Hollywood : A New Look on the Street

The board of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency is scheduled to vote today on a $4-million proposal to give Hollywood Boulevard a glittery new look.

The Hollywood Boulevard Streetscape Project calls for improvements in four areas from La Brea Avenue on the west to Vine Street on the east, including the removal of a stretch of 20-year-old ficus trees and their replacement by jacarandas.

Among other changes, the boulevard would be resurfaced with asphalt studded with glass particles to make it sparkle at night, and the corner of Hollywood and Vine would be adorned with painted artwork.

Paid for by the CRA’s tax-increment bonds, the project is intended “to reflect Hollywood’s position as the center of the entertainment industry,” an agency memorandum said.