Wilshire Center Recent Revitalization

1993

•  Planning begins for the $6 million Wilshire Blvd. Streetscape Project, which will add 2,000 trees, 300 new flower planters and over a mile of landscaped medians to the area.

1994

• Southwestern School of Law purchases the Art Deco Bullock’s Wilshire building to renovate into a state-of-the-art law library.

1995

• The Community Redevelopment Agency creates the Wilshire Center and Koreatown Redevelopment Project Area.

• Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corporation forms.

• Los Angeles City Council establishes the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District (BID).  

1996

• Metro Red Line opens, allowing people to travel quickly from Wilshire Center to Downtown, Long Beach and LAX.  

• Weekly street maintenance services begin along Wilshire Blvd., including cleaning of sidewalks, street poles, signal boxes and other public areas.

• Smart Shuttle buses begin operating in the Wilshire Center.

• Southwestern School of Law Library opens in the 1^st floor of the Bullock’s Wilshire building.

• The first phase of the Streetscape Project is completed.

• The Wilshire Center BID, with assistance from the City of Los Angeles, lays brick crosswalks at every intersection between Wilton Place and Hoover.

• Two gateway monuments are erected to welcome visitors to Wilshire Center

• Weekday security bike patrols begin in the Wilshire Center Area.

• The number of security bike patrol officers doubles, and the area patrolled every weekday is expanded to include Sixth and Seventh Streets and adjacent streets.

•  The Southwestern School of Law is presented with the Respectful Renovation Award by the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society for its renovation of the Bullock’s Wilshire building. 

•  DASH shuttles begin operating in the Wilshire Center.

• The Tea Room in the Bullock’s building reopens as the new commissary for Southwestern School of Law students.

•  Metro Red Line expands to Hollywood from Wilshire Center  

•  Future of the Ambassador site - destination entertainment/retail center and a Academy School.

• Aroma Wilshire Center - sport and shopping center.

• Redesigning and replacing of news racks within Wilshire Center.  

• Replacing current wire trash containers with new receptacles.

• Redesigning and replacing of existing bus benches.

• Installing community-approved bus shelters.

• Upgrading of the street lighting along Wilshire Blvd.