New WeHo street lanterns are up & lit on Santa Monica Blvd

WEST HOLLYWOOD - Street lanterns have been installed on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Mid-City area and they are currently lit without any glitches. The string of colorful rainbow lights start on Santa Monica Boulevard where Holloway and Olive Drives meet and stretch towards Crescent Heights Boulevard.

The mid-city street lanterns are similar to the temporary lights installed during 2019 LA Pride in West Hollywood, on Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and Hancock Avenue.

The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a permanent, commercial-grade system of lanterns. The original permanent colorful globe lanterns were installed on December 2019 and provide a bright atmosphere and welcoming feel to the City’s LGBT “Rainbow District” during nighttime. The cost of installation for the Westside was $289,000.

In May 2021, Council directed staff to move forward with issuing a RFP to establish a similar system of lanterns on the City’s eastside. The new lights were installed on April 2022. They highlight the City’s eastside gateway and make the entrance into West Hollywood more obvious along Santa Monica Boulevard. The eastside lights run along Santa

Monica Boulevard from N. Vista Street to La Brea Avenue. The cost of installation for the eastside project was estimated to be $329,000.

On April 2022, Council decided to extend the colorful lan- terns to Mid-City and once again, the city issued a RFP for a permanent, commercial-grade system of lanterns on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The City contracted St. Nick’s of T&G Global, LLC. They are same vendor that the city used to install the lanterns in the LGBT Rainbow District and at the West Hollywood Gateway. The bid for the most current project in Mid-City was $298,206.

The lanterns are programmable either as individual lanterns or entire strands of lights, which allow the City of West Hollywood to recognize national events or celebrations that traditionally use signature colors.

All lanterns have UV protection to prolong the life and ensure clarity of the shield around the light fixtures. In addition, the lanterns feature easily replaceable fixtures and are custom-made in the United States of commercial-grade construction to withstand the elements for successful permanent exterior installation.

The lanterns are engineered to meet the weight and wind-load requirements of existing light poles to which they are attached and are compliant with fire safety regulations.

PAULO MURILLO