By Arnold Adler
Contributing Writer
PARAMOUNT — The city has hired an architect, Studio One Eleven, to design a museum and community meeting facility near City Hall, 16400 Colorado Blvd. The project location is the former Paramount Saw Building, 16493 Paramount Blvd.; and the abutting Hay Tree site, both city-owned properties.
Funding for the design, estimated at $150,000, is expected from a Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District grant, according to the city’s Community Services Director Yecenia Guillen.
Plans are to merge the Paramount Saw site, purchased by the city for $700,000, and the Hay Tree site for community use, Guillen said.
“Once the Paramount Saw renovations are completed over the next year, the city will occupy approximately one-third of the building for a community room, kitchenette, restrooms, a city historic museum and an event area for the community,” Guillen said.
“The proximity of the Hay Tree Property offers a unique addition to the Paramount Saw property project. By converting this area into an outdoor dining and gathering space, it will further enhance the downtown area,” she added..
The Hay Tree site, a historical reminder of Paramount’s agricultural past, has been used for public open space and recreation. The site is named for a tree planted in the late 19th century. It represents Paramount’s agricultural era, where farmers gathered to discuss the purchase and selling of hay to feed cows in what was then called the milk shed of Los Angeles and hay capital of the world, according to the city’s website.
According to online information, the towns of Hynes and Clearwater were incorporated into the city of Paramount in 1948.
At the time, there were more than 25,000 dairy cows in the area and the price of hay on the commodity market was set for the region’s dairies each morning at the Hay Tree site.
The Hay Tree is the only reminder of the area’s busy hay and dairy industry, preserved in a place of prominence in a corner of the Paramount Civic Center Plaza. It is one of 11 trees designated as California historical landmarks, according to the city’s website.
The city has entered into an agreement with Paramount City Investors for the development of the Paramount Saw Building into a food court center. As part of the project, approximately 3,000 square feet of space will be transformed into a historical museum and community meeting room, Guillen said.
The museum will consist of open-access areas that will be integrated within the food court, she added.
“Making improvements to the location will support the city’s vision to provide more space for outdoor enjoyment and will complement the Paramount Saw Property renovation,” Guillen added.
The Hay Tree property is a unique recreational space that will double as a mini park site, according to Guillen.
Proposed improvements include a dining platform with overhead structure and integrated lighting adjacent to the Saw Building, flexible lawn space, lighting, signage, a mural and public art, as well as walkways and seating areas with picnic tables, all while preserving the natural beauty of the Hay Tree itself.
Future plans call for special events such as summer concerts or a community art walk event to be held in the space, Guillen said.
Arnold Adler is a freelance writer for Wave Newspapers.
