Letters to the Editor: El Corazón Art Park represents hope for residents of downtown L.A.

To the editor: For those of us who live, work and create art in downtown Los Angeles, El Corazón Art Park represents something too often missing from the conversation: hope (“A vacant lot near City Hall will become an art park. Why are some people objecting?,” July 13).

I’ve spent years using art to advocate for Skid Row. That means creatively bringing policy to life to help make it accessible. It means using art to bring people together across neighborhoods that are too often divided. A vacant, fenced-off lot serves no one. A free public space filled with art, culture, music and community programming creates opportunities for connection, healing and belonging.

Downtown needs more places where all residents, artists, families and visitors can gather. El Corazón Art Park can be such a place.

As a community member involved in the process, I support this project. We should embrace a vision of downtown Los Angeles that values creativity, community and public spaces that bring people together. And we should embrace that vision knowing we are two years away from the 2028 Olympics.

Tom Grode, Los Angeles

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To the editor: At a time when downtown needs all the help it can get, choosing an art park and wellness center over a vacant dirt lot should be an easy decision. The project would bring beauty, activity and investment to the area, creating a welcoming space for residents and visitors while supporting the revitalization that downtown urgently needs.

John Echeveste, Port Hueneme