Guest on October 29, 2010, at 12:41PM – #1

i'd say this new guy is worth a shot. if Huizar can't work with the property owners on Broadway to "bring it back"...ie, compromise, maybe this guy can.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 01:53PM – #2

Actually, Martinez is on record from another blog opposing Bringing Back Broadway and saying he doesn't know what it needs to be brought back from. I guess he likes the place looking half vacant and smelling like urine and being a ghost town at night. Since that's the case, no wonder he's lined up with the Hellens whose buildings and swap meets contribute to the blight and slum conditions much of Broadway suffers from.

There's been some deal made here - the Hellens told Martinez support our garage project that will doom three theaters and tie up traffic on Spring Street with grocery trucks loading from the street, a project which no one - not the city, the preservation community, the residents or anyone else in their right mind will support, and in return, we'll throw our money around and put your mug on a billboard on top of the worst, most rundown piece of crap theater swap meet on the whole street, so everyone can see what you want all of Broadway to be like.

There is some irony in the placement of this campaign billboard. Yes, the choice is clear, if you want all of Broadway (and CD14) to look like an ugly rundown swap meet, then choose the new guy! No thanks.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 02:00PM – #3

well.....the front page of the current Downtown News makes the case that Hellen has been trying to put in a market along with upscale shopping at a few of his buildings on Broadway for a while with Huizar shutting him down over rear entry loading in the back of the theatres which they never had to begin with.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 02:17PM – #4

Guest #1 - read the comments on Downtown News online with that story there's a lot more to it than Downtown News got in their story. The plans haven't even been submitted, it's all speculation and he said she said until there are some plans.

Hellen probably hasn't submitted them because he knows it's a bad plan and won't get support.

The representative from Hellen's office himself said in the comments their plan is to load grocery store trucks from THE STREET. like Spring Street needs that? What kind of planning is that? Not to mention whatever about the theaters. This guy supposedly is an Australian development mogul and he wants to have grocery trucks parked in the middle of Spring Street when he's building a new facility?

I wouldn't want to submit those plans either because then it becomes a public discussion like every other development project and they'll be rejected by every department in the city and by the community or forced to make changes that won't make it as profotable for the billionnaire Hellen. No wonder he's trying to buy favor from a political candidate, so if the guy wins Hellen will at least have one person in his corner because once the public knows the additional crap he has in store for the historic core, nobody else is going to be.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 02:27PM – #5

to assume so much before the guy has submitted plans seems premature. i think Downtown need more grocery stores and i for one would like see see what he offers. the guy has been building community bodegas for decades--seems like he might have some good ideas. also--DTLA is horribly in the past concerning infrastructure, parking and probably a whole lot else too.....its been derelict for decades. we are going to need some creative thinking to get things moving. imagine if a city ceter like SF had been abandoned for decades...imagine what it would need to bring business back. a lot.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 02:35PM – #6

Guest #1 -definitely, in the DT News comments it was Huizar's office that said they looked forward to moving past speculation and seeing actual plans and working on them with the developer and community on something that will work for everyone and won't damn the theaters. That's reasonable.

It was Hellen's representative who said in the comments their plan is to load grocery store trucks from THE STREET and anything else is simply impossible. That's not reasonable, and I'm not assuming anything, that's straight from the developer, who hasn't even submitted plans for discussion. No thanks.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 02:55PM – #7

I think that the billboard offers the hope of some change. Broadway is already like this so I would think that it is Huizar and the "Guest" that "likes the place looking half vacant and smelling like urine and being a ghost town at night".

I don't know what properties the Hellens own but I don't think that they own all of Broadway...

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 03:32PM – #10

Even in the midst of a bad economy, and as bad as much as it still needs help, Broadway has already gotten a LOT better since Huizar started the Bringing Back Broadway plan and he has a solid plan in place for continuing progress For ten years. it took a long time for Broadway to get this way, it's not changing for the better overnight, but it is changing for the better. And that is the hope (and proven steps for progress) to help Broadway, not someone who thinks things are fine they way they are.

The city has talked about improving Broadway for decades, and finally someone's seriously leading that effort, which I understand must be a threat to slumlords and swap meet owner biollionaires who have a different idea of what's "good" Downtown, but it is horrible what has happened to Broadway the past couple of decades and just for its history alone, we should be ashamed it was left to ruin like it has been.

The Hellen properties include the Spring Arcade (swap meet) the Roxie, Came and Arcade theaters (converted to you guessed it, swap meets) and others that are probably equally crummy. Also, they have the most hideous green marble on their historic exterior on Spring Street it shows no respect for history or anyone else but themselves. Blech.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 04:22PM – #11

Why would I listen to anything Fifth Street Funding wants, when they keep their properties in such a shitty condition? Don't they also own the burned-out building on 4th/Broadway? It's been like that for YEARS.

Now, I don't know much about Rudy Martinez and I don't like Huizar, so I may still consider him. But can't these property owners get their damn acts together and clean up their buildings?

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 07:30PM – #12

Huizar's Bringing Back Broadway plan wants Broadway to be some Old Town Knock off. Broadway had a dozen theaters and three major departments stores. It was the place to go back in the day. The Dept. Stores are not coming back and thanks to the Delajani Family, the theaters are moth balled.

Those living downtown should be wary of him and his property tax assessment plans.

40 yrs DT.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 07:58PM – #13

Guest 6 - That's not how I understand the Broadway plan at all, and I've gone to several meetings and events. It seems to me Huizar's idea is to do improvements that have been needed and neglected for a long time, do things to bring attention to the amazing historicness of the street and try to get activity back in the vacant areas and get some activity going at night so Broadway isn't this no man's land.

True the department stores may not be coming back, but there are other things that can happen and should in the buildings that will be a lot better than vacancies. These are really amazing buildings and I'm impressed someone in government actually understands this, and has put together a plan to try and help.

At the Clifton's press conference I was all set to be upset that Clifton's may not remain exactly the way I remember it from childhood, but one of the most interesting things Huizar said which I think sums it up is that historic preservation isn't meant to press the pause button in a certain year, but to find ways to keep beautiful old buildings alive and functional with new things as the years go by, and after the discussion it was clear the cafeteria wasn't going to be able to even stay open much longer without some kind of change.

Also true the Delijanis haven't done as much with their theaters as they could or maybe even will, hopefully, but they also haven't tried to demolish them (which Hellen tried to do) and haven't ruined them by letting them become swap meets (which Hellen also did) and they do keep them up so at least they don't look ratty from the street (which Hellens theaters all do).

All th Broadway these theaters represent an enormous amount of history and each is very special in its own right. Hopefully someday the Delijanis will find the right ingredients to open them back up again, for whatever will work it doesn't matter as long as people can see them and have them in their lives, but until then I actually respect them for not whoring these unbelievable pieces of history out for whatever dollars and cents they can get for whatever crappy uses they can attract the way the Hellens have done.

Guest on October 29, 2010, at 08:35PM – #14

casting stones against this "Hellen guy" or that "Deljani dude" at this point seems like so much wasted time. whose to say if anyone else had owned these run-down buildings for so long that could easily bring in high rents from swap meet-style venders that they would do anything differenty.

the pont is that there is NOW critical mass here that care and are on it!

i found it interesting that this Hellen guy let himself be photographed and interviewed (something he apparantly dosent like) recently talking about his plans for Broadway and that Deljani---the other big stake holder (i've learned from reading recently) wants to give some Persian statue to Pershing Square--they are both making public gestures if you will--letting people know who they are.

now that we know who the land owners are...what are we going to ask of them and what sorts of goodies are they bringing to the party?

exciting!

-Katherine

Guest on October 31, 2010, at 03:37PM – #16

All businesses require some kind of loading, parking, trash collection and rear access. The City and Fire Department require safe access to the rear of structures for safety reasons.

A grocery store, retail mall, apartment buildings,parking garage and event space or theatres would be no different.

You only have to walk 2 blocks to the toy district to see what a retail district with no services, no dumpsters and no loading facilities look like. The landlords in the Toy District have rented out every square inch of space and use the sidewalks as their dumping facilities. Is that what Spring Street should look like. It has taken years to change Broadway away from that mentality.

Why should a grocery store be any different than the norm in requiring loading, trash collection and easy access.

Having lived in areas where the grocery store loaded in the street, starting at 5 am to midnight, it was not a pleasant experience. Imagine all the wasted food now rotting in the alleys and sidewalks since there is no truck dumpster access. We need more well fed rats?

Seems to me that a reasonable solution is joint use loading facilities for retail, tenants and commercial.

Design the parking structure, market, loading facilities, Spring Arcade mall and rehabbed theatres as complimentary instead of blockades.

This would be an easy win/ win for all.

Guest on November 01, 2010, at 04:42PM – #17

I think I have a cousin named Rudy Martinez. I'm off to consult the family tree.

Guest on November 05, 2010, at 09:42AM – #20

http://griffithparkwayist.blogspot.com/2010/08/risky-business.html

I believe this is what Guest 2 is referring to. Although Broadway does not have a huge nightlife, the lights make it look like an exciting place to be. The people will not come over night. Pushing for a trolly that will take years to develop and fund is not an appropriate use of money or resources. People will not come to ride a trolly. I think Rudy Martinez understands this.

Guest on November 14, 2010, at 06:02PM – #22

You want to know about Jose Huizar?

Go to "Mayor sams sister city" website.

Just google his name...

You might also try combining his name with scandal, investigation, or corruption.

Guest on November 14, 2010, at 08:03PM – #23

Huizar is trying to get Cordoba Construction an LA streetcar project. This has already played out in Santa Ana. TELACU/Cordoba did their insider recruiting at the Portland Rail conference.

Who did Huizar bring to that?

Check this out!

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2009/04/santa_ana_city_council_to_put.php