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Deputy Mayor Bud Ovrom Visits CCA's Executive Committee
CCA was pleased to welcome Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Housing & Economic Development,
Bud Ovrom
, to CCA's Executive Committee meeting at the
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
(FIDM)
last week. Deputy Mayor Ovrom discussed many issues in which CCA has been actively involved, including: housing production and development reform, condo conversion-related policies, industrial land and the extension of the living wage ordinance.
Deputy Mayor Ovrom agreed to meet with a CCA working group to discuss recommendations for the development of a housing production strategy for the City of Los Angeles. He also mentioned that the Grand Avenue Project and L.A. Live, projects that CCA strongly supports, are very important projects for the Mayor.
With regards to industrial land, Ovrom noted that they are looking at the issue on a case-by-case basis. CCA is leading the business community's response to the City's industrial land recommendations, which would preserve the majority of industrial land in Downtown for industrial use only. CCA is working with consultant
Tom Jirovsky
of
CBRE Consulting
on a study of the economic impacts of preserving industrial land in Downtown, especially on job creation, which CCA plans to release next week.
As part of this meeting, the Executive Committee moved to endorse candidates for City Council and LAUSD School Board, as follows:
Council District 2 -
Wendy Greuel
Council District 4 -
Tom LaBonge
Council District 6 -
Tony Cardenas
Council District 7 -
Richard Alarcon
Council District 8 -
Bernard Parks
Council District 10 -
Herb Wesson, Jr.
Council District 12 -
Greig Smith
Council District 14 -
Jose Huizar
LAUSD District 1 -
No position
LAUSD District 3 -
Tamar Galatzan
LAUSD District 5 -
Yolie Flores Aguilar
LAUSD District 7 -
Richard Vladovic
CCA released a press release to media outlets with this information immediately following the Executive Committee meeting.
CCA would like to thank
Toni Hohberg
at
FIDM
for hosting this meeting and
Jeff Lumer
at
L & R Investment Company
for providing complimentary parking for the event. FIDM also provided committee members with lunch and a special tour of the 15th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at the FIDM Museum and Galleries.
Michael LoGrande Visits CCA's New Arts, Retail and Hospitality Committee
On Wednesday,
Michael LoGrande
, Acting Chief Zoning Administrator for the City of Los Angeles, spoke at the first meeting of CCA's new Arts, Retail & Hospitality Committee. This committee, previously a part of CCA's Entertainment, Retail and Hospitality Committee, is chaired by
Cedd Moses
from
213 Ventures, Inc.
, and vice-chaired by
Jerry Neuman
from
Allen Matkins
. CCA created a separate Entertainment Committee that will be chaired by
Keith Weaver
from
Sony Pictures
and vice-chaired by
Steve MacDonald
from
Film L.A.
The Arts, Retail & Hospitality Committee discussed the revitalization of 7th Street and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles and discussed ways of making the conditional use permit (CUP) process less intensive and uncertain and more business friendly in order to draw more entertainment venues to the region and make Downtown a 24/7 community. Michael LoGrande discussed the possibility of creating an overlay zone for the 7th Street and Broadway areas, which would expedite the CUP process by waiving public hearings.
CCA has formed a working group to draft specific recommendations to present to the City on ways to make the CUP process less challenging. CCA will present these recommendations to Michael LoGrande and Gail Goldberg, Director of the Department of City Planning, at a follow-up meeting.
Grand Avenue Plan Moves Forward
CCA's President & CEO
Carol Schatz
and
Veronica Perez Becker
, Vice President of Legislative Affairs at CCA, along with numerous other stakeholders testified at the CRA Board and HCED in support of the
Related Companies
plans for the Grand Avenue Project. Both committees voted unanimously to approve the Grand Avenue Plan.
The Grand Avenue Project is a $2 billion development that will add restaurants, retail, public open space, condos, and a boutique hotel to the area surrounding the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This is a critical project for the City, and CCA has been a strong supporter of the Grand Avenue Project since its inception. Carol Schatz noted in her testimony that Grand Avenue "is not a Downtown project, this is a project of regional, if not international significance."
CCA commends the Related Companies, who has made every effort to create a project that is both financially feasible and community-friendly. The project has the most significant community benefits package the City has ever negotiated and will provide the City with world-class amenities that will lead to a more pedestrian oriented Downtown. It will clearly make its mark on the Downtown skyline.
CCA will be testifying in support of the Grand Avenue Project at City Council and the County Board of Supervisors next week.
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• CCA continues to work on condo conversion issues and met with Council offices to advocate for balanced tenant relocation assistance amounts and a needs-based structure. This week, Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Veronica Perez Becker, met with Andrew Westall from Councilmember Wesson's office to discuss CCA's Fair Share Tenant Relocation Proposal. • CCA continues to work with other business organizations to monitor new legislation drafted by the City regarding extension of the City's living wage ordinance to hotels near LAX, to ensure that the wrong precedent is not set for Los Angeles. • CCA's Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Veronica Perez Becker, attended a fundraiser for Councilmember Jose Huizar's re-election campaign to the 14th Council District seat at San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles, which was also attended by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other Councilmembers. CCA IN THE NEWS "'This is a project of regional, if not international, significance,' said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive officer of the Central City Association of Los Angeles." Feb. 2, Los Angeles Business Journal , " Grand Avenue Project Wins CRA Approval ." "'[The DCBID's demographic survey] will make even more of a compelling case,' said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the DCBID and the Central City Association. 'The average income level of the new residents is even higher than indicated in the first study. That's what retailers need to hear.'" Feb. 5, Downtown News , " Retail-Restaurant Explosion " by Kathryn Maese.
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