The Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corporation's (WCBIC) is the Advisory Board to City of Los Angeles for the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District (WCBID). The WCBID is an assessment district created by the Los Angeles City Council in 1995. We are one of over 38 BIDs in Los Angeles (visit labidc.org for more about the BIDs in LA). WCBID is a merchant based BID which is ratified or "reconfirmed" annually after each funded operating period in order to receive funds to continue operations. The WCBIC is a California nonprofit, mutual benefit corporation.

The WCBIC's mission for the WCBID is to help Wilshire Center become a more livable and workable area, to provide for a better overall environment both socially and economically, to work towards constructive change and improvement for Wilshire Center, and to represent the WCBID assesses’ interest by advocating on behalf of its members' best interests in the area of public safety, beautification, promotion, maintenance, and economic development within the community.

WCBIC represents over 37 million square feet of residential, office and retail users. Click here to view the Wilshire Center B.I.D. Boundary Map (pdf).

2009-2010 Board of Directors are:

Chairman - Paul Kim, Jamison Services
Secretary - Mike Sarebanha, Seligman Western Enterprises, LTD.
Treasurer - Debra Leathers, Southwestern University School of Law

Board Members
Michael Hakim, SM Properties
Howard Kaplan, Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Bryson Youkstetter, Lion Real Estate Group

The Board of Directors of WCBIC meets quarterly.
The last board meeting was held on Thursday, July 22, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm at the Southwestern University Law School, 675 S. Westmoreland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MINUTES FROM A PAST BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Annual Membership meeting is in late August of each year, contact Gary Russell, Executive Director (info@wilshirecenter.com) for more information on time and location.

Our Program consist of security, maintenance, marketing, evironmental awareness and advocacy. Chrysalis, a non-profit homeless support organization, are handling the steam cleaning at the major intersections. Portals, a non-profit homeless support organization, handles the general maintenance, graffiti removal and sweeping of the major sidewalks in our area. The WCBIC has two evening security car patrols each with two armed officers seven days a week. We have six security bike patrols during the day time hours for a total of ten officers that patrol our district day and night. The 2007 budget was $760,402. 41.88% is for security, 31.61% is for maintenance, 13.61% is for marketing/promoting and advocacy, 9.99% for administration, and 3.37% for City cost.

An example of the Maintenance Activities:
We have pressure washed at all the major intersections along Wilshire Boulevard. Wilshire and Wilton, Wilshire and Western, Wilshire and Normandie, Wilshire and Vermont also Wilshire and Hoover, Hoover and 7th Street, 3rd and Kenmore.

We have reported several tons of bulk items from various areas throughout the District for removal. We have reported Sofas, Stoves, Refrigerators, T.V's, Microwaves, Computers, Bicycles, Large Tables just to name a few. All items that are recyclable are taken to the nearest recycle center in the area.

Here is a list of items reported last week: 3 Mattresses, 8 Sofas, 2 Dressers, 4 pieces of Wood, a Large Pillow and 4 Chairs.

On Going Project:
We are working to improve the traffic congestion issues with CRA's traffic consultant that has recently been hired to analysis our traffic conditions, future growth in traffic, and to find creative solutions to our issue of traffic within our community.

We are working with the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce and Tom LaBonge’s office to do some workshops about the future of the Wilshire Corridor between Wilshire Center and Miracle Mile. For more information

We successfully worked with LAUSD and Mayor's Office to create a public park along Wilshire at the old Ambassador site.

We are working with CRA on the use of over 50 million dollars of tax increment funds that are to be collected over the next five years for our community.

We are in discussion with the Ambassador Hill Neighborhood Association and CRA about improvements along Third Street.

We are working with assessees on Alexandria Ave and on Mariposa to assist in their request for preferential parking on their streets.

We are working with Angels Walk Wilshire. Angels Walk is a self-guided historical tour by way of stanchion panels along the Wilshire Center’s sidewalks. This project is moving forward and should be installed this year.

We successfully worked with the City and the LA Times on getting new newsracks. The racks were replaced two years ago. The City is currently enforcing the news rack ordinance in the Valley.

We successfully worked with the City's Streetlighting Dept. to install 87 new street lights along Wilshire Blvd. The quality of light during the evening is very good. The light quality is a white, brighter light; you will notice the difference if you look west of Wilton and east of Hoover along Wilshire Blvd.

We received $25,000 to fund a holiday lights program.

We are exploring with Portals and CRA about funding a homeless outreach program where we have trained individuals that would work with the homeless in our community in order to help them find ways out of being homeless.

An assets value story
The Getty Oil Tower/Union Bank Bldg, south west corner of Wilshire/Western was purchased in 1995 for about $5 million, was purchased in 2003 for about $20 million, then in 2005 purchased for $60 million by Forest City Residential Group to develop condos, and when Forest City is done with the project in the next year or so the value will be $140 million. This story shows that asset property values have increased dramatically since 1995, at the beginning of the WCBIC’s work, a value change of about $135 million for this one property in just over 10 years.

Note: Membership for WCBIC is available to businesses that are within the assessment area and are current on their assessments.