Upgrades to Figueroa Street Ready to Hit Road

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The city’s long-planned $20 million Figueroa Street overhaul finally has a start date.

On Oct. 17, some six years after funding approval, shovels will hit the ground, according to Mat Talag, the city’s project spokesman. Construction is anticipated to continue until June as the stretch of Figueroa connecting USC to the South Park neighborhood is transformed with special bus and bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, and traffic safety features.

While Talag expects construction to go smoothly, the number of other projects along Figueroa is a concern.

“There’s a lot of coordination because there’s lots of construction on Figueroa right now,” he said. “The major concern is that we build something and then have to come back and tear it down.”

There’s also the worry about increased traffic in the area with additional construction along one of downtown’s major arteries. To mitigate the issue, construction of the MyFigueroa project, as it has been dubbed, will only take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. While no specific fund has been set up, Talag said business owners who believe their revenue is being impacted by construction can petition the city for relief.

“Businesses can claim a business interruption but we don’t anticipate many will,” Talag said. “We try to avoid disruption as much as possible.”

Bounce in Step

It’s a whole new ball game this year for the Los Angeles Clippers.

When the National Basketball Association team kicks off its home schedule at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 against the Utah Jazz, Clippers players will walk into a renovated locker room, and fans will be treated to a host of new experiences.

The 2,600-square-foot locker room was redesigned by downtown-based Gensler’s sports division and built by Shawmut Construction. It features an expanded training room and a new dedicated players’ lounge.

Upstairs in the arena, season ticket holders will have the chance to wine and dine in posh new digs at the Season Ticket Club, a new private space with two signature bars and an exclusive menu developed by Levy Restaurant executive chef Joseph Martin.

Saturday night home games will also feature additional activities inside and outside Staples Center as part of the Clippers’ DTLAC initiative. Special musical performances will take place at halftime inside the arena, while pregame musical and comedy acts will take the stage outside on Chick Hearn Court as part of block parties featuring free food, drinks, and games.

The first block party is scheduled for Nov. 19, when the team takes on the Chicago Bulls.

“DTLAC is about celebrating how incredible downtown Los Angeles has become,” said Gillian Zucker, president of basketball operations for the Clippers.

Viva Italia

Local history buffs have a new place to celebrate the contributions of Italian-Americans in Los Angeles and Southern California.

The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles opened last month at the newly restored Italian Hall on Main Street. The museum offers visitors a peek into the history of Italian Americans in the region. The museum is jointly operated by the city and the Historic Italian Hall Foundation.

Marianna Gatto, the museum’s executive director, said the foundation has been working to put a museum at the site since 2004.

“At the time, the building still needed a lot of work and fundraising to complete,” Gatto said. “This is what we’ve been aiming for. Until now, we had only done a temporary exhibition on site and elsewhere.”

The museum features seven exhibits arranged chronologically and beginning in the early 1800s, when the first Italians arrived in Southern California. One exhibit documenting Italians in Hollywood features a custom-made Versace cape worn by singer Lady Gaga.

Gatto said the museum will also play host to a number of community events and programming.

“We intentionally made it relevant to everyone as it’s as much about Southern California as it is about Italian Americans,” she said. “We hope to showcase this region and promote interest in it.”

Admission is free to the museum, which is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Staff reporters Kristin Marguerite Doidge, Subrina Hudson, and Henry Meier contributed to this column. #DTLA is compiled by Managing Editor Omar Shamout. He can be reached at [email protected].

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