Downtown: the fun of politics

Tuesday, August 24, 2004, at 09:11AM

By Eric Richardson

So assuming I get out of class a little early today I think I'm going to be making my way down to City Hall to sit in on the meeting on the new LAPD headquarters. The LA Times also has an article today. Now, I don't have a lot invested in the debate so I'm really going more to sit and listen than I am to push any particular agenda. I do feel like it's a bit of a shame that the headquarters can't be rebuilt on the site of the current Parker Center, but I understand the economics of trying to fit a temporary headquarters while construction occurred. I am curious to see the plans for the new space, particularly to see if they do address the neighborhood's desire for a park in anything more than a token way. I don't think the whole space needs to be made into a park: the Civic Center doesn't do all that poorly for green space right now. It would be nice, though, to see the city hold true to what the neighborhood thinks it was promised.

At the very bottom of the LA Times article you get this quote, which doesn't really make any sense to me:

Three years ago, the City Council did approve a plan to make the entire block into "open space" as part of a land swap with the state.

But Perry said Monday the city never committed to a park.

"Open space does not mean park," the councilwoman said.

Well, ok, but I'm pretty sure open space doesn't mean police headquarters either.