Hollywood Boulevard Set to Shine with Progress
The Hollywood Partnership and Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell Join Forces to Illuminate the Tree Canopies Along Hollywood Boulevard as Pride Celebrations Return to the Famed Street
(HOLLYWOOD, CA) May 19, 2022 – Beginning June 1, Hollywood Boulevard will dazzle with the premiere of a new light program that will illuminate a 0.6-mile stretch of one of the most iconic streets in the world in an array of reinvigorating color and brilliance. The transformative placemaking initiative is part of a joint effort by The Hollywood Partnership, the non-profit organization that manages the public domain within the Hollywood Entertainment District, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell of the city’s 13th District, which includes the heart of Hollywood, to reenergize the aesthetic appeal of the Walk of Fame and enhance public safety along the popular corridor.
The project, which stands as the inaugural placemaking effort for The Hollywood Partnership under its new CEO Kathleen Rawson, includes the installation of state-of-the-art light fixtures that will uplight 111 tree canopies along Hollywood Boulevard between McCadden Place and Vine Street. Each light will be equipped to project any color in the spectrum and can be used to celebrate various holidays and causes, in addition to its positive impact on public safety.
The Hollywood Boulevard lights will officially debut June 1, illuminating the night sky in a rainbow of color throughout the month of Pride, radiating love and unity in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ communities and the much-anticipated return of the L.A. Pride Parade on June 12. For the first time in nearly four decades, the Pride Parade will take place in Hollywood, where it first got its start in June 1970.
“The enhanced lighting along Hollywood Boulevard will positively impact the neighborhood for years to come,” said Kathleen Rawson. “This project will not only make our streets brighter and safer, it will also spark a greater sense of place and community. This project is one of many that we hope to implement in support of the Hollywood Partnership’s strategic place enhancement goal to reinvigorate the public realm through the creation of positive and memorable experiences throughout the district. We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell as well as the Hollywood Historic Trust to fund the project, which would not have been possible without their generous contributions.
“The illumination of the world famous Hollywood Boulevard is just in time for the exciting return of the L.A. Pride Parade to Hollywood, where it originated 52 years ago,” said Councilmember O’Farrell. “This project is also a complement to our focus on making the Boulevard safer and more enjoyable for residents and tourists, including the centerpiece of my ongoing ‘Heart of Hollywood’ initiative, the Hollywood Walk of Fame Master Plan. I am proud to have identified the funding to make this project possible and I commend the Hollywood Partnership and our Bureau of Street Lighting for their amazing work on this huge accomplishment.”
The lighting initiative was proposed by The Hollywood Partnership in March as part of its Lighting Masterplan and was approved by its Board of Directors in early April. The lights are being installed by Pacific Event Services, a contracted vendor through The Hollywood Partnership. Additional support was provided by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about this special lighting project or The Hollywood Partnership, please contact Angela Trantham (angela@zapwater.com). For additional questions about Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell’s support of the project, please contact Dan Halden (daniel.halden@lacity.org).
About The Hollywood Partnership
The Hollywood Partnership is a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 established to manage the Hollywood Entertainment District Property Based-Business Improvement District (HED BID). In 2018, the HED BID was renewed for a period of ten years and its geographic area stretches along the world-famous Walk of Fame and spans historic Hollywood Boulevard, from the La Brea Avenue Gateway on the west, through the iconic Sunset Boulevard, to the Hollywood 101 Freeway on the east. Many of Hollywood’s famous landmarks are located in the HED – the epicenter of the entertainment capital of the world and birthplace of the movie industry. For more information, visit http://www.hollywoodpartnership.com.
About Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell
Los Angeles City Council President Pro Tempore Mitch O’Farrell represents the 13th District, which includes the neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Historic Filipinotown, Hollywood, Larchmont Village, Little Armenia, Melrose Hill, Rampart Village, Ridgewood-Wilton, Silver Lake, Spaulding Square, St. Andrews Square, Sunset Square, Thai Town, Verdugo Village, Virgil Village, Western-Wilton, Westlake, Wilshire Center, and Windsor Square. More information can be found at http://CD13.com.
PR Contacts:
Angela Trantham
Zapwater Communications
Angela@Zapwater.com
(310) 396-7851
Dan Halden
Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell / CD 13
daniel.halden@lacity.org
(213) 473-7013