Dear Friend of Pershing Square,

It’s now eight months since the FBI raid on City Hall, and a good time to check in on one of councilman Jose Huizar’s signature initiatives, the Pershing Square Renew “competition” for a new park design.

Curbed L.A. reports that “winning” architects Agence Ter now lament the lack of a “civic champion,” and that in the absence of funds to move forward with with the much-hyped redesign, the city’s Parks & Recreation department is doing piecemeal alterations.

We put quotes around the words “competition” and “winning” because we believe there was no true Pershing Square Renew redesign competition, just highly-controlled series of publicity stunts intended to promote the agendas of the councilman and a favored real estate developer, MacFarlane Partners (Park Fifth and Angels Landing). 

If there had been a true competition, then John Parkinson’s design would have had to be included, by popular demand.

While we’re troubled to see the existing park design by Legoretta + Olin partially demolished with no architectural plan to replace it, we remain hopeful that the neighborhood’s next elected representative will be willing to have a good faith conversation about the future of Pershing Square, which we and many Angelenos like you believe would be best served by a restoration of John Parkinson's beloved 1910 design.

So please continue to share the petition link with friends and help grow support for a return of the classic Pershing Square design!

For more information about the historic park, the restoration campaign and what comes next, please visit: http://restorepershingsquare.blogspot.com

yours for Los Angeles,
Kim Cooper & Richard Schave
The Pershing Square Restoration Society