Hollenbeck Replacement Station Topped-Off

On a crisp, sunny Southern California morning, the Hollenbeck Replacement Station was topped off in a ceremony on February 15, 2007.  A tradition in the construction industry, performed when a site has arrived at the halfway point, “topping off” ceremonies typically feature the autographing of the structure’s final steel beam before it is installed.  Featured dignitaries, who signed the symbolic beam, included State Senator Gloria Romero, Councilmember Jose Huizar, Chief Bratton, Assistant Chiefs Jim McDonnell, Earl Paysinger, and Sharon Papa, and Chief Deputy City Engineer Bradley Smith. 

Chief Bratton called the new station a “building of promise,” and spoke with great pride of the design’s community-friendly features, including a community room for area residents to “come on in” and visit.  He pointed to the construction of this facility as being one visible symbol of Los Angeles’ journey to becoming the nation’s safest big city, as well as a shining example of the renaissance the area is experiencing. 

Already ahead of schedule, the Hollenbeck Replacement Station is slated to open its doors in the first quarter of 2008.  Hollenbeck Area has a population of roughly 200,000 people and is 15.2 square miles in size.  It encompasses the communities of El Sereno, Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights, and is under the jurisdiction of Central Bureau.