Brochure Design by

 Jon Varsano

Text by

Gene Austin

In 1995 YCC Secretary-Treasurer Jon Varsano decided that the northwest corner of Cahuenga and Franklin was an eyesore due to lack of attention and a community who was more concerned about crime, drugs, and gangs than beautification.  Drawing upon his creative knowledge he crafted a landscaping proposal to bring this triangle back to life.  From that initial drawing has evolved what is now the Gateway To Hollywood. 

 

The schematic design of the Gateway came from Associate Professor Jeanine Centaur's Woodbury University School of Architecture student Michael O’Brian  From this the architectural design was developed by Jeanine Centuori and UrbanRock Design artist Russell Rock.

 

Incorporating several artscape features including Pedestrian Canopies, a unique Bus Shelter, and featuring a 30 foot triangular tower with H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D on each side, lit with fiber optics, and crowned with a cascading waterfall, the Gateway became, in its final form, what is seen above.

 

The Plaza area, designed with utmost care to provide those who visit the area a comfortable, safe resting or meeting spot preserves the existing Jacaranda tree as a centerpiece.  Arid/native and lush green gardens are integrated into the water stream beginning at the base of the Sign/Fountain and ending south of the Plaza wall.

 

New pedestrian street lights will provide additional night time security and be a model for future lighting throughout the Yucca Corridor.

 

Seen  as a  “signature piece,”  the  Gateway  serves  as a  focus 

 

for future Corridor beautification.

 

Already being hailed as “the next Landmark of Hollywood” by civic, business, and community leaders, the Gateway will provide a fresh kind of welcome to the hundreds of thousands of commuters and visitors who pass the site each day. 

 

The Gateway to Hollywood contains three main elements that provides for addressing the main reasons for its existence:

 

·          FOR THE MOTORIST – It serves as a “gateway” announcing the entrance to Hollywood with a large, illuminated sign.

·          FOR THE PEDESTRIAN – It serves as a more commodious place to wait for the bus.  It serves as a plaza to rest.  It will be as a testimonial to the history of Hollywood.

·          THE LANDSCAPE – There are two landscapes that are divided and connected by the water feature.  The water element creates a visual and aural line along the site.  One landscape displays the native desert site, while the other landscape displays the lush environment supported by water.

 

The Gateway to Hollywood is a signature piece that announces the beautification that will be taking place in the Yucca Corridor during the next few years.  This neighborhood contains very little public space or amenities, typical of many urban neighborhoods.  In the coming months plans will get underway for landscaping, art, and lighting projects that will further enhance the quality of life in the Yucca Corridor, all undertaken by a Community Organization that is committed to Celebrating A Quality Community.