City Hall
Los Angeles is shoveling hundreds of millions of dollars into the seismic upgrade and refurbishment of City Hall. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority spent one-half the amount for its new headquarters building, an up-to-date high rise with three times the usable floor space.
City Hall is a relic of a bygone era. When the refurbishment is complete, it will still be an obsolete building, a symbol of neo-revivalism and everything that is wrong with municipal architecture of that period. With the right leadership, and for a lot less money, Los Angeles could build a state-of-the-art symbol for the 21st century and beyond.
Then again, the city prides itself on an $8-billion subway to nowhere (the cost of two or three cross-county freeways with light rail). What’s a few hundred million more taxpayer dollars down the rat hole?
RICHARD DEIGHT
Architect
Buena Park
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.