A plan to build L.A. River-adjacent park space on land beneath the Sixth Street Viaduct has moved one step closer to reality.

In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council moved last week to adopt the findings of an environmental impact report for the Sixth Street Park, Arts, River & Connectivity Project - or (PARC) - which will create nearly 13 acres of new public open space at the foot of the viaduct in Boyle Heights and the Arts District.

West park - aerial Hargreaves Associates

The design by Hargreaves Jones, named "Canopy & Objects," includes three main components.

The East Park, planned on the Boyle Heights side of the river at 6th Street and Mission Road, will incldue meadows, picnic areas, a splash pad, event space, and other landscaped settings. Plans also call for a soccer field, a basketball and volleyball court, and eventually space for skateboarding.

The Arts Plaza and River Gateway, located directly below the viaduct at Santa Fe Avenue and Mesquit Street in the Arts District, will feature a stage and terraced seating for performances, as well as a cafe and restrooms. This section of PARC benefits from a $1.9 million contribution from the late developer Leonard Hill, a partner at Linear City. The 1.4-acre Leonard Hill Arts Plaza will be named in honor of Hill.

Arts plaza - aerial Hargreaves Associates

West Park, located at 6th and Mateo Streets, will include a large performance lawn, a dog park, and space for fitness equipment.

According to a staff report to the City Council, construction of the three key components of the $30-million project remain on track to begin in Fall 2022 and conclude in Fall 2024. A second phase of the project, which would add landscaped terraces along the west bank of the Los Angeles River, could commence construction as early as 2025, contingent on the availability of funding and approvals by the Army Corp. of Engineers.

The Sixth Street Viaduct, which is currently under construction, is expected to open by Summer 2022, according to the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering.

Overall plan for Sixth Street Viaduct ParkHargreaves Associates

The new park space is also expected to complement new transportation projects within the Arts District and Boyle Heights, including a new segment of the Los Angeles River bike path and a proposed extension of Metro's B and D Lines to 6th Street.