Around the Halls: Wilshire Grand, Tourism and Liquor
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Environmental and signage plans for the Wilshire Grand, the creation of a tourism district and the approval of liquor licenses are on the agendas at City Hall during a holiday-shortened week.
MONDAY: City Hall is closed in observance of Cesar Chavez Day.
TUESDAY: Council and the Planning and Land Use Management committee are scheduled to meet.
The Environmental Impact Report for the two towers scheduled to replace the Wilshire Grand hotel goes to Council—fancy lights and all—as CF 11-0106.
A slight expansion of the Historic Downtown BID heads to Council as CF 10-1083. The change aligns the BID's boundaries with the Fashion District.
The "Los Angeles Tourism Marketing District" goes to Council as CF 11-0378. The district is designed to collect a marketing fee from all hotels over 50 rooms citywide.
WEDNESDAY: Council is the only group to file an agenda.
A hearing of public convenience or necessity will be held at Council for Silo vodka bar, under construction on the ground floor of the Haas Building. The hearing—under CF 11-0266—is a required step for the issuance of new licenses in areas with a high concentration of alcohol.
Council will hold the same hearing for a liquor store at 722 S. Hill under CF 11-0278. There, a previous operator was evicted and took the liquor license with him. A new owner wants to reopen the store, but needs a new license to do so.
$500k for the study of "integrated mobility hubs" goes to Council for approval as CF 10-0394-S1.
Simon Ha on March 29, 2011, at 07:46AM – #1
The two hearings on alcohol license- is this a new procedure? When did CUBs start going to council for approval?
KJ1 on March 29, 2011, at 09:59AM – #2
I would like to know a little more info on the expansion of the HC BID to "align" with the Fashion BID. What does that mean? Is the HC BID adding taxable land and/or businesses? Or, how does that work exactly?
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on March 29, 2011, at 10:00AM – #3
You see it every now and again. It's not the CUP/CUB, though: this is a designation that ABC wants to justify issuing a license where there is already a concentration of licenses. For restaurants, ABC can make the determination itself, but the city needs to do so for bars.
BobbyD on April 03, 2011, at 02:36PM – #4
In the Development section I comment on one aspect of the proposed downdown stadium- the parking spaces that the stadium propenants are counting as available to their games and other events- 25,000 from all over the area, up to 1.13 miles. In the topic of liquor licenses and tourism, the taking away of 25,000 parking places downtown on some sundays and other days or evenings should be considered, especially for sundays. Maybe better not to have any liquor places open on game day. Other major stadiums around here do not have the liquor available nearby, but if there are downtown rstablishments open before and after games there could be trouble. I have read that some cities make it a condition of the city permits that the business is closed on game day. Easy to say that for a few that sell alcohol but there are many tourist places downtown that can be adversely affected by the people going to and coming out of the games and other events. Considering that tourism is mostly a weekend profit business, lack of parking downtown on some days can cost much money directly and indirectly by the reputation gained and spread.