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Downtown Industrial Land Workshop Set for November 14th
The Planning Department and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will be presenting their recommendations for the future of Downtown's industrially-zoned land at a workshop on November 14th. CCA is concerned that the recommendations will hinder continued conversions of industrial land into productive, non-industrial uses, especially in light of their recommendations for Hollywood and West L.A., which encourage the preservation of industrial land. We hope to have your support at the hearing. The hearing will be:
Tuesday, November 14th
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Japanese-American Cultural & Community Center
244 South San Pedro Street
Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012
CCA has been leading the business community's response on this issue since the release of a memo in December 2005 from the Mayor's Office of Housing & Economic Development that discourages the conversion of industrial property to other uses. Since that time, applications for conversion have been stalled in the Planning Department. CCA released a white paper entitled "Industrial Land: Policy Recommendations" in July and has been actively voicing the concerns of the business community to the City's decision-makers.
Special Filming Conditions for Downtown
Upon hearing of Councilmember Jan Perry's intention to introduce a motion requesting that Special Filming Conditions be included in the terms and conditions of permits issued for filming in the Old Bank District, CCA quickly organized a special meeting with representatives from the entertainment industry, Downtown property owners and residents to discuss the matter. As a result of the meeting, CCA obtained a two-week moratorium on the issue in order to give the stakeholders a chance to agree on the conditions that should attach to filming permits issued for Downtown. If such an agreement is reached, an ordinance imposing Special Filming Conditions will no longer be necessary.
The would-be motion is a result of recent concerns expressed by Downtown residential and business communities regarding filming in the Old Bank District, which includes the area roughly between 3rd and 5th Streets, and between Spring and Main Streets. CCA has been striving to build productive relationships between the entertainment industry and Downtown stakeholders so that each group can effectively utilize this diverse area.
ACLU-LAPD Settlement Agreement Update
In the next few weeks, the City Council will hold a much-awaited second hearing on the proposed ACLU-LAPD settlement agreement regarding Los Angeles' ordinance barring sleeping, sitting or lying on public rights of way. It is our understanding that there are
no
changes in the boundaries or hours of enforcement in this agreement, and that the parties may ask the 9th Circuit Court to set aside its decision.
As this appears to be an effort to undermine the initial vote against the settlement agreement, CCA has begun mobilizing residents, business owners and service providers in opposition to the settlement agreement. In addition, CCA has met with numerous Councilmembers or their staff to persuade them to oppose the agreement, including:
Councilmembers
Greuel
,
Cardenas
,
Garcetti
,
Perry
,
Hahn
,
Padilla
and
Huizar
.
CRA's Downtown Parking Management Study
CCA held a special meeting this week with
Lillian Burkenheim
,
CRA
Project Manager for the Downtown Region
, and Downtown stakeholders to discuss the CRA's Downtown Los Angeles Management Ordinance Implementation Project. This study is important to CCA as it proposes a comprehensive set of new policies and programs related to Downtown parking.
CCA has been working closely with the CRA on this study to ensure that the parking concerns of all Downtown stakeholders are addressed. CCA staff will be present at the CRA's next community wide workshop regarding the study on
November 28th at 5:00 pm at the Ronald Reagan State Building on Spring Street
. This workshop will provide a forum where stakeholders can ask questions and/or express concerns regarding the study.
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• CCA staff and member Mark Tarczynski from CB Richard Ellis met with Councilmember Tom Labonge to discuss the negative consequences of the proposed ICOs on condo conversions and propose alternative, viable solutions to LA's lack of affordable housing problem. CCA will be meeting with Councilmembers Smith, and Greuel in the upcoming week. • CCA staff testified in support of Phase II of AEG's L.A. Live Project at the Planning Commission this week. AEG is requesting modifications to the Specific Plan that will help the proposal for the much-awaited Convention Center Hotel move forward. The amendments moved through the Commission and will soon be before Council's PLUM Committee. • President & CEO Carol Schatz participated in a press conference this week highlighting CCA member Astani Enterprise's $1.5 million donation to the Skid Row Housing Trust. This marks an important partnership between the for-profit and non-profit development community in aiding Downtown's homeless population. • CCA staff testified in support of a proposed 7-Eleven at the corner of 7th and Olive. Bringing a national retailer such as 7-Eleven to 7th Street will help attract additional investment into this important corridor, which Downtown stakeholders envision as a restaurant and retail row. • CCA co-hosted a tour with Councilmember Jan Perry's office and the CRA, showcasing the redevelopment potential of the Washington Boulevard corridor, which is just south of the 10 FWY. Councilmember Jan Perry has made it a priority to turn this corridor into a mixed-use environment with solid retail options and housing. The CRA is working on an RFP for the area, which is set to be released on December 15th.
CCA IN THE NEWS
"Carol Schatz, president of the Central City Association, said the building 'means downtown is back completely.' However if 7+Fig isn't built, Schatz says she hopes another developer would move forward with a similar project. 'We hope that the economics which would have ostensibly caused the announcement would still prove true for some other office developer,' she said," Oct. 23,
Los Angeles Business Journal
, "
Questions Raised About Feasibility of Maguire High Rise
," by Daniel Miller, on proposed 50-story office building at Figueroa and Seventh streets.
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