With construction now underway on a new, USC-funded Fire Station at the corner of Hoover and 30th Streets, something had to be done with LAFD Station 15's current digs on Jefferson Boulevard. It appears that USC has found that something. According to an environmental report released by LADCP, the university proposes the relocation of the current station building to a vacant lot near the Shrine Auditorium. There it would serve as a studio annex to the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts, located at the corner of Figueroa and 32nd Streets. RZC houses both the Electronic Arts Game Design Lab and the university's student-run television station. Comprised of slightly over 8,700 square feet of floor area, LAFD Station 15 dates back to 1950, and is eligible for local historic landmark status. USC proposes slight modifications to the structure as part of its preservation, including new landscaping and improved lighting.
The adaptive reuse project is closely tied to the $1.1 billion Village at USC, which will create over 2 million square feet of student housing, academic facilities and neighborhood serving retail. The first phase of the Village, once scheduled to begin work in mid-2014, consists of housing for 2,470 students and 140,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. Although an exact groundbreaking date is unknown, USC is currently in the process of obtaining demolition permits for the existing University Village shopping center.
- Fire Station No. 15 Building Reuse and Improvements (LADCP)
- Groundbreaking for new LAFD Station 15 Near USC University Village (LAFD News & Info)
- The Village at USC Brings Open Space and Fake Old Town Charm (Building Los Angeles)