Two years after its initial announcement, Gensler has shared updated project renderings and new site plan details for its pedestrian enhancement of LA's Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The project entails a number of hastened improvements to the road surface and overall streetscape. Construction is expected to begin next summer and take $7.2 million to complete its first phase through the end of 2024. Gensler is the prime consultant for this segment of the larger $60 million comprehensive plan authored by Los Angeles Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, while full design details are still being finalized. 

As reported by Time Out, the construction will affect a segment of Hollywood Boulevard between Gower Street and Orange Drive. Among the upgrades, added planters and outdoor dining areas will feature prominently alongside new shade trees, kiosks, and spaces dedicated to temporary art installations. The project will also include a bus stop consolidation and important traffic lane reductions as part of the LA Metro’s “NextGen” program. 

According to O’Farrell’s office, the two-phase construction is expected to last through the end of 2026. The embattled Councilmember has made pedestrian safety a large part of his platform since stepping into office. 

This is all being done in the hopes of stoking developers’ interest in sites along the tourist-heavy promenade. A $39.2 million plot has already been sold that will become a mixed-use development with 260 apartment units, with a larger 633-unit proposal pegged for the intersections of Las Palmas and Hollywood. O'Farrell says it is a transformation long in the making. 

"In the 37 years since I first arrived, Hollywood has come a long way," he said in a previous statement. "We’ve made so much progress. But, with housing being built and more people living in Hollywood than ever before, we still need to achieve a grander vision for Hollywood Boulevard, and activate the historic core in a way that serves the neighborhood."

A detailed version of O'Farrell's "HEART of Hollywood" concept plan can be found here.