The LA Times reports that another hat has been thrown into the Broad Museum competition ring:

Downtown L.A. is officially making a play, courtesy of the Grand Avenue Authority, which today authorized negotiations with Broad toward a possible deal that would wrest the museum from Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, which are also in the running, and maybe some other location yet to be publicly disclosed. […] The Grand Avenue project, of which Broad himself has been a leading advocate, is considered the centerpiece of downtown’s revitalization. Designed by Frank Gehry, it includes two towers, condos, hotel rooms and a shopping center. The project, which involves public land and a private developer, stalled last year after the developer was unable to secure a multibillion-dollar construction loan amid the global credit crunch. A Broad Museum launch there would be a coup that could help rebuild momentum for the plan.

Downtown LA Is Officially a Contender for Eli Broad’s Art Museum (Culture Monster)