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From left to right: CCA Chairwoman Chris Essel, Paramount Pictures; Jack Kyser, LAEDC, and CCA President & CEO Carol Schatz at CCA's "7th Annual Downtown Economic Forecast" at the Biltmore Hotel. (See article below.)
CCA Submits Downtown Industrial Land Comments to City
CCA submitted detailed comments to the City in response to the "Preliminary Recommendations for Industrially-Zoned Land in the Greater Downtown Los Angeles Area," that the Planning Department and CRA released in November. CCA has been leading the business community's response on this important issue for more than one year, as mixed-use development projects throughout the City's industrial zones have been stalled in the Planning Department.
CCA members met with Director of Planning,
Gail Goldberg
, in early January to voice concerns over the City's recommendations to preserve the majority of Downtown's industrially-zoned land for industrial use only. Ms. Goldberg was very receptive to CCA's concerns and agreed to release a memo indicating that mixed-use projects in areas already recommended for conversion would be allowed to move forward. CCA hopes that this will help end the de facto moratorium that has stalled neighborhood building and investment in parts of Downtown for more than a year.
In addition, CCA hired consultant
Tom Jirovsky
of
CBRE Consulting
to study the effects industrial land preservation will have on Downtown's economy, and especially on job creation. CBRE Consulting found that mixed-use development in certain sections of Downtown's industrial base would provide 300% to 500% more tax revenues to the City than preserving that land for industrial use only. Mixed-use development also has the potential to create more and better jobs. CCA submitted CBRE's study to the Planning Department yesterday, along with a detailed comment letter. CCA is tentatively scheduling a press conference in coming weeks to highlight the important points in this study.
The Planning Department will review CCA's and other stakeholder's comments over the next few weeks. In addition,
Councilwoman Jan Perry
introduced a motion requesting that the Planning Department form a working group on this issue with representatives from CCA,
Central City East Association
, the
L.A. Fashion District
, and other stakeholder groups. Once the stakeholder process is complete, the Planning Department and CRA will update their recommendations and submit them to the Planning Commission.
LAEDC's Kyser Presents CCA With the "7th Annual Downtown Economic Forecast"
Jack Kyser
, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist at the
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
(LAEDC) presented the "7th Annual Downtown Economic Forecast" to over 200 CCA members, announcing that Downtown's economy has positive momentum. With increasing employment opportunities, the second highest wage rates in L.A. County, rising hotel occupancy rates, a growing resident base, and two new mega-projects underway, L.A. Live and Grand Avenue, Downtown Los Angeles is on its way to becoming a 24 / 7 community.
Next week, the
Downtown Center Business Improvement District
will host a media roundtable with President & CEO
Carol Schatz
and Mr. Kyser to release a demographic survey of Downtown's residents. The study reveals who is moving into Downtown and why.
CCA Testifies in Opposition to Revised Living Wage Extension
CCA's Vice President of Legislative Affairs,
Veronica Perez Becker
, testified in opposition to a second ordinance extending the living wage to LAX-area hotels, which Council debated this week. Council approved a similar ordinance in November, but Los Angeles business interests gathered enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to rescind the law. Instead of going through with a costly election, the City Council voted to rescind the law. Less than two weeks later, Council tentatively approved a replacement ordinance that is substantially the same as the first one. LAX-area hotels are discussing the possibility of bringing a legal challenge against the new ordinance, which would extend the living wage to these hotels.
CCA opposes any new legislation that amounts to an improper insertion by the City into a private business matter and sets the wrong precedent for Los Angeles.
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CCA's President & CEO Carol Schatz participated in a Westside Urban Forum panel on condo conversions. CCA's Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Veronica Perez Becker, met with Councilmember Ed Reyes to discuss CCA's plan for a need-based tenant relocation fee associated with condo conversions. CCA's President & CEO Carol Schatz attended a fundraiser in support of Councilmember Herb Wesson's re-election campaign. CCA testified in support of Related Companies' Grand Avenue Project before the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors. Both bodies approved the project, which is a $2 billion development adding retail, restaurants, public open space, condos, and a boutique hotel to the area surrounding the Walt Disney Concert Hall. CCA's Transportation & Infrastructure Committee met with Michael Davies from LADOT to discuss the Downtown DASH Need Assessment Study, as well as Linda Bohlinger (HNTB Corporation), Curt Gibbs (CRA), and Steve Schibuola (IBI Group) to discuss the Red Car Trolley and potential funding strategies. This Committee welcomes new chair, David Wright from Plains All American Pipeline, LP and vice chair, Michael Kelly from Boeing. CCA IN THE NEWS "Carol Schatz, chief executive of the Central City Association, also spoke briefly, noting that this year her group would focus on combating the citys living wage ordinance and working on policy for smart growth development in the downtown area. 'We want to initiate policy to increase development in the right places commercial and transportation corridors,' Schatz said." Feb. 13, Los Angeles Business Journal, " Economist Bullish On Downtown ," by Daniel Miller about CCA's "7th Annual Downtown Economic Forecast" at the Biltmore Hotel.
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