News | City of West Hollywood
The City of West Hollywood is inviting members of the community to provide input on the new design concept for the future Melrose Gathering Place, which is the public space at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Norwich Drive.
City staff members from the City’s Urban Design and Architecture Studio will present the new concept at the City’s upcoming Public Facilities Commission meeting on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center in Plummer Park, theaters 5 and 6, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. This meeting will be an opportunity to share comments in public comments. Registrations are welcome, no RSVP is required.
In addition, City staff members will be making presentations at several other upcoming public meetings, which will be held at the Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 5 and 6. Community members will have the opportunity to comment on each presentation in public comment framework. The meetings are as follows:
- Urban Art Subcommittee (Concept Art Plan), Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 5 p.m.; the Urban Arts Sub-Committee will receive a presentation from the artist on the design of the art plan and make a recommendation to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Committee.
- Committee on Arts and Cultural Affairs, Thursday November 17, 2022 at 5 p.m.; the Arts and Cultural Affairs Committee will receive a report from the Urban Art Sub-Committee with a recommendation for the concept art plan.
- Urban Art Subcommittee (Final Art Plan), Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 5 p.m.; the Urban Arts Sub-Committee will receive a presentation from the artist on the final artistic plan and make a recommendation to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Committee.
- Commission for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Thursday January 26, 2023 at 5 p.m.; the Arts and Cultural Affairs Committee will receive a report from the Urban Arts Sub-Committee with a recommendation for the final art plan.
Public meetings are subject to change or cancellation. Up-to-date meeting details are posted on the City calendar at www.weho.org/calendar. Meeting agendas are posted at least 72 hours in advance on www.weho.org/agendas.
The new design concept for the future Melrose Gathering Place has been re-imagined from an old concept proposal and has been developed with input from the community, including a Community talk in September 2022, during which neighbors, local business owners, and members of residents’ associations met with the design team to help reimagine the space.
Key design goals and opportunities have been identified, including:
- A park-like space with planted areas and plenty of shade trees
- A space for passive uses such as reading and conversation
- A shaded and pedestrian area
- Natural and tactile materials that calm foot traffic
- Landscaping features that improve pedestrian safety
- Natural and sculptural seat
- art that is carefully integrated into a garden-like space, and
- Indirect lighting if possible.
The future Melrose Gathering Place will be created by relocating the curb on the south side of Melrose Avenue and redesigning the roadway to make it more consistent with the rest of the street. The site, which currently consists of a diagonal sidewalk and parking lot, is approximately 7,200 square feet, excluding adjacent sidewalks, and will be divided into three segments by driveways providing access from Melrose Avenue to adjacent properties. It will be transformed into a park-like space with landscaping, trees, seating, public art and other amenities. For more information, please visit: weho.org/city-government/city-manager/capital-projects/Melrose-gathering-place.
The Melrose Gathering Place project was created as part of the Design District Streetscape Master Planwhich was unanimously approved by the City Council in 2014. The Design District Streetscape and Landfill Project is now in its second phase of construction. The master plan was designed to improve the overall aesthetics and mobility of the commercial district known as the West Hollywood Design District, with the goal of enhancing the economic vitality of the neighborhood. Key features of the project include improvements to pedestrian and cyclist safety; new roadway and sidewalks; distinctive trees and landscaping; improved street furniture and streetlights; installation of smart city infrastructure; underground works for public services; and the creation of new public gathering spaces, such as the Melrose Gathering Place, with integrated public art.
For more information on the Melrose Gathering Place project and other ways to provide feedback, please contact Michael Barker, project architect for the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6483 or [email protected]. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
For up-to-date information on news and happenings from the City of West Hollywood, follow @wehocity on social mediasign up to receive updates on www.weho.org/emailand view the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. The city of West Hollywood remains in a local emergency declared in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment while visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services can be reached by phone at (323) 848-6400 and through the website at www.weho.org. The City’s coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.
For reporters and members of the media who would like additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact City of West Hollywood Public Information Officer Sheri A. Lunn at (323) 848-6391 or [email protected].
