DTLA United: A Council District 14

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First Quarter Report Council District 14

Dear Friends:

Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is a uniquely dynamic, exciting and thriving area of the City and I
am honored to represent Downtown as a Los Angeles City Councilmember.

It is amazing to think that just two decades ago, DTLA was in a steady state of decline. Buildings
were vacant. Jobs were leaving the urban center. Very few people called DTLA home and the
future vitality of our City center was in serious doubt. Today, DTLA’s outlook as a viable, vibrant
and growing community has improved dramatically.

The Downtown News recently referred to DTLA as a “boomtown.” This apt description would have
been unthinkable 20 years ago and is due to the tireless work of residents, developers, investors,
business groups, civic leaders and concerned citizens.

These early DTLA boosters sowed the seeds of growth, and today, despite the lingering effects of
a national recession, those efforts are bearing fruit.

Today, DTLA is not only the center hub of our City’s hospitality, entertainment and cultural
activities, it is also home to some of the most interesting, vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods in the
country. DTLA simultaneously supports tens of thousands of residents, hundreds of thousands of
daily workers and millions of annual tourists.

While the DTLA improvements in recent years are profound, there is still much work to be
done. As Councilmember for the 14th Council District, I have represented about 40 percent of
Downtown since my 2005 election. The 2012 redistricting changed this. Now, all of DTLA, with the
exception of the L.A. Live campus, is within Council District 14.

The responsibility of representing the near-entirety of DTLA is a great responsibility, but one I take
seriously. I believe a united DTLA is a stronger DTLA. Cohesive communities and consistency in
representation improves prospects for continued growth, better connects our neighborhoods, and
allows more thoughtful planning now and in the future.

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As we outline in this report, my priorities for DTLA build off of three main tenets:

1. Improving Downtown’s Livability and Planning Its Future
2. Supporting Economic Development and Tourism
3. Connecting Downtown’s Neighborhoods

As Downtown’s Councilmember, I am committed to working alongside DTLA residents, business
members, civic organizations and citywide leaders to build on the foundation of incredible progress
we have already experienced. I look forward to helping put plans, policies, programs and
partnerships in place to ensure Downtown’s future as a world-class urban core.

As I reflect on my first months representing all of DTLA, I thought it important and useful for us all
to survey the current landscape, acknowledge the work that has already been done and set a clear
path and vision for what we want to achieve in the future. This report covers my office’s three
DTLA platform tenets. I hope it serves as a blueprint that can be used as we collaborate to ensure
that Downtown Los Angeles grows stronger, more vibrant and is poised for a bright and
prosperous future.

Sincerely,

José Huizar
Councilmember, 14th District

Photo by Carla Paola

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Livability and Planning for the Future

Parklets 4
Spring St. Park 4
Arts District Park 5
Pershing Square Improvements 5
Grand Park Opening 5
City Hall Park Opening 6
Planning Grants & Policies 6
Changes in Funding Structures 6
For Parks
Permanent Supportive Housing 6
Operation Healthy Streets 7
Homelessness Funding 7
New Schools 8
Smart Development 8

Economic Development & Tourism

Bringing Back Broadway 9
Substantial Economic Investment on Broadway 10
Hotels and Tourism 10
Recruiting Business Downtown 11
Business Tax Holiday Extension 11
Supporting Film Incentives 11
New Helipad Guidelines 11
Freight Transportation 12
Supporting the Fashion Industry 12

Connecting Downtown Neighborhoods

More Bikeable Downtown 13
More Walkable Downtown 14
Neighborhood Identification 14
Honoring Community Leaders 14
Downtown Streetcar 14
Regional Connector 15
Union Station Master Plan 15
6th St. Bridge Redesign Competition 16
7th St. Bridge Accessibility Project 16

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I. Livability and Planning for the Future
The rapid growth of the DTLA deserves clean and safe
residential population in neighborhoods with parks,
Downtown during the last public spaces, schools and
decade is impressive and on the services. We also need to address
rise with the area expected to blight, as well as actively
soon hit the 50,000 residents support compassionate solutions
mark. That’s a 158 percent to homelessness. As Downtown
increase from 1999 according to grows, services and amenities
data from the Downtown Center need to keep pace. Our streets
Business Improvement District. need to be safe day and night,
and we need to provide
While a steady increase in the residents and businesses with “Like any other
number of people calling support services, amenities and community, DTLA
Downtown home is great news, improvements that keep them in deserves clean and safe
Councilmember Huizar believes Downtown well into the future.
that improving livability is key
neighborhoods with
to keeping them here so our To this end, Councilmember parks, public spaces,
residential boom is not short- Huizar has implemented a schools and services.”
lived. number of programs and efforts
and supported others already in -Councilmember Jose Huizar
Downtown needs progressive, place in order to support
forward-thinking development livability and smart planning for
and smart plans to achieve this Downtown’s future.
goal. Like any other community,

Parklets
Councilmember Huizar is one of the City Council’s biggest proponents of the Living Streets model,
promoting greater pedestrian use throughout Council District 14 in order to create more dynamic and
interconnected neighborhoods. In DTLA, land is scarce, but the need for open space is great. Utilizing
already public areas – such as parking spaces or red zones – to create mini-areas of refuge can provide
creative and cost-effective solutions.

Our office worked with the Downtown L.A. Neighborhood Council, UCLA and City departments on
launching the City’s first pilot parklets in Downtown. You’ll soon see two parklets on Spring Street in
DTLA. Parklets are often called outdoor living rooms or mini-plazas and have been fully embraced in other
cities like San Francisco and New York City. In an ever-bustling area like DTLA, parklets will offer an
opportunity to reclaim urban space for better livability.

As part of the pilot project, two additional parklets are being constructed in El Sereno and Highland Park in
CD 14, with plans to eventually bring parklets to neighborhoods throughout the City.

Spring Street Park
Spring Street Park is well on its way. Through the advocacy and hard work of the local community, along
with the assistance of Councilmember Jan Perry, this nearly one-acre park was purchased in 2009 and broke
ground in August 2012. Spring Street Park was initiated by the DTLA community for the DTLA

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community. Councilmember Huizar is committed to ensuring that the community continues to be the
focus.

CD 14 staff has met with park stakeholders to ensure the features of the park reflect the needs of the
community. Recognizing that local demographics have shifted since the park’s inception, CD14 has worked
with the Department of Recreation and Parks to add playground equipment for Downtown families to
enjoy. The Spring Street Park is scheduled to be completed by summer 2013.

Arts District Park & LaKretz Innovative Campus
Councilmember Huizar recently identified funds for construction of the Arts District Park at the LaKretz
Innovation Campus. The entire campus will house the L.A. Clean Tech Incubator, an innovative DWP clean
energy project, and a half-acre park in the current parking lot at 5th & Hewitt.

This important economic development project will help local, start-up green tech industries, provide a
state-of-the-art clean energy lab for DWP, and provide much needed open-space for Arts District residents.
Public outreach and design workshops for the park will begin in early 2013.

Pershing Square Improvements

In the few months that Pershing Square has been part of CD14, Councilmember Huizar’s office responded
to the need to address on-going security and maintenance issues at the park, as well as the underground
garage. While the park now includes year-long programming and a weekly farmers’ market, Pershing
Square struggled with a large encampment, which heightened sanitation and public safety concerns.

Councilmember Huizar met with community stakeholders and created a Pershing Square Task Force
comprised of LAPD, Department of Recreation and Parks, the City’s General Service Division and the City
Attorney’s Office. Through this collaborative work we have seen some positive results. There is less
disruptive and illegal activity, fewer drug and vagrancy issues, more police and public safety patrols and a
cleaner, safer urban park for people to enjoy.

However, there is more work to be done. The Councilmember is working with stakeholders on a multi-
pronged plan for Pershing Square that will provide long-term solutions to improve and maintain this
important open space in DTLA, as well as improve usability of its underground public parking facility.

Councilmember Huizar recently negotiated a $700,000 improvement fund for a re-envisioning process and
other improvements for Pershing Square as part of the Farmers Field community benefits package. Even if
Farmers Field is not built, the Councilmember is committed to finding the necessary funds to create a future
envisioning plan worthy of a historic park in the heart of a much-improved Downtown.

Grand Park Opens
The newly unveiled Grand Park, run by L.A. County and the
Music Center, is a four-block-long park that stretches from
Grand Avenue and The Music Center on the west to City Hall
on the east. It opened with great fanfare on October 6th after
nearly a decade of planning and $56 million in funding.

As the Downtown Council representative, Councilmember

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Huizar now serves on the Grand Avenue Joint Powers Authority and is represented by his staff on the
Grand Avenue Advisory Board. Council District 14 is committed to being a collaborative partner with the
Donec
Music Center, which oversees Grand Park. We look forward to working, with your input, to ensure that this
interdum
open space is as functional, enjoyable and welcoming for DTLA as it possibly can be.

City Hall Park Opens

The grounds around City Hall have been beautifully rehabilitated following the deterioration that occurred
as a result of the Occupy L.A. events.

CD14 pressed for the removal of the concrete barriers and consistent park hours so that City Hall Park
could be fully enjoyed by those visiting City Hall Park and the newly opened Grand Park.
Pellentesque:
Planning Grants & Policies

The Southern California Association of Governments recently awarded the Downtown L.A. Neighborhood
Council with a planning visioning grant, the first award of its kind to a neighborhood council. The
Department of Recreation and Parks is managing a Proposition 84 funded Downtown Open Space Planning
Grant, which was awarded to the former CRA. These two grant opportunities will provide the Downtown
Community the chance to develop a cohesive vision and plan for realizing even more innovative ways to
create parks and open spaces in DTLA.

Changes in Fund Structures to Realize More Parks in DTLA

Our office has begun discussions with Recreation and Parks and the Department of City Planning about
revising the City’s Quimby ordinances. The goal is to update decades-old impediments in the Municipal
Code that limit the effective deployment of these funds, which are collected from developers to help create
parks and open spaces near their projects. The system needs an overhaul in order to ensure funds collected
more directly serve the residents they are collected to benefit.

Permanent Supportive Housing In Skid Row

As we work to improve Downtown’s livability, it is
also important that we directly address the issues
that affect some of our neediest and most Consectetuer:
vulnerable Downtown residents.

In most cases, providing full-time medical and
mental health staff to our chronically homeless
population would cost less than the dollars we
spend on incarceration and emergency services for
these individuals. Councilmember Huizar supports
permanent supportive housing, but also thinks we
need more services available citywide, not just in
the concentrated area around Skid Row.

This is why the Councilmember supports The Skid
Row Housing Trust and projects like the New The Skid Row Housing Trust’s new permanent supportive
housing project on Main St. opened this fall.

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Genesis and the Downtown Women’s Center. Our office has been working closely with them to ensure
plans that have been in the pipeline for some time are completed and that they will be open soon.

Operation Healthy Streets

Operation Healthy Streets is a collaboration among
various city entities and departments to clean up
the Skid Row area and protect public health.
Councilmember Huizar pushed for this effort when
litigation put street cleaning on hold and the health
and safety of Skid Row’s residents was in
jeopardy.

The Councilmember supports continued cleanings
of the Skid Row area and his office will continue to
fight for resources to allow spot cleanings and
comprehensive clean-ups – all in conjunction with
efforts to direct homeless individuals into available
shelters and services. LA Department of Public Works employees during Operation
Healthy Streets on Skid Row
Encouraged by CD14, the City has deployed trash
receptacles in Skid Row where previously there were none. Our staff is fully engaged in the Operation
Healthy Streets Task Force and is working with various city departments, as well as community groups, on
ensuring that we continue to focus on improving the cleanliness of Skid Row.

Supporting Other DTLA Cleanups

CD 14 staff has also worked with Sanitation, Street Services and LAPD to conduct cleanups on Spring Street
near El Pueblo (Olvera Street), in coordination with the office of County Supervisor Gloria Molina and other
County departments.

Homelessness Funding

Homelessness is one of the biggest issues that DTLA faces. In order to work toward effective solutions, it is
imperative that our community receives the adequate resources we need. Research shows that
homelessness rates are most influenced by poverty, lack of affordable housing and overcrowding.
However, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development does not consider these factors when
determining homelessness funding for the Downtown community. HUD utilizes two outdated formulas
that were created for community development grants in the 1970s.

In a time of limited resources, we must ensure that future funding be directed in the most effective way
possible and distributed in a manner that has the greatest impact. Councilmember Huizar garnered City
Council support on a resolution seeking a change to the McKinney-Vento formula that determines federal
homelessness dollars. Los Angeles does not get its fair share of these scarce funds and as the Downtown
city representative for Skid Row, Councilmember Huizar is committed to advocating for homeless-funding
reform.

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New Schools

As the former President of the LAUSD School Board, Councilmember Huizar
understands that an important key to keeping young urban families in the city’s
core is to ensure that they have high-quality educational options for their children.
Without a quality elementary school in the Downtown area, many young families
face the difficult decision of leaving our community in search of better schools for
their kids.

Our office has been working closely with a group of South Park parents dedicated
to bringing a public charter school to the Downtown area. Councilmember Huizar
fully supports these efforts and is committed to pushing for their petition approval Metro Charter
at LAUSD. If all goes as planned, we could see a school serving kindergarten and Elementary hopes to
1st grade students open in Downtown by fall 2013. open in fall of 2013

Smart Development

While Downtown’s economy is on the upswing again, we want to make sure we support smart
development that makes good, long-term sense for Downtown.

We are at a critical juncture in building the housing we need for a sustainable Downtown
community. Currently, smaller units appealing to single individuals dominate the local market. As
housing is developed in the coming years, we need to work with developers to build more family-size
units, with family recreation space, so Downtown residents can find ample housing options to suit them
through all the phases of their lives.

Our office is working with the Planning Department on developing the new Downtown Zoning Code, the
first phase of the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Code Revision. Downtown is also a focal point of
community planning through funding negotiated as part of the Farmer’s Field community benefits
package should that proposal come to fruition.

“My goal for Downtown
development and revitalization
is to take the blueprint we’ve
used through our Bringing
Back Broadway initiative and
apply that successful formula
to other areas of Downtown”
- Councilmember Jose Huizar

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II. Supporting Economic Development & Tourism
Councilmember Huizar is no part of CD 14 efforts in
stranger to the economic issues Downtown have focused on
facing DTLA and has worked helping business owners and
through the Bringing Back developers wade through the
Broadway initiative and other City’s bureaucratic red tape.
efforts to support DTLA
investment, helping bring Irrespective of challenges, DTLA
hundreds of jobs that offer new continues to be a center for major
and creative services to investment and exciting
Downtown. developments. And “DTLA is home to billion-
Councilmember Huizar is dollar industries- we need
While we have investors who dedicated to bringing the same
believe in Downtown, some city to protect and build on that
effort and focus that has led to
policies and procedures are the success of the Bringing Back investment to ensure that
simply not business-friendly. In Broadway initiative to other it remains here.”
these first few months, a large
areas of Downtown.

Bringing Back Broadway

Broadway is the birthplace of Los Angeles’ world-renowned entertainment industry. It is home to 12
historic theaters and movie palaces, with an array of historic buildings dating back to the early part of the
20th century. For years, historic Broadway was the “hole in the donut” with revitalization happening all
around it, while it continued to decline. When Councilmember Huizar kicked off the Bringing Back
Broadway initiative in 2008, there was more than one million square feet of vacant commercial space in the
upper floors and an 18-20 percent vacancy rate on the ground floor.

In the fourth year of a 10-year plan, Bringing Back Broadway has made great progress. The Broadway
Entertainment Community Design Overlay is in place to guide development in the historic district.

The Broadway Streetscape Master Plan is
completed. The environmental document was
circulated earlier this year and the implementation
ordinance is expected to go to commission soon.
The plan will reduced lanes of traffic to vastly
increase sidewalks, improving the pedestrian
experience for the 25 million people walk who
walk on Broadway annually.

Through a Commercial Reuse Initiative, we are
crafting policies for re-activating the underutilized Rendering of proposed streetscaping for Broadway
commercial space in Broadway’s upper floors.

In the coming months, we will be releasing $800,000 for a Facade Lighting Program for Broadway
buildings, which will help make the street safer, more welcoming and pedestrian-friendly at night.

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A Sign District for Broadway will encourage the restoration and re-creation of historic signs, blade signs
and painted wall signs. Additionally, after years of discussion and planning, the Downtown LA Streetcar
will connect Downtown’s neighborhood destinations with historic Broadway as it serves as the spine of the
proposed route. (details on page 14)

Substantial Economic Investment on Broadway

The kind of business activity occurring now on Broadway would have been unthinkable just a few years
ago. Some highlights include:

• Ace Hotel under construction in the United Artist Theatre Building
• Renovation of Clifton’s Cafeteria, including addition of a full-service restaurant & lounge
• Umamicatessen at 9th & Broadway
• L.A. Brewing Company at 8th & Broadway
• Ari Taymor’s “Alma” opened on Broadway this summer
• Fashion designer Tarina Tarantino world headquarters coming to Broadway
• Ross Dress for Less first national retailer to come to Broadway in decades
• Guisados and Royal Claytons have signed leases in Broadway Spring Arcade
• Figaro Bistro coming to the historic Schaber Cafeteria building
• Rocket Dog activating upper floors of building at 9th & Broadway
• Plans underway for the renovation of numerous historic Broadway theaters

Unique retailers are announcing plans on Broadway all the time and a number of buildings have recently
been purchased for redevelopment as creative office uses, which Councilmember Huizar thinks is a strong
market for Broadway. Broadway is open for business, and the transformation of the street is evident more
and more each day.

Hotels and Tourism

Los Angeles is at a distinct disadvantage when it
comes to hotels. The area around the Convention
Center needs 5,000 peak-night hotel rooms in order for
us to be competitive with other major cities to attract
conventions and tourism. Thanks to several new hotel
projects Downtown, we’re getting closer, but we have
a long way to go to reach that goal. We need to do
more to incentivize hotels in Downtown- both in terms
of new construction and the adaptive reuse of
buildings that can be converted into hotels- like the
Ace Hotel, which is coming to Broadway.

Los Angeles welcomes more than 12,000 tourists a
year, which is a big driver for the region’s economy.
Supporting tourism takes the whole City focusing on Councilmember Huizar touring construction at the
the fact that a better Downtown makes a better Los Ace Hotel on Broadway
Angeles, and that’s what Councilmember Huizar
intends to make happen.

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Recruiting Businesses Downtown

A number of major corporations have staked a claim in Downtown in recent years. Price Waterhouse
Cooper recently announced a 15-year lease renewal with Brookfield, just days before Brookfield’s Fig at 7th
City Target opened.

These are the fruits of labor that came before Councilmember Huizar began to serve a majority of
Downtown as councilmember. Our office is committed to building on these early successes. Our goal is to
support existing businesses as we assist entrepreneurs and developers in bringing new business, jobs and
services throughout Downtown.

Business Tax Holiday Extension Benefits Downtown

The City Council recently approved extending a program that provides a three-year exemption on the gross
receipts tax for new businesses.

Councilmember Huizar voted in favor of the extension, which over the previous three years that it has been
in place has assisted thousands of businesses to open up in the City, with 1,159 entrepreneurs taking
advantage of the incentive in Downtown alone. The City Council recently approved extending a program
that provides a three-year exemption on the gross receipts tax for new businesses.

Support Film Incentives

Los Angeles is the epicenter of the film industry, and
Downtown has long been a favorite filming location,
bringing in millions of dollars of revenue to the City.

Councilmember Huizar has called for policy revisions to an
archaic code that limits hours for moving film cranes in
Downtown, which severely impacts production schedules
and budgets. He fully supports incentives for the film
industry and is working with Film L.A. to keep our primary
industry here at home while also respecting Downtown’s
growing community of residents and businesses in order to
strike a balance among all the competing interests. Film crew cranes wait for their cue in DTLA

New Helipad Guidelines Would Dramatically Change Skyline

While standards, technology and best practices in engineering, fire-life safety and design have modernized
significantly over the past half-century, the City’s helipad/heliport flat-rooftop requirements for high-rises
in place since the 1960s has not evolved.

Of the 1,700 high-rises in the State of California, approximately 745 are located in Los Angeles. In other
world-class cities, the most exciting and iconic buildings – such as the Chrysler Center, the Sears Tower, the
Empire State Building and the Coit Tower – share a common aesthetic, existing not simply as rectangular
boxes built to soaring heights, but instead as monumental symbols of their cities, visions representative of
progress, creativity and community.

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For decades, the world's visionary architects have lamented that the City of Los Angeles’ codes inhibit
ability to create high rises befitting Los Angeles’ style and importance on the world architecture scale.
While an iconic skyline is something Councilmember Huizar wants to see Downtown, the first
consideration must be for fire life safety and the protection of our citizens and firefighters.

In consideration of new advancements in technology of constructing and providing fire life safety in new
high-rise today, Councilmember Huizar has called on the Los Angeles Fire Department to reexamine its
policy for helipads while maintaining the utmost modern fire-life safety standards. As we develop our
skyline even further with increasing development Downtown, it can be with iconic, world-class
architecture, instead of all flat roofs.

Freight Transportation

In 2012, $3.8 million in Metro funding was secured to improve Alameda Street in DTLA, which is a key
corridor for freight transportation that is vitally important to our local manufacturing and retail economies.
With the funding, Alameda will be repaired and repaved, with the long-term improvement goal of
removing the decades-old and unused rail line embedded in the pavement.

Fashion for the Future of Downtown

Downtown is the epicenter for the Los Angeles fashion industry. Like entertainment, fashion is an
important part of our City’s economy. About 40 percent of all Los Angeles County fashion wholesalers are
located right here in the Downtown Fashion District, which produces $4 billion in business revenue
annually, and supports more than 50,000 jobs. Thousands of students attend classes at the Fashion Institute
of Design and Merchandise, and other fashion design schools located in the district, which helps ensure the
creative talent that drives the fashion industry is L.A. based.

Councilmember Huizar has worked closely with Mayor Villaraigosa, Fashion District leadership and
numerous manufacturers in helping foster a partnership between the Fashion District and the Los Angeles
Tourism and Convention Board to promote the Fashion District and the “Made in L.A.” brand throughout
the world.

“Designed and Made in
Los Angeles is more than
a logo, it’s a testament to
DTLA’s growing
influence in the fashion
industry worldwide. “

Winning design that will be the official
hang-tag for made in L.A. clothes

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III. Connecting Downtown Neighborhoods

DTLA is a regional and regional transportation
transportation hub and the planning that affects DTLA
destination for hundreds of and the entire Southern
thousands of workers and California region. Looking
visitors every day. Since the forward, the Councilmember
passage of Measure R, supports transportation
investment in transportation solutions for DTLA’s “With an emphasis on multi-
solutions has grown. As a neighborhoods, including
Metro board member and a investments in our streets so
modal transportation options,
member of the City Council’s they better serve pedestrians DTLA is poised to have the
Transportation Committee, and multi-modal options like most forward-thinking public
Councilmember Huizar has bicycles, and not just cars. transportation system in the
been engaged in essential local
City”

A More Bikeable Downtown

Adopted in 2010, the Los Angeles Bicycle Plan will create a 1,684 mile bikeway system. Many of the crucial
connections will come into and through Downtown Los Angeles. The first DTLA bike lane was installed on
Spring Street in November 2011. Since then, the Department of Transportation has created bike lanes on
Main St., Los Angeles St., 1st St., Grand Ave., and Olive St., with more expected in coming months.

As Vice-Chair of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, Councilmember Huizar has worked
closely with the Departments of Planning and Transportation to adopt the Bike Plan. That work continues
with the goal to implement additional bike lanes and bike paths as soon as possible.

Year 1 of the Bike Plan will add bike lanes on 2nd St., 7th
St., and Cesar Chavez Ave. through El Pueblo (Olvera
Street) and Chinatown. Many of these connections will
complete bike lanes that currently run through Boyle
Heights and Westlake, integrating DTLA into a inter-
connected bikeway system.

In an effort to promote a bike-sharing program similar to
those in other big cities throughout the world,
Councilmember Huizar introduced a motion instructing
City Departments to work with Bike Nation, a national
non-profit company that will add bike-sharing kiosks
throughout DTLA.
Bike Nation to debut bike-sharing kiosks in DTLA soon

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More Walkable Downtown: Complete Streets Working Group

In 2011, the Downtown Neighborhood Council created a Complete Streets Working Group to engage with
City’s Bicycle Master Plan implementation and generate ideas for initiatives to promote holistic, multi-
modal, "complete" streets in DTLA. Our office had already been working with Shared Spaces and local
community partners on parklet prototypes for York and Huntington Boulevards. Before long, DLANC’s
Working Group had brought together a talented group of planners, architects and designers, who
volunteered their labor to create parklet designs.

Beyond the pilot parklets, which will greatly affect the pedestrian experience on Spring St., the Department
of Transportation will soon begin a series of pedestrian improvements on Main St., including curb
extensions at several intersections, as well as installing new bicycle lanes. Councilmember Huizar’s office is
engaged with Neighborhood Councils, BIDs, and City Departments to explore ideas to support the
increasing number of pedestrians and bicyclists sharing the streets of DTLA.

Neighborhood Identification

With the Bringing Back Broadway initiative, Councilmember Huizar has focused on a number of efforts to
emphasize the historic character of this important corridor. Similarly, throughout DTLA, Councilmember
Huizar is proud to support a number of community place-making efforts, such as the Arts District and
Little Tokyo Streetlight Medallion programs, which help identify these two distinct communities.

Honoring Ray Bradbury and Frances Hashimoto

Councilmember Huizar has supported community efforts to dedicate a square and plaza in honor of two
amazing Angelenos with special connections to Downtown, namely: Ray Bradbury Square next to the
Central Library and Frances K. Hashimoto Plaza in Little Tokyo. Councimember Huizar is pleased to honor
the memory of these two great individuals and their contributions to the cultural, civic, and business life of
DTLA.

Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar

One of the transportation challenges in
DTLA is the lack of a last-mile solution.
People can get Downtown in a number of
ways, but once they arrive, getting around
DTLA remains difficult.

Councilmember Huizar has partnered
with business and community leaders and
organizations, Metro, and the City of Los
Angeles to implement a plan to bring the
beloved streetcar back to DTLA. The plan
is for a modern, fixed-rail streetcar system
to link with regional transit and use
Broadway, 11th, Figueroa, 7th and Hill
streets to serve the Civic Center,
Broadway and the Historic Core, the
Fashion District, South Park, L.A. Live, the
Proposed Streetcar route along Hill St. by Pershing Square

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Convention Center, the Financial District, 7th Street Restaurant Row, the Jewelry District and Grand
Avenue. The streetcar would run seven-days a week, approximately 18 hours a day.

Much like other cities that have invested in modern streetcar systems, the Downtown L.A. Streetcar will
have a transformational effect on DTLA and its continued revitalization. It will link our neighborhoods and
make Downtown more pedestrian-friendly. An AECOM study projects that the streetcar will generate $1.1
billion in development, create more than 9,000 jobs, more than $24.5 million in annual tourism spending,
and create additional revenue for the city.

Councilmember Huizar is honored to champion the streetcar, which along with City departments, Metro
and the non-profit Streetcar Inc., is a true example of a public-private partnership with significant benefits
for the community. After several years of dedicated planning and robust community input, a route has
been selected and the environmental studies are getting underway.

Registered voters in DTLA recently voted in favor of the streetcar in a special mail-only streetcar election.
Their support provides half of the $125-million in capital needed for streetcar construction through a not-to-
exceed $85 million bond, which includes $62.5-million in streetcar capital for construction, bond issuance
costs, two years of capitalized interest, and other related costs. With voters 73% in support, these important
local funds will now be leveraged to secure federal funding for the remainder of construction costs. If all
goes well, we hope to be under construction by 2014, and riding the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar by
2016.

Regional Connector

The Regional Connector is arguably one of the
most important transit projects in the City. It will
allow someone to ride from Pasadena to Long
Beach, or Boyle Heights to the Westside without
ever getting off the train. That is huge progress
for Downtown and the entire Los Angeles
region.

Metro has been planning for this project for
years and CD 14 has been involved every step of
the way. All three Regional Connector stations
(2nd and Hope, 2nd and Broadway, and 1st and
Central) are within the new boundaries of CD 14.
As the project moves forward, Councilmember
Huizar will continue to advocate for a successful
project that is built respectful of community
needs and desires.
Regional Connector marked by the blue and yellow dotted
lines
Union Station Master Plan

This plan is another exciting project with the potential to increase public transportation in Los Angeles, as
well as connect different parts of DTLA in a significant way.

As the Downtown Councilmember and a Metro Board Director, Councilmember Huizar and his staff are

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actively involved in the Master Plan, which includes internal design elements as well as development on
adjacent properties. Councilmember Huizar wants to ensure that the Union Station Master Plan is designed
to maximize the iconic station’s transportation potential, as well as better connect and compliment the
iconic station and its properties to the surrounding areas, such as El Pueblo, Little Tokyo, the Arts District,
and Chinatown.

6th Street Bridge – A Destination and a Community Connector

Through the 6th Street Viaduct replacement design
competition, Angelenos got a look at three amazing
designs to replace the 6th Street Bridge, which spans
the Los Angeles River between DTLA’s Arts District
and Boyle Heights.

In April, the Mayor and Councilmember Huizar
announced an international design competition for
the redesign and replacement of the 80-year-old 6th
Street Bridge and appointed a citizens’ advisory
panel.

HTNC garnered support from a citizens’ panel, as
well as the Bureau of Engineering with its winning Winning 6th St. Bridge design by HNTB
design. Councilmember Huizar believes the design
honors the history of the original iconic bridge while
looking solidly toward the future.

This $401 million project will provide an opportunity to reconnect the communities of DTLA and Boyle
Heights while also making the bridge a destination point with arts and cultural programming around the
bridge.

With one percent of the budget for the bridge replacement project mandated to be spent on art,
Councilmember Huizar has introduced a motion to establish an Arts Advisory Committee of stakeholders
on both sides of the river to work with the Department of Cultural Affairs and make recommendations on
art and cultural programming on and around the bridge.

7th Street Bridge – A Vision for Public Access

Councilmember Huizar recently introduced a motion to develop public-private coordination with the LA
River Revitalization Corporation to further develop a visionary concept for bridge enhancements that
would make publicly accessible the lower deck of the early-20th Century 7th Street bridge. A new roadway
was added to the bridge in 1927, built over the original 1910 bridge to bypass trains that were previously at
grade level.

The redesign plan, which is the brainchild of LA River supporter and architect Arthur Golding, calls for
looking at ways to develop the original bridge space as a public gathering area. Councilmember Huizar
thinks this is an idea worth looking at, particularly with the added focus on the new 6th Street Bridge as a
destination point.

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Final words from Councilmember Jose Huizar

As we look to the future of Downtown, as its success depends on good policies, solid investment, and the
ability to link and connect Downtown’s distinct neighborhoods, it’s ultimately about serving the people
who live, work and play Downtown.

Fortunately, Downtown has an amazing and talented array of residents, property owners, businesses and
boosters who love DTLA, want to make it better and know how to create opportunities while collaborating
with others.

As we move past our first few months representing a majority of Downtown, you have my commitment
that my office, the CD 14 Downtown team and I stand with you to help realize Downtown’s next stage of
success and long-term prosperity.

From the large-scale projects throughout Downtown, to the ongoing vibrant and flourishing residential,
restaurant, and entertainment districts, it’s a dynamic and important time to represent Downtown.

I look forward to partnering with you in the coming years as we work together on a better future for
Downtown.

Please contact our Downtown team if you have specific questions, or call our City Hall office at (213) 473-
7014.

Council District 14 Downtown Contacts

Councilmember Jose Huizar, Councilmember.huizar@lacity.org

Paul Habib, Chief of Staff, paul.habib@lacity.org

Sara Hernandez, Downtown Area Director, sara.hernandez@lacity.org

Miguel Vargas, Downtown Field Deputy, miguel.vargas@lacity.org

Tanner Blackman, Planning Director, tanner.blackman@lacity.org

Jessica Wethington McLean, Executive Director of Bringing Back Broadway, Director of
Downtown Economic Development, jessica.wethingtonmclean@lacity.org

Martin Schlageter, Policy Director, martin.schlageter@lacity.org

Rick Coca, Communications Director, rick.coca@lacity.org

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