9 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁also ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Southern ▁California ▁Regional ▁Rail ▁Author ity ▁( Met rol ink ) ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Cost s ▁vs . ▁benefits ▁Prior ▁to ▁its ▁completion , ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁its ▁use ▁of ▁expensive ▁construction ▁materials ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁ag ency . ▁One ▁critic ▁dub bed ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" T aj ▁Mah al " ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁its ▁Italian ▁gran ite , ▁English ▁brick ▁and ▁a ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁aqu arium . ▁However , ▁pro ponents ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁argued ▁that ▁it ▁will ▁rev ive ▁a ▁forgotten ▁but ▁histor ically ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁Dow nt own ▁and ▁create ▁a ▁new ▁public ▁place ▁for ▁a ▁city ▁with ▁many ▁communities ▁but ▁few ▁commun al ▁gather ing ▁places . ▁ ▁Official s ▁cont ended ▁that ▁the ▁Metro - owned ▁headquarters ▁will ▁save ▁money ▁by ▁bringing ▁together ▁over ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁scattered ▁around ▁town ▁at ▁le ased ▁qu arters . ▁ ▁Official s ▁said ▁that ▁by ▁putting ▁both ▁staff s ▁under ▁the ▁same ▁roof , ▁the ▁new ▁building ▁would ▁also ▁help ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁rival ries ▁between ▁staff s ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁trans it ▁ag encies , ▁the ▁Southern ▁California ▁Rap id ▁Trans it ▁District ▁and ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County ▁Transport ation ▁Commission , ▁which ▁were ▁merged ▁to ▁form ▁Metro . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁List ▁of ▁tall est ▁buildings ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁