After over a decade of neglect at the West LA Civic Center and surrounding facilities, West LA residents are organizing to make a change. Despite the prominence and allure of living on the westside, the city has failed to provide a basic service for the residents of West LA—safe, public spaces.
The West LA Library and Felicia Mahood Senior Center continue to decay, leaving residents without a space to meet, learn, and share experiences. Additionally, the West LA Civic Center, which connects the library, senior center, and municipal building, continues to be a dirty, unsafe, and an unusable space. The City’s various departments have shown an unwillingness to confront these issues; absconding their responsibilities in hope that the problem will be bulldozed away by a future developer.
As communities come to terms with their changing landscapes and increased density, we need to remember there is an increased need to provide an escape from the concrete prisons. The Civic Center Revitalization is focused on creating solutions of how we can develop this under-utilized space in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles. We have a growing list of over 700 online and in-person signatures. We will keep organizing, calling, and emailing until we see real change for this area! If you are tired of the disastrous state of the civic center and want to create a dynamic outdoor space for West LA, you can learn more at www.westlacommunitycoalition.org/civiccenter.
