Belmont Oil Field Larger Than Thought - Extends Below Many Homes, Schools And Hospitals - LOS ANGELES, Updated 12:36 p.m. PST November 25, 1999
The toxic oil field at the Belmont Learning Complex reportedly covers a much larger area than previously thought.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the oil field extends for four miles in a band from Alameda Street in Chinatown to Vermont Avenue in Hollywood. Thousands of homes, several schools and three hospitals are sitting atop the potentially deadly and explosive gases. Millions have been spent investigating the hazards at Belmont, but so far authorities have not gauged the dangers at any other locations.
Meanwhile, with the future of the partially constructed Belmont site in doubt, officials are considering turning an empty post office building in downtown Los Angeles into a high school. The 480,000-square-foot historical landmark would provide about as much classroom space as Belmont. The complex under construction and the post office building now being considered as a future school are located less than five minutes away from each other.
"It is likely that in the near future, we will be offering the Terminal Annex building and the land on which it sits for sale or lease," developer Wayne Ratkovich told the Daily News. "We have an agreement with the mayor that there will be continuing discussions about the school district's interest." Along with the Terminal Annex building, Los Angeles Unified School District administrators are considering converting the district's downtown administrative headquarters into a campus. There also is preliminary interest in building schools where the Ambassador Hotel now stands and at the site of the Pacific Stock Exchange.
The biggest obstacle in the way of converting the Terminal Annex building into a school appears to be its landmark status. The building's designation as a National Historic Place could prevent the district from making significant renovations.
From our archives: Nov. 10, 1999: Construction To Halt At Toxic School Oct. 26, 1999: Key LAUSD Employees Put On Leave Oct. 20, 1999: Panel Recommends Finishing Belmont Project Oct. 19, 1999: Belmont Project May Be Abandoned Sept. 14, 1999: LAUSD Officials Blasted For Belmont Project July 01, 1999: School Board To Nix Belmont Project?
from www.kcbs-tv.com in Los Angeles - Copyright 1999 by Channel 2000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.