HARGREAVES ASSOCIATES CHOSEN!!

California State Parks’ Director Ruth Coleman announced today that she has accepted the overwhelming recommendation of a Selection Advisory Committee to choose the Hargreaves Associates Team as the winner of the Design Competition for Los Angeles State Historic Park. State Parks will now begin the process of entering into a contract with Hargreaves to prepare a final design plan for the future park.

 “The three finalists must be thanked for the exceptional creativity and innovative thinking they brought to this project,” said Director Coleman. “The Committee and I agree that Hargreaves best proved they can integrate local community needs into a world-class park that attracts a statewide audience. They have a great track record of exceptional and successful urban parks.”

Bridging the Past to the Future 

This historic photograph details the San Fernando/Spring Street staircase and landing of the former River Station Pedestrian Bridge. Southern Pacific Railroad built the original pedestrian bridge in 1889. It provided a safe and direct connection from the residential communities along Broadway with the rail yard, industrial shops, and communities below. This bridge existed into the 1970s and is just one of the features that have historically connected the communities surrounding Los Angeles State Historic Park.

To view a reference copy of the RFQ, please click here. 

• Julie Eizenberg is the founding Principal of Koning Eizenberg Architecture, established in 1981. Her experience in reconciling various community interests while maintaining design excellence is demonstrated in many consensus-building, community-based projects involving cities, non-profit agencies, community groups and private developers. She teaches and lectures extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. She is a peer reviewer for the GSA Design Excellence program and recipient of the Association of Women in Architecture 2004 Design Excellence Award. In recent years, as a result of Julie’s design direction, Koning Eizenberg has won two national competitions- Chicago Public School Northside, and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, which opened in November 2004 to widespread acclaim.
  
  

• The Honorable Paul Junger Witt, a long-time television and film producer, is a member of the board of Environmental Defense, Environmental Media Association, and is a California State Parks Commissioner. He also serves on the boards of the University of Southern California School of Cinema, Television and Digital Arts, The UCLA School of Medical Sciences, and The University of Virginia Council for the Arts.  Appointed by California State Park and Recreation Commission.
  
  

• Robert Hertzberg, former Speaker of the California State Assembly.  Mr. Hertzberg’s most avid passion has been to fight for education.  As a Regent of the University of California, he was critical in expanding admission opportunities for all students.  As Speaker, he made California community colleges one of his top priorities.  Hertzberg was honored by the California Journal as a legislator representing, “a pattern of conduct, an outlook and demeanor that exemplifies the best kind of public service.”  Hertzberg served as chairman of the transition team for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and also served as a member of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s transition team.  He continues to serve as an informal advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger on matters important to the state.  Hertzberg is a member of the Counsel on Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the Pre-School Initiative in Los Angeles County with Nancy Daley Riordan, chaired the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, and is a member of the Southern California Leadership Council.  He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Historical Society, as well as a member of the boards of MALDEF, Town Hall Los Angeles, Century Housing, as well as other civic engagements.  Nominated by California State Parks Foundation.
  
  

• Bruce Saito, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, has served as President of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps and currently serves on the Advisory Board of Directors of Gardens for Kids. He has been honored for his service by the City and County of Los Angeles, the State of California and the federal government, and has been honored with a National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Professional Award.  Nominated by Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes.
  
  

• Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, 45th Assembly District, has been a teacher, a union activist, a Los Angeles City Councilmember (13th District) and tireless community advocate for parks and open space in the urban core.  Assemblymember Goldberg chairs the Assembly Education Committee and the Select Committee on Challenges Facing Non-English Communities and is a member of the Appropriations; Budget; Public Safety; and Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committees.  She also sits on the governing board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.  Local Assembly District representative.
  
  

• William D. Estrada, Curator, History Division, El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument, has taught at numerous colleges in the Los Angeles area, including California State University at Long Beach and Northridge and Occidental, where he was Assistant Dean of Students from 1981–1989.  He has served as a member of the Los Angeles History Research Group at the Huntington Library, and on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles City Historical Society.  Mr. Estrada has published widely on Los Angeles history, and has curated numerous exhibitions.  Nominated by California State Parks (historian category).
  
  

• Clare Marter Kenyon is a long-time community parks activist who resides in Mt. Washington.  Ms. Marter Kenyon is chair of the City of Los Angeles' Community Forest Advisory Committee, has participated in the Mayor's Million Trees Initiative, and is on the board of the North East Trees, Los Angeles Open Space Coalition (NELA/OS), Mt Washington Homeowners Alliance, Land Use Committee and has also served in the past on the Advisory Board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Theodore Payne Foundation.  Nominated by city of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
  
  

• Charles Woo, CEO of Mega Toys, and Chairman, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.   He is the president of the Toy Association of Southern California, chair of the Workforce Investment Board of Los Angeles, and is a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business.  He is the first Asian American chair, as well as the first small and medium business chair, of the Chamber of Commerce in 133 years.  He has served on the boards of the Library foundation, Metropolitan YMCA, LA's BEST, Asian Rehabilitation Services and Chinese Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE).   Woo has received numerous awards, ranging from the Historymakers Award from the Friends of the Chinese American Museum, to the World Trade Hall of Fame Award from the World Trade Center Association. He was also honored by the League of Women Voters, the Anti-Defamation League and the Asian Business Association.  Nominated by California State Senator Jack Scott.
  
  

• Barbara Romero is the Director of Urban Projects for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a joint powers agency of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.  She has been a pioneer in community and youth programs, including services for children, youth and families, Americorps programs, and the “Girls Today Women Tomorrow,” program.  She was awarded the Aztec Award by the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 2003, and was recognized as an “Outstanding Young Californian” by the California Junior Chamber of Commerce.  She is well-known and respected in the local community.  Nominated by California State Parks (community representative category).
  
  

• Charles R. Jordan is the Chairman of the Board of the Conservation Fund and the Director of Parks and Recreation in Portland, Oregon.  Mr. Jordan is also Co-Chair of the Urban Parks and Recreation Alliance and the National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Review Committee.  Appointed as Portland’s first African-American City Commissioner, he was reelected to that position three times.  He is the past Co-Chair - National Committee on "The Use of National Parks" for the 75th Anniversary of the National Park Service, and a past Commissioner of the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors.  Nominated by California State Parks (park professional category).
  
  

• In addition to the ten regular members, two ex officio members have been chosen to assist the committee, State Park’s Director Ruth Coleman and Elizabeth Goldstein, the President of the California State Parks Foundation.