Renderings have been released depicting renovations at the
reimagined La Brea Tar Pits site. (rendering courtesy of NHMLAC)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4 approved the final environmental impact report for the master plan to reimagine the La Brea Tar Pits.

The approval is the latest step in a multi-year process of making the project a reality, but museum officials and county leaders stressed there is still a long way to go. While the final EIR serves as a platform to continue examining the scope of the project, the timeline is contingent upon many factors, including continued planning, and has not yet been finalized, according to Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.

“We are thrilled that the EIR has been approved – a critical milestone in our project and demonstrates the county’s support,” Bettison-Varga said in a statement. “Our continued planning will inform the final scope and cost of the project, which will determine our fundraising goals. However, the Museum Foundation continues to fundraise in a very targeted way, and we know the certification of the EIR helps instill support and confidence in our efforts. We are grateful to have already received $22 million from the county to support this project.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, 2nd District, who represents the area where the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum are located, said the reimagining plan presents an opportunity to offer a multitude of benefits.

“I’m excited that Natural History Museum is taking another step forward in their reimagining project to make this unique world wonder an even greater place for education, community gathering, research and inspiration,” Mitchell said. “I look forward to seeing the plans for both the buildings and the campus landscape unfold in the coming months and years.”

Bettison-Varga called the project transformative and said it will honor the scientific significance of the tar pits and maintain the site as a community landmark.

“I believe that the work of La Brea Tar Pits and our institution as a whole is more important than ever before. Our goal remains to evolve the site to better serve Los Angeles and beyond, to safeguard this critical scientific resource and to create a dynamic space to engage local and global audiences in conversations at the intersection of nature, society and sustainability while improving the park experience for our local community,” she added. “We are so grateful to the community members who shared their insights, concerns and feedback. A number of refinements were made in response to public input to the draft EIR. These plans will improve the exhibition space, add classroom and research areas, enlarge the Central Green, renovate the site’s entrances, preserve historical features of the Page Museum and improve the landscaping with native trees and plants.”

The plan calls for major changes at the 13-acre La Brea Tar Pits and Museum and surrounding park. Designed by the architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi, the project includes an overall site redesign, expansion and upgrades for the Tar Pits complex, a Central Green, renovations to the existing Page Museum and development of a new museum building, according to the EIR.

The existing museum will be renovated with an enlarged exhibition space, additional collections storage, ground floor café and retail space. The central atrium will be renovated to provide additional exhibitions, an additional classroom and visible laboratory space.

The EIR states that the new two-story 40,000 square foot museum building will be located northwest of the Page Museum and will include an extended central lobby, exhibit spaces, two theaters, research and collections laboratories, administration spaces and a loading dock. The Page Museum and new museum building will be connected on the first floor but disconnected on the second floor, with the upper level rising from an earthen berm. The separate facilities will be accessible using sloped outdoor walkways from the Central Green and through the interior of the new museum building. Pedestrian entrances lead into the central lobby from the Central Green and parking lot.

The project will renovate existing facilities surrounding the actual tar pits located on the western portion of the site with new viewing areas. A shaded canopy will stretch down Wilshire Boulevard and curve around to South Curson Avenue, creating a new welcome pavilion and shaded entry plaza, according to the EIR. A pedestrian bridge and walking path will be constructed over the Lake Pit facing Wilshire Boulevard. Directly east of the Lake Pit, a new garden bioswale will manage stormwater and include vegetation at a site where the mammoth and mastodon sculptures on public display will be relocated.

The EIR identified impacts and mitigation measures necessary when the construction process occurs. The project will require the removal, relocation or replacement of 150-200 trees at the site. The planting strategy includes the introduction or relocation of a similar number of trees as would be removed, according to the EIR.

Five organizations including the Los Angeles Audubon Society and the Climate Reality Project, as well as 27 residents and individuals, submitted comments on the draft EIR, many focusing on the tree removal and changes to the park space, which is a destination for many people in the surrounding neighborhood. The EIR outlines steps that will be taken to mitigate concerns. However, some people believe the site can be renovated without sacrificing key elements.

“What this proposal would do is completely transform the park. It is basically the ruination of the park,” said Greg Goldin, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association. “I am definitely in favor of making the museum as good as possible, but you don’t have to do that by wiping out the park.”

Bettison-Varga said the project is still evolving.

“From the start, NHMLAC has been committed to ensuring the planning process is open and inclusive, welcoming public participation,” she said. “A guiding principle has been to prioritize broad and diverse community outreach at every stage, from the selection of the architectural design team to the environmental impact review process, and that will not change. We are committed to transparency and inclusiveness and will continue to invite the community into this process.”