for it.