LOS ANGELES (April 12, 2023) – Central City Association of Los Angeles (CCA) launched “RISE DTLA” today, a new comprehensive initiative for Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) with four strategic pillars:

• Reinvigorate public spaces.
• Incubate economic opportunities.
• Strengthen public safety and wellness.
• Envision Downtown’s vibrant future.

RISE DTLA will be directed by a task force of CCA members who are the leading business and civic leaders in the region. The task force will begin convening this month to discuss immediate and forward-looking topics including public safety and wellness, economic incentives and activation programs.

“DTLA is at the forefront of LA’s greatest challenges and opportunities, from welcoming new housing density to solving homelessness and embracing the region’s growing public transportation system,” said Nella McOsker, CEO of CCA. “Downtown’s success is LA’s success by every benchmark. We look forward to working closely with CCA members and our local elected leaders to achieve our shared goals."

RISE DTLA was formed in response to the pandemic-induced trends observed in DTLA, many of which are occurring in downtowns across the country. While the implications of DTLA’s reduced daytime office worker population continues to impact local businesses, increasingly high demand for living and visiting DTLA’s vibrant neighborhoods remains.

DTLA has less than 50% office occupancy on most days of the week due to remote work schedules. During the first year of the pandemic, sales tax receipts fell by -16% in DTLA compared to -7% in the City of Los Angeles. Additionally, more than 600 businesses closed in DTLA in the wake of the pandemic.

At the same time, DTLA’s residential population has grown to more than 80,000 residents, hotel occupancy is back to 71% (just four points below LA County’s rate) and the LA Convention Center is at 96% occupancy compared to 2019 event bookings. These trends demonstrate the demand for Downtown’s amenities and the need for CCA’s RISE DTLA to focus on tailored strategies that will support Downtown’s stability and future growth.

“RISE DTLA is an essential initiative, and embodies CCA members’ commitment to achieving Downtown’s full potential,” said Tom Gilmore, CEO of Gilmore & Associates and CCA Chair Emeritus. “CCA will continue to drive fresh initiatives like this for the good of Downtown and all of LA.”