A vacant lot near City Hall will become an art park. Why are some people objecting?

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Set us as preferred A long-vacant lot in the shadow of City Hall is being converted into an “art park” — but some downtown Los Angeles residents and a powerful union aren’t pleased about the deal and how it went down.The nonprofit AltaMed Health Services is paying the city $175,000 to lease the two-acre space on 1st Street and Broadway through next February.At the site, AltaMed plans to build “El Corazón Art Park,” featuring an art gallery to showcase Mexican and Chicano works, 30 boxed trees and a health center — along with a 20-foot video screen.The plan has faced backlash from some community members frustrated about a deal they feel was hashed out behind closed doors.

Residents had long been promised a city-owned and operated park at the lot, and some fear AltaMed has more permanent plans for the space.“For a half-century this space has been surrounded by beautiful buildings and parks, and it is a failure that it has not been utilized,” said Jens Midthun, the head of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.

“We want the people who are going to use the park to be a part of the process.That’s not what happened this time.”AltaMed runs more than 40 medical centers in Southern California, with nearly 6,000 employees.

It targets Latino and multi-ethnic areas as part of its declared mission to eliminate disparities in health care access.Its chief executive, Cástulo de la Rocha, served on Mayor Karen Bass’ transition team after she won the mayor’s race in 2022.

De la Rocha and more than a dozen other executives at AltaMed also gave the maximum $1,800 in individual contributions to Bass’ reelection campaign, contributing a total of more than $34,000 to the mayor’s campaign coffers.Bass supported AltaMed’s plan for its benefit to the community, said spokesperson Kolby Lee.“This is a no-...