It’s 2026, and the team at The LA Local is keeping an eye on some major developments that will surely transform our neighborhoods.
What else should be on our radar? Email nathan@thelalocal.org to let us know.
LA Convention Center says pardon our dust — for the next two years.
Pico Boulevard between South Figueroa Street and LA Live Way is fully closed through March 31, 2028. The work to expand and modernize the Los Angeles Convention Center requires long-term street closures in the area and a major detour for commuters. The project has an estimated price tag of about $2.7 billion for the construction, yet total taxpayer costs will likely exceed more than $5 billion, according to the city, once interest and long-term financing are included. The kicker: The expansion project will not be done in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics, when the convention center will host events including fencing and taekwondo.
90210, here we come!
Metro is preparing to open the first section of the long-awaited D Line subway extension in early 2026 — after more than a decade of construction. The 4-mile segment will run from the Wilshire/Western Station in Koreatown to Beverly Hills, adding three new stops along the Wilshire corridor at La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega. Metro expects this phase of the line to open in the first part of the year. The extension is the first step in completing the remaining portions of the project, which will eventually extend the subway to Westwood and the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
You’ll get to weigh in on the MacArthur Park fence… eventually.
The city of Los Angeles wants to build a fence around MacArthur Park, which would drastically change how residents interact with the park — a public space that has been open to Angelenos since the late 19th century. The Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners set the plan in motion in October, earmarking $2.3 million for the proposal and design. City officials cited “safety concerns,” but critics believe shutting off the park would jeopardize street vendors and unhoused people who receive medical and care services. City officials promise to hold a town hall this year to hear feedback from residents about the project, but a date has not been set yet.
