Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) - District office contact # 213-977-2633
Wilshire Center – Koreatown Citizen Advisory Committee
(WC-K CAC)

WCBIC’s Wilshire Center/Koreatown Wish List - some suggestions for beautification of our project area that we are working with CRA: Sidewalks do need some repairs. The City is fixing most of the potholes. Adding trashcans and other street furniture and artwork is good. Greening: look to creating green parkway extensions along residential streets. The problem of planting more trees is the watering and maintenance of them. Greening: revisit Wilshire Blvd landscape median towards introducing drought resistant plantings. Create an incentive program that encourages drought resistant landscaping throughout our project area. Ideas for specific areas: 3rd Street Commercial Façade/Streetscape Program in cooperation with East Hollywood Bev./Norm. Project area. Hire consultant to create Wilshire Center Retail Marketing Plan and then fund a marketing outreach program. Build a skateboard park at Lafayette Park. “Creation of bike lanes wherever feasible; designation of bike routes; it's important to encourage cyclists to NOT ride on major arteries (cyclist's safety and also hinders smooth traffic flow) by showing cyclists that there are safer, alternative streets that can be used” (Andrew Miliotis). Ideas for the broader project area as a whole should be adding sustainability features, which will move our community to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2% each year for the next 40 years such as:
Work with DWP about to promote and enhance their solar incentive program (http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp004196.jsp).
Create and incentive program that would encourage new construction and major renovations meet the LEED Silver standard of the U.S. Green Building Council, and meet Energy Star Guidelines.
Promote the use of waterfree urinals, which can save 40,000 gallons of water per urinal per year. Sloan Valve (www.sloanvalve.com), Falcon (www.falconwaterfree.com) and others make this product. Work with and promote DWP’s Water Conservation Programs.
Promote DWP’s rebates and incentives for both residential and commercial customers.
Create a compact fluorescent bulb incentive program with DWP.
Create an incentive program that encourages people to travel less, use public transportation, carpool, buy hybrid cars or alternative-fuel cars, and that encourage the future use of plug-in hybrid cars.
Create incentives that encourage a green lifestyle change. “Changes in lifestyle and behavior patterns can contribute to climate change mitigation across all sectors”. (U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, Working Group III, May 4, 2007) More from that study: “Lifestyle changes can reduce GHG emissions. Changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns that emphasize resource conservation can contribute to developing a low- carbon economy that is both equitable and sustainable. ?Education and training programmers can help overcome barriers to the market acceptance of energy efficiency, particularly in combination with other measures. ?Changes in occupant behavior, cultural patterns and consumer choice and use of technologies can result in considerable reduction in CO2 emissions related to energy use in buildings. ? Transport Demand Management, which includes urban planning (that can reduce the demand for travel) and provision of information and educational techniques (that can reduce car usage and lead to an efficient driving style) can support GHG mitigation. ?In industry, management tools that include staff training, reward systems, regular feedback, and documentation of existing practices can help overcome industrial organization barriers, reduce energy use, and GHG emissions.”
Many people said that there is no more important cause than the call to action to save our planet. Think globally act locally. Support WCBIC’s Wilshire Center Earth Day – No Car Day, April 22, 2008, project. Support the Second Wilshire Corridor Forum scheduled for November 8, 2007. Support the homeless outreach program as suggested by Portals.

The WC-K CAC has being divided into four sub-regions. Sub region A is the area around Beverley and Vermont, the Vermont Community; sub-region B is along Western (above 6th street), the Western Community; sub-region C is the area of Wilshire Center, and sub-region D is the area of Koreatown.

For WC-K Project Map Click Here (pdf)

Description of WC-K Project Area per Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning, Wilshire Community Plan, adopted Sept. 19, 2001

“Wilshire Center Regional Commercial Center: The Wilshire Center Regional Commercial Center is approximately 100 acres in size. It includes a dense collection of high rise office buildings, large hotels, regional shopping complexes, churches, entertainment centers, and both high-rise and low-rise apartment buildings. The Regional Commercial Center includes Wilshire Boulevard in the eastern central portion of the Plan Area and is generally bounded by 3rd Street on the north, 8th Street on the south, Hoover Street on the east, and Wilton Place on the west. The Regional Commercial Center includes the Vermont, Normandie, and Western Metro Red Line subway stations along Wilshire Boulevard.”

“Koreatown Regional Commercial Center: The Koreatown Regional Commercial Center runs along Olympic Boulevard, directly south of Wilshire Center. The intersection of Western Avenue and Olympic Boulevard is the core of this center. It is in the southwestern portion of the Plan Area, and is generally bounded by Eighth Street on the north, Twelfth Street on the south, Western Avenue on the west, and continues east towards Vermont Avenue. The Regional Center includes low to mid-rise office and retail uses along Olympic Boulevard, with adjoining multiple family apartment blocks. The area is a cultural meeting place and nucleus of Korean American businesses, restaurants, and shops in addition to a wide range of community serving commercial uses and large shopping centers.”

“Vermont Community Commercial Center: The Vermont Community Center is approximately 34 acres in size. It is centered around Vermont Avenue and Beverly Boulevard in the northeastern portion of the plan area. It is generally bounded by the Hollywood 101 Freeway to the north; Council and 1st Streets to the south; Hoover Street to the east; and New Hampshire Street to the west. The Community Center includes the Vermont-Beverly Metro Red Line station. A Station Neighborhood Area Plan (SNAP) for this area as well as along portions of Vermont Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard has been created to regulate development in conjunction with the Metro Red Line subway.”

Sub-region C, the area of Wilshire Center, status and some proposed ideas:

As to the Visioning and Strategy Discussion, the idea is to possibly work with Urban Land Institute to help us formatted a planning strategy; look into future developments around the Wilshire/Vermont MTA station; look at the parcels of land between 6th and Wilshire and between Vermont and New Hampshire, as a Wilshire Center Town Center, there is a need for a major shopping facility within our community; look into redeveloping the area along Shatto between Wilshire and 7th Street and the SE corner of Wilshire and Vermont; look into improvements in the area along Normandie between 7th and 8th Street by adding need parking and senior housing, plus adding corner enlargements with landscaping and benches; look into improvement of the area at SE corner of Western and 7th street; redesign of the Wilshire Streetscape, the median and pots, with new water tolerate landscape that also requires little maintenance, such as some California native plants, and adding other street furniture such as news racks (replacing the existing modular racks), benches and artwork: look into funding WiFi Zones, offering free wireless Internet service along Wilshire Blvd.

CAC Officers:

Chair, Linda Hedden, lindahedden@jamisonproperties.com,
Vice Chair, Gary Russell, AIA, glra@pacbell.net,
Secretary, Lois Arkin, crsp@igc.org,

Sub-regional Committee Chairs

Lois Arkin, crsp@igc.org, Chair of Vermont Community
Gary Russell, AIA, glra@pacbell.net, Chair of Wilshire Center

CRA CAC staff: Oscar Jauregui, Project Manager

WC-K CAC web site: www.lacity.org/CRA/wilshkorea.html

Redevelopment Goals for WC-K Project Area

Wilshire Center 2010-15 A Vision and Strategy Discussion Program and Agenda