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The cost of LA River Park's Taylor Yard G2 project could surpass $1 billion according to new Bureau of Engineering study

2022-05-04T11:46:00-04:00

The cost to turn 42 acres of contaminated railroad property on the border of Cypress Park and Glassell Park into a "crown jewel" of riverfront revitalization could top $1 billion. That's according to an updated study by the Bureau of Engineering that will be reviewed today by a City Council committee.

In March 2017, the City of Los Angeles purchased the land, known as the G2 Parcel, for $60 million with the aim to develop a combination of park space, walking trails, wetlands, wildlife habitat, river access, public recreation, and other amenities.

The undertaking, known as the Taylor Yard G2 River Park Project, is a portion of the greaterLos Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, and sets out to unite the surrounding Rio de Los Angeles State Park and the state-owned G1 Parcel, which together would form 100 acres of open space along the LA River.

Previously on Archinect: SPF:architects' anticipated LA River pedestrian bridge opens to the public with a unifying gesture

While a major milestone in the project was reached last month with the completion of the SPF:architects-designed Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge, the cost of the G2 revitalization has soared since the start.

As reported by The Eastsider, between 2016 and 2019 the cost jumped from $252 million to $798.2 million, whi...

SPF:architects' anticipated LA River pedestrian bridge opens to the public with a unifying gesture

2022-04-27T09:00:00-04:00

A major milestone in the ongoing LA River revitalization has been reached after SPF:architects announced the completion of its new Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge earlier this month.

Connecting an area north of Dodger Stadium known as Elysian Valley to the neighboring Cypress Park district, the bridge sits on a 42-acre former railway site and has been given the nickname ‘Rumblefish’ by its creators. The bridge takes its namesake and vibrant orange color from a lesser-known Francis Ford Coppola film that SPF:a felt reflected the same ideas of cohesion and brotherly unity expressed in its architecture and will thus serve as the most important piece of infrastructure in the larger Taylor Yard G2 River Park Project currently being undertaken by LA’s Bureau of Engineering.

Photo: Mike Kelley

Construction on the bridge began in 2019 and eventually yielded a 400-foot box-trussed span, in touch with the area’s industrial character and opposing elevations, with two cantilevered central viewing ...

Mia Lehrer and WSP recommended for LA River's Taylor Yard

2017-09-22T13:21:00-04:00

Regardless of the pricey remediation, the 41-acre property has long been considered a key element to the large-scale ecological restoration of the LA River. The city purchased the G2 parcel in March, paying nearly $60 million.

The city’s bureau of engineering recommends engineering firm WSP, with Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer, for the transformation of the G2. WSP and Lehrer are collaborating with Mujeres de la Tierra, a non-profit public health organization based in Cypress Park, on the project.

Part of Taylor Yard, the Southern Pacific's former classification Yard, the G2 parcel has been named the crown jewel of the LA revitalization project by LA Mayor Garcetti. The site, now abandoned for over three decades, is highly contaminated and unlikely to open as park for another three to five years.

The city's recommendation has been shared with the public works department which will have the last word on the G2 contract.