Earlier this month, hundreds of us gathered at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the 28th Annual Treasures of Los Angeles. This reimagined event in honor of CCA’s Centennial was a tremendous opportunity for reflection on the remarkable progress this organization and its members have achieved for Los Angeles.
That’s because CCA’s members are dreamers and doers who pair grand visions with the knowledge and expertise to carry them out alongside our public sector partners. Our members are adept at translating good ideas into action.
We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our history, facing extraordinary challenges. But Downtown and the changemakers before us have demonstrated that Angelenos have the grit, resilience, and innovation needed to reinvent ourselves and our city. That’s why my call to action that night was to dream with me and envision the thriving, vibrant LA we can achieve. Today, I invite you to dig deep and work alongside CCA towards a better reality.
As we look towards the future and some of the upcoming opportunities to shape the next generation of Los Angeles, I think of the following:
The Legacy of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
There’s no shortage of excitement as Los Angeles gears up to host the Games for the third time in its history, but when I think about 2028, I envision what follows once medals are claimed, stands have cleared, and spectators have gone home. That version of Los Angeles is filled with opportunity. We know this because the 1984 Games transformed access to youth sports in Los Angeles leading to iconic athletes like Venus and Serena Williams. What will the legacy of the 2028 Games be? What do we want Downtown Los Angeles to look like the day after the Games? How will we leverage this event –and the World Cup in 2026 and Superbowl in 2027 – to catalyze the kinds of investments and changes needed in our city? The possibilities are many and the time to start dreaming them up and advocating for them is now.
The Next Phase of Adaptive Reuse
You can’t say CCA without thinking about DTLA’s renaissance ushered in by the 1999 Adaptive Reuse Ordinance. Now looking at the next generation of conversions and the intention to expand the availability of this tool citywide, there is a significant opportunity to once again change the landscape of our city for decades to come. CCA continues to explore mechanisms and advance policies that will help these transformative projects pencil out for the benefit of our region.
Convention Center Expansion and Modernization
In November of last year, I penned an op-ed that described the Convention Center as a major economic engine not operating a full capacity. While there is still a lot of work ahead, the potential to reach full capacity cleared a major hurdle last week thanks to the support of a broad coalition that includes business, labor and civic leaders. The pursuit of this generational project is a fork in the road, and we will keep fighting to make sure we follow the path that leads to a brighter economic future.
CCA will continue to meet downtown’s challenges, serve our members, and transform our city and region as we look to the next 100 years.
Onward,
Nella McOsker
President & CEO, CCA