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Economic Development

Economic vitality is key to the future of the Ninth District. This includes redevelopment and restoration, job creation, in-fill service projects, new economic development opportunities, affordable housing, and job training. I am committed to increasing job opportunities, job training and business development throughout the Ninth District.

  • Currently working on a citywide Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for major city-funded public works projects to support the creation of local, quality construction jobs.
  • Sponsored and partnered with local businesses to provide job opportunities at job fairs throughout the district.
  • Worked with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to link them with area youth in an apprenticeship program.
  • Worked with the National Electrical Contractors Association to link newly emancipated youth with apprenticeship program, resulting in opportunities for high-paying professional jobs.
  • Supported SB851 which extended a Los Angeles pilot program until 2008 that requires all adults convicted of a non-serious offense to participate in a program to help them earn their GED.
  • Supports the use of local workforce for all development projects in the Ninth District that receive city funds by mandating apprenticeship programs with local industries.
  • Sponsored Industrial Bond Seminar to help local businesses in the Empowerment Zone access grants, bonds, and loans to help grow their businesses in the Ninth District.
  • Spearheaded plans to build a $13 million dollar, Constituent Service Center in the Ninth District at the corner of 43rd Street and Central Avenue. The Center brings direct access to City services and departments to the community and ease in the development of new projects throughout the district. It also includes a green roof and meets strict environmental standards (Silver LEEDS certified).
  • Supported reinvestment in Central Avenue. In addition to the Constituent Service Center, this has resulted in the completion of three mixed-use developments along Central Avenue: Beyond Shelter at 20th and Central; Meta Housing at Adams and Central; and Rittenhouse Square at 33rd and Central. All three projects include ground-floor retail and brought two, new full-service grocery stores and other neighborhood-serving retail to the corridor.
  • Currently working with the community and City Planning to update the community plans for South and Southeast Los Angeles. This planning tool helps shape the development of community, ensuring that business and industry are located in appropriate areas and preserving residential neighborhoods. Before this update, the South and Southeast Los Angeles community plans had not been updated in over 20 years leading to spot zoning.
  • Currently working on the Downtown community plan updates to meet the needs of a new residential and growing downtown community.
  • Developed and gained support for an interim control ordinance (ICO) designed to put a temporary freeze on the development of new stand-alone fast food establishments in South Los Angeles. The ICO, coupled with a series of Restaurant and Grocery Store Incentives is intended to address the need for more diverse eating establishments in the area, providing the local community with more choices like full service, sit-down restaurants and grocery stores.
  • Currently working to make ICO permanent by making them a part of the South and Southeast community plans.
  • Developed conditions for Central Avenue to prevent the development of any new recycling, auto-related, and liquor related venues to address the over-proliferation of these establishments in the area.
  • Worked with CRA and Vermont Slauson EDC to develop new retail center that includes a full-service grocery store at this retail center which has provided high-quality jobs and training programs for local resident. This is was the first new, full-service grocery store to be opened in the area since the 1992 riots.
  • Worked with CD Tech to open a technology center at 42nd and Central designed to allow youth to learn valuable computer skills and connect with local job opportunities and internships.
  • Supported and sponsored seminars to educate residents about the dangers of Predatory Lending, partnering with local banks to bring programs to places like the Van Meter Senior Center.
  • Helped to successfully negotiate the MOU between AEG and the City for the development of the new Convention Center Hotel and Entertainment District. The hotel is currently under construction and is already attracting new conventions to the area.
  • Member of the Joint Powers Authority for Grand Avenue which is working with the community to develop housing, public park space, and retail/entertainment venues for Grand Avenue. Developed a ground-breaking community benefits agreement to provide local hire and job training for the project. The community benefits package has served as a model for other city community benefits packages.
  • Authored and passed an ordinance that prohibits the expansion of new ground-floor bail bond brokers in Little Tokyo in a move to stop the over-proliferation of these businesses in the area while promoting pedestrian-friendly retail in the area to attract more visitors.
  • Identified funds to support the restoration of the Far East café in Little Tokyo, a historic landmark which will house a new restaurant, housing, and community computer center.
  • Took the lead in supporting two new community redevelopment plans in Downtown Los Angeles designed to increase housing stock, (including the addition of a significant number of affordable housing units) grow business, and develop job opportunities and training programs for area residents.
  • Helped designate Gallery Row downtown to increase interest from locals and visitors to attract more business and tourism to the area and highlight this great local industries.
  • Rehabilitation of the Angelus Funeral Home into the Paul Williams Community Center – Paul Williams historic structure, by the Community Enhancement Corporation. The building will become a health and early education center. Rehabilitation work is expected to begin in Winter 2009 and be completed in Fall 2009.
  • Rehabilitation of the Van Meter Intergenerational Center- $2 mil rehabilitation project that will upgrade the center, this is being done through collaboration between SCI-ARC, CRA and Bureau of Engineering
  • 4501 S. Broadway- People’s Coordinated Services Recreation Center, building a new recreation center with multipurpose recreation space, basketball courts and lockers, construction is expected to begin in Fall 2008 and be completed in 12 months. This project represents a $3mil investment.
  • Façade Improvement Program- CRA funded project that targets existing businesses on Central Avenue to help them improve their façade
  • Downtown Housing Ordinance- The ordinance basically accomplishes two main goals: first it updates the planning standards to an urban model and second it provides a floor area bonus of 35% if and only if a development includes a percentage of affordable housing.
  • Transfer of Floor Area Rights Ordinance-The conveyance of unused allowable floor area or excess density from a donor site to a receiver site. The donor site can be one owned by the City (such as the Convention Center) or by a private party (such as an historic building). Because the City of Los Angeles has approximately 9 million square feet of unused floor area above on the Convention Center site, the sale of this TFAR represents approximately $250 million in new revenue. TFAR encourages the development of new housing in two ways: first, by allowing the Transfer of Floor Area Rights from underutilized sites, additional housing units can be added to a site already deemed to be appropriate for residential (or mixed use) development in downtown where transportation and other services are located. Secondly, the significant Public Benefits payment required to implement a Transfer of Floor Area can be used to fund affordable housing within 2 miles of the receiver site.