03-24-14

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A Makeover for Cornfield Park | 6

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The Muppets Visit City Hall | 5

Five Proposed High-Rises Could Change the Skyline See Page 12

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AROUND TOWN

Cedillo, Developer Differ on Whether Zanja Madre Found at Blossom Plaza

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portion of Los Angeles’ historic water system, the Zanja Madre, was discovered recently during construction of the Blossom Plaza project in Chinatown, according to the office of First District City Councilman Gil Cedillo. Cedillo spokesman Fredy Ceja said “bits and pieces” of the Zanja Madre, which translates as “mother ditch,” were found two weeks ago; the discovery was detailed in the March 14 newsletter Cedillo sends to constituents under the headline “The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Blossom Plaza Excavation.” The item included a photo of the water system that was credited to KCET. However, word of the discovery came as news to Forest CIty, the developer of the $100 million effort that will create 237 apartments. Frank Frallicciardi, vice president of Forest City, said that nothing from the Zanja Madre has been unearthed. “We thought we had found some remnants of it about a week and a half ago, but were unable to locate the actual complete portion of the Zanja, so at this time we actually haven’t found anything,” he said. When asked where Cedillo got the information for the newsletter, Ceja said Frallicciardi. The Zanja Madre was constructed to bring water from the Los Angeles River to the early settlers of the pueblo that would become Los Angeles.

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Meatball Restaurant’s Landlord to Appeal Alcohol Permit Denial

March 24, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

S

kid Row Housing Trust will appeal a recent decision that prevents a proposed gourmet meatball restaurant from selling alcohol, said Executive Director Mike Alvidrez.

Though he did not provide details, Alvidrez said SRHT believes its original position was correct. City Associate Zoning Administrator Maya Zaitzevsky on March 13 ruled against the bid to sell beer and wine in Great Balls on Tires, a proposed brick- and-mortar offshoot of a food truck on the ground floor of the New Genesis Apartments, a permanent supportive housing complex developed by SRHT. Opponents of the plan said it is insensitive to the formerly homeless and recovering addicts who live at the New Genesis to sell alcohol in the building.

Clint Peralta, who founded Great Balls on Tires and signed the Main Street eatery’s lease back in May 2012, said he “feels like collateral damage in a greater conversation.” He has already spent a lot of time designing the space, he said, and added that despite the trouble, he plans to stick with the Historic Core storefront.

Parks Jr. to Skip Council Race

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ou can cross one heavily speculated-about name off the 2015 election calendar: Bernard Parks Jr., the son and chief of staff to City Councilman Bernard Parks, has opted not to run for the Eighth District City Council seat. “I have had ample time to think about it, and ultimately it just wasn’t a good fit for me and, most importantly, it wasn’t a good fit for my family,” Parks Jr. told Los Angeles Downtown News.

LA State Historic Park

Groundbreaking

Former LAPD Chief Bernard Parks Sr. won the seat that includes Exposition Park and much of South Los Angeles in 2003. He will be termed out in 2015. Parks Jr. joined the office in 2003 and was named chief of staff the following year.

City Hall observers have speculated that the younger Parks’ name recognition, experience and political connections would make him a frontrunner in a race. However, he noted that there is a difference between having the same name as the officeholder and winning and then doing the job. “These offices are not a birthright. This isn’t England. You are not anointed when your parent dies,” he said. “If your heart

Ed Reyes & Gil Cedillo

March 15, 2014

is not in this it is best not to get involved. It’s not a 9-5 job.” Seven people have already filed paperwork to run. The primary election is in March 2015.

Fashion Retailer Oak Opens on Broadway

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March 24, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Lessons Can Be Learned From ‘New Cecil’ Debacle

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ometimes, things that are about to go really wrong end up turning out for the best, with a positive result for the present and an important message for the future. That is precisely the case with the Cecil Hotel.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week reported on a tangled web involving the venerable Main Street establishment. Although relatively few people were aware of the machinations, the building veered perilously close to adding to neighborhood problems by becoming a home for nearly 400 homeless individuals, many of them likely suffering from addiction issues and mental illness.

Fortunately, a group of area stakeholders were agitated into action and banded together to voice their objections. This wall of opposition thwarted a proposal that, though well intentioned, was terribly out of place for the community.

Creating housing for people still on the streets certainly merits public discussion. Indeed, had those pushing the Cecil proposal chosen to be reasonable and involved the public from the get-go, then perhaps they could have achieved some of their aims. Instead, the bungled approach has raised alarm bells and suspicions. Project proponents may find it impossible ever to get anything close to what they originally wanted. Hopefully they learn from their mistakes.

Four years ago members of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater L.A. formed Home for Good, an effort to eradicate long-term homelessness in the region. Their method of choice is permanent supportive housing, which involves getting people off the streets by putting them into small apartments that are complemented by in-building services such as addiction and mental health counseling, job training and medical care. Many in the homeless services field believe this approach is the best way to help people who have been on the streets for years or sometimes decades turn their lives around. Though it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to create each unit of housing, supporters say it ultimately benefits taxpayers by cutting down on expenses such as repeated emergency room visits.

Home for Good teamed with county government staff and Herb Chase, the owner of the building, on a plan they dubbed the “New Cecil.” This could have been a wise move, as several efforts over the years to upgrade the faded 1927 structure have faltered. The Cecil currently houses hundreds of low-income tenants and also contains Stay, a hotel within the building that caters to budget travelers.

The problems started when Home for Good and the county opted to create 384 permanent supportive housing units, essentially turning the Cecil into a giant homeless services center, in a neighborhood that, as we say, already has more than its share of troubled lives. Adding this many new challenges is not a wise step in an area that is making respectable strides to broaden its demographic.

There are also concerns that project planners wanted the building to house even more of the homeless. The proposal involved creating an additional 75 affordable and 75

market-rate apartments. While developing a mixed-income complex sounds good in theory, according to New Cecil documents the market-rate residences would only measure 150 square feet and would rent for $800 per month.

This price of more than $5 per square foot is preposterous, as even most of Downtown’s new luxury rental stocks tops out at about $3 a square foot. We’re hard-pressed to see anyone opting to spend $800 on a space barely large enough to fit a bed and a few furnishings. Really, it seems set up to fail so that operators of the New Cecil could later say that no one wanted to move in, and thus they will turn the rest of the units into more housing for the homeless.

What made the matter even more unsettling was the timeline.

The New Cecil documents proposed starting construction in May (yes, less than two months from now) and opening a year later. This is inadequate time for public comment.

Obviously, the New Cecil was a huge undertaking that would have had a big impact on the neighborhood. As such, the only responsible approach would have been to involve the surrounding community early in the process. This has happened before in Downtown, and one is reminded of Anschutz Entertainment Group and the run-up to L.A. Live. Before shovels ever touched dirt, the company had not only the expected business support, but also had done what was necessary to secure backing from organized labor and even Skid Row stakeholders such as homeless missions.

The New Cecil team, however, seemed to try to keep the public out of the process as long as possible. Then, in February, word of the plan began to leak out. When it did, area stakeholders were furious.

This is where, from the community standpoint, things went right. Having learned that plans had been underway for months, neighbors made their voices heard. Finally, there was no choice but to bring New Cecil proponents and area stakeholders together for a meeting. That session took place in the morning of Feb. 13. In a startling though appropriate turn of events, by the afternoon, the project was dead.

What’s Next The big question now is what comes next. The answer should begin where the New Cecil team should have begun long ago:

with the community.

What project proponents will find is that Historic Core residents, business owners and community leaders do not oppose developments that house the homeless or low-income individuals. They just want something that is reasonable and appropriate in scale.

People move into the Cecil’s neighborhood understanding that Downtown L.A. is not the suburbs. While the new dwellers may have increasingly upscale tastes, they also know the history and context of the area and understand that Skid Row is nearby and isn’t going away. These residents like city living and generally accept the give and take it involves.

It isn’t a NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) outlook, but rather one that asks others to take into account the current state of the back yard — the Historic Core already holds a huge number of low-income units, including some recently opened permanent supportive housing projects. These include the New Genesis Apartments at 458 S. Main St. and the Gateways Apartments at 505 S. San Pedro St. The next step should be something discussed many times: persuading other communities in the city and county to house services and residential complexes for those who need to get off the streets. Although this is far easier said than done and requires politicians willing to accept criticism from constituents, it does a lot of good for people who need help. Most importantly, it gets the formerly homeless away from Skid Row, where temptation, including from drug dealers who prey upon the most vulnerable, is part of daily life.

In the future, we could see using part of a revitalized Cecil as permanent supportive housing, and it would make sense to have Home for Good involved. However, it also makes sense to have a much smaller number of these kinds of units, and to make them part of a larger project that also creates affordable and market-rate apartments of a size where people would actually want to live. The New Cecil team would be wise to continue their effort to have a series of ground-floor restaurants and shops in the building.

The original New Cecil plan was both terrible and terribly handled, but positives have emerged in that people are now talking.

There is a chance to look at a different future for the building, and the community has realized that it has a powerful voice. It is a voice that must be reckoned with as the Historic Core evolves.

March 24, 2014

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

The Muppets Visit City Hall

“We just want to open a restaurant in Downtown. Can you help?” Kermit asks.

Garcetti promises to conduct a nationwide search to find someone who can help. In the meantime, he suggests the Muppets apply for the necessary permits from the city.

What if Kermit and the Gang Needed Help Opening a Restaurant in Downtown?

By Jon Regardie ome men and women think deep thoughts and come up with ideas and achievements that propel humankind forward. Alexis de Tocqueville penned two volumes of On Democracy in America. Marie Curie performed groundbreaking research on radioactivity, and went on to win Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry. Steve Jobs did all the Apple stuff.

I, on the other hand, have lately been pondering the Muppets, and what might happen if someone, anyone, decided to make a movie about them visiting City Hall during a day in Downtown. I came up with the idea because lately I have been seeing a billboard for the new Muppets Most Wanted while driving home each day. Yes, I come from the land of the easily influenced.

Would The Muppets Visit City Hall ever get green-lighted by a Hollywood studio? Probably not, but then again, stranger things have happened, like the City Council declaring Aug. 3, 2012, Elephant Awareness Day in Los Angeles (yes, this really happened). Here’s an outline of what would occur if Jim Henson’s furry creations came Downtown.

blah blah blahing about L.A.’s busted budget.

All of a sudden, the doors to council chambers fling open and in stream the Muppets. Kermit the Frog marches up to the speaker’s podium and, because it’s the council and Kermit is a member of the public, the council members try to ignore him. They’re successful until Animal breaks his chains and attempts to eat Councilman Joe Buscaino. An irate Council President Herb Wesson stands up and yells, “What’s going on here? I’m the one who controls the puppets in this room!”

Kermit clears his throat and announces that the Muppets would like to open a restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles and wants the council’s aid. “Can anyone help?” he asks. Instead of an answer, within seconds he is handed a bevy of envelopes soliciting campaign donations for the March 2015 elections. Animal promptly eats these.

The Muppets try to lobby the council members individually and are mostly unsuccessful, though Tom LaBonge and Fozzie Bear tell each other jokes for 45 minutes; at the end, Fozzie doesn’t know LaBonge has been elected and LaBonge is unaware that Fozzie is a Muppet.

Meanwhile, Miss Piggy walks away from José Huizar’s desk, turns to Kermit and asks, “Is he single?”

Scene 1: It’s a spring day in City Hall and the City Council is gathered around the horseshoe

Scene 2: Having gotten nowhere in council, the Muppets visit Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office. The

S

THE REGARDIE REPORT

Scene 3: The Muppets enter the Planning Department and ask the man at the front desk for the documents required to open a restaurant.

They end up waiting seven years for someone to help them and all die of old age.

Scene 3A: Strike the above and replace with a montage with a lot of revolving doors as the Muppets enter and leave the departments of Planning, Building and Safety and other places.

Quick images of money changing hands and rubber stamps hitting architectural blueprints.

It is clear this is fiction because the Muppets are happy, the city staff says “Yes!” a lot and no one gets conflicting orders from separate departments.

photo by Gary Leonard

If the Muppets came to City Hall, who would be in charge?

first thing they notice is the 1,746 stuffed teddy bears the office has collected as part of an outreach campaign. They see DWP union leader Brian D’Arcy in a corner of the room and try to talk to him, only to realize that it’s actually a D’Arcy piñata and that every visitor to the office is invited to whack it.

Garcetti then enters the room, sees the Muppets, grins and thanks them for coming to talk about filming in the city and fighting runaway production. He pulls out an iPhone7 (yes, he got it before they actually made it) and in the span of three seconds Tweets, Facebooks, Facetweets, Instagrams, FourSquares, Myspaces and Friendsters the Muppets’ arrival. He then asks if they’d like to tour the Los Angeles River or be appointed to a city commission.

Scene 4: The Muppets leave City Hall and walk to their new restaurant space in the Financial District. However, they are stopped at Fifth and Flower streets after Beaker (the scientist Muppet with the shock of orange hair) and Gonzo the Great (the blue one with the long curved nose and an affinity for explosions) step into the crosswalk one-sixteenth of a second after the signal changes from the “Walking Man” sign to a countdown clock giving them 29 seconds to make it across. Immediately a police officer informs them they have broken the law and will each get a $250 ticket.

Continued on page 10

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6 Downtown News

March 24, 2014

Cornfield Park to Close, Then Re-emerge Better Than Ever State Ready to Begin Work on $20 Million Upgrade

By Eddie Kim n a recent weekday afternoon, with the last dregs of sunlight washing over the hillside, Carlos Medina sat with his three children on a quiet bench in Los Angeles State Historic Park.

His son looked on eagerly as Medina, 44, fumbled with the batteries in a remote control for a small toy helicopter. His daughters, meanwhile, appeared more excited to get a kite up in the air.

“We come here after work, at least twice a week,” said Medina, a resident of Lincoln Heights.

“So it’s kind of sad that the park is closing. It’s so clean out here. You can feel the fresh air.”

Come April, the 34-acre facility will close for a full year as the state embarks on major renovations. A groundbreaking took place March 15.

The upgrade, pegged at approximately $20 million, will be the “most extensive planning project” in the history of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, according to superintendent Sean Woods. It also could prove transformative for the largely industrial neighborhood on the edge of Chinatown.

Currently, the park is a simple expanse of grass and dirt, dotted with small hills and outlined by several trails popular with joggers. Visitors usually park along the unpaved shoulder of Spring Street, and there are no permanent facilities, such as bathrooms.

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The renovation, designed by Hargreaves Associates, divides the whale-shaped field into three segments that flow together but have distinct highlights. The southernmost third will see the addition of a welcome pavilion, a children’s play area and a large “community meadow” with walking trails and trees.

The most intriguing feature, however, will be a long walkway that curves up and around the former site of a locomotive roundhouse building and “turntable” mechanism that allowed mechanics to work on trains. The new walkway will ascend about 16 feet, offering views of the entire park and the surrounding neighborhoods. To the east, visitors will be able to visit a citrus grove and a tree-lined promenade that Woods said could host farmers markets or other outdoor vendors.

The middle of the park will have the “great meadow,” a large open field. Alongside the field to the east will be a paved parking lot and several new facilities, among them a river information station and a park ranger station.

Also coming is a two-acre restored wetlands and river habitat area, which will also offer several designated spaces for picnicking.

“We’re taking the restoration very seriously, and the department is using native plants that are genetically local to keep everything authentic from a nature standpoint,” Woods said.

Born of Art Ironically, the original revival of the park was

photo by Gary Leonard

The 34-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park will close next month for a year as part of a $20 million renovation. A groundbreaking for the project was held this month.

tied to a different sort of plant: corn.

In 2005, Los Angeles artist Lauren Bon used the property for an art/agriculture project dubbed “Not a Cornfield” that, contrary to the title, turned the land into a cornfield for a full agricultural cycle. It also held musical events and salons, and after the project ended Bon donated the lights and other infrastructure to the state so the land could be a working park.

Bon’s role continues in the northernmost tip of the park, where the property meets the Los Angeles River near the North Broadway Bridge.

The site has been tapped as the potential home of a 70-foot water wheel designed and planned by Bon’s Metabolic Studio, a project of the Annenberg Foundation. The City Council on March 5 approved the proposal for the $10 million water wheel, which would be privately funded.

Other collaborations are in the works. Fabian Wagmister, a vice chair of production/directing at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, bought a property across from the park on Spring Street to use as a cultural cen-

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March 24, 2014

Downtown News 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

image by Hargreaves Associates

The upgraded park will include a welcome pavilion, a children’s play area and a large section with walking trails and trees.

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ter for the neighborhood, among other projects. He reached out to State Parks hoping to find ways to engage and teach visitors about the park’s history, from the discovery of the land by early settlers to its development as a Southern Pacific railroad station, which existed from 1872 to the 1980s, according to Woods.

Now, Wagmister and State Parks are working on an interactive “mural” for the welcome center that will use sensors and projections to explain parts of the park’s history.

“How can tech help the community around the park engage in their old history, discover it and then spread their history?”

Wagmister asked. “It’s really about participatory storytelling.”

State Parks has also been talking with concert promoters, including Goldenvoice and Live Nation, for suggestions regarding infrastructure that will ultimately allow the park to host musical events.

While the days of massive music festivals with 40,000 attendees may be over, Woods said concerts will continue, both for the programming and for the money they provide to maintain the property. One partnership being discussed is a world music festival with Downtown’s Grand Performances, which stages a summer concert series at California Plaza.

All these plans are a far cry from what the property could have become. In the late 1990s, a developer tried to turn the Cornfield into a million square feet of industrial warehouses. Environmental groups protested, pointing to an incomplete environmental review process, and the plan was quashed, Woods said.

Instead, the state acquired the park in 2001, and initial public use began in 2006. A master plan was hashed out with a budget of up to $150 million, but the recession halted that vision. Eventually, the state opted for a drastically pared-down redevelopment.

“Instead of trying to get everything done, we decided that we had to do what we set out to do — build a park,” Woods said.

Some of the features in the original master plan could arrive in phases after the initial renovation is complete, said Woods.

The top priority, he noted, is a pedestrian bridge over the rail lines along the western edge of the park, allowing access from Broadway. Currently, the park is only accessible from Spring Street.

“The park is here to tell the story of all the communities and cultures that came to Los Angeles and interacted with this space,” Woods said. “These are the good stories and the ugly ones, but they’re all important to the context of how this city grew.”

That may be the perfect way to describe the renovation: After years as a dusty abandoned train yard, Los Angeles State Historic Park is set to become a good story for the city once more. eddie@downtownnews.com

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8 Downtown News

Taking Downtown’s Temperature What Meteorologists Mean When They Reference ‘Downtown Rainfall’ Levels and Other Data

By Eddie Kim ith California continuing to suffer from drought, it’s no wonder that weathercasters statewide are keeping a close eye on rainfall levels. For those in Los Angeles, that means a lot of specific references to the “rainfall in Downtown.” During the recent storms, the phrase was heard frequently.

There’s a reason for that, and it begins with a cluster of odd-looking instruments sitting on a fenced corner of the University of Southern California campus. A tall pole, candy-striped in orange, looms over a stout, shiny bucket-like contraption, several whitewashed boxes and a pair of instruments that resemble shrunken street lamps.

These instruments comprise the Automated Surface Observing System, and though they hardly spark oohs and ahhs, together they are one of the National Weather Service’s most valuable tools for gathering weather data around the clock.

The information gathered here goes well beyond simple metrics such as temperature. The site also accumulates more esoteric data such as cloud height and area visibility, and it all plays a vital role in analyzing short-term weather trends and long-term climate change, including the impact of California’s ongoing drought.

“Weather data is critical for so many uses, from regular people to farmers to airports to even utility companies,” said Eric Boldt, a me-

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teorologist at the National Weather Service’s office in Oxnard. “Anyone can access the data for any day of the year, and over time, it becomes a record of exactly how the climate was behaving down to the minute.”

Data Revolution When the Automated Surface Observing System was introduced in the early 1980s, it marked one of the biggest changes in how the National Weather Service collected data.

In the era before the NWS installed automated systems across the country, meteorologists used sophisticated instruments to collect data such as temperature. However, they also had to tap their own expertise to gauge more subjective measurements such as cloud cover, sometimes even using a beam of light to see where the bottom of the clouds lay. Boldt, who began working for the NWS 25 years ago, would drive to local airports to conduct his observations.

Automated systems brought greater consistency as well as accuracy, but the revolutionary aspect was more about quantity than quality.

That’s because the ASOS can snag measurements every minute, giving an essentially realtime look at various metrics from more than a thousand sites across the country, Boldt said.

That information gives weathercasters such as ABC7 meteorologist Dallas Raines a great advantage over their predecessors in analyzing weather and creating forecasts, especially in an area full of disparate microclimates like Southern California.

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“Our understanding of the physics of the atmosphere, which impacts weather, hasn’t changed since the ’60s and ’70s,” Raines said. “It’s the amount of observational data and remote sensing that has changed weather analysis.”

In the future, improvements to computer chips could allow for even more accurate information and better processing of that data by meteorological computers, which Raines says use algorithms and millions of data points to create forecasts.

Movin’ On Down At USC, each sensor measures a specific weather condition. The tall orange-striped pole, for instance, gauges wind speed and direction, and the shiny silver bucket collects and measures rainfall. The info is then transmitted almost instantly to the NWS, which releases the measurements as raw data but also uses it for forecasts.

The USC campus wasn’t always the home of the ASOS. Until 1999, the system sat on a twostory parking structure at the Department of Water and Power building in the Civic Center.

The federal government actually began recording Downtown weather data in 1877, though the site for gathering information been moved several times.

The shift to USC came as part of the NWS effort to standardize the environments from which the automated systems collected data — the USC site is lower in elevation and closer to the ocean than the DWP parking garage, and is also surrounded by greenery.

These seemingly minor changes were the subject of a 2007 study by NASA, which found the move created a weather record that was “cooler, drier and less extreme” than the data from the Civic Center. The need for continuity explains why the DWP site still houses an NWS

photo by Eddie Kim

The National Weather Service’s Automated Surface Observing System, located on the University of Southern California campus, has gathered hourly weather data for Downtown since 1999. The tall pole records wind speed and direction and the squat bucket measures rainfall.

observation system, albeit one that does not collect data with the breadth and depth of the instruments at USC. As for the precipitation data, it doesn’t look good. Despite the powerful storm in late February, by March 21 Downtown had only received a total of 5.72 inches of rain for the water year that began July 1 — less than half the normal level, 12.92 inches, to date based on 30 years of climate data.

It’s unclear when Mother Nature will pick up the pace of precipitation. Until then, the National Weather Service’s cluster of instruments will wait patiently at USC, ready to deliver the news. eddie@downtownnews.com

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Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 9:30am

OUR READERS NEED YOUR ADVICE

Metro Headquarters, Board Room (3rd Floor) One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 To continue providing reliable service on Los Angeles County’s expanding transportation network, Metro must consider increasing its fares. Metro’s approach to raising fares would also make the system more customer friendly by allowing free transfers for 90 minutes on a single fare paid with a TAP card.

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For more information and full details of the proposed fare changes, visit metro.net/newfares.

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You can also submit comments by email to publichearing@metro.net by 5pm on March 29 or by mail to One Gateway Plaza, MS 99-3-1, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Mailed comments must be postmarked by March 29.

All Metro meetings are held in ADA accessible facilities.

ADA and Title VI Requirements: Special accommodations are available to the public for Metro sponsored meetings. All requests for reasonable accommodations and translation must be made at least three working days (72 hours) in advance of the scheduled meeting date; please call 213.922.4600 or California Relay Service at 711.

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March 24, 2014

Jeanette Shammas, Auto Dealer Powerhouse, Dies Figueroa Corridor Fixture Continued to Run Business After Her Husband Passed Away

Jeanette Shammas was the president and owner of the Figueroa Corridor’s Shammas Group. photo courtesy Darryl Holter

By Jon Regardie eanette Shammas, a key figure in the Downtown auto dealership business and the widow of pioneering dealer Nick Shammas, has died. She was 93.

Shammas, the president and owner of the Shammas Group, passed away on Monday, March 17. She had been active in the family-run business until the last days of her life, coming to the Downtown headquarters daily. She also represented the Shammas Group, one of the largest dealer groups in the country, at meetings with manufacturers.

“She was very interesting in that she was very quiet and reserved. She didn’t bang the table or yell,” said Darryl Holter, her son-in-law and CEO of the Shammas Group. “She had a very calm demeanor, which is kind of refreshing.”

Jeanette Hilland was born in Chicago in 1920, and her parents moved to Los Angeles four years later. She grew up in Hollywood and attended USC for a year, though the family’s economic situation forced her to drop out. She worked for See’s Candy and then Bank of America.

While living in Hollywood she met Nick Shammas, a used car dealer. They married in 1942.

During World War II Nick and Jeanette operated a plant that made nuts and bolts for the war effort. In 1955, they purchased Felix Chevrolet and moved it to its current location near USC, where it stands out for its large Felix the Cat sign.

In the following decades the couple added a string of dealerships, including outlets for Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Cadillac, among others. They also owned commercial property including the Petroleum Building in South Park, along with the Workmen’s Auto Insurance Company. Their businesses employed nearly 1,000 people.

Nick Shammas died in 2003, and though many might have expected his 82-year-old widow to take a back seat in the business, that didn’t happen.

“She came out even stronger. I think I saw more of her after he passed,” said Jan Perry, who represented the Ninth District on the City Council from 2001-2013 and frequently worked with the Shammas Group.

Perry, who currently serves as general manager of the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, added, “She was extremely charming and sociable. She was always surrounded by a group of people. She would be the focal point of any conversation.”

Jeanette Shammas took a particular interest in theater, Holter noted, pointing to contributions she made to Center Theatre Group and the USC School of Dramatic Arts. She was also a strong supporter of the growth of Downtown. She lived in South Park and played an important role in forming the Figueroa Corridor Partnership, the business improvement district for the area stretching between the southern end of Downtown and USC. Holter recalled one other aspect that stood out.

“When we would have a lunch meeting, which happens a lot, she would always order a glass of sauvignon blanc,” he said. “She had one glass at lunch for the last 25 years. So when we would go to places they would know to have a glass of sauvignon blanc ready.”

Jeanette Shammas is survived by her daughters, Diane and Carole Shammas, her son-in-law Holter, and a granddaughter, Julia Shammas Holter. regardie@downtownnews.com

J

Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING DATE:

March 21, 2014

TO:

All Interested Agencies, Organizations, and Individuals

FROM:

County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning 320 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

PROJECT TITLE:

LA Plaza Cultura Village Project Project No. R2014-00619 Environmental Assessment No. RENV201400051

PROJECT ADDRESS:

527 N. Spring Street and 555 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

PROJECT APPLICANT:

LA Plaza Cultura y Artes Foundation 501 North Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

The County of Los Angeles (County) is the lead agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the LA Plaza Cultura Village Project (proposed project). In compliance with Section 15082 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the County is sending this Notice of Preparation (NOP) to the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, each responsible and trustee agency, and interested parties.

The County is soliciting comments from responsible and trustee agencies and members of the public regarding the scope and content of the EIR. Responsible and trustee agencies are requested to provide timely comments on the scope and content of the environmental information which is germane to your agency’s statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed project. Your agency will need to use the EIR prepared by our agency when considering your permit or other approval for the proposed project.

For all other public agencies, organizations and persons, this scoping notice allows you an early opportunity to comment and consult on the proposed project before preparation of the Draft EIR. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed LA Plaza Cultura Village project would include a mix of land uses to be developed on an approximately 3.67-acre project site that is located within the City of Los Angeles. The project site is comprised of two existing surface parking lots that are separated by North Broadway. The project site is bounded on the north by Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, on the west by Hill Street, on the east by Spring Street, and on the south by open space and the U.S. Highway 101 (US-101) northbound on- and off-ramps.

The two parking lots are paved and contain a few mature ficus and ornamental trees along Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Spring Street, a few small palm trees, a hedge, and a vegetated berm (with English Ivy) on the east side of Hill Street.

The final project design is currently being refined, and, therefore, the EIR will evaluate a development envelope that represents the maximum density proposed for the site along with the approximate mix of uses. The proposed project would provide for a mixed-use development totaling approximately 425,000 square feet, including approximately 384 residential units (for lease) with 20 percent of those reserved as affordable low- or middle-income units, up to 50,000 square feet of visitor-serving retail (including a “commissary” or shared commercial kitchen space for use by small businesses, a restaurant, etc.). The project would also provide up to 774 parking spaces (with 150 spaces allocated for replacement of the existing parking used by County employees, federal jurors, and area visitors) and an extension of the existing Historic Paseo/pedestrian trail from Union Station to Olvera Street and the already planned extension from Olvera Street to LA Plaza Park and the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (proposed as part of the LA Plaza Museum project) and the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. This proposed Historic Paseo/pedestrian trail on the project site would be the centerpiece of the development and complete the connection from Union Station to Fort Moore. The proposed project would also connect to existing utility infrastructures, which could require improvements in the adjacent rights-of-way. Excavation and grading of the project site would require export of soil materials to accommodate the project development.

PROBABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The County has prepared an Initial Study that identifies the areas of probable environmental effects of the proposed project. Based on a preliminary assessment, the areas of potential significant environmental effects to be addressed in the EIR will include: • • • • • • •

Aesthetics Air Quality Cultural Resources Energy Geology and Soils Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hydrology and Water Quality

• • • • • • •

Land Use and Planning Noise Population and Housing Public Services Recreation Transportation and Traffic Utilities and Services

Environmental effects in the areas of Agricultural Resources, Biological Resources, and Mineral Resources were found to be either less than significant or no impact in the Initial Study and will, therefore, not be evaluated in greater detail in the EIR. These potential environmental effects are described in greater detail in the Initial Study.

PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING DATE AND LOCATION: A public scoping meeting will be held to present the proposed project and to solicit input from responsible and trustee agencies, as well as interested parties and members of the public, on the issues to be addressed in the Draft EIR. The scoping meeting will be held at the LA Plaza Cultura y Artes, located at 501 North Main Street (4th Floor), Los Angeles, California 90012, on April 9, 2014 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

NOTICE OF PREPARATION COMMENT PERIOD: Due to the time limits mandated by State law, your response must be sent at the earliest possible date, but not later than April 21, 2014. Please direct your written comments by email or U.S. mail to: Christina Tran County of Los Angeles, Department of Regional Planning Impact Analysis Section 320 West Temple Street, Room 1362 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Tel: (213) 974-6461 Email: ctran@planning.lacounty.gov REVIEW MATERIALS: Copies of the Notice of Preparation and the Initial Study are available for public review on the Department of Regional Planning website at http://planning.lacounty.gov/case/view/r2014-00619/, as well as at the following locations: • • • • •

Chinatown Branch Library, 639 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Little Tokyo Branch Library, 203 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Central Library, 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Echo Park Branch Library, 1410 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning, 320 W. Temple Street (Room 1362), Los Angeles, CA 90012

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

The Muppets protest, asking why this would happen in Downtown L.A. when no city on Earth dispenses jaywalking tickets to people who step into the crosswalk when the countdown clock is still going. The cop refuses to budge.

The Muppets beg for mercy, saying they made a mistake and that $250 is a lot of money for an infraction they didn’t know about. The cop refuses to budge.

A group of area workers come to the Muppets’ defense, trying to persuade the officer that no cars were coming and asking why the police want to make themselves and the city look bad by ticketing innocent people, and couldn’t they just issue a warning instead? The cop refuses to budge.

Out of nowhere, Animal appears and eats the cop. The Muppets and the Downtown workers cheer.

Scene 5: The Muppets build out their restaurant space, and are

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Scene 7: It’s a week later, and The Muppets are ebullient as they huddle around a computer and a few newspapers looking at the reviews. “The Right Kind of Stockholm Syndrome!” blares one blog, which praises the Swedish Chef’s passionate yelling, which can be heard from the dining room, though the reviewer admits, “We only wish we knew what he was saying.” A newspaper headline reads, “How Swede It Is!” The accompanying story gushes over ingredients that are “unlike any we have ever tasted, and deliver an authentically rustic Scandinavian vibe.” It goes on to tout “the Bunker Hill-grown herbs and coffee imported all the way from the Arts District.”

Another Hip Downtown Restaurant becomes the hardest Downtown reservation since Bestia, and a popular place on date night. The Muppets make millions, and are hit up for more campaign donations. regardie@downtownnews.com

Scene 6: The restaurant opens, and after hearing that nine TV cameras and four national magazines will cover the debut of the eatery dubbed Another Hip Downtown Restaurant, all 15 members of the City Council show up for the ribbon cutting. They each grab golden scissors and cram into the picture around Kermit. Miss Piggy climbs onto Huizar’s lap for the photo. For no apparent reason Gonzo dives off the bar and swings from Councilman Curren Price’s beard. Muppet Sam the Eagle asks why there

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interrupted every two minutes by a Downtowner who stops by to ask, “Will dogs be allowed on your patio?” Meanwhile, the Swedish Chef is in the kitchen testing out recipes in a manner best described as anarchy. Plates, chickens and strange phrases in an incomprehensible language fly across the room. Vegetables, old bits of cork and newspapers get picked off the floor and dumped into a bubbling stew pot. Subtitles reveal that the chef has no idea what he is doing. He also wants to know if Elephant Awareness Day will be repeated.

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March 24, 2014

Restaurant Buzz Adventurous Ice Cream, A Dual-Pronged Kitchen And Other Food Happenings

S

coops, Here It Is: The ice cream shop Scoops has won a following at its three Los Angeles locations for its ever-rotating lineup of adventurous, naturally crafted flavors.

Fortunately for Downtowners, a fourth branch of Scoops has begun serving in Chinatown. The shop at Far East Plaza, a couple doors down from Roy Choi’s popular Chego, is currently in its soft-opening phase, serving a limited selection as it preps for a grand opening on April 12.

Scoops Chinatown will offer 12-15 flavors that change daily, according to owner Chris Gere, but there will be a signature flavor available every day: bianco bread, a mixture of mascarpone cheese, caramel and Grape Nuts cereal that riffs off the “brown bread” flavor made famous at the original Scoops in East Hollywood. “[Scoops founder] Tai Kim and I looked at a bunch of places in the Arts District and the center of Downtown, but this caught our eye. The neighborhood is very vibrant and growing,” Gere said.

At 727 N. Broadway #125 or (323) 739-8675.

Split Personality: Most restaurants benefit from having a single cohesive concept, but the new Stafford + Mathis Kitchen at the Luxe City Center Hotel is taking a dual-pronged approach. The eatery, which opens Wednesday, March 26, will offer menus that cater to both traditional and more experimental tastes. Rep-

Downtown News 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM resenting the traditional “Stafford” side are dishes such as short ribs with potato hash, bacon and truffles, and mussels cooked with Pernod, fennel and garlic. On the more adventurous “Mathis” menu are plates including bone marrow with pork “jam,” slow-cooked egg and tomato powder, or ravioli with pork cheek, squash and microgreens. It’s all being prepared by chef Michael Chavez-Martinez, who last worked at Little Tokyo’s well-received B.O.S., which specializes in tasting menus with offal. The Stafford + Mathis Kitchen will replace Fig Oly, the former restaurant in the hotel across from L.A. Live.

Coming to 1020 S. Figueroa St. And Justice for Them: Civic Center workers have a new place to grab a meal or a drink with the opening of Justice Urban Tavern on Monday, March 24. Located at the southeast corner of First and Los Angeles streets, Justice offers a variety of craft beers and wines from California, specialty cocktails and a menu from chef Francis Dimitrius that leans toward modern comfort food — think smoked pork ribs, beer-battered cod and Korean bacon and eggs with kimchi made in house. The interior sports communal bar tables as well as lounge seating, and there’s an outdoor patio for al fresco dining. Justice is open for breakfast starting at 6 a.m., as well as lunch and dinner every day, and yes, there is a daily happy hour from 3-7 p.m.

At 120 S. Los Angeles St., (213) 473-1229 or justicela.com.

Meat Up: A new outpost of boutique butcher shop and restaurant Belcampo Meat Co. opened at Grand Central Market last week. The shop offers a diverse array of meats from animals that have been raised with ethical practices — most of Belcampo’s products are free-range and grass-fed

The new Justice Urban Tavern serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Civic Center.

photo courtesy Justice Urban Tavern

— on the company’s farm near Mt. Shasta. In addition, Belcampo offers prepared foods. Dishes at the Downtown location include a twice-cooked duck bun, a cheeseburger with dry-aged beef and a “Marrakesh cheesesteak” with seared goat leg, harissa aioli and feta cheese. Belcampo will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. The original storefront opened in Larkspur, Calif. in late 2012.

At 317 S. Broadway, (213) 624-2378 or grandcentralmarket.com.

Time for a Pint: The ACME Bar Group has already made its mark in Downtown with drinking establishments, including Library Bar and Spring Street. It’s adding another venue with Beelman’s Pub, scheduled to open at Sixth and Spring streets by early May. The bar will offer 12 beers on tap and three draft craft cocktails on top of a full “European-inspired” drinks program created by Proprietors LLC, which also oversees the program at Downtown’s Honeycut. Expect cocktails incorporating classic ingredients such as Italian bitters and Spanish sherry. Beelman’s will also have a full menu of snacks and more substantial Euro-pub dishes.

As for ambiance, there will be a mix of leather booths, dark wood and communal seating both inside and on the outdoor patio.

Coming to 600 S. Spring St., updates at acmebargroupla.com.

Cattle Call: Want to know where your favorite steaks actually come from? Check out “The Meating Room” series at Nick + Stef’s, which gives diners a behind-the-scenes experience with chef Megan Logan. The upcoming “Cattle Anatomy” class, to be held April 11 and 25, will show off some of the lesser-known steak cuts beyond the usual rib-eye and New York strip.

Attendees will learn where various steaks are butchered from, taste different cuts and sip on flights of small-batch rye whiskies. The session costs $50 per person and runs from 7:30-9 p.m.

Classes are limited to 12 people. Reservations can be made by emailing nickandstefsmeatingroom@patinagroup.com.

At 330 S. Hope St., (213) 680-0330 or patinagroup.com.

Got juicy food news? Contact Eddie Kim at eddie@downtownnews.com.

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Dog-Friendly Race in Downtown LA | Sunday, April 13 HEART OF THE CITY 5K RUN/WALK is designed to raise funds for California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), which has been serving downtown as an essential community health and public safety resource for 126 years.

Racers are invited to bring their dogs along to be part of the fun. The course is flat and will begin and end at CHMC, travelling up and down Grand Avenue, 11th and Figueroa. The festivities will feature an expo, health information, and even a doggie costume contest.

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

12 Downtown News

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Thursday, April 3 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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You can vote if you live, work or play in Downtown!

For a complete list of stakeholder status explanations, please visit:

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A

rendering by Hanson

By Donna Evans fter years of an economic slowdown, followed by a flurry of six- and seven-story apartment complexes that some critics said failed to capitalize on Downtown’s potential for residential density, things are changing in a big way: At least five new high-rises are being proposed for the Central City.

Leading the pack is Vancouver, Canadabased developer Onni Group, which in addition to an already under-construction apartment tower at 888 S. Olive St. is seeking approvals for 31- and 40-floor buildings at 1200 S. Flower St. and a 50-story mixed-use project at 820 S. Olive St. Another Vancouver-based developer, Amacon, is moving forward on a 28-story tower at 1133 S. Hope St. that received city approvals in 2008 but then stalled, partly because of the recession.

A fifth new high-rise, from veteran Downtown developer Izek Shomof, would go up at Fourth Street and Broadway; the 34-story tower would also hold 7,000 square feet of retail space.

The sleek, modern buildings, full of residences offering balconies and large windows to maximize the light and provide views, are poised to change the Downtown skyline. Details of the projects were revealed in presentations made to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee on Tuesday, March 18.

While the skyline shift would be significant, for Downtown business boosters there may be a more important message: that the recession can finally be declared over.

“We didn’t know if the economy would come back in a robust way once the recession declined, and it has, and so these high-rises reflect the confidence of developers in the Downtown market,” said Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Central City Association and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. “They recognize the jobs-to-housing balance is way out of whack.”

Schatz pointed out that before the economy tanked in 2008, Downtown Los Angeles was the hottest housing market in Southern California. Now, with only 53,000 residents in an area that offers 500,000 jobs, there’s a housing gap to fill, she said.

The recent DCBID Downtown Demographic Study stated that approximately 5,000 housing units are under construction, and thousands more are in the development pipeline.

Buildings By the Numbers Onni Group’s pair of Flower Street towers would bring a total of 730 housing units and approximately 843 parking spaces.

An existing five-story, 72,000-square-foot office building would remain, and a twostory warehouse would be razed. Amenities in the development would include a landscaped podium deck with a swimming pool and dog run.

Meanwhile, over at Hill and Olive Onni’s 50-story tower would offer 589 residential units and 600 parking stalls. An adjacent 6,584-square-foot single room occupan-

rendering courtesy of Onni Group

GET OUT AND

Plans for Five New Residential Towers Spring Up Across Downtown rendering by Chris Dikeakos Architects

YOU CARE

A Fistful of High-Rises

rendering courtesy of Onni Group

SHOW CITY HALL

March 24, 2014

Four recently proposed projects would bring five new residential towers to Downtown. They are (clockwise from top left): Canadian firm Amacon’s 28-story tower at 1133 S. Hope St.; a 34-story building at Fourth Street and Broadway from veteran developer Izek Shomof; a 50-story mixed-use project at 820 S. Olive St. from the Onni Group; and another Onni development, a pair of 31- and 40-floor buildings at 1200 S. Flower St.

cy hotel owned by the developer will remain, said Chris Dikeakos of Dikeakos Architects, the architect for all three South Park efforts.

Onni Development Manager Mark Spector said there is neither a timeline nor budget for the projects at this point.

Amacon’s Hope Street project would deliver a 28-story tower with 208 residential units and 5,029 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The project would rise on a current parking lot just east of the Flower Street Lofts. In addition to a pool and spa, the effort would offer a fitness room, library, communal kitchen and media room.

Back in the Historic Core, Shomof’s 34-story tower would create 450 units, the same number of parking stalls and 6,900 square feet of commercial space. The building would rise on the southeast corner of Fourth and Broadway, across from a burned-out edifice. Although the building would be designed to condominium specifications, it would open as rentals.

Hamid Behdad of the Central City Development Group, which is working with Shomof on the project, said that every unit in the proposed tower would offer a balcony.

The intent, he added, is for the design to have the feel of neighboring historic structures and “pick up on the energy” of the Historic Core.

Shomof hopes to break ground on the 450,000-square-foot development in 2015, said Behdad. He believes the tower would be a strong addition to the neighborhood.

“In the glory days of Broadway, there were people walking the sidewalks and shopping. This project will provide housing and shopping; it is a symbol of the implementation of Bringing Back Broadway,” he said.

Lingering Concerns The rush toward high-rises would reverse a trend that has worried some Downtown stakeholders. The spate of six- and seven-story apartment complexes, many rising on surface parking lots, prompted 14th District City Councilman José Huizar last September to propose a moratorium on mid- and low-rise construction in certain parts of Downtown, including areas in South Park and the Historic Core. The concern was that Downtown would lose a chance to gain residential density.

While the high-rise proposals are welcome in that regard, they do come with some concerns. Some DLANC members last week voiced worries over projects that have multiple parking levels on the lower floors of the building. They cited aesthetic issues as well as fears that having residences several levels off the ground removes “eyes on the street.” They argued that it could increase the chance of criminal activity.

“We want to use smart urban design to keep the streets safe,” said Simon Ha, the DLANC Planning and Land Use committee chair. He added that better design is preferable to having always to call on the police.

Additionally, some residents of the Flower Street Lofts have protested the design of the proposed 1133 S. Hope St. tower since 2007. The building, they say, would encroach on a fire lane, complicate an already heavily trafficked alley and sit too close to their structure.

Amacon representatives met with residents as recently as two weeks ago and continue to work on creating a building that will please both the developers and the community, Dikeakos said. donna@downtownnews.com

DT

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photo courtesy REDCAT

March 24, 2014

CALENDAR

MAR 3 ! dtowWnNein an s U e k Li ws wn .Do /L.A Facebook.com

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MAR 10

A Post-Punk Glam Opera About Environmental Devastation Comes Downtown. But It’s Lighthearted, Too

mally began playing in 2010 and has appeared

By Donna Evans in some unexpected locations. In addition to othing about Timur and the Dime Mutouring around the country and opening for acts seum sounds ordinary. Not the name, such as the Tiger Lilies and Prince Poppycock, the which they conjured after a random Google Not the genre, which its members group has played the Central Library as part of BILE MOsearch.

678* to 55 OVIE” And NMopera.

B “post-punk CLUas Text DTglam describe certainly the Aloud series and appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” not the lead singer’s laugh, a protracted series Text DTNMOVIE 55678oneto JoinREDCAT Our Movie Club Executive Director Mark Murphy has of hearty, decibel-building bursts.to It sounds, been following Bekbosunov’s artistic progress imagines, like an otter in a net. to Win Movie andtrapped be Entered Tickets! *Carrier msg &performance, data rates apply. Reply HELP for to quit.

4 msgs/month max. since he was a student at Cal Arts. Several years Even the upcoming Collapse, is help. STOP ago, he tapped the band to perform one of Coroff the beaten sonic and visual path. Part conral’s pieces at REDCAT’s New Original Works Fescert, part video and part opera, it is built around a five-member ensemble fronted by Kazakhstan- tival. Zoophilic Follies is a puppet opera about a mythological Greek inventor. born Timur Bekbosunov’s haunting voice. The After Murphy asked the band to play the venalternative indie sounds comprise an operatic reue’s fundraising gala last March, he started to quiem and are peppered with video projections discuss a project Bekbosunov and company had that highlight global struggles. The show runs been working on — Collapse. He felt it offered an Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29, at REDCAT. opportunity to merge disciplines, which is central Composed by the band’s music director Daniel to REDCAT’s mission.

Corral, Collapse is a dark, satirical look at environ“I’m really so impressed with Daniel’s vision as mental problems that have haunted Corral into a composer and songwriter, and Timur’s imagicreative action.

The Alaska native said he was E-NEWS s.com ntown at Dow upthe UP Signby SIGN inspired nation and theatrical talents,” he said. “Collapse largely impacts ofNew climate change has all the elements of high opera with elehe’s seen in his home state, where he believes the equilibrium between conservation Sign Up progress for Ourand E-News Blasts ments & of a twisted cabaret and rock and roll.”

Searching for a Name is more apparent than in a city like Los Angeles.

Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets!

As unlikely as it sounds, Timur and the Dime “It can be difficult to talk about global warmMuseum’s moniker really did come from Google. ing in an impressive and profound way without Bekbosunov recalls that the band members it becoming cheesy or spent,” Bekbosunov said. typed words into the search engine that they felt “But Daniel has found a way of speaking about described them: vaudevillian, punk, goth and fanthese human and global catastrophes in a clean, tasy. Eventually the combination produced “dime interesting and sardonic way.” museum” in the results field.

The band met in 2007 while its members were From there, Bekbosunov figured with a students at Cal Arts in Valencia. The group for-

N

Timur and the Dime Museum, fronted

by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekbosunov, comes to REDCAT this week with Collapse, a piece that is part opera, part twisted cabaret and part video production.

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laugh, “Maybe I should put my name in front.”

Bekbosunov describes the ensemble’s sound as “indie rock meets post punk with a bit of Playing/Starts Mar 14 opera” and points toNow Björk and David Bowie as musical influences. In addition to the oddity of performing an operatic requiem, Collapse is unorthodox in that its classical composer is not as rigid as many of his contemporaries. Bekbosunov, 29, said Corral is very forgiving with his songs, and allows the tenor to sing them in a way the writer had not intended.

“He can be stubborn at times, but Daniel allows me to interpret them in my own way.

That’s where the magic is really born,” he said.

Bekbosunov was born in Kazakhstan, a part of the former Soviet Union that Moscow used as a testing ground for nuclear weapons in the 20th century. This led to serious environmental problems in the country, and a heightened awareness by Bekbosunov on the importance of protecting the planet.Starts March 21 “I definitely think of those tests and terrible moments when I sing about the radiation,” he said. “I also very often contemplate about Kazakhstan protecting its vast land and resources from too much exploration. It has a lot of beautiful national parks, protected natural zones, and of course, many interests wishing to exploit them. So, performing and interpreting songs of requiem certainly has that particular tint.”

Despite the ecological atrocities his country has undergone, that wasn’t what brought him to the United States as a 16-year old. It was capitalism, via his father.

Starts March 28

Bekbosunov’s dad, back in the 1960s, wanted so fervently to visit the U.S. that he wrote Nikita Khrushchev a letter asking to be sent to America “so he could see what all this capitalism is about and straighten them all out,” the tenor said, guffawing.

Of course, Khrushchev didn’t reply, but when a young Timur showed an interest in learning English, his dad sent him to Kansas as part of a foreign exchange program. Bekbosunov studied journalism at Wichita State University (he had dabbled in reporting for a radio station back in Kazakhstan). He liked writing and singing, and was later accepted to the New England Conservancy of Music.

From there, Bekbosunov relocated to Los Angeles and attended Cal Arts, where he graduated with an MFA in voice performance and, perhaps more importantly, a friendship with the budding Dime Museum.

Still, his parents worried about his musical path.

“They always told me this is not the right career. They said I should go into something more stable, like journalism.”

The line sparked Bekbosunov’s loudest bout of laughter yet, one so riotous it begged to be explained.

“It’s a Kazak laugh,’ he said. Then he added, “It’s an opera laugh.”

Collapse plays March 27-29 at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org. Shows start at 8:30 p.m. donna@downtownnews.com

14 Downtown News

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Green Day Photos by Gary LeoNarD

Downtown Los Angeles felt the luck of the Irish on St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. Once again, Pershing Square hosted a lengthy March 17 celebration, starting with a parade that featured the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society and plenty of bagpipes and drums. There were food trucks, a beer garden and a free outdoor concert by the Young Dubliners. Somehow, the leprechauns got into the water works and turned the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fountain green.

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DT ThE DON’T Miss LisT

CALENDAR LISTINGS

Celebrations of Jazz, Books And Violins Fill Downtown

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com

EVENTS

Tuesday, March 25 Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Three hikers who were formerly unwilling guests of the Iranian regime share their story with NPR’s Arun Rath.

W

ONE

3

4

P

eople know the architecture college SCI-Arc for being on the forefront of experimentation with design. It pushes the envelope again this week, though in a different medium: literature. Author Mark Danielewski comes to the Arts District school on Wednesday, March 26, in a lecture that is open to the public. Danielewski’s House of Leaves and subsequent works have revolutionized fiction with deliberate attempts to reimagine the literary form. Words fall off the page, sentences bleed on and the pulp itself weaves unusual narratives. The 7:15 p.m. lecture has the cryptic title “Parable #8: Z Is for Zoo (or Transgressing Barriers Against Creative Survival)” and Danielewski has only said that he’ll likely be discussing cats. So get excited. At 255 S. Santa Fe Ave., (213) 6132200 or sciarc.edu.

5 photo by Michael Lionstar

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

March 25: Gary Smulyan, Derek Oles and Joe la Barbera.

March 26: Ron Bruner Sr.’s Strange Jazz Universe. It’s not really that strange.

March 27: Robby Marshall Electric Band.

March 28: Dwight Trible Birthday Concert.

March 29: Los Angeles Jazz Quartet.

March 30: Creative Underground Los Angeles residency.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

March 24, 9 p.m.: The penultimate night of Moses Sumney’s residency features perennial indie rock purveyors yOya. March 25, 8:30 p.m.: Basement Babies claim Stevie Nicks and Phil Spector as their influences, which means they’re batting 0 for 2.

March 26, 9 p.m.: Blind Date #18 is an indie band showcase featuring the lush TeamMate, minimalist Pollimer and folk electronic trio Magic Giant.

March 28, 9 p.m.: Local indie group Ozma will be celebrating the release of their new album.

March 29, 9 p.m.: The Ten Thousand chose to name tonight’s show “Get Sick” to celebrate their new EP Nausea and not as a sly way of encouraging you to drink 15 PBR tall boys and make projectile art on the bathroom wall.

Continued on next page

photo courtesy SCI-Arc

saTurday, March 29 Grand Park Bookfest Grand Park, 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

12-5 p.m.: Readings, book showcases and live music bring the world of learning to a fever pitch.

Team Crafted Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

1 p.m.: Some of the finest personalities to have ever played the game Minecraft gather for an in-game Q&A, meet & greet and general group support session.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

C

T

he Central Library is battening down the hatches for a robust double dose of the Aloud program this week. First, on Tuesday, March 25, three hikers who were imprisoned in Iran for as long as two years will join NPR’s Arun Rath in a discussion of their travails. Then, Ethiopian-American novelist Dinaw Mengestu (shown here) stops by on Thursday, March 27, to present his latest work, All Our Names, the story of two friends caught in the turmoil of an African uprising (it was excerpted recently in the New Yorker). Both programs start at 7:15 p.m. Reserve your tickets online. At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

2

alling all bibliophiles: In the age of the 140-character communication, not to mention rampant disregard for important things like vowels and syntax, the English language needs you. Thus, all are invited to Bookfest at Grand Park this Saturday, March 29. From noon-5 p.m., the celebration of the written word will have a bevy of authors and publishers who will sell, sign and read from their wares. For families, there’ll be a live performance from Birdie’s Playhouse and some old-fashioned tall-tale telling from the Story Pirates. Arrrrgh! Like everything at Grand Park, Bookfest is free. At Grand Park, (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

I

n the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari prided himself on making the finest violins the world has ever seen. Since then, the value of his creations has skyrocketed thanks to their supreme tone. This week, eight of the stringed beauties will be played in Downtown as part of the aptly titled Strad Fest LA. On Thursday, March 27, the Colburn School’s Zipper Hall will host a night of Baroque chamber music featuring four Stradivarius violins. The grandest display of all comes on Saturday, March 29, when the “Stradosphere” gala at the California Club features an octet of original Stradivarious violins for those willing to cough up $750 a ticket. The concert is much more affordable. At 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6212200 or laco.org.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

SERDET STRADIVARIUS photo © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. Photography by Tucker Densley

Thursday, March 27 Dinaw Mengestu at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Ethiopian-American author Dinaw Mengestu shares his latest work of fiction, All Our Names.

Hackers, Makers and Fabricators at Mindshare LA Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St. or mindshare.la.

7 p.m.: The results of a three-month long open-mic contest are in. Your winners have been chosen. They’ll be on hand to spew forth their ideas on the state of the world.

Traveling the Silk Road Lecture Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 7633466 or nhm.org.

7 p.m.: The museum will be getting down with stars, navigation and the rich history of Central Asia with physics and astronomy professor Dr. Clifford V. Johnson, Griffith Observatory Director Dr. E.C. Krupp and Griffith curator Dr. Laura Danly.

photo by Francis Wolff © Mosaic Images

Wednesday, March 26 Mark Danielewski at SCI-Arc SCI-Arc, 255 S. Santa Fe Ave., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: Post-structural and postmodern fictionist Mark Z. Danielewski will be delivering a cryptic lecture entitled “Parable #8: Z is for Zoo.”

photo by Javier Guillen

hen it comes to jazz labels, few names surpass the lineup assembled over the decades by Blue Note Records. From its inception in 1939 to its relaunch in 1985 and beyond, the company specialized in the derivations of post-bebop fusion. Beginning Tuesday, March 25, you can dig into the storied history of the label with the new Grammy Museum exhibit Blue Note: The Finest in Jazz. The collection includes lyrics, sheet music, original session photographs and a baby grand piano once owned by Thelonius Monk. If prompt reverence isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it; the exhibit will be around until October. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

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Continued from previous page March 30, 8:30 p.m.: You’d never know it for his stage name, but Evan Mellows plays some pretty subdued music.

Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

March 29, 7:30 p.m.: Filthy comedian Jim Jefferies will be delighted to tell you his story about “the egg.”

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

March 24, 9 p.m.: One of these days Brian Walker is going to one-up Yonatan and start his own Monster Mondays, or maybe just play it safe and start out with Mischievous Mondays or Margarita Mondays or something.

March 25, 10 p.m.: Bunny West and Boom Boom Boom will help Tuesday fly past in a flurry of tunes and booze.

March 26, 10 p.m.: American Primitive and Fiddle & Pine are committed to a roots sensibility.

March 27, 10 p.m.: Mojo Stone will be kicking the door down for The Diamond Light.

March 28, 9 p.m.: Trevor Menear gets a little support from John Moreland.

March 29, 10 p.m.: It wouldn’t be Saturday without Johnny Moezzi and Charlie Chan and the SOB’s.

March 30, 10 p.m.: And it definitely wouldn’t be Sunday without a ringing hangover, a mind full of regret and RT N the 44s to soothe your pain.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

March 28, 10 p.m.: Project 86.

March 29, 10 p.m.: Gaiser and Matador.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum. org.

March 24, 8 p.m.: Jon Batiste spreads his New Orleans musical heritage by way of New York City.

March 25, 8 p.m.: To celebrate the opening of their new exhibit, the Grammy Museum hosts jazz legends Don Was and Terence Blanchard in “An Evening with Blue Note Records.”

March 26, 8 p.m.: Circa Zero sounds like a band you saw on the Warped Tour many years ago, but is in fact a duo featuring former Police guitarist Andy Summers.

Ham and Eggs 433 W. Eighth St. or hamandeggstavern.com.

March 24, 9 p.m.: Controlfreqs.

March 27, 9 p.m.: Matt Jared.

March 28, 9 p.m.: Heavy Pop. Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com.

March 26, 8 p.m.: DJ Dom P. March 27, 10 p.m.: DJ Rob Ackroyd.

March 28, 10 p.m.: Jack of All Tracks.

March 29, 8 p.m.: DJ Aaron Castle.

Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

March 28, 8 p.m.: Lupita D’Alessio’s “Cuando Se Ama Como Tu” Tour.

March 29, 8 p.m.: Mystic theologian Rumi is the subject of this symphonic night featuring the work of Shahram Nazeri, Hafez Nazeri and Deepak Chopra.

One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

March 26, 10 p.m.: Hot Club Vignati.

Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

March 24: The Ballentynes, Maniac and The Shivas.

March 25: EZ Tiger, Chissum Worthington and The Chew Toys.

March 27: Tuesday Night Booty.

March 28: Obnox, Golden Rulers, Endless Bummer and Magic Trash.

March 29, 3 p.m.: Sick Fest with The Abigails, The Pocket Rockets, Electric Children, Death Lens, Los Craters, Contrafang, The Cigarette Bums, Cutty Flam, Mechachief, Joe Volume, Tongues and Unbound.

March 30, 3 p.m.: Bad Sports, Divided Heaven and The Black Hands.

March 30: Charlie & The Foxtrot, Patrolled by Radar and Grit.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

March 24, 10 p.m.: Grammy-nominated bass player Brandino claims to have “friends.” Well, we’ll believe it when we see it, man.

March 25, 10 p.m.: Beyond the traditional spectrum of impro-

March 24, 2014

vised jazz, The Makers are a fascinating anthropological study for deaf bargoers.

March 26, 10 p.m.: Bruce Foreman describes his music as “cow bob,” which is very different from the activity bored teenagers in the Midwest do in their spare time.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

March 27: The Garden, Wax Witches, Heller Keller and Pizza Time.

March 28: Gangrene Gang, Cretin Stompers, Shark Toys and Ancient Crux.

March 29: The Audacity, Hollows, Vaguess and Rawpoon.

March 30: Marmits, Charlyne Yi and Telecaves.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

March 24-27: If you’re not sick of James Franco yet, you’ll get another crack at burning out on this leading man with Maladies, the story of a ’60s soap star trying to get back to his roots.

March 24-27: Further optimism for the digital age in The Den. Webcams take a sinister turn and devolve into a thrilling whodunnit.

March 28-30: In It Felt Like Love you enter the world of precocious 14-year-old Lila as she learns some hard truths about adulthood and relationships.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt.

Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through March 27: Cesar Chavez (8 and 10:50 p.m.); Noah (7 and 10:30 p.m.); Sabotage (8 and 11 p.m.); Divergent (12, 12:40, 1:30, 2:20, 3:10, 4, 4:50, 5:40, 6:30, 7:20, 8:10, 9, 9:50 and

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10:40 p.m.); Muppets Most Wanted (12:30, 1:30, 3:40, 4:20, 6:20, 7, 9:30 and 10:10 p.m.); Bad Words (12:10, 2:30, 5, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Need For Speed (4 and 10:30 p.m.); Need For Speed 3D (12:40 and 7:30 p.m.); The Single Moms Club (1, 3:50, 6:40 and 9:50 p.m.); 300: Rise of an Empire (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:30 and 10 p.m.); 300: Rise of an Empire 3D (12:30, 3, 5:30, 8 and 10:40 p.m.); Mr. Peabody & Sherman (1:40, 4, 7 and 9:20 p.m.); Non-Stop (12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:50 and 10:20 p.m.); The LEGO Movie 3D (12 and 4:40 p.m.); The LEGO Movie (2:20 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

March 25-28, 10:30 a.m. and March 29-20, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season continues with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

Harmony Ahmanson, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

March 25-29, 8 p.m. and March 30, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Barry Manilow and his creative partner Bruce Sussman have made a musical about “the first sensational boy band,” a sextet that formed in 1920s Berlin. What more do you need?

Lucia di Lammermoor Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 9728001 or laopera.org.

March 29, 7:30 p.m.: What’s an Italian opera without betrayal and love? Russian coloratura soprano Albina Shagimuratova lends her lovely pipes to this production.

Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

March 25, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

Timur and the Dime Museum: Collapse REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

March 27-29, 8:30 p.m.: Elements of chamber music, cabaret

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Downtown News 17

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and gothic showmanship blend and bleed into Timur Bekbosunov’s visionary performances. See story p. 13.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Monday, March 24 Evgeny Kissin in Recital Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

8 p.m.: Russian piano phenom Evgeny Kissin performed his first major recital at Disney Hall in 2003. Now he’s back to dazzle us further with a selection of Romantic pieces.

Thursday, March 27 LACO: Baroque Conversations 3 Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-8517 or colburnschool.edu.

7 p.m.: The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra salutes oboe player Allan Vogel with a selection of compositions from, you guessed it, the Baroque era.

Friday, March 28 Dutoit and Thibaudet Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

March 28-29, 8 p.m. and March 30, 2 p.m.: Conductor Charles Dutoit teams with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Los Angeles Master Chorale to perform pieces from Beethoven and Ravel.

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews.com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

2YOUR EVENT INFO

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4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

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888-781-8102 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • VWDOWNTOWNLA.COM

LEASE FOR ONLY

LEASE FOR ONLY

99

$

329

per month for 36 mos

Plus tax 36 month closed-end lease, by Volkswagen Credit.. Based on MSRP of $17,515 (including destination charges) for a 2014 Jetta S 2.0L with manual trans, $2999 due at signing excludes. title, tax, options, acquisition fee and dealer fees. Purchase option at lease end $9743.25. $0.20/ mile over 30,000 mile.1 at this price # 390452 Offer ends 3/31/2014

$12,588 2008 Mini Cooper ................................... $13,521 6 Sp. Auto, Red/Blk, 27K Miles, Alloys. V131709-1/TT65870 2012 Fiat 500 Lounge ............................ $16,110 Convertible 6sp Auto, 38mpg. ZV2591/T201975 CARSON NISSAN 2008 Volvo C30 Hatchback ...................

5L Turbo, Red/Gray, Low Miles. ZV2583/068676

888-845-2267 1505 E. 223RD ST., CARSON • CARSONNISSAN.COM

$

$29,479 2012 Mercedes E350 BTC ...................... $39,881 Certified, Prem Pkg 1,Nav. 1.99 APR Avail. 7196C/ CA541449 2011 Mercedes GL450 ........................... $39,991 Certified, Prem Pkg 1, Navigation, Tow Pkg. 6981C/BA633748 AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 2012 Mercedes C250 .............................

Certified, Navigation, 1.99% APR Avail. 7216C/CA644489

888-583-0981 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • AUDIDTLA.COM

NEW ’14 AUDI A4 2.0T

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

per month for 36 mos

Plus tax, 36 Month closed end lease on approved credit through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. $2,499 CAP reduction, $795 acquisition fee. Excludes title, taxes, registration, license fees, insurance, dealer prep and additional options No security deposit required. 25¢ per mile in excess of 30,000 miles. Offer good on all with MSRP $33,925.

NEW ’’13 NISSAN ROGUE S

S I N C E 19 7 2

249

per month for 24 mos

LEASE FOR ONLY

LEASE FOR ONLY

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim per month per month coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese for 39 mos for 42 mos coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, S I N C E 19 7 2 Kylie Jane Wakefield Plus tax 39-month closed end lease onKristin aboveFriedrich, average tier approved credit., Plus tax 42 month closed endLos lease on approved credit. $2199 down, plus first month payAngeles Downtown News $2999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, mo. pymt, options and dealer Art1st dirEctor: Brian Allison ment, tax, title, licensing fees 1264 and $695 fee.$0Angeles, Sec. Dep. Must qualify for the W.bank Firstacquisition Street, Los CA 90026 fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mileAssistANt over 12,000 miles/yr.

1 at this offer Art dirEctor: Yumi KanegawaAudi Loyalty or Audi Acquisition Rebate of $1,000. $0.25 per miles over 10,000 miles/year. 1 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 # C130048/008216.

ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlinsat this offer EN022577.

179

315

$

$

web: DowntownNews.com

Toyota Matrix Spt Wgn ............... email: realpeople@downtownnews.com $8,888 2011 $15,995 White/Black, 26K Miles, Auto, 32mpg. A140792-2/C711265 AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante facebook: 2005 Mazda 6 i Sedan ............................

2013 Mini Cooper Hardtop ..................

L.A. Downtown News AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin $8,888 2.3L Auto, Sepang Green, 31mpg, CD. CU1333R/M11631 Only 10K Miles, White/White, Auto, Leather. A140403D-1/ DT678362 $17,940 clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway twitter: AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, 2004 Toyota Sienna LE AWD ..................

2011 Audi A4 2.0T .................................

DowntownNews $23,295 Catherine 3.3L V6, Cap’s Chairs, 1 Owner, Rear AC. CU1241P/ S012435Holloway $9,888 Black, Turbo, Bluetooth, Only 38K Miles. ZA10789/ BN042912 sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez Danielle Salmon FELIXcirculAtioN: CHEVROLET PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles

2003 Ford Mustang Convertible ............

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard Blk/Blk, Leather, 4.6L V8, CD, Alloys. CU1316P/ F320907

©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

888-304-7039 888-685-5426 distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla 3300 S. FIGUEROA ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM

NEW ’14 CHEVY VOLT

NEW ’14 PORSCHE CAYMAN PDK

LEASE FOR ONLY

129

$

549

per month for 36 mos

Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on Tier 1Credit through US Bank. Total Customer Cash Down is $4,605, which includes the first payment plus the first payment tax Includes $1,571 CCR Rebate plus $750 USAA discount $0 security deposit. $0.25/ mile over 10,000 Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris miles/yr. Based on MSRP of $34,995. 2 at this price. EU1425453, EU143304.

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

$7,995 $15,995 $16,995

2004 Chevy Aveo SVM Sedan .................

LEASE FOR ONLY

$

per month for 27 mos

Plus tax 27 month closed end lease. Rates based on approved Tier 1 credit through Porsche Financial Services. $4995 down payment excludes tax, dmv fees, $895 Bank Acquisition fee, first payment and document fees. .30 cents per mile over 5,000 miles per year. No security deposit. 1 at this price EK172755.

2011 Porsche Cayenne S .......................

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie 1.6 L, 4 Cyl., Low Miles, Great MPG F14485-1/4B136890 Certified, Gray/Blk, Nav, Pano Roof, 1 Owner. ZP1730/ BLA55130 stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim 2012 Hyundai Sonata GLScoNtributiNG ....................Editor: Kathryn Maese 2010 Porsche Panamera S .....................

Auto, Blue/Gray, 2.4 L, 4 Cyl. UC1511R/CH420322 Certified, Blk/Blk, Nav, 19” Whls, 31K Miles. AL060882 coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield 2011 Porsche Carrera S ..........................

2012 Nissan Altima 2.5S .......................

S I N C E 19 7 2 4 Cyl., 2.5L Roomy Interior. UC1567R/CN492093 Certified, Blk/Blk, Nav, 19” Whls, PDK, 18K Miles.

BS754267 Los Angeles Downtown News Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

$59,891 $63,827 $74,898

1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617

18 Downtown News

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

FOR RENT

SERVICES Cleaning

lofts for sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper

213.598.7555

loft/UnfUrnished

old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts

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Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development! downtownnews.com

CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.

from $1,295 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com

apartments/UnfUrnished SENIOR APARTMENTS 62 + Studio $881 1 Bedroom $937.

Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 O.K. Visit GSL SAN LUCAS.com 213623-2010.

CROSSWORD

March 24, 2014

hoUsekeeping DTLA MAIDS: Deep Clean your loft/apt with 2 maids for 2 hours starting at $95 a 30% discount. 100% green cleaning, pet-friendly. Bonded & Insured.

Order monthly packages at 1015% off. Book now @ www.dtlamaids.com. Enter code DTLA30 usable once. Exceptional cleaning guaranteed. (310) 734-9892

general

U.S. GOVT JOBS NOW HIRING Civil Service / Postal Clerks No Experience. Job Security. $20-75 an hour and Benefits CALL NOw! (855) 631-0850

EMPLOYMENT legal

ATTENTION CRIMINAL JUSTICE ATTORNEYS: We Offer 7% BAIL to YOUR CLIENTS! We have 40 years experience in law enforcement, private investigation and as paralegals.

Contact BREAKING BAD BAIL BONDS at (213) 483-BAIL (213) 483-2245

professional

Operations Analyst

for wholesale business.

Mail resume to Cavalini Inc., 1536 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90021.

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

LOFT LIVING Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

D ow n t ow n N ew s . c o m

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

March 24, 2014

Professional Team Lead Payroll (Nestle Regional Globe Office North America, Inc. - Glendale, CA): Lead teams of Business & System Analysts in the dsgn, dvlpmnt, config, implementation, & support of SAP HR Payroll apps. F/T. Req Master’s deg in E.E. & Comp Eng, Electronics & Communication Eng, IT, CS, or rel field, & 3 yrs’ exp in the job offered or configur’g SAP HR Payroll apps to dvlp & implemnt HR & benefits tech interfaces.

Stated or other exp must incl at least 2 full life cycles in configur’g, defin’g, & implement’g Payroll sys as an end-to-end business process in a heterogeneous tech env. (In lieu of Master’s deg & 3 yrs’ exp as stated, will accept Bach’s deg in one of stated fields & 5 yrs’ exp in the job offered or configur’g SAP HR Payroll apps to dvlp & implemnt HR & benefits tech interfaces. Stated or other exp must incl at least 4 full life cycles in configur’g, defin’g, & implement’g Payroll sys as an end-to-end business process in a heterogeneous tech env.)

Resumes: M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc, 800 N. Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203. Job: CA-TLP.

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL Pre-oWneD

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LEGAL fictitious Business name Fictitious Business name

Downtown News 19

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM statement File no. 2014040946 The following person is doing business as: Aladdin Bail Bonds, 900 Avila Street, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012 are hereby registered by the following registrant: Two Jinn Inc., 1000 Aviara Parkway, Suite 300, Carlsbad, CA 92011. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/01/2004.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 14, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.

A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014040965 The following person is doing business as: Aladdin Bail Bonds, 5250 W. Century Blvd, #108, Los Angeles, CA 90045 are hereby registered by the following registrant: Two Jinn Inc., 1000 Aviara Parkway, Suite 300, Carlsbad, CA 92011.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/01/2004.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 14, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.

A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and

Professions Code).

Pub. 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014041000 The following person is doing business as: Aladdin Bail Bonds, 11430 Valley Blvd., El Monte, CA 91731, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Two Jinn Inc., 1000 Aviara Parkway, Suite 300, Carlsbad, CA 92011.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/01/2004.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 14, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24/2014.

ness name or names listed above on 04/30/2004.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 14, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014041061 The following person is doing business as: Aladdin Bail Bonds, 432 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802 are hereby registered by the following registrant: Two Jinn Inc., 1000 Aviara Parkway, Suite 300, Carlsbad, CA 92011.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious busi-

the LOFT expert!

Follow FollowUs Uson onISSUU ISSUU

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014051760 The following person is doing business as: On Purpose Unlimited, 253 Linwood Ave., #E, Monrovia, CA 91016 are hereby registered by the following registrants: George Albert Hunlock, Jr., 253 Linwood Avenue, Unit E, Monrovia, CA 91016 and Jeanne Lynn Johnson, 253 Linwood Avenue, Unit E, Monrovia, CA 91016. This business is conducted by a

married couple. Registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 02, 2014.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 26, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, 03/31/2014.

Creative Office Space 724 S. Spring St. LA

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555 TheLoftExpertGroup.com DRE # 01309009

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com BRE #01309009

Voted BEST Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent!

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

• 900 to 1500 sqft.

• Elegant tiled flooring and polished concrete floors • Brand new A/C, bathrooms in each unit • Spectacular views of Downtown • Great Location, restaurant on the ground floor

Please call (213) 627-6913 Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

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legal notice is your teen experiencing:

• School problems?

• Conflict at home or with friends?

adolescent support group now forming ages 13-17 low fee

inVitation FoR BiDs FoR

Chrysalis Pacoima Facility Tenant Improvement– 13545 Van Nuys Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA Chrysalis invites sealed bids for the above-stated project and will receive such bids in their office at 522 S Main ST, Los Angeles, California 90013, up to the hour of 12:30 PM on Friday, April 18th, 2014.

call marney stofflet, lcsW

(323) 662-9797

Thomas E. Rounds Attorney at Law

825 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 109, Santa Monica, CA 90401

(424) 234-6381

trounds4esq@gmail.com lawofficeofthomaserounds.com.

5B#268274

FlipFlip through the DTNews News print Flip through News print throughthe theDT DT print edition on your mobile device, edition on your device, edition on yourmobile mobile device, withmore more than ofpast past with than 55years of with more than 5years years of issuesavailable! available! past issues available! issues

does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24/2014.

Corporation Bldg. For Lease

TM

Downtown since 2002

4344 fountain ave. (at sunset), suite a los angeles, ca 90029

http://issuu.com/ladtn http://issuu.com/ladtn

File no. 2014041135 The following person is doing business as: Aladdin Bail Bonds, 6213 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401 are hereby registered by the following registrant: Two Jinn Inc., 1000 Aviara Parkway, Suite 300, Carlsbad, CA 92011.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 06/01/2004.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 14, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement

LOFT LIVING Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

Downtown news.com

The work to be done consists of furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor, and incidentals to construct the new office tenant improvement as required by the Plans, Specifications, and contract documents. The general items of work include parking lot striping, misc site work, demolition of existing office space and approximately 5,463 sf of new offices and supporting facilities on the first floor of an existing two story building in the Pacoima, California.

The Bidding Documents will be available Tuesday March 25th, 2014 after 10am and can be ordered through ARC/ Plan well. . Contact: Karen Siguenza: 818-908-0222. The Contractor is to bear all costs associated with obtaining the Bidding Documents. Project Direct URL: Link: https://order.e-arc.com/arcEOC/x_project.asp?de=5E36CB967ABC-4CA9-BCDD-1C170AA1856F The successful bidder and any subcontract entered into pursuant to this notice will incorporate the provisions of the State Labor Code. Pursuant to the provisions of the Labor Code of the State of California, the minimum prevailing rate of per diem wages for each craft, classification, or type of workman needed to execute the contract shall be those determined by the Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California, which are are available from the California Department of Industrial Relations website at http://www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/DPreWageDetermination.htm.

Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference: Bidding Documents must be brought to the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference at 10am on Thursday March 27th, 2014 at 13545 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima, California. Contractors that do not have the project bidding documents in hand at the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference are not eligible to attend the mandatory pre-bid conference nor submit a bid. Anyone arriving after 8:20 am for the mandatory pre-bid conference will not be allowed to enter nor submit a bid.

Local, minority, disadvantaged and women owned businesses are encouraged to apply Bids must be prepared on the approved Proposal forms in conformance with the Instructions to Bidders and submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside. The bid must be accompanied by certified or cashier’s check, or bidder’s bond, made payable to Chrysalis for an amount no less than five (5) percent of the total bid price.

The successful bidder shall be licensed in accordance with provisions of the Business and Professions Code and shall possess a State Contractor’s License Class B at the time this contract is awarded.

Chrysalis reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or bids or to waive any irregularities or informalities in any bids or in the bidding should it deem this necessary. No bidder may withdraw its bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the date from the opening thereof. The award of contract, if made, will be to the lowest responsible qualified Bidder as determined solely by Chrysalis.

20 Downtown News

The Central City Crime Report A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities

By Eddie Kim n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

I

They Fought the Law: A police officer confronted an unidentified man near the intersection of Figueroa Street and Venice Boulevard on March 10 to ask about a burglary from a car. The man, without provocation, punched the officer and then attempted to steal his gun. The suspect fled and the officer was treated for minor cuts.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

Grand Tower

Two on One: A man was walking in an alley off 833 N. Broadway on March 12 when he was approached by two men who asked for money. When he replied that he had none, one suspect tried to punch him. The victim ran away but was caught by the men, who tried to take his backpack and eventually beat him. The victim lost consciousness but was transported to an area hospital.

It was noted that he was “extremely intoxicated” at the time of treatment.

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Hot Scrubs, Part II: Someone smashed the glass front door of Sasson Scrubs at 821 S. Cecilia St. between March 13-14 and stole $5,600 worth of clothes. Incredibly, this followed a burglary at the store two weeks before when a suspect took about $12,000 worth of scrubs. After that first incident, the owner installed an alarm system and cameras.

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

Too Easy: In the latest chapter of the continuing Downtown story “Seriously, Always Lock Your Bike,” a man left his bicycle unsecured and unattended near the entrance of Rite Aid at 500 S. Broadway while he shopped on March 11. While he was inside, someone walked in and took the bike. Security at the store believed the bike belonged to the thief and didn’t stop him or her from leaving. eddie@downtownnews.com

Promenade Towers

123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

AROUND TOWN, 2

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon

foot location at 910 S. Broadway. Oak occupies a groundfloor space at the Sparkle Factory, a seven-story building with creative office space that is owned by jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino and her husband and business partner Alfonso Campos. Oak offers men’s and women’s apparel with a sleek, minimalist look; prices range from around $60 for T-shirts to upwards of $1,000 for jackets and other pieces. Oak follows the recent neighborhood additions Urban Outfitters and Acne.

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

Regional Connector Work Brings Construction to Second Street

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

D

owntowners, take heed: Utility relocation for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $1.366 billion Regional Connector continues this week, which means slowed traffic and some street closures. Efforts to move a natural gas line along Second Street at both Spring and Main streets will begin on Tuesday, March 25, and last for about five weeks. Metro’s anticipated work hours are 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays. During the week, westbound traffic on Second Street will be detoured onto Main Street; on Saturdays, all traffic on Second Street near Main and Spring will be detoured to those streets. Construction of the Regional Connector, which will add three Downtown Metro rail stations and streamline rail travel throughout the region, is slated for completion in 2020.

March 24, 2014

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM