Battle Over Boundaries of 'Eastside' Wages On

The long-fought battle over the definition of LA's Eastside gained new interest today, thanks to an LA Times article by Esmeralda Bermudez. Residents of neighborhoods like Boyle Heights, just east of Downtown, claim the Eastside has always been defined as the area of the city east of the LA River. The term 'Eastside,' originally used pejoratively by politicians before the 1960s, carries with it a history of racial discrimination and Chicano pride. It was a name thrust on area Latinos by wealthy white Westsiders, and it stuck.

But another group has begun to adopt the name for their own part of the city - an area on the other side of town. New residents in neighborhoods like Silver Lake and Echo Park have picked up the name as a cultural backlash against the pricey real estate and superiority complex of the Westside. These Eastside "pretenders" are young, middle to upper-middle class whites, often hailing from out-of-state, with little knowledge of the city's geography and cultural history. They are the arbiters who have contributed to the gentrification of places like Echo Park, a neighborhood that was for a long time poor and predominantly Mexican-American.

A year ago, a number of activists associated with the blog LAeastside.com, tagged posters all over areas considered to be the Eastside "sham," like one on the bus stop above. (If you look closely, you can identify Intelligentsia - the Silver Lake hipster Mecca - in the background.) Defenders of the east-of-the-river title claim that the usage of the label by outsiders is ignorant and "eliminates us." One victory this group claims is the renaming of the Eastside Art Crawl to the Silver Lake Art Crawl. But many west-of-the-river advocates argue they are not trying to supplant any one's cultural history - they are merely creating an identity for themselves that rejects the white picket fence idyll of West LA.

It is a sticky issue that is not new to a city where boundaries are both ever-present and blurry. It is, like many topics in LA, an issue that is both racial and political at its roots. As a state that was annexed by the US from Mexico, California has a deep history of supplanting and removal, especially of Mexicans. Latino Americans fought hard in the 1960s for equality at schools and in the workplace. Boyle Heights and unincorporated East LA boast a rich history of Mexican-American-ness that is both proud and dark. Silver Lake yuppies would be wise to invent an identification that both celebrates their values and doesn't devalue those of another. But heated political debates aside, look at the pure geography - can something really be considered "east" if it lies significantly west of the city's center?

Inglewood Development to Replace Hollywood Racetrack

Pending approval by the city council, Inglewood has plans for a $2 billion mixed-use development that will go into the existing 238-acre Hollywood Park. The park, located on the corner of Century Blvd and Prairie Ave just east of the 405, is home to the historic thoroughbred race course opened in 1938. The proposed development would signify an end to the famous horse races. The pavilion/casino will be continued however, and will be renovated for a new life as... a casino.

The proposition calls for 2,995 housing units, 620,000 sf of retail, 75,000 sf of office space, and a 300 room hotel. A minimum of 90% of the housing units will be offered for sale, in the form of single family homes, conjoined townhouses, condominiums, and the "town center" will feature residences stacked over retail. A measly 4 acres has been set aside as required by the city for public use - either as open space or as a library or other community building.

Developers proclaim the project will be a welcome and sightly change to a languishing park in an all but forgotten city. They claim the urban housing model will allow for close-knit communities and walkable trips to grocery stores and the office. But it is the same unrealistic, Utopian ideal that has been the war cry of egocentric New Urbanism for decades. Not only are residents going to be forced to leave the premises for certain necessities, they're going to drive off the premises because there is nothing useful in the immediate neighborhood. If Inglewood wants to be taken seriously as a growth center at the heart of LA County, it needs to take more realistic measures. The race track may be falling behind on attendance and bookings but at least it represents a historical sense of togetherness.

LA Tops Forbes' List of Overpriced Cities

Thanks to inflated home prices, an astronomical cost of living, and embarrassingly high unemployment, Forbes magazine slapped the City of Angels with the number one spot in its 2009 list of "America's Most Overpriced Cities." The list was calculated using a combination of 4 measures: average salary for college-educated workers, unemployment rates, cost of living, and the Housing Opportunity Index, which measures a median income family's ability to purchase a home locally. Other California cities on the list were Riverside (#6), San Diego (#9), and San Francisco (#18). Chicago, Miami, New York, and Providence rounded out the top five.

At 10.3%, unemployment in Los Angeles is one of the highest of American cities. In the last two years, residential building permit rates have dropped 82%, and the unemployment rate of construction workers is now 21%, almost double what it was last year. And despite the median home price having plummeted almost 40% from $525,000 to $319,000, the cost of buying a home still ranks among the highest in the country. Only NYC, Long Island, and San Francisco score worse on the Housing Opportunity Index.

And in an attempt to soften the blow and gain hip hop credibility, Forbes even references late rapper and convicted sex offender Tupac Shakur. Frustrated with the high cost of living back in 1996, Tupac proclaimed he would almost rather "live life in the pen," according to the magazine. Were he still alive today, Tupac would likely have little trouble finding a nice pad with $15 million in annual royalties.

State Senate: 710 Extension Must be Buried

The state senate decided today that any extension of I-710 to Pasadena from its current terminus in Alhambra must be underground. State bill 545, authored by Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), removes any possibility of a surface option in the controversial interstate extension. The Long Beach Freeway, which runs roughly from the Port of Long Beach in the south to the northern city limits of Los Angeles, was originally intended to connect to I-210, the crowded east-west Foothill Freeway in Pasadena. But the final segment, which was to run through the city of South Pasadena, was staunchly blocked by residents and civic leaders.

South Pasadena, a city of only 24,000, has been opposed to the extension for three decades now, concerned that a freeway might split the city in two, and tarnish its cherished small-town character. But in August of last year, the city council voted 4-1 in support of a bill that would seek private cash for an underground freeway, discreetly supporting the extension. They cited their change of heart to a change in the author's (Cedillo) language that would eliminate consideration of the above-ground option, and collect money from the sale of state-owned property along the intended route.

In the 1960s, the state Department of Transportation purchased hundreds of properties in the parts of South Pasadena where the intended freeway would run. Today, these mostly vacant properties are cumulatively valued at a mind boggling $300 million. Cash from that sale alone would be enough to get the project rolling, despite the prohibitive costs of burying a freeway underground. Although the state would be imprudent to invest those much-needed funds in a not-so-needed freeway.

Flagship South Pas Redevelopment Stalled

Shamrock Holdings, the chief financier for a major mixed-use redevelopment project in downtown South Pasadena, has pulled out, citing economic concerns. Developer Decoma, was relying on the $8.8 million in equity pledged by Shamrock for the $50 million plus project. The 310,000 sf project was to be the flagship property in a major revitalization of the central business district along Fair Oaks Ave. But the unavailability of short-term construction loans in the midst of a development-unfriendly economic climate forced the Burbank holdings company to pull out.

The development was to contain 60 condo units, including 12 affordable units, and underground parking for 380 cars. The Decoma plan was attractive to the community because it was aimed at smaller scale retail. Community members looked forward to public plazas, water features, and street furniture to help improve a neighborhood where blocky bank buildings and 'For Rent' signs have become the norm. It is unclear whether Decoma Developers, whose website includes an extensive description of the project, will stick through despite the financial setback.

The city and the chamber of commerce certainly hope they will. The project was approved by the city council in May 2008. Since then, civic leaders have been courting developers and financial sources, begging for investment in their "blighted" CBD. Scott Feldmann, president of the chamber of commerce, said Shamrock's withdrawal "feels awful," and will try to stay hopeful that they can attract new interest. But not everyone was disappointed with this latest turn of events. Some residents, especially those in the immediate vicinity, necessitated 80 public scoping meetings and even filed an unsuccessful lawsuit in the last few months. Their concerns? You guessed it - traffic and parking.

Candy Spelling's Century City Digs Almost Complete

The Century, the 42-story tower rising in the center of Century City, has finished construction...on the outside that is. As the last crane was lowered last week, the remainder of work on the residential skyscraper will be on the interior, which was designed by architects Marmol Radziner. Move-in is scheduled for the end of 2010 for the condo units, which start at $3.3 million. The epic project is only four years in the making, since developer Related Cos. purchased the St. Regis Hotel property in 2005 for $123 million.

The tower made headlines last summer when Candy Spelling, wife of late TV producer Aaron Spelling, finalized purchase of the 2-level Penthouse 'A' - for a record-breaking $47 million. At $2,848 per each of the apartment's 16,500 sf, the sale was the highest ever for a Los Angeles condo. Professing that the Westside condo was "the only one that met my expectations," Spelling offered a glistening round of early PR for the company.

The only thing more shocking than that sticker price? The $150 million Spelling is asking for her Holmby Hills manor, completed in 1991 by husband Aaron. Unsure whether the home has 23 or 26 bathrooms, Spelling has claimed she is "downsizing" by moving into the Century. According to her lawyer, the price is "not a lot" for the 57,000 sf home, and Spelling has reportedly been getting dozens of interested phone calls. How exactly do you price a property in a range never seen before in this country? Maybe an international buyer can afford it...we'll have to wait and see.

See the exclusive video tour of the home here.

Italian Rail Manufacturer to Commence "Greening" of Downtown

AnsaldoBreda, the Italian lightrail manufacturer that has held a contract with MTA in the past, has been entrusted to build a "green" industrial plant near the LA River, in anticipation of extended contracts with Metro. The Community Redevelopment Agency is expediting its decision to allow the company to build on the exclusive site in exchange for a renewed $300 million contract with Metro. MTA criticized the Italian firm for its handling of the delivery of the 50 cars shown in the video above, but the firm has promised 650 full-time area jobs to accompany the plant and corporate headquarters. At 12% unemployment, the city is hardly in a position to turn them down.

Under the agreement, AnsaldoBreda will lease 16 of the 20 acres for 50 years, allowing the city to seek other tenants. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the CRA hope a "clean plant" on the corner of 15th St and Santa Fe Ave will anchor a string of new green technology centers in the city's emptying industrial core. The city, which purchased the prized property from the state in 2008, is demanding a $15 million deposit from the company, with annual rents approaching $1 million. AnsaldoBreda, which has produced lightrail cars for cities across the US and Europe, is anxious to be granted the new 100 car contract, which will provide the MTA with its necessary arsenal for the new Expo and Gold lightrail lines.

These negotiations are a prime example of how complex local private-public partnerships can be. The mayor's office, the CRA, the MTA, and AnsaldoBreda all have distinct goals and interests for the outcome of the agreements. In theory, everyone can win - AnsaldoBreda saves money by manufacturing locally, the mayor gets bragging rights on job creation and green technology, the CRA gets development in a blighted neighborhood, and the MTA gets its cars. But the red tape and the pricetag bargains mean it's not so easy. The LA Times published a smart article that outlines the city's plans for a grand redevelopment of the industrial wasteland straddling the river downtown. Let's hope this works, because if it doesn't, Villaraigosa will be remembered as the mayor that promised everything and delivered absolutely nothing.

Weekend Buzz

American Apparel Settles with Woody Allen (NY Times) - May 18, 2009

Plans for Expo Bike Path (Streetsblog) - May 20, 2009

'American Idol' Shakes Up LA Live (blogdowntown) - May 20, 2009

Santa Monica, Malibu Most Polluted Beaches (LA Times) - May 21, 2009

Sunset Widening Shut Down by Brentwoodians (Curbed LA) - May 21, 2009

Santa Monicans Consider Arrival of Lightrail - (SM Mirror) - May 21, 2009

LAX to Purchase Tiny (but Pricey) Adjacent Lot

LAX's operator, Los Angeles World Airports, is said to be in negotiations to purchase a 21-acre parking lot adjacent to the Southwest Airlines terminal on the east end of the airport, valued at over $100 million. The property, called Park One, is owned by AMB Properties, a San Francisco-based property manager. At over $25/car/day, the lot is said to generate several millions of dollars per annum. It is set to be the largest commercial sale in LA County this year.

For purchases over $150,000, the agency is required to gain permission from the board of commissioners and from the LA city council. While their intended use of the site has not been made public, the agency claims the lot will not factor into their multibillion-dollar plans for renovation and expansion. In a recession economy, parking lots prove a very stable investment, as retail and other tenants will tend to fall back on their payments.

Prior to its parking lot conversion in the 1990s, the spot was an industrial warehouse space that was home to an aerospace manufacturer during World War II. Important then for its proximity to the airport and the rest of the aerospace industry, the lot on the corner of Sepulveda and Century Blvds is exponentially more so today, at the gateway to the largest passenger and cargo airport on the Pacific. Unfortunately LAX received the distinction last week of being ranked the 'nation's worst airport' by Dwell Magazine. Maybe that money can go into the alleged rehab of the airport - lord knows they won't be getting any money from the government anytime soon.

Carson Megamall to Rise on Former Landfill

Developers LNR Property and Hopkins Real Estate Group have begun grading and soil preparation on a 168 acre mixed-use development along the 405 freeway in Carson. The project, dubbed the Boulevards at South Bay, will boast retail, dining, entertainment, hospitality, and residences and is set to open in 2011. Projected to be the largest shopping-related development in LA County, the developers seem to know what they've got on their hands... the website seems to be catering more to prospective tenants than to future shoppers.

But the scale of the project is hardly the biggest of their concerns - construction is taking place over a former landfill, a large producer of the dangerous greenhouse gas methane. To help abate risks arising from this location, developers are awaiting approval of a high-tech gas collection system that would be installed on the ground areas of the site where slabs and buildings will not go up. This collection mechanism will filter harmful gases arising from the decomposing waste below, and filter it into safe, breathable air. The site has been controversial and until recently, untouchable, as developers have been turned away from building on the site, which closed to landfill in 1965.

Methane and other gases that arise from decomposing waste are not only unhealthful to inhale, but are commonly explosive. Many land reclamation projects have proven successful in the past, like in the bayfront office developments in Brisbane, California. So in the hands of the EPA and the Department of Toxic Substance Control, I don't doubt the project's potential for safety and good health. But in the 21st century, when space and clean air are both hard to come by, shouldn't we be looking at potential sources for alternative energy, especially in places where they already exist? Methane collection has already been instituted in places like cow farms and arctic glaciers where the gas is prominent. In Southern California, we have many sources for renewable energy but few so close to the urban core. Methane collection from waste would give us an opportunity to attempt to right some of our wrongs, namely our liberal production of and imprudent treatment of waste. Construction is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases and this $800 million, million sf project is no exception. By volunteering to shop on and live over our waste, we are taking a step in the right direction. But unlike Middle East oil, that waste isn't going anywhere, so we need to learn to exploit it even further.

Moss' "Glass Tower" Revived by Expo Line

Eric Owen Moss' eccentric tower, which was previously stalled by financial constraints, has enjoyed renewed interest thanks to the Expo lightrail line that will connect Downtown with Culver City in 2010. The first rendition, which was approved in 1999, was composed of two towers and claimed to be the "only high-rise proposal in South Central...the location for two urban riots in the last 50 years." We won't tell them La Cienega at Jefferson isn't anywhere near South Central and is actually adjacent to affluent, suburban Culver City.

Program calls for about 210,000 sf of office space split across 16 floors of varying height, in addition to parking both above and below grade. The exterior ribbon structural system allows for an open, column-less interior. The project is being developed by Samitaur Construct, the company behind the office complex of the same name, another Moss design that was completed to thunderous acclaim in 1995.

The site is located on a large tract bordered by the lightrail line on the north and the Ballona Creek on the West. It is near the beginning of National Blvd, where Jefferson Blvd turns due south. The La Cienega lightrail station is located less than a block away, and is the second-to-last stop before the terminus at National and Washington near downtown Culver City. In the 1990s Moss made a name for himself in nearby Culver City with his designs for the massive redevelopment of Hayden Tract, a gaping expanse of industrial land that was repurposed for office and manufacturing space. The land, home to offices including Ogilvy & Mather, Kodak, and Smashbox Studios, has since quintupled in value. So maybe Moss does have the Midas touch for blighted real estate, but isn't this just another pricey vanity box, albeit in a not-so-desirable part of town?

Santa Monica Place Reopening Further Delayed

Santa Monica Place, the unfortunate early-Gehry-designed covered shopping mall that anchors the southern end of the Third Street Promenade, has delayed its reopening even further into 2010. The Macerich Company is the developer on the remodel, and announced this week an "official" opening date of August 6, 2010 - significantly later than the earlier planned Spring 2010 and 2009 before that.

The company, which purchased the property in 1999, originally planned to raze the existing mall and replace it with a multi-use complex of condos, offices, and retail. This 2004 plan was met with strong opposition from locals however, who felt the megalomaniacal development would be out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood and worsen already bad beach and promenade traffic. In 2007, they modified the proposal to a simple reconfiguration of the existing mall, which was ardently supported by the community.

While construction on the site looks horrendous, the project really is just a glamorized remodel. The interior walkways have been gutted and will be replaced by open-air walkways. Also new will be an indoor/outdoor rooftop dining terrace a la Westfield Century City but more upscale. Locals and visitors will be happy to see what was once a depressing, placeless mall turned into a welcoming promenade-like shopping center more in tune with Santa Monica weather and culture. And through adaptive reuse to boot. Expect to pay for it though - anchor tenants Macy's and Robinson's May have been replaced with Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom.

Orange Line Extension to Break Ground Next Month

The Metro Orange Line busway that connects the North Hollywood Red Line station in the East to the Warner Center in the West, will soon extend northward from the Canoga station and will terminate at the Chatsworth Amtrak station - the site of last year's tragic derailing. The 4-mile dedicated busline will add 3 stations to the line, at Sherman Way, Roscoe Blvd, and Nordhoff St, before the terminus. The short extension endured a long acceptance process, beginning with a study in 2003 and finalizing in January of this year with the completed EIR. The main goal of the project is to improve north-south traffic conditions in the sprawling Valley. Completion is scheduled for 2013.

The original 14-station Orange Line opened in 2005 to both local and worldwide acclaim, as one of the first North American examples of a successful dedicated "busline." The busway, which was chosen as the locally preferred alternative in the scoping process, utilizes long articulated buses on a reserved transitway. This system, which was largely developed in the 1970s in transit-conscious Curitiba, Brazil, is low-cost and high-efficiency. Like a light-rail, the buses run on a dedicated path, eliminating both the danger of collision and the impediment of traffic lights. The line seems to be the perfect fit for the Valley, a region that is still relatively low-density, but suffers from strangulating congestion.

The extension however, has been met with much local condemnation, not for construction inconveniences or noise, but for the displacement of area businesses. LACMTA owns the path that will be tapped for the line, and has been leasing out the properties along this right-of-way for 50 years. The county transit agency has retained all the rights-of-way of LA's original Pacific Electric redcar system since its closure in 1961. Long leased out to private businesses at cut-rate prices, these transit corridors have proved extremely convenient in Metro's avid rebuilding of transit lines beginning in the 1990s. But despite complaints from local businesses about government intervention in an already sagging regional economy, local officials will continue to laud the project as a universally beneficial and a much-needed improvement to area mobility. You can make fun of the Valley all you want, but in a city infamous for car dependence, the Orange Line is hurtling into the 21st century.

LA Coliseum—Decaying and Underutilized—Remains in Strict Public Control

State senator Jeff Denham (R-Atwater) published an Op-Ed in the LA Times Monday, calling for the sale of the coliseum by its public owners and the dissolution of the controversial Coliseum Commission. The LA Memorial Coliseum, built in 1932 for the Summer Olympiad, was registered as a historic landmark in 1984, the year of the Olympics' return to Los Angeles. But since a major retrofit that year, the stadium has been rapidly decaying and is used less and less frequently. The coliseum is owned by a confusing partnership between the city, the county, and the state - all of which have plunged into debt since the recession. The USC Trojans football team is the only large, long-term tenant at the stadium, and is desperate for a policy change.


Trojan fans will remember the anxiety-inducing negotiations last year that almost forced USC to temporarily play at rival UCLA's Pasadena Rose Bowl. When USC offered to buy into the coliseum's ownership, the commission not only refused, but threatened to evict the university as
a tenant. USC, frustrated with the government's inaction at the stadium's obvious disrepair, offered $100 million to help renovate (and partially own) the coliseum. Denham argues that the Trojans are the biggest stakeholders in the stadium and its future and should therefore have the right to own part or all of it.


Denham also reflects the growing confusion on the part of both lawmakers and the sports industry, as to why the debt-laden tripartite government "monster" would refuse a private investment for public gain. The Coliseum had hopes for outside intervention back in 2006 when Los Angeles bid to host the 2016 Olympic games - a US designation that was quickly and cruelly lost to Chicago. And for years politicians and developers alike have been struggling to attract a major league football team to return to the coliseum. But since the news of the cheaper and flashier stadium in City of Industry, that struggle has been rendered moot. Bottom line: the coliseum is a beautiful and much beloved historic landmark, but it is structurally unsafe and aesthetically dejected, and the public sector (all three of 'em) cannot afford to hold onto it, especially in these times.

New Victorville Construction Demo'd Amidst Bankruptcy, Vandalism

A brand new 16-home housing development in Victorville is being demolished this week at the direction of the Texas bank who owns the property - Guaranty Bank of Austin. The bank foreclosed on the property in December 2008 after the developer filed for bankruptcy. The development was located on Bear Valley Road at US-395 in Victorville, the high desert town located about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The 2-story homes, most of which were only half complete, were touted as luxury homes, and slated to sell for $375,000 each.

In fact, the high value of the interior finishes and appliances was the chief reason the development has been heavily burglarized and vandalized since its stagnation last year. The City of Victorville laid heavy fines on the Guaranty Bank for code violations related to the resultant vandalism and "blight" on the property. The occupation of foreclosed homes by squatters and drug addicts is a problem on the rise across the country, but is particularly embarrassing and problematic to this exurban "boomtown." San Bernardino County, where Victorville is located, was slammed with a 60% plunge in home prices since 2006.


The bank made the decision to demolish the property after it was found to cost only $100,000, as opposed to the $1 million+ it would take to finish building the development. In the end, the venture will be counted as a major loss to the developer and the bank alike, but their escape will be timely in the face of a crumbling market. Environmentally, the demolition of a mid-construction project is appalling, especially in an area where cheap, fast construction continued unabated for years due to apparent demand. But according to the demo company, the spent lumber will go toward mulch for landscaping and new construction in Mexico. As if drug violence and swine flu weren't enough to endanger our neighbors south of the border.