Step on a crack; break your mother’s back. Do you remember that childhood rhyme? Well, the folks who maintain Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame” say injury is exactly what they are trying to avoid by renovating the aging Tinseltown attraction.
According to officials, hundreds of stars on Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame” will be undergoing a much-needed $4.2 million makeover to repair cracks, holes, and gashes to prevent tourists from getting tripping and falling on the world-famous stars.
Reps from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce revealed that some 778 of the pink terrazzo and bronze star-shaped plaques along 2.5 miles of sidewalk in and around Hollywood Boulevard need replacing. Included among them are stars honoring “Dynasty” star Joan Collins, Humble Pie singer Peter Frampton, and actors Walter Matthau and Burt Lancaster. Some are reportedly in such bad shape that they have been deemed potential safety hazards to pedestrians.
Officials say the popular plaques have been damaged by heat, wear and tear and construction work. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told news reporters that it hoped to raise about $4.2 million from private and public funds to restore the stars in time for the 50th anniversary of the beloved tourist attraction.
The sidewalk of stars draws millions of visitors from around the world each year.
“It is a treasured piece of Hollywood and it is our deeply felt responsibility to provide for its preservation into the future,” the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told reporters.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame actually began with just few demonstration stars in 1958 and wasn’t officially launched until November 1960. It now features 2,365 stars in the categories of television, radio, theater, movies and recording and is one of the top tourist attractions in Los Angeles.
Have you ever been to the Hollywood Walk of Fame?