Wilshire/La Cienega station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills, California , United States |
| Products | Metro Rail services (D Line) |
Wilshire/La Cienega station is an underground rapid transit facility currently being developed on the D Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail network. Situated at the crossroads of Wilshire Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard in the southeastern area of Beverly Hills, California, this station forms a segment of the ongoing D Line Extension initiative.
The tunneling work progressing eastward from Wilshire/La Brea concluded in May 2021, while excavation from the west side at Wilshire/Rodeo finished in January 2023. Although initially intended to open in 2023, the station's launch has been postponed to fall 2025.
Station site & layout
Positioned where Wilshire Boulevard meets La Cienega Boulevard, this new subway station will span a single underground level. Access to the trains will be facilitated by escalators, elevators, and stairways leading down from the entrance located at the northeast corner of the intersection. Below ground, the facility features an upper concourse level designated for ticketing services and a platform at track level for passenger boarding and disembarking.
Previously, the location housed a Citibank branch, which was demolished around 2016 to create a temporary staging area for construction activities. Another staging site supporting this extensive multi-year project is situated at Wilshire and Gale Drive.
Local attractions
Surrounding the station’s northeast corner are several prominent commercial and institutional structures:
- At the northwest corner stands a three-story office building affiliated with Cedars-Sinai alongside a Wells Fargo branch.
- The southwest corner hosts a 10-story office tower containing a Chase bank; notably, its ninth floor accommodates the Turkish Consulate.
- On the southeast corner is a distinctive 10-story oval office building that originally served as headquarters for Great Western Savings. Following its 1997 acquisition by Washington Mutual, the WaMu branch closed in 2008 after JPMorgan Chase's takeover. Larry Flynt sold this property in 2013 to Douglas Emmett, a publicly traded real estate firm. A large equestrian statue of John Wayne is prominently displayed outside. The Brazilian Consulate occupies space on the building’s third floor.
One block south along La Cienega Boulevard lies the Douglas Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study and the Margaret Herrick Library. Directly across La Cienega is La Cienega Park. Within walking distance on Wilshire Boulevard are two commercial theaters: to the east, the Saban Theatre offers live stage performances; to the west, the Fine Arts Theatre screens films. Additionally, Restaurant Row extends northward along La Cienega Boulevard.