Central City Association, which has been called the 800-pound gorilla of L.A.'s business advocacy groups, counts hundreds of achievements on behalf of its members throughout more than eight decades of service. The organization actively represents the interests of L.A.'s business community before the Los Angeles City Council, the County Board of Supervisors and the California State Legislature.

LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PRIORITIES
Downtown Los Angeles Renaissance
Housing, Land Use & Development
Film Industry & Entertainment Issues
Public Safety & Homelessness
Transportation

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES RENAISSANCE
CCA has led the Downtown Los Angeles renaissance since its inception, advocating for legislative initiatives that promote development and investment in the Los Angeles City Center.

• Adaptive Reuse Ordinance
  CCA created and sponsored the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO) to make it simpler and less costly to convert under-utilized commercial buildings to housing in the greater Downtown area. It was the single greatest catalyst for the current housing boom Downtown is enjoying.
• The Downtown Center Business Improvement District
  Created in 1998, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) is a coalition of nearly 480 property owners united in their commitment to enhance the quality of life in Downtown Los Angeles. The organization helps the 65-block central business district achieve its full potential as a great place to live, work and play. The DCBID funds the clean and safe team known as the Purple Patrol, as well as business retention and recruitment programs, and acts as a housing resource to potential residents and developers. Marketing programs including special events, promotional offers, advertising campaigns and public relations efforts.
• Staples Center/L.A. Live
  CCA played a major role in bringing Staples Center to Downtown Los Angeles in late 2005. CCA's advocacy galvanized the community to support the arena. Since the late 1990s, CCA has pushed the City to provide AEG with a package of incentives that will encourage the company to build a hotel as part of its much broader "L.A. Live" or "Staples Phase II" development plan.
• TFAR
  CCA was instrumental in advocating for implementation of a revised Transfer of Floor Area Ratio (TFAR) ordinance. The revised ordinance now allows developers to purchase and transfer density from one Downtown site to another in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
• Grand Avenue Redevelopment
  CCA has been a strong supporter of the Related Companies' Grand Avenue Project since its inception. This project will provide the City with world-class amenities and will produce a more pedestrian-oriented Downtown. CCA staff has testified in support of the project at the Grand Avenue Authority, the CRA Board, the County Board of Supervisors and the City Council. All bodies voted to approve the project.
• Downtown Housing Ordinances
  CCA championed a new package of incentives for Downtown developers that eliminates setbacks, allows for greater density, changes design guidelines, and provides a density bonus for inclusion of affordable housing.
• New Citywide Fire Inspectors
  CCA efforts increased the number of citywide fire inspectors who are qualified to inspect high-rise and adaptive reuse construction. The additional inspectors have eased the backlog of inspections.

HOUSING, LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT
CCA has made advocating for increased housing production and development reform a top priority, and is considered the business community leader on these issues. CCA has championed many land use issues that create an environment encouraging critical investment in the City, while also proposing viable solutions to deal with Los Angeles' affordable housing problem. CCA will soon issue recommendations on those solutions, focusing on increasing the housing supply at all levels with an emphasis on affordable and workforce housing.

• Moratorium on Conversion of Apartments to Condominiums
  CCA led the fight against several proposed condo conversion-related ordinances considered by the City that would have a negative impact on Los Angeles' housing market and business climate. Due in large part to the lobbying efforts of CCA staff and members: a citywide moratorium on condo conversions and a cap on demolitions has been prevented; the City is reconsidering how tenant relocation fees are paid; and the City is carefully considering the consequences before moving forward with a motion that would extend rent control to newly constructed rental units built on the site of demolished, rent stabilized units. This measure would discourage investment and construction of apartment projects, which the City sorely needs.
• Moratorium on Conversion of Single Residential Occupancy Hotels to Market Rate Residential Units
  The City Council recently approved a measure prohibiting the conversion or demolition of residential hotel units. The majority of residential hotels, or Single Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels, are in Downtown Los Angeles. Concerned that this prohibition would institute blight in areas of Downtown, making it more difficult for property owners to renovate their properties, CCA opposed the measure and worked with the Council office on several revisions to make the law more palatable.
• Industrial Land Use
  CCA fashioned the business community's response to City recommendations that would preserve the majority of Downtown's industrial land for industrial use only. CCA responded quickly and effectively by: hiring a consultant to conduct an economic impact study of the City's recommendations; meeting directly with key decision-makers and community organizations; publishing a policy paper on the matter; and submitting an alternative proposal to the City. A far more flexible policy is being formulated as a result of CCA advocacy.
• CRA Policy Review Committee
  The CRA Policy Review Committee formulates policy initiatives for Community Redevelopment Agency areas, including Downtown. Many of these initiatives impact the development community, such as project labor agreements (PLAs) and local hiring requirements. CCA plays an active role in these meetings and works hard to ensure the development community's interests are represented.
• Inclusionary Zoning
  CCA led the fight against the City's inclusionary zoning proposal, which would have required mandatory affordable units for all new housing developments. CCA's advocacy prevented a vote by the Council and provided the real estate community with time to draft a reasonable alternative proposal that included a housing bond measure, entitled "Housing For All - Fair Share Program." The City Council ultimately included the bond measure on the ballot in 2006.
• Publications
  • Industrial Land Economic Impact Study
  • Housing For All - Fair Shar Program
  • L.A.'s Housing Supply Crisis: A Plan to Increase Housing Production in Los Angeles

FILM INDUSTRY AND ENTERTAINMENT ISSUES
CCA is proud to be a leading advocate for the motion picture industry on local issues. With Downtown being one of the most filmed locations in the world, CCA works hard to maintain production Downtown and build cooperative and productive relationships between the entertainment industry, Downtown businesses and the growing residential community. CCA has facilitated many individual film shoots and recently calmed several highly charged incidents by facilitating productive solutions between the industry, property owners and residents.

• Recognizing the importance of the film industry to L.A.'s economy, CCA's Entertainment Committee tackles many of the major concerns facing the entertainment industry, such as production incentives and parking needs.

PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELESSNESS
Downtown Los Angeles still suffers under the burden of being the de facto center of the region's massive homelessness crisis. CCA has worked tirelessly to make this issue "front and center" with the media and elected officials. CCA has testified on many occasions in Sacramento, at the County Board of Supervisors and at the City Council in support of a more regional approach to the problem of homelessness and for an end to the criminal activity of those who prey on the homeless.

• ACLU/LAPD Settlement Agreement
  CCA was instrumental in preventing the City from approving an ACLU-LAPD settlement agreement, which would have allowed street encampments in certain areas of Downtown at night, setting a precedent that could result in conditions worsening in the Skid Row area and all of Downtown L.A. CCA lobbied the City Council and met with numerous Councilmembers and their staff to oppose the settlement agreement and worked closely with Councilmember Jan Perry to mobilize strong community opposition to the settlement. CCA will continue to fight policies that institutionalize street encampments in Downtown.
• Publications
  • Downtown's Human Tragedy: It's Not Acceptable Anymore - A public health and safety plan for Downtown's eastern area, which has a disproportionate share of the county's homeless population.

TRANSPORTATION
As mobility is a key element to the success of Los Angeles, CCA reviews and recommends major transportation programs/policies, public infrastructure projects and transit systems, as well as works closely with City and County officials on key parking initiatives that will have a significant impact on the City of Los Angeles. These projects include the Metro Exposition Light Rail, resurrection of the Red Car Trolley, LAX enhancements and Downtown parking strategies.

• Downtown Transportation Plan
  Investment in Downtown Los Angeles transportation improvements has continually fallen far short of other California metropolitan areas. As a result, the highway and arterial network neither support the current transportation needs nor position the Downtown area to prosper in the future. The Downtown Transportation Plan proposes innovative and simple solutions to many of the design and capacity problems that constrain Downtown's growth potential. CCA will work with stakeholders to help implement this plan.
• Parking Management Study
  CCA has worked closely with the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) on its Parking Management Study, which proposes a comprehensive set of new policies related to Downtown parking. As this study is a critical component to the Downtown renaissance, CCA and other Downtown stakeholders are working to ensure the study effectively addresses the parking concerns of the business community.
• Red Car Trolley
  The CRA recently released the Los Angeles Red Car Trolley Feasibility Study. The study, created with input from CCA and other Downtown business and neighborhood leaders, lays options for planning, building and funding a Red Car Trolley line that would link major Downtown destinations. CCA facilitates Red Car Advisory Committee meetings, as well as meetings with private sector stakeholders regarding this effort.