Rising to a Challenge in Watts : Plan for restoration of towers holds out new hope for community renewal

The Watts Towers are a breath-taking architectural wonder. However, the tall, handcrafted spires are in an area long abandoned by most forms of commerce and far from most other tourist attractions. A new plan to transform the historical landmark into a cultural oasis would preserve the towers and make them more accessible and hospitable to both neighbors and visitors.

That vision, created by the Renaissance II architectural and planning firm with plenty of community input, would transform a 10-acre strip owned by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and other government agencies. The land would become a park filled with graceful promenade lanes, generous bike paths, open markets and businesses.

The plan also calls for such amenities as a gift shop, a theater, artist studios, galleries and a restaurant in a neighborhood that currently has not a single sit-down restaurant. Highly visible security would discourage crime.

There is no price tag projected for these improvements. Whatever the cost, supporters hope to draw on foundations and corporations that in the wake of this year’s riots have become very interested in investing in the inner city.

Watts was the scene of the city’s first massive urban riots nearly three decades ago. Those riots too spawned dreams of urban renewal; but the 1965 strife produced no lasting legacy for that community’s most famous monument.

As Los Angeles rebuilds from last spring’s riots, businesses should consider helping refurbish the towers, especially in light of the fact that the monument is easy to reach by bus and the Blue Line and next year will be even more accessible because of the scheduled opening of the Century Freeway. In a city where location means everything, the Watts Towers could serve as a springboard for the long-promised renaissance of South-Central Los Angeles.