On October 16, the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners will convene to consider two items which portend major changes to MacArthur Park.

Among the items up for consideration is certification of the environmental impact report of the MacArthur Park Lake stormwater capture project, which is funded by a $20-million Measure W allocation. Plans call for building a new wetlands area and water feature within the southern half of the park, which would be used to capture and treat urban runoff.

View looking north toward WilshireStudio-MLA

The Studio-MLA-designed project would be built over a period of 22 months, although a start date for the project is unclear.

A second item related on the Commission's agenda relates to ongoing public safety issues that have plagued MacArthur Park, as well as the surrounding neighborhood. As a result, the Department of Recreation and Parks is now looking wrap MacArthur Park with green wrought-iron fencing, with gates to be located at the eight perimeter entrances.

"Over the years, MacArthur Park has remained a vital community gathering place, but it has also experienced ongoing public safety and quality-of-life challenges that pose challenges to perform maintenance and sustain park investments," explains a staff report. "In recent years, the Department of Recreation and Parks has been working collaboratively with the Mayor’s Office, Council District 1, and the Los Angeles Police Department to develop strategies that balance safety, accessibility, and preservation of the park’s historic character. "The proposed wrought iron perimeter fencing reflects this balanced approach. The intent of the fencing is not to limit access, but rather to create a safer, more welcoming, and better-managed environment for park visitors and nearby residents. Similar approaches have been implemented successfully at other parks where perimeter fencing has helped improve conditions while maintaining public access and programming."

The Commissioners have been asked to approve the allocation of $2.3 million in funding for the project, which is in the predesign phase. A timeline to install the fencing has not been set, and it is unknown if sufficient funding has been identified for the project.

Reconnecting MacArthur Park projectCity of Los Angeles

If and when a fence is designed, it may need to be altered to account for future plans at MacArthur Park. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the Westlake neighborhood, has pushed to return MacArthur Park to its pre-1934 configuration by potentially closing the segment of Wilshire Boulevard which cuts through its center.

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