Academy delays museum opening to spring 2018

Los Angeles: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is now targeting a spring 2018 opening, a delay of several months due to planning details. Last month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences reached an agreement with Fix the City, an advocacy group with concerns about the impact of the museum on the mid-Wilshire neighborhood, reported Variety.

The Academy is working with the group, which entails added details to address such questions as parking and traffic. The Los Angeles City Council in June unanimously approved plans, but there was a threatened suit from Fix The City, an all-volunteer, non-profit group dedicated to protecting and improving LA neighborhoods.

According to the group's website, the agreement with the Academy includes "creative approaches that balance community protection with the creation of a world-class facility." As part of the agreement, the Acad will include a traffic and noise monitoring and enforcement systems. These systems will be handled by a private company, to make sure the city is not shouldered with the costs.

The museum is being built at the May Co building on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. After the City Council OK, the Acad began applying for demolition permits, but the threatened suit delayed the permit process. The design by architect Renzo Piano includes a spherical addition that will connect to the May Company building with glass bridges. Museum director is Kerry Brougher.