DotDotDash: Art Walk for December 2007

Wow!!! My visits went through the roof. Between Bert's Blog and yours my visits have skyrocketed.

I knew the other side of the story was going to hit the blogosphere "soon" and I was right. I don't think the people at pharmaka would lie to the people about this and Bert wouldn't lie about this either and neither would Shane Guffogg.

I believe them to be credible sources of information when it comes to the issue of Pharmaka.

The issue is that many of us fought on behalf of Amerland so they could get that subsidy for the former Frontier Hotel even at great personal expense , I had a death threat made to me by someone who is in jail right now from LA CAN after the Amerland issues. I have created many enemies in this community because I stood side by side with Amerland because I knew they would bring some stability to the neighborhood. And they have.

We heard Jan Perry speak that AMerland would work with the community and we heard Amerland say the same thing.

We worry when we hear things like empty store fronts happenning , because it was the absent landlords that allowed Spring Street and Main Street to turn into the Heroin alley it was.

This space at 5th and main has been cleared up because many of us worked long and hard to do so. So we have a vested interest to see that it stays that way. I have to walk that stretch everyday to get to where I need to go.

Blair says that the Galleries as of right now will not be moved. So why would a representative from Amerland cause someone who works at Pharmaka such anxiety.

I believe Blair and trust her word . So thanks for the update. But we will all be watching this situation closely . Shane and Bert are not rumor mongers.

I'm a little late to the discussion here, but what would drive Amerland to relocate these thriving galleries to locations on their property. I think Bert's prediction is likely. It would kill the heart of the Art Walk. Why would this business embark on such a course of action? It doesn't appear to make sense. What would be Amerland's self-interest here?

Could someone provide some background here? Bert?

Blair Besten is correct that the galleries are on month to month leases, but that is because Amerland refused to renew their leases, forcing them to revert to month to month tenancy. All three galleries requested long term lease renewals this past fall after Amerland took possession of the building and were refused.

And who might Amerland think is willing to pay these higher rents? Why doesn't Amerland think they will succeed where others have failed? None of this makes sense.

The stupidity or foolishness of some folks never ceases to amaze. I bet someone at Amerland heard about the new Ralph's on 9th Street raking in big money, or about the good level of sales at the Palm or Daily Grill restaurants in the Financial District, and thought, hey, everyone, no reason we can't duplicate some of that success over here on Main Street!

If that's the case, then someone totally clueless (if not greedy too) at Amerland is going to undermine the still fragile condition of the Old Bank District, find their vacant storefronts either remaining empty or occupied by barely surviving full-rent tenants, and blame everyone but themselves for the results of their poor decisions.

For your FYI :

It was at Pharmaka Gallery at meetings of the Neighborhood Council Arts Committee that saw the beginnings of the process of bringing the Jules Verne Adventuure Film Festival to Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Theater on Broadway.

Pharmaka is an attractive space for bar/nightlife traffic. What Amerland doesn't seem to realize is that the galleries ARE what draws the nightlight traffic to that intersection.

Doing anything but the status quo on this corner would be moving the Historic Core in reverse.

Pharmaka and Bert Green are two of the Downtown galleries that get the most respect by the rest of the art world. They are the tipping point. Relocate them and you relocate the scene that has made the Historic Core exactly the place that attracted Ameriland's investment.

In other words, it's the galleries stupid.