The location of the Fairfax station in relation to the surrounding area and LACMA. Not shown here is a potential second station entrance on the north side of Wilshire. Metro is talking to LACMA who may be willing to fund this. More cool visuals below! Don’t stop reading!

The Westside Subway Extension project held a community update on Wednesday night. It has been a busy few months since the project’s final environmental study was approved by both the Metro Board of Directors and the Federal Transit Administration.

Here’s the latest:

•The current schedule has the first 3.9-mile phase from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega opening in 2023. The second phase to Century City would open in 2026 and the third phase to the Westwood VA Hospital would be done in 2035.

•If voters approve Measure J, which extends the Measure R sales tax until 2069, the entire Westside Subway Extension could possibly be completed to the Westwood/VA station by the same time.

This rendering shows the usual mix of utilities under Wilshire Boulevard that will have to be relocated. Click above to see larger.

•Construction is planned to begin in 2014, with pre-construction until then. The first utility relocation, near Wilshire and La Brea is planned to begin this fall.

•Work will also soon begin on a 75-foot deep exploratory shaft near Wilshire and Fairfax. The shaft will help Metro learn more about gas conditions and earth pressure in the area. Fossils will be turned over to the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

The subway planning team has also posted a lot of new info online:

Meeting PowerPoint Presentation

Revised construction fact sheet and revised property acquisition fact sheet

New pre-construction fact sheet

New station fact sheet

And brand new FAQs

Below are some neat visuals showing the location of the three stations in the project’s first phase:

The Wilshire/La Brea station.

The Wilshire/La Cienega station.

And here are some conceptual drawings of what the station entrance areas may look like. Key word here: these are conceptual, not definitive plans. These all show the entrances in open plazas but they could be incorporated into other buildings.

Wilshire and La Brea.

Wilshire and Fairfax.

Wilshire and La Cienega.

Another view of Wilshire and La Cienega.