In just two months, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena has been reduced to rubble without much fanfare. Now, a video posted to the LAFC website will let you watch the demolition process unfold in less than 30 seconds.
The 57-year-old Sports Arena, located at 3939 S. Figueroa Street, is being demolished to make way for LAFC's new home: the 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium. The soccer-specific venue, designed by Gensler, is scheduled to open in time for the 2018 MLS season.
A live webcam is currently tracking progress on the $350-million project.
Though overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Sports Arena nonetheless served as a backdrop to a number of watershed moments during its nearly six-decade lifespan. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the arena hosted the Democratic Convention in 1960, and was a former home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and both the UCLA and USC basketball programs.
- LAFC Archive (Urbanize LA)
- Once Home to the Lakers... (Los Angeles Times)