Wilshire Center/Koreatown Cool District Program Update
We have begun working with ARUP on doing additional energy audits for about 25 buildings using CRA/LA funds (www.crala.net). These free energy assessments will provide a preliminary analysis of your building’s current energy usage as well asinformation on equipment/operational upgrades to reduce your energy bills. The highlighted upgrades will be chosen specifically for your building’s needs, and the reports will show how quickly an investment in these upgrades will “pay back” in energy savings. Later, potential financing and rebate opportunities will be presented to each building owner. Please contact info@wilshirecenter.com if you are interested in a free energy audit.
We had a successful Green Block Party on October 16th on S. Normandie between 7th and 8th Streets, which encouraged people who live and work here to develop more green practices. We discussed the Carbon Master Plan, which we are working on with Greenform, and about 30 people completed a questionnaire to share their energy habits and express their visions for the future. Special thanks to Jamison Services for providing parking at this event. The Wilshire Center BID, with help from KYCC, CRA/LA, WCKNC, DOT, LADWP and many others planted 4 trees; fed about 400 families breakfast and lunch; provided music and entertainment, including face painting, a drum circle and chalk art for the kids; distributed environmentally friendly information, picked up trash and cleaned graffiti. We also got to know our neighbors better, talked about how we're going improve our communities (not just talk, we did) and much more. The event was a huge success; thank you to everyone who participated. A special shout-out goes to the officers from the Olympic Division who helped out that day.
A second community meeting to discuss the Carbon Master Plan was held on Oct. 28th at the WC/K CRA/LA CAC meeting. Go to www.wilshirecenter.com/green/plan.htm to review the Carbon Master Plan questionnaire; please fill out the form and fax it back to us at 213-386-5853. The new Green Wilshire Center District website is up with additional features coming soon – go to www.wilshirecenter.com/green.
SIGN UP FOR A FREE BUILDING ENERGY AUDIT – CONTACT US AT INFO@WILSHIRECENTER.COM
Community Events
We had a very successful WCBID 15 year anniversary celebration and award luncheon and annual membership meeting on August 26. We recognized 15 individuals and groups who have provided valuable contributions to the District. The new elected board members are: Paul Kim, Jamison Services; Mike Sarebanha, Seligman Western Enterprises, LTD; Debra Leathers, Southwestern University School of Law; Michael Hakim, SM Properties; Howard Kaplan, Wilshire Boulevard Temple and Bryson Youkstetter, Lion Real Estate Group
There are a number of community events that we have been and continue to be involved with: 9/11 Beautification and Graffiti Clean-up Day honored the Firefighters and Police Officers of the Wilshire Center/Koreatown community. UDLA, CRA/LA, WCBID and the WCKNC recognized Fire Stations 13, 29 and the LAPD Olympic Division for their invaluable commitment to keeping the community safe. After the awards ceremony... hundreds of community volunteers hit the streets to clean up trash and graffiti with the help of KYCC.
Beautification and Graffiti Clean up Day with UDLA, KYCC, WCKNC and CRA/LA took place on Saturday, November 6th. We cleaned Vermont Ave., from 4th St., to Olympic Blvd. The purpose of this activity was to beautify our community and to unite all ethnic groups of this area and work together with the Police Station, youth, senior citizens and disabled individuals to say No to Gangs, No to Crime and No to Graffiti.
We are assisting with the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday, November 13, at 9:30 a.m. It will inaugurate the park, library, and school site. The day will include school tours. The facility is state of the art in school design.
Wilshire Center Team's Activities and Other News
This quarter, the WC security team assisted the City in getting over 924 bulky items picked up, made 164 calls to the City for street repairs, and assisted in getting 106 graffiti tags cleaned up. The team responded to 46 calls for assists to the LAPD and others. They issued 164 illegal vendor warnings and assisted 25 homeless individuals and reported to the City 50 streetlights which were broken, and which are now working. The security team removed over 300 posted illegal signs on trees, telephone poles, or light poles along 8th Street between Hoover and Wilton.
The sidewalk maintenance team collected 1,300 bags of trash, removed 1,400 stickers and used 7 gallons of paint to cover graffiti on sidewalk pots, poles, and news racks.
Tree Trimming: Sixty ficus trees have been trimmed (rounded and thinned, not chopped). Overgrown trees block street lights, enable crime, and cause sidewalk cracks. While mostly on Wilshire Blvd., other trees were trimmed on Ardmore Ave., Irolo St., Berendo St., Maraposa, 7th Street, and New Hampshire Ave.
Councilmember Herb Wesson’s office has informed us that the needed work and improvements will be done on the north side sidewalk along 8th Street between Kingsley and Serrano. This sidewalk area is one of the worst in the District.
Robert F. Kennedy Park: The Park is opened. It currently has 24-hour security; it does not have bathrooms. The Park’s on-site security may be gone sometime in October 2010. We are working with the Mayor’s office to fund more time for on-site security. There is a proposal to add a bathroom at the Park. There are “talking benches” with historical commentaries played when activated by motion sensors. People are encouraged to visit and enjoy the park, as well as to report any graffiti, gang activity, or illegal activity. Graffiti and other non-emergencies can be reported either to 311 or to (877) ASK-LAPD, which is (877) 275-5273. The park is the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools: Neither traffic nor graffiti seem to have been as bad as expected since the opening of the Schools. However, there have been problems with underage drinking, some fights, and children climbing on balconies and fire escapes of neighboring buildings.
Please attend the next meeting of the Wilshire Center Business Watch on Thursday, December 9, 2010at 12:00 noon at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, 3424 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, El Camino Real Conference Room (5th floor). Complimentary light lunch will be provided by the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District.
The WCBID holiday lights have been installed along Wilshire Blvd.
Check out the new updated Wilshire Center District map at wilshirecenter.com and email us at info@wilshirecenter.com for printed copies.
The Board Approve Reduced Rates for Next Year's Assessment
The entire budget was reviewed line item by line item by the Board of Directors. Due to the slow economy, the budget has been drastically reduced. You will see a reduction in your bill in 2011.
CRA Programs for the Wilshire Center District
The CRA/LA Wilshire Center/Koreatown (WC/K) project area has about $50 million budgeted for this fiscal year, July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011. CRA/LA spending averages about $20 million per year; unused funds continue to carry over each year. This $50 million is what is currently sitting in CRA/LA WC/K’s accounts. On the average, 20% goes to affordable housing and 80% goes to other issues and items that the community needs - in this (WC/K) case, much of it will go to job creation. This area had a negative budget when it started (1995). Property values have grown significantly since then (therefore tax increment funding has increased) and is now one of the richest project areas in the city. CRA/LA staff is working on extending bonding dates and on the merger between the WC/K project area the Mid City project area.
The CRA/LA is trying to obtain land for parks because the WC/K Project area is extremely park poor.The CRA/LA is also spending $4 million on the Olympic Blvd. streetscape project between Western and Vermont. They recently completed a historic resource survey. The CRA/LA is helping to develop community centers, public space, retail projects, housing developments, and to improve street conditions,. This year, the CRA/LA WC/K will be kicking off a street facade program. The main streets of focus for the facade program are Western Avenue and 8th Street.
The CRA/LA WC/K Parking and Traffic study is complete. The final reports are available online at www.crala.net/internet-site/Projects/Wilshire_Center/public_meetings.cfm. There are many complex traffic issues, because much of the traffic originates from other areas. Parking was found not to be in low quantity; there are actually a large number of underutilized parking lots. The goal of the study was to develop solutions to solve the parking and traffic issues. One such issue is the vacant parking lots of commercial buildings at night, even thoughthere is a large parking demand at night due to the active night life in WC/K. There needs to be an efficient parking strategy. Traffic is related to the lack of parking management as people circle the blocks to find parking, which creates more traffic. Some of the solutions are laid out in the final study document, which include raising metered parking rates, among other suggestions. The CRA/LA Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and CRA/LA staff will be developing a plans of action based on recommendations from the report.
You are invited to attend the CRA/LA WC/K CAC meeting on Thursday, November 18, 6:00pm, CRA/LA Central Regional Office: 3055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1120, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Historic Structure Rehabilitation Program ($1,600,000): In conjunction with the Westlake and Hollywood Project Areas, a comprehensive update of the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Historic Resources Survey (last done in 1995) was conducted in 2009. The survey provided a digital database allowing for mapping and retrieval of parcel specific historic information. With the assistance of the new database, the CRA/LA WC/K will launch a Historic Structure Rehabilitation Program. Eligible applicants can apply for a loan up to $100,000 for exterior improvements. The program will include a match requirement.
Commercial Façade Program ($1,500,000): The Commercial Façade Program will be available throughout WC/K, with priority given to applications including multiple adjacent properties. This program will assist businesses with exterior improvements to storefronts, including new lighting, signage, storefront windows and doors, awnings, landscaping, etc. This program will helpl eliminate blight by improving properties, assist in the retention of existing businesses, and attract new investment by making the commercial corridors more attractive. The program will provide loans for up to $25,000 per commercial storefront, to cover costs of architects and construction.
Non-Profit Development Initiative ($4,000,000): This program will provide technical assistance to WC/K non-profit institutions interested in developing their existing properties to their highest and best use. Assistance will include, but is not limited to, finance and design review, facilitation of project partnerships, and assistance with market analysis and mapping. Projects may include mixed-use, commercial, and/or housing developments. Project financing may be considered for developments that meet CRA/LA goals and objectives. CRA/LA staff is currently assessing the quantity and type of parcels owned by non-profit institutions with potential for development.
CRA/LA contact: Yonah Hong, 3055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1120, Los Angeles, California 90010, T 213 368 0613 / F 213 384 7371, yhong@cra.lacity.org
Please call 311 if you see bulky items and graffiti – together we will make our community a better place
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