04-13-15

THE 8-YEAR PUBLIC ART PROJECT

APRIL 13, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #15

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Book Festival Back at USC

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ove reading stuff and being cultured? Lucky you. The city’s biggest celebration of literature and the arts returns to the University of Southern California campus on SaturdaySunday, April 18-19. The L.A. Times Festival of Books, now in its 20th year, features a huge array of activities and sights, the vast majority of them free. Visitors can check out dozens of booths from authors, publishers, cultural organizations and others. There’s also a large schedule of free speaker events and panel discussions with names such as comedian Patton Oswalt, author T.C. Boyle and Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi. One highlight event, however, has a cost: A conversation with writer Malcolm Gladwell on Sunday has tickets ranging from $27.50-$100. The Festival of Books also has numerous stages with live music, cooking demonstrations, art and more. Info and tickets are at events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.

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os Angeles tourism officials have long hoped to steal the massive Comic-Con from San Diego. The lucrative science fiction, comics and fantasy convention remains rooted in points south, but local leaders may have taken a baby step toward their goal last week. On April 6, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office said that the Los Angeles Convention Center will host WonderCon, described as “the sister show to Comic-Con,” on March 25-27, 2016. WonderCon was launched in Oakland in 1987 and this year took place in Anaheim. The 2014 event attracted 60,000 attendees, and Los Angeles officials estimate that WonderCon next year will have a $32 million economic impact, with money spent on hotels, restaurants, parties and more. In a prepared statement, Garcetti referenced the ultimate goal of landing Comic-Con.

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“We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with Comic-Con International, the presenter, and helping them establish a homebase in L.A.,” he said. “We anticipate the show to be highly attended and to set the precedent for future successful Comic-Con events in L.A.”

Regional Connector Spurs Tree Removal, Replacement

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04/03/2015

ty will remove seven leafy trees along First Street between Alameda and Vignes streets. The work comes as the agency is preparing the four-block stretch for utility work and a widening of the roadway. Work will take place between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on April 15-16, during which time the north side of First Street may be restricted and pedestrians will be detoured. Although seven trees are being taken away, Metro will replace them with 14 new trees in the future, according to a press release. The 1.9-mile Regional Connector will add three Downtown stations and allow streamlined travel throughout the region. It is slated for completion in 2020.

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April 13, 2015

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

The Fun of Wrecking Downtown

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he entertainment industry has a long history of destroying Downtown, often to the detriment of Downtowners. The problem isn’t the movies and TV shows that feature explosions, gun battles, car crashes, natural disasters and more. Rather, it’s the process of making them, and legions of area workers and residents have been frustrated by shuttered streets, sometimes rude production crews and helicopters that whir late into the night when residents are trying to sleep.

A new take from the entertainment industry adds to the wrecking crew legacy, and sometimes ramps the situation higher, such as having a crane fall into a Grand Avenue office building. However, the creators of Battlefield Hardline managed to do it all without stealing a single parking space or bothering local inhabitants with even the noise of a pop gun. The new work is a video game, and the destruction was handled remotely by people sitting at computers hundreds of miles away in Redwood City.

We’re pleased that, for once, local commuters and residents were not inconvenienced. Also, despite the fact that Downtown gets beaten up pretty badly in Battlefield Hardline, we think it’s cool that the designers chose this location. We’re not saying that wrecking Downtown is a good thing, and the hyperviolence and attacks on police are disconcerting, but after all this is a game, with suspension of disbelief required as in any big-budget spectacle. Ultimately being the focus of an enormous imaginative effort is fun, in part because it is not real.

The work in the game is detailed and impressive, and there’s a joy in spotting the landmarks, the same way that there is when you see familiar Downtown streets, restaurants or buildings in films, TV shows or commercials. In Battlefield Hardline motorcycles rip through Bunker Hill with police cars in hot pursuit (amusingly, a sign on what is Grand Avenue instead reads “Regal”). There’s a segment on Lower Grand Avenue. There are even freeway shootouts and, something you don’t see every day, bad guys going from building to building not on foot, but by zipline.

Battlefield Hardline is unlikely to have any sort of economic impact. There probably won’t be gamers who, after shooting up the town or seeing KPMG Tower get smashed, decide that they need to visit Downtown. Still, there could be a more subtle effect, with players of the game later seeing the same sights in TV shows or movies. Maybe some of the upcoming coverage of the opening of The Broad museum or this summer’s Special Olympics World Games will cause a flicker of recognition. Perhaps, over time, this recognition will build and get someone interested in the area.

There’s even a degree of fun for Downtowners who pick up a game controller. Given all the traffic snarls and frustrations over questionable architecture, there’s an amusing element in ripping things apart, knowing no one really gets hurt and that things will be reassembled the next time the game starts. We’re enjoying this unlikely moment under the sun with our own skyline.

Lack of Leadership Means a Waste of Much-Needed Public Space

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he section of Hill Street just north of Fourth Street is one of the most depressing half blocks in Downtown Los Angeles. It is not that the area is dirty or unsafe. Rather, it is frustratingly underutilized. It exemplifies blown potential and squandered opportunity.

One of the culprits is Angels Flight, which has been shuttered since derailing about 18 months ago, and considering the failures of the past, we’re not sure if the funicular operators will ever be able to convince its government regulators that the railway can again run safely. Still, we hope the situation can be rectified, as a functioning Angels Flight would make it easier to go between the Historic Core and Bunker Hill (those 153 steps are a beast on a hot day). It would add a bit of fun and nostalgia to Downtown.

The more pressing problem, for the moment, is the public plaza south of Angels Flight and the associated Angels Knoll park. They have sat behind chain link fencing for nearly two years. Unfortunately, things may not change for several more years.

This is, in a word, stupid. We’re baffled as to how local leaders are unable to come up with a solution to open and maintain some prime public gathering spaces, particularly when the shutdowns reflect poorly on a booming Downtown. If ever there was a time when creative thinking was needed, this is it.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week wrote about the status of the plaza and the park, which are both part of the same parcel, though the park is higher up the hill and has an entrance close to the Cal Plaza complex. The properties have been fenced off since July 2013.

The closing was frustrating. The land had been owned by the former Community Redevelopment Agency, and when Gov. Jerry Brown shuttered CRAs across the state in an effort to improve California’s beleaguered budget, hundreds of local properties were put into a state of limbo. A successor agency was formed and a long, cumbersome process to sell off agency assets began. The park and plaza parcel were one of the few pieces in which the city wanted a hand in the sales process.

The fencing went up because the successor agency had neither the money nor the means to operate and maintain the park and the plaza. Additionally, the plaza, across from Grand Central Market, had the challenge of an entrenched homeless population who

some neighbors said acted aggressively. When people complained, this foolish sledgehammer of a response — no access for anyone — was taken.

In January, the city reached an agreement with the CRA successor agency to help effect a sale of the parcel. This is valuable land that was once envisioned as the site of a third Cal Plaza skyscraper.

An initial estimate said it could fetch more than $20 million. Downtown boosters see it as an ideal spot for a dense project, whether housing or a hotel.

The future use of the site is good news. The downside is that no one can figure out a way to remove the fencing and pay for the upkeep of the properties until construction begins.

Given the vast amounts of money flowing in the area, we think this represents a void of leadership and a shirking of problem solving. Where are the city and state officials who have had a hand in the properties? Where are the private-sector leaders who make it a point to help when government proves intractable?

Angels Knoll is the trickier of the sites, as it holds grass that needs cutting and watering and trees that require trimming. Still, it is a lovely, rolling expanse, a place tourists checked out (it appeared in the film (500) Days of Summer) and that workers in nearby office towers visited for a mid-day break. We’re hard-pressed to see why elected leaders can’t work with the owners of, say, the adjacent Cal Plaza buildings to share in the expense of opening and operating the park.

The plaza closure is even more perplexing. A wide expanse of the sidewalk by the street is open and maintained by the city. However, the inviting section with benches and shade trees, where patrons of Grand Central Market might take their lunch, is off limits. If the city already oversees the sidewalks, then why can’t it also maintain the plaza?

An initial response has been that the city doesn’t want to spend money upgrading the sites when a new project might rise. That’s fine: Don’t dedicate a lot of funds to improvements. Just pay what it takes to get the parcels open and keep the plants trimmed. Hose off the plaza and empty the trashcans and paint out any graffiti when the need arises. Just don’t leave the land dormant.

This has gone on long enough. It’s time for local leaders to be smart and do what it takes to activate these public spaces.

April 13, 2015

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

From Downtown to Yosemite A Trip North Sparks Thoughts of Redwoods, Waterfalls and Emperor Wesson

By Jon Regardie uring a recent four-day period, I completely checked out of both Los Angeles and the media-consumption world.

During a family trip to Yosemite I went nearly 96 hours without turning on a TV, listening to

D

THE REGARDIE REPORT a radio, opening a newspaper, sending a telegram or logging onto the Internet. I didn’t once check my cell phone, but only because I don’t have a cell phone (yes, seriously).

I had no idea what was going on in Los Angeles civic, business and political circles. I was, all in all, completely uninformed. I felt just like a local voter on Election Day. I realized that anything could have happened while I was gone, and I started pondering the possibilities and the things I may have missed.

I decided that there was a 61% chance that the Department of Water and Power got audited again, an 82% probability that Mayor Eric Garcetti created a new hashtag, and a 14% likelihood that Council President Herb Wesson had staged a palace coup, locked Garcetti in a dungeon and named himself Emperor. Then I realized that the latter probably didn’t occur, because Wesson thinks he already runs L.A. I guesstimated that there was a 19% chance that the 31 needles had been taken out of the Gloria Molina voodoo doll in City Councilman José Huizar’s campaign headquarters (OK, I don’t know that Huizar actually has one of these. But I

don’t know that he doesn’t, either). I knew there was a 48% likelihood that the L.A. County Fire Department had fumbled something, anything, related to its hiring protocols, and that there was a 0.001% chance that the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to actually consider the feelings of their fans and take serious steps to get the team’s games on most TVs. Trees and Falls Yosemite is five hours and a world away from Los Angeles. Yet, during the drive, and even once in the park, I found myself thinking occasionally of Downtown, the things that happen here, and also how lucky Downtown residents and workers are.

I marveled at the giant redwoods in the Mariposa Grove in the southern part of Yosemite, finding them astounding and mystifying, which happen to be the same emotions many people feel when considering the pension and retirement packages enjoyed by some city workers.

I looked in awe at the Yosemite and Bridalveil Falls, the water plummeting down down down down down. For some reason this made me think of the Los Angeles Times print circulation figures and page count.

We took family hikes, one up a mountain that seemed to rise steeper and faster than the proposed minimum wage boost in Los Angeles ($13.25 an hour! No, $15.25! And make it for the whole county!). At the information center in Yosemite Village we learned about forest fires and controlled burns, and I thought of the De-

inset photo by Jon Regardie

Yosemite National Park is five hours and a world removed from the Downtown skyline. Still, a recent visit to the park led to 25 minutes of gridlock, which made a visitor feel like he had never left home.

cember arson blaze at Geoff Palmer’s Da Vinci apartment complex.

In the flat portions of the village we saw people on bicycles and loads of pedestrians, and no one was in danger of getting whacked by a car, so in that regard it was unlike Los Angeles.

However, after one day on the trails we climbed into the Prius and spent 25 inexplicable minutes trying to get out of the parking lot. Suddenly I felt like we hadn’t left Downtown. The only things missing were a film crew blocking a lane of traffic and an LAPD officer handing out jaywalking tickets.

Redwoods and Republicans Driving to Yosemite from Los Angeles re-

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quires spending time on Highway 99, and if you ever want a couple hours to feel like a couple weeks, then this is a surefire way to accomplish it. I’m not saying there isn’t much to see along the way, but the cultural highlight of the ride is glimpsing the billboards for Apple Annie’s in Tulare.

Passing through the towns made me think of the riches we have in Downtown Los Angeles, of how much there is to do at all hours of the day and night. Driving by sleepy hamlets like Visalia and Pixley made me thankful for Downtown’s natural resources such as Grand Park and Tom LaBonge.

Continued on page 20

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April 13, 2015

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

By Donna Evans 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

Driving Drama: A couple who have been dating for a year were in the process of breaking up while driving in the area of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street on March 29. Just after midnight, the driver pushed the passenger out of the moving vehicle and sped off. Police

later arrested the driver on suspicion of aggravated assault.

Bus Stop Blues: An unidentified gang member on April 1 asked a 24-year-old man standing at a bus stop in the 400 block of Pico Boulevard which gang he belonged to. When the man denied any affiliation, the gang member cut him.

Party Foul: Two unidentified men, who were attending a party in the 400 block of South San Pedro Street in the early morning hours of

March 29, swiped $7,600 worth of laptops and cameras from an adjacent apartment. Someone spotted the burglary and convinced the men to return all the equipment. They did, then fled the premises.

Office Burglary: An unidentified person pried open the door of a construction site office in the 800 block of South Spring Street between April 3-4 and stole $2,700 worth of tools.

Two Strikes: A man who had been evicted from an apartment building in the 400 block of East Seventh Street in late March was arrested on suspicion of burglary on April 2 after allegedly stealing a pair of $25 headphones from a residential unit.

Don’t Leave Your Bike Unattended: Ten bikes, all secured, had their locks cut in 10 different locations all around Downtown, including apartment hallways, gym lobbies, the Central Library and parking garages, from March 29 to April 4.

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Downtown News 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

The Day I Shot a Bad Guy A Session in Cop School Reveals Another Side of the LAPD

By Eddie Kim verything seemed normal in the convenience store.

A customer was standing near the door, trading cash with the clerk. A kid in the aisle next to me, maybe 6 years old, blurted something nonsensical in that little-kid way.

So far, so banal. Then I turned back toward the door, about 20 feet away. In front of the door was a man. In his hands was a gun. It was pointed at the clerk’s face.

My hand hovered over the Glock pistol on the table in front of me. The robber hadn’t noticed me. Should I wait until he got his money and lowered his gun? What if he just had a fake weapon?

If I raised my gun, would he try to shoot me and others in the store?

I didn’t get a chance to think it through. He turned toward me.

Up went the Glock, my finger squeezing the trigger. Click-clickclick-click.

I wasn’t alone. My partner, about six feet to my right, also fired. The robber went down.

Some small text appeared on the screen in front of us: “Session complete.”

I wasn’t, obviously, in real danger. The encounter took place in a simulator in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Granada Hills training academy, where reporters were invited for a media day.

The event gave us an inside look at how officers are trained, with sessions on police driving, tactics and community relations.

It was an intimate affair, with about 15 people in attendance.

Maybe it’s just coincidence, but the session came after a number of high-profile police-related events. Last month, multiple officers in Skid Row shot and killed 43-year-old Charly Leundeu Keunang, better known by his nickname, Africa, after Keunang allegedly tried to grab an officer’s gun. This followed the August shooting of Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old South L.A. resident described by family as mentally ill. Again, police said Ford reached for an officer’s holstered firearm.

E

A group of smart, thoughtful cops led the event, and an undercurrent of self-awareness ran through discussions of police tactics and responsibilities. Many were quick to condemn the mistakes the department had made through the decades. The training event may have had some spin to put the department in a positive light, but it wasn’t a whitewashing.

Instead, the message I took away was that the department is trying, and sometimes still failing, to do things better than it did in its past.

Need for Emotion In 2006, Dr. Luann Pannell, a longtime LAPD psychologist, became the department’s director of police training and education. Two years later, she spearheaded a complete overhaul of the LAPD academy’s curriculum to make it more responsive to community needs beyond just dealing with criminals.

Pannell, who has neat, shoulder-length brown hair and warm eyes that sharpen when she punches home a point, told us that the LAPD constantly faces cultural shifts. Old-school militarystyle drilling, complete with screaming and yelling, only goes so far today, she said.

“I’m a psychologist, and my officers would probably say there’s no need for emotion on duty. That’s not true,” she said.

“Emotion serves as the base of police action. They need to understand the emotions of everyone involved in an incident.”

Tapping into emotion also means reshaping perceptions of how policing happens. Did we know, Pannell asked, that of 14,000 mental emergency calls a year, only 2.5% end in a use of force? She noted that the department hopes to start collecting data not just on negative statistics, such as the number of officer-involved shootings, but also positive ones, like the number of mental health referrals given to people while on patrol.

One point came up repeatedly: the idea that officers are no different than the citizens they serve. At the end of the morning’s introduction, Pannell launched into a full rendition of Maya

The author (right) and Sam Dubin, from the network Fusion, getting ready for an LAPD simulator that puts recruits in virtual policing scenarios.

Angelou’s poem “Human Family” from memory.

“We are more alike, my friends,” she said, pausing for dramatic effect, “than we are unalike.”

Later, in the use-of-force lesson, Office Joe Johnson, a trim Continued on page 8

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8 Downtown News

police, 7 man with a thin mustache and smart glasses who has taught in the academy for 20 years, leaned over to me while addressing the group.

“Feel this material,” he said, offering his sleeve.

I rubbed the cloth between my fingers.

“Is that any different, really, than this?” he asked, touching my sweater.

“No,” I said, shaking my head.

“I am not a superhero,” he continued. “This uniform doesn’t make me any better or badder than you. We teach everyone that.”

Johnson’s articulate breakdown of police policy was convincing, but his words made it especially jarring to see, just a day later, a video showing South Carolina cop Michael Slager gunning

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the message being emphasized was a bit too neat and clean.

“Well, I feel like a bigger issue may be how race factors into the lead-up to a confrontation, like in a pedestrian or traffic stop,” I argued.

She nodded, collecting her thoughts.

“That’s true. We need to talk about race more, not less. Why shouldn’t we?” she said.

It wasn’t exactly the response I was fishing for, but no matter — we had to wrap up and move to the next demonstration. And to be honest, what lingered in my mind as we strolled through the academy’s clean, quiet hallways wasn’t the color of the bad guy’s skin.

Instead, I wondered: What would have happened if I didn’t shoot? eddie@downtownnews.com

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nell sided up to me and Sam Dubin, my partner and a contributor for the network Fusion. She asked a question: Had we noticed the race of the robber?

I stared blankly at her, then at Sam. He looked equally confused.

“I think, well, I didn’t really notice. Was he white?” I muttered. “Honestly, my eyes went straight to his gun.”

“He might’ve been black. It happened fast,” Sam said.

Pannell flashed a small grin, as if happy with the implied point.

“I believe he was black,” she said. “But it’s interesting that, even though people assume you would notice race in a scenario like that, many people don’t.”

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down Walter Scott, a 50-year-old black man who was fleeing after a traffic stop altercation.

Slager initially said that Scott tried to wrestle his taser away and that he shot only because he was in danger. The video contradicted him, showing him shooting Scott eight times in the back from about 15 feet away. The revelation led to a murder charge and his firing.

I don’t know what sort of training Slager received and how it differed from LAPD instruction. Still, even though it occurred more than 2,000 miles away, it was felt deeply in Los Angeles, the same way that people here reacted to officer-involved killings in Cleveland, New York City and, most notoriously, the small Missouri town of Ferguson.

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Downtown News 9

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A Long Road for a Public Art Project Steel Sculptures on Freeway Overpasses Contain High-Tech LED Lights

By Eddie Kim owntowners are used to hearing about buildings that can takes years, even decades, to go from concept to opening.

Now, add a public artwork to that line: City officials expect to finish next month a two-part Civic Center project for which artists were selected in 2007.

The build-out has taken most of that time, as construction on the $298,499 project, portions of which recall the arcing necks of brontosauruses and metallic ribcages, began five years ago.

The process began in 2006, when city officials decided to try to improve the pedestrian experience on two connections between Downtown and the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and Union Station. The city had been hearing complaints about how the 101 Freeway overpasses on Los Angeles and Main streets felt barren and unsafe, said Felicia Filer, the public art director for the city Department of Cultural Affairs.

“The original idea was just to be minimal, with a chain-link fence on one side and higher curbs to add safety, but [the Bureau of Engineering] came to us to ask what more we could do,” Filer recalled last week.

In 2007, artists Ned Khan and Jenna Didier won the contract to create the artworks. Didier then roped in Oliver Hess and Marcos Lutyens, her partners in the now-disbanded artist col-

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lective Infranatural.

The design process took years, in part because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Caltrans, the city Department of Transportation and other city agencies all had to approve plans.

The artists had to take into account both creative and practical needs, as people wanted shade during the day and some light after dark, said Didier. She and Hess added that the freeway below got the team thinking about motion, materials and air pollution.

The structure on Los Angeles Street features massive, curving steel pylons with a wiry veil of blossom-shaped steel plates draped over them.

The Main Street piece has large steel pillars holding up a spine-like collection of vertical poles; horizontal beams attached to the ends of those poles will provide shade.

Both installations contain interactive elements and LED lights. The Los Angeles street structure changes its lighting based on measurements for air pollution and weather. The Main Street work will use data from pedestrians’ footsteps and reflect their movement with a series of swaying steel beams (also equipped with LED lights) above.

Hess said the project required some complicated physics.

“We wanted it to look like it was taking flight,” Hess said. “But the reinforcement for the work had to be woven into the reinforce-

photos by Gary Leonard

Two huge steel and light sculptures, on Main Street and Los Angeles Street above the 101 Freeway, are expected to be completed next month. They have been in the works since 2007.

ment of the bridge, and it goes deep into the ground. The design of it had to make it, basically, weightless for the bridge, so that there was no additional stress at all on the structure.”

Didier, meanwhile, is curious to see how pedestrians respond.

“It’s been an incredible process,” she said. “The work required to fabricate these pieces and the difficulty of the location, it all took more time than I think we expected. It will be great to see how people interact with them, finally.” eddie@downtownnews.com

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One-Third Of Knee Replacement Surgeries For Arthritis May Be Unnecessary

A Healthy Home Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown Los Angeles Is a One-Stop Shop For Your Healthcare Needs

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Flexogenix Offers Non-Surgical Solutions for Relieving Knee Pain

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS Downtown Los Angeles aims to become the medical home for this growing community, serving as a beacon for primary care, wellness and expert medical and surgical consultation.

Stretching north to Chinatown and south to the Industrial District, east to the Arts District and west to City West, Downtown Los Angeles is bustling with activity.

Within just 5.84 square miles, Downtown Los Angeles offers award-winning restaurants, vintage and luxury shopping, historical and cultural activities, and numerous business opportunities. The best of life’s pleasures are in Downtown Los Angeles, interconnected and accessible by foot, bus and light rail.

Now, Downtown Los Angeles also offers the best in health care, conveniently located in the heart of the urban core at Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown Los Angeles.

Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown Los Angeles values your time and health. Patients are busy and have high expectations for their health care provider. Make them your one-stop-shop for world-class medical services.

The historic Art Deco building has been beautifully redesigned to begin the healing process, making you feel comfortable and relaxed. Keck offers expert services including consultations for primary care and wellness, urology, women’s health and family planning, neurology and headache, nutrition, dermatology, and geriatric and sleep medicine. Their executive health program allows same-day comprehensive evaluation, followed by a refreshing in-facility shower. Additional services on the horizon include a multidisciplinary preventive health lecture series, mental well-being services and expanded office hours for both early birds and those who work late.

There is no better time to be in Downtown Los Angeles than now. Invest in yourself. Invest in your health.

At 830 S. Flower St. To schedule a tour of Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown Los Angeles, call (800) USC-CARE or visit keckmedicine.org.

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FROM OUR ADVERTISERS A five-year study led by Dr. Daniel Riddle of the Department of Physical Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond found that only 44% of knee replacement surgeries were deemed “appropriate.” In addition, 22% were found to be “inconclusive.” The number of “inappropriate” (or unnecessary) knee replacement surgeries was a staggering 34%.

Riddle’s team examined data from a five-year study in which 175 people had total knee replacement surgeries. About 60% of the patients were female, and the average age of the patients was 67.

In its assessment, the team focused on real world scenarios, taking into account a patient’s pain level, symptoms, age, knee mobility and stability.

It also reviewed the location and extent of each patient’s osteoarthritis.

“Our finding that one third of knee replacements were inappropri-

April 13, 2015

Downtown News 11

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14-Story Tower For Homeless Individuals Proposed for Skid Row Weingart Center in Early Stage Of Plan That Would Create 200 Apartments

By Donna Evans he Weingart Center, which for decades has provided meals, transitional housing and job training to Skid Row residents, hopes to build a 14-story tower adjacent to its San Pedro Street facility. The project would create 200 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals.

Weingart President and CEO Kevin Murray said he is poised to begin the process of filing paperwork with the city, and does not yet have financing or a proposed budget. Still, he said he is committed to making the project happen.

“I told the architects I didn’t want this to look like affordable housing — not some square, stucco box. I want this to look like a place you or I might live in,” he said.

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The Weingart Center is proposing building a 14-story permanent supportive housing facility at Sixth and Crocker streets in Skid Row. The project does not yet have a budget or financing.

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ate was higher than expected and linked to variation in knee pain, osteoarthritis severity and functional loss,” Riddle said.

These data highlight the need to develop patient selection criteria in the U.S. Is Knee Replacement Surgery Right for You? The findings of Riddle’s study come at a time of great advances for non-surgical options for relieving knee pain. The FDA recently approved an injection based treatment called Viscosupplementation that acts to lubricate and cushion the knee joint and help to relieve pain. There are also considerable advances in regenerative medicine such as platelet rich plasma (PRP), and stem cells therapies that can regenerate and restore the cartilage without surgery.

Any medical expert will tell you surgery should always be your last option. But when it comes to knee replacement surgery, now more than ever it makes sense to get several opinions and explore all non-surgical options before saying yes to a full knee replacement.

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12 Downtown News

April 13, 2015

A Residential Move on Broadway Veteran Downtown Developer Adds to the Street’s Action With 58 Apartments

By Donna Evans he first time Joseph Soleiman walked into the 1906 Bumiller Building on Broadway, he wasn’t sure what he was standing on. Beneath his Prada lace-ups was either wood or concrete, he figured, though the 30-plus years of hardened pigeon droppings made it impossible to tell.

Needless to say, he was more impressed by some of the historic elements in the property at 430 S. Broadway: 30-foot ceilings on the ground and top floors, exposed brick, light wells, original tile and a roof with panoramic views. With its Renaissance Revival style and location on a transforming street, Soleiman knew that the six-story structure was a strong candidate for a residential conversion.

“This building is one of the most charming of the adaptive reuses,” said Soleiman, the director of acquisitions and general counsel for ICO Development. “It’s got a modern vibe, but retains its historic charm and is rooted in Downtown.”

ICO, which opened the Historic Core’s Pacific Electric Lofts and Mercantile Lofts, acquired the Bumiller Building in 2012. A conversion began the following year, and in March the renamed Broadway Lofts opened. Soleiman would not reveal what the company paid for the property or the cost of the transformation.

The building now offers 58 live/work units ranging from 355 to almost 1,600 square feet. Rents start at $1,155 and go up to $3,750. ICO expects to have the property completely leased by early summer.

Many residences have features unique to Downtown. Some offer a spiral staircase to a small mezzanine. Three townhouse-style units are located on the ground floor. There are also 19 studios with lofty ceilings that seem to beg for creative use of the space.

Underneath the pigeon droppings, Soleiman eventually learned, was a mixture of concrete, now polished, and terra cotta tile. The building also features a rooftop lounge with a barbeque and succulent garden and a gym. On the ground floor is 3,500 square feet of retail space that formerly housed jewelry, electronic and bridal shops. Soleiman said ICO is in talks with potential tenants.

Light and History During a recent tour of the building, Soleiman explained how preserving one of the structure’s historic attributes — the light wells — lent itself to creating illuminated spaces that otherwise would have little or no natural light. The project’s architect, Downtown-based Omgivning, added steel and glass catwalks. The walkways lead to several of the lofts, which maximizes the interior space.

“This project is very unique,” said Sarah Cahill, the project manager for the Broadway Lofts. “I don’t know of another project Downtown that has windows on both ends of the unit. We could do that because of the light wells.”

Omgivning designers also replaced the old spiral staircase from the sixth floor to the roof with a sturdier one that can handle an emergency evacuation of the building. The project also involved improving the fire escape, landing and railings.

One of the first components of the building the designers removed was a grill, likely erected in the 1960s or ’70s, that covered windows offering a view of Bunker Hill. Inside, workers uncovered and cleaned terra cotta tiles, which are now a featured design element: Throughout the project, Omgivning added a variety of green accents to enhance the jade tiles.

In fact, those green tiles led to the name of a theater during one of the incarnations of the 109-year-old building. In 1906, the building housed a high-end department store called Le Bon Marché, and later it served as the western branch of the New York-based Eden Musee, a theater for movies and Vaudeville acts. Following that, the structure became the Wonderland Theater, followed by the Jade Theater.

Like many other structures on Broadway, however, it eventually fell into disrepair. Soleiman believes the building has been largely vacant since the early 1970s, and until ICO’s purchase only the ground floor was activated. Additionally, he noted, the lobby was closed off, and there had been no way to access the upper floors without going through the former jewelry store.

The building’s design features are not the only thing that set it apart. Although Broadway is seeing a resurgence of historic theaters and a number of mid- and high-end stores, there is still relatively little residential development, with

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photo by Gary Leonard

Joseph Soleiman of ICO Development at the Broadway Lofts. The company recently completed a transformation of the 1906 building into 58 residences.

most housing instead coming to nearby Spring or Main streets. Exceptions include the 60 rental units in The Judson, which opened at 424 S. Broadway in 2008, and the Orpheum Lofts, 37 apartments at 846 S. Broadway that Steve Needleman opened above the Orpheum Theatre in 2004.

Although he was ahead of the housing curve on the street, Needleman thinks Broadway is now ready for more full-time tenants. He also tipped his hat to ICO for creating rental units in a 100-plus-year-old building.

“It’s so much easier to build new. I applaud anyone who is going into adaptive reuse today,” said Needleman. “It really takes that extra effort and a real want to see the potential in each individual property.”

ICO’s project may turn out to be the first addition in a new wave of housing on the street. Veteran Downtown developer Izek Shomof is planning a 34-story tower with 450 residential units at Fourth and Broadway. Geoff Palmer, meanwhile, is moving forward with the Broadway Palace, which would bring nearly 700 apartments to two buildings near Broadway and Olympic Boulevard.

The mix of uses on Broadway, as well as the increasing foot traffic, has Soleiman thinking of a thought-provoking analogy.

“It’s like Third Street Promenade meets Sunset Boulevard,” he said, noting residents and workers can walk to nearby attractions including Grand Central Market and the Ace Hotel.

The building’s proximity to a slew of bars, restaurants and art galleries helped convince Jin Son to move to 430 S. Broadway last month. Plus, the 42-year-old graphic artist can now walk to her job at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Grand Avenue. While she liked her Highland Park home, Son loves her 450-square-foot apartment on the sixth floor of the Broadway Lofts.

Son had been looking to move Downtown for several months. She considered a smattering of buildings and was smitten with the Broadway Lofts’ architectural detail. She said ICO preserved the right things, such as the large industrial windows, fire escapes and even the mail chute, and added new, condominium-style, stainless steel appliances.

“I was really impressed with the restoration,” she said. “There’s a lovely juxtaposition of the exposed brick wall, old tile and metal railings with the new steel catwalks.”

Son is the type of tenant Soleiman said he believes the building will attract. The community is beginning to grow, he said, and Son may have some neighbors who are very familiar with the project: Soleiman said several ICO employees are eyeing units. donna@downtownnews.com

April 13, 2015

Soul, Power and Joy

Married couple Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims will appear together in choreographer Hans van Manen’s “Polish Pieces,” one of the works being performed this week when the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

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Check Our Website for Full Movie Listings DowntownNews.com The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Returns to Downtown

By Lauren Herstik enae Williams Niles always feels a buzz of energy when a performance of “Revelations” begins. Alvin Ailey’s signature 1960 piece signals its arrival with the first E-NEWS om ntown notes ofNew thes.c spiritual “I Been ’Buked.”

SIGN UP Sign up at Dow Some Ailey devotees, Niles notes, having& seen Sign Up forpride Ourthemselves E-Newson Blasts “Revelations” upwards of 20, Be Entered40totimes.

Win Movie Tickets!30 or “A presence comes over the space,” said Niles, and she’d know, given that she is the Music Center’s Vice President of Programming and the key player in bringing dance to the Downtown Los Angeles complex. “You feel a sense of community. That’s what Alvin Ailey wanted.”

The community will come together again this week, when the New York-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Dorothy.Do Chandler Pavilion as part of com/L.A wntownNews Facebook.the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center series. The six performances, including two weekLike Downtown News on Facebook end are Wednesday-Sun& Be Entered tomatinees, Win Movie Tickets! day, April 15-19.

The company will present three distinct programs, dubbed “Power of Ailey,” “Soul of Ailey” and “Joy of Ailey,” twice each. Four of the performances will feature “Revelations.”

MAR 30

The company, now under the guidance of Artistic Director Robert Battle, enjoys a strong following in Los Angeles, said Niles, and often sells out six performances in the 3,000-seat Downtown theater. Still, she said, the community continues to engage new audiences.

Niles attributes the growth to Battle moving the troops in a new direction.

He succeeded previous head Judith Jamison in 2011, and has included more balletic pieces than the modern company has tended to perform in the past.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to expand its repertoire, which in turn broadens the audience it attracts. According to Niles, it also provides an interesting challenge to the dancers.

One of the new challenges is a highlight of the Downtown run.

The “Soul of Ailey” performances on April 16 and 19 will feature the West Coast premiere of Matthew Rushing’s “ODETTA.” The ballet, with projections by Stephen Alcorn, is a tribute to Odetta Holmes, the singer, actress and civil rights

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activist. The Rev. Martin Luther King once called Sims said the Downtown performances “really show off everything the dancers can do.” her “the queen of American folk music.”

Glenn Sims added, “The beauty of Ailey is Battle commissioned the piece in response that we can do any kind of style. It’s like going to the power of Holmes’ work. Company veteran Linda Celeste Sims expects both the music to a buffet because all your senses are satisfied.”

The mix of styles is not the only way that and the performance to have an emotional imNiles thinks the company will resonate with pact. audiences. She pointed out that Ailey himself “It makes people think more about themmoved to Los Angeles from Texas when he was selves,” she said.

Everyone involved “ODETTA,” from the chore- 13. She said he first discovered dance while a student at Thomas Jefferson High School. ographer to the dancers, responded to “Ailey is a part of L.A.’s rich cultural history,” the evocative nature of Holmes’ music, Niles said. which translated into the purpose of In that regard, the company strives to give the piece, Sims said. back. In addition to the six performances at the “We thought, you can change people Music Center, the run will feature community through music. Why can’t it be the same for engagement and educational programs in addance?” she added. vance of opening night. The outreach will inThere are other highlights on the bill this week, including the company premieres of “Up- volve visits to local middle and high schools.

That is an embodiment, Linda Sims believes, rising” by Hofesh Shechter, “Polish Pieces” by of Alvin Ailey’s approach to the art of dance, Hans van Manen and “Bad Blood” by Ulysses one that continues more than a quarter centuS. Dove. Then there is Christopher Wheeldon’s ry after his 1989 passing.

“After the Rain Pas de Deux.” Though originally “Alvin said dance came from the people and staged in 2005, this will mark the first time that it should always be delivered back to the peothe Ailey company has performed it.

It seems almost fitting that the sensual two- 27ple,” she said.

Starts March In Downtown this week, it will be delivered person work featuring the music of Arvo Part to thousands. stars a married couple. Linda Sims will be perThe Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing it with her husband, Glenn Allen Sims. forms Wednesday-Sunday, April 15-19, at the “I grew up in this company,” said Linda Sims, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., and her 19 years prove it. She’s even got a year (213) 972-0711 or musiccenter.org/ailey. on her husband, now in his 18th season with Ailey.

The Sims said the three programs, as well as the individual pieces within each one, reveal the diversity of the company. They described “Polish Pieces,” for example, as a very subtle number (they also both appear in it). Linda

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Also on the bill is a performance of Matthew Rushing’s “ODETTA,” a tribute to the singer, actress and civil rights activist Odetta Holmes.

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14 Downtown News

April 13, 2015

A Shot in the Darkroom ‘School of Light’ Brings Film Photography Classes to Downtown

By Eddie Kim he art of film photography has been on the wane for nearly two decades, and darkrooms are starting to go extinct as digital images become ever more prevalent.

In Downtown Los Angeles, though, a new place offers the opportunity to learn how to shoot and process both film and digital photos using cutting-edge techniques and old-school skills alike.

School of Light was founded by British photographer Andrew Hall, who moved to Los Angeles in 2005. In the business located in The Reef (formerly L.A. Mart) at 1933 S. Broadway, Hall is channeling 35 years of experience behind the lens and in the darkroom.

“Photography is about the moment. It’s not about sketching your way to a final image,” said Hall, who has shot for clients including the Los Angeles Times, Wired magazine, Microsoft and even whisky maker Johnnie Walker. “You see what you need to see as a photographer, and you train yourself to do that and capture an instant moment.”

The school sits in a roughly 1,000-squarefoot space on the 11th floor of The Reef. There are two rows of desks and stools, clean white walls and a spacious darkroom filled with processing trays, photo enlargers, developing chemicals and photo paper.

The school offers six three-hour classes over six weeks in both digital and black-and-white film photography ($375 and $400, respectively). There’s also an upcoming slate of one- and

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two-day workshops, with subjects ranging from street photography to studio lighting techniques to a master class in black-and-white printing.

Hall accepts a maximum of five students for each film photo program and up to 12 for the digital courses. All the classes are taught by Hall and his assistant.

“It’s very hands-on, and [Hall] is able to tailor it to each of us,” said Henry Muehlhausen, who was enrolled in a black-and-white film course earlier this year. “It’s not just the class. We have a working darkroom and I think there’s a community building here.”

Photo Finish School of Light began when Hall met The Reef owner Avo Tavitian, also a film photography buff, in early 2014. With darkrooms and film developers disappearing, Tavitian was having trouble finding a reliable person to process his negatives, Hall said.

“I told him, well, I’ve been in the darkroom since the ’80s. Why don’t I give it a try?” Hall remarked. “It led to this opportunity and the space, and I still process and print all his work.”

It took several months to build out the school’s space and acquire equipment for the darkroom; Hall estimates he spent about $25,000. It debuted in September and students range in age and experience, from total newbies to older shooters who want to pick up new tricks and skills.

Hall previously taught photography classes at the Art Center of Pasadena, and the experi-

Photographer Andrew Hall (second from left) last year opened School of Light. The business in The Reef offers photography classes, and even teaches students how to work in a darkroom.

photo by Gary Leonard

ence motivated him to teach in his own studio.

He’s particularly happy to see the number of people who want to learn film photography at the School of Light.

“People are really responding to the tactile nature of film and analog processing,” Hall said. “To be in control and originate the image without using any programs, that’s appealing.

There’s an element of craftsmanship to it that you don’t get with digital photography.”

Hall also takes on commissions and pursues his own photography. Most of his work in the last decade revolves around experiments using light, liquids, vapors and found objects. That results in abstract and confounding images that feature otherworldly swirls of color and sketches of vibrant geometric shapes. Students in his digital photo classes learn how to do some of this experimentation, using inexpensive tools

such as toy light sabers or simple oils and dyes mixed into neon hues.

In the future, Hall hopes to expand the program to include seminars or classes taught by other photographers. He is also excited about some shorter workshops, which he expects will be popular with casual shutterbugs. Everyone is a photographer now, he said, meaning there are more images — both good and bad — shared than ever before.

Some old-school film diehards are quick to lament the digital shift, but Hall is optimistic.

The best way for him to grow the art of photography, he said, is by teaching others how to do it well.

School of Light is on the 11th floor of The Reef, 1933 S. Broadway, (213) 7000-5581 or theschooloflight.com. eddie@downtownnews.com

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Downtown News 15

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CALENDAR LISTINGS

Governors, Bunnies and Picnics, oh My!

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com

EVENTS

Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com.

April 15, 9 p.m.: Imagine our excitement to announce that Florence and the Machine is again touring.

Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com.

April 14, 8 p.m.: FKA twigs is here to entertain everyone missing out on the corporate music bacchanalia that is Coachella.

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

April 13: Jeff Parker Quartet.

April 14: Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble Jam Session.

April 15: The Reunion Project.

April 16: Keezer/Sprague/Margot.

April 17: Aaron Rafael Serfaty and Catina Deluna.

April 18: Grace Kelly Group.

April 19: Trio Electric.

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

April 13, 8 p.m.: Does anyone else find it ironic that KROQ’s “Locals Only” program is sponsoring tonight’s show from Santa Rosa singer Odessa?

April 16, 9 p.m.: Eskmo’s slabs of buoyant ambient electronica bring a little excitement back to the Bootleg’s lineup.

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

April 13 and 15, 9 p.m.: With a name like Chet Faker, tonight’s artist is a perfect contender to play two off-dates in between Coachella performances.

April 14, 8 p.m.: Stromae: a Belgian electronic act for people who found Perfume Genius just a little too droll.

April 16, 9 p.m.: Azealia Banks is from the 212. She’s come Continued on next page

photos courtesy Town

Hall-Los Angeles

P

op electronica merges with neo-soul in the form of mainstream avantgarde darling FKA twigs. Following up her appearance at The Regent last year, the English performer with her own belief in the use of capital and lower-case letters returns to Downtown on Tuesday, April 14, for a date at Hill Street’s Belasco Theatre. Indie blog-sycophants and Hollywood glitterati will rub elbows with one another in a night of trip-hop from actor Robert Pattinson’s girlfriend. What’s far more important, however, is seeing the live songs from her lauded full-length debut LP1. At 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or belascous.com.

H

ow are Gov. Jerry Brown and California faring in 2015? You may have an opinion, but it’s not nearly as informed as some of our past state chief executives. Fortunately, Town Hall-Los Angeles is bringing together a trio of ex-governors on Wednesday, April 15. The honorable George Deukmejian (center), Pete Wilson (right) and Gray Davis (the 35th, 36th and 37th governors, respectively) will show up at a noon luncheon at the City Club to offer their prognosis for the future of the Golden State’s economy, infrastructure and education.

The event will be moderated by the alwaysknowledgeable Jim Newton. At 555 S. Flower St., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

D

photo courtesy Bunnymania

T

3

o you have rabbit fever? You just might after a visit to Bunnymania, a multimedia art show in the Arts District’s Wilding Cran Gallery. The exhibit, which runs through Saturday, April 18, aims to educate viewers about the relative merits of the leporidae (a 50-cent word for the rabbit family) in both its wild and domesticated iterations, with work by artists including Gretchen Ryan, Kim McCarty and Mark Blatchford (his unicorn and bunny ménage is shown here). Better still, proceeds from the show benefit the National Museum of Animals and Society. You can check it out from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and noon-7 p.m. on Saturday.

Bonus: On the closing day, leading bunny expert Dr. Margo DeMello will speak at 1 p.m.

Her appearance will be followed by a bunny-themed film fest. Quick, what do you call a cool rabbit? A: Hip hop. At Unit B, 939 S. Santa Fe. Ave. or bunnymania.org.

he catastrophe of World War I, with its massive, mechanized slaughter, comes into new focus this week at REDCAT as the Dutch company Hotel Modern teams with composer Arthur Sauer on The Great War. Narratives merge in a show that blends the theatrical and the cinematic in an examination of stark humanity. Of course, it’s REDCAT, so there’s a major twist: In this case, the Western Front is re-created with regular household materials and dollhouse-scale props, and there is spoken narration from real soldiers’ letters. Tickets are still available for the 8:30 p.m. performances on Friday-Saturday, April 17-18, and the 7 p.m. show on Sunday. At 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

photo courtesy Grand Park

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

Two One

Wednesday, april 15 California Governors at Town Hall-Los Angeles City Club, 555 S. Flower St., 9213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

11:30 a.m.: No Governator will be on hand, but the triumvirate of former state chief executives George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis will discuss the California of today and the future.

The event is organized by Town-Hall Los Angeles.

Thursday, april 16 Laszlo Bock at Live Talks Gensler, 500 S. Figueroa St. orlivetalksbusiness.com.

7:45 a.m.: Did you know that someone in the world has the title Senior Vice President, People Operations of Google? The man with that on his business card is Laszlo Bock, and he’ll be speaking with Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison at a Live Talks Business Forum breakfast event. saTurday, april 18 Dr. Margo DeMello at Bunnymania Wilding Cran Gallery Unit B, 939 S. Santa Fe. Ave. or bunnymania.org.

1 p.m.: An art show benefiting the National Museum of Animals and Society caps off with a lecture from rabbit expert Dr. Margo DeMello.

L.A. Times Festival of Books USC or events.latimes.com.

April 18-19: Los Angeles’ most anticipated culture festival returns for two days of lectures, book sales and the perpetual struggle of people watching with advanced myopia.

Picnic DTLA Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

12 p.m.: Bring the family, bring the food, bring the hopes and dreams, bring the yearning for live DJs and a kimchi making station. But for heaven’s sake, leave the booze at home.

Welcome to Night Vale Orpheum Theatre, 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

7 p.m.: A podcast in the vein of Garrison Keillor tells a yarn or two about the fictional town of Night Vale, Nevada.

photo by Jamie James Medina

April 13, 2015

N

photo courtesy REDCAT

5

ot that you need an invitation to pack up a blanket and some ham sandwiches and lounge on the lawn at Grand Park, but this Saturday, April 18, the park for everyone hosts Picnic DTLA. Gather your family, friends and frenemies in a celebration of public dining and togetherness featuring food trucks, DJs and various food crafts, among them a makeyour-own-kimchi station. The party runs from noon- 4 p.m. Bring a bathing suit for the kids so they can run through the fountain. It’s a picnic, so leave the ants at home. At 200 N. Grand Ave. or grandparkla.org.

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

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Continued from previous page across the country to perform in the 213. Think about that.

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

April 13, 10 p.m.: Curtis Parry Jazz Cartel.

April 14, 10 p.m.: The Dank.

April 15, 11 p.m.: Kat Meyers & The Buzzards.

April 16, 11 p.m.: Black Hole Past.

April 17, 11 p.m.: For the Kings.

April 19, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s.

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

April 17: Simon Patterson.

Mayan 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com.

April 16, 7 p.m.: Bear with us: Milky Chance is a German folk duo whose music carries hints of reggae.

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

April 18, 8 p.m.: Trained zookeepers will not be on hand for tonight’s Los Tigres del Norte show.

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

April 13: Filibuster.

April 14: The Electrets.

April 15: Caroline Marks.

April 16: Thursday Night Booty.

April 17: Western Settings, Smalls, Gentlemen Prefer Blood and Dudes Night.

April 18: Thee Fourgiven, The Unclaimed and Motorcycle Black Madonnas.

The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

April 13: Electronic maven Squarepusher.

April 15: Sylvan Esso is Durham, North Carolina’s finest indie pop duo.

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

April 14, 10 p.m.: Once you’ve been thoroughly Manilowed, stumble down to see some improvised jazz with The Makers.

Shrine Auditorium 665 W. Jefferson Blvd. or shrineauditorium.com.

April 15, 7:30 p.m.: Brian Layne, Jessie Lacey and Garrett Tierney are Brand New. April 16, 8 p.m.: Thirteen years after they first made a splash with the album Turn on the Bright Lights, Interpol is back.

Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com.

April 14, 7:30 p.m.: Not to denigrate tonight’s headliner Barry Manilow, but Dave Koz is also on the bill.

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

April 14: Shark Toys, Mall Walk and Roses.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

April 15-17, 7:30 p.m., April 18, 2 and 7:30 p.m. and April 19, 2 p.m.: Few names rank higher in the dance world than Alvin Ailey. It’s been many moons since he burst on the scene in 1958, and though he passed in 1989, his legacy lives on. This week Ailey’s dance troupe will perform three separate programs over the course of six shows.

Bob Baker’s Something to Crow About Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

April 18-19, 2:30 p.m.: The puppets are getting downright agrarian as Bob Baker’s marionettes sojourn into the American heartland in Something to Crow About.

Dreamscape The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

April 16-18, 8 p.m., April 19, 3 p.m.: Poetry, dance and beat boxing tell the story of the night in 1998 when Riverside Police Department officers shot a 19-year-old girl 12 times. Through May 17.

Generation Sex The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

April 17, 7 p.m., April 18, 3 and 7 p.m., April 19, 3 p.m.: Teatro Luna, Chicago’s allLatina theater troupe, offers up a frank assessment of the ways in which technology has affected dating and sex. Audience members are asked to kindly refrain from Tindering during the show. Through May 17.

The Great War REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

April 17-18, 8:30 p.m. and April 19, 7 p.m.: The horrors of World War I appear in miniature only to be transformed into immense cinematic sets before your very eyes in this multimedia collaboration between Dutch group Hotel Modern and composer Arthur Sauer.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

April 14-17, 8 p.m., April 18, 2 and 8 p.m., April 19, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Fran Drescher

April 13, 2015

Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Four-String Fever

stars in this staging of the classic fairytale about romance, social status and evil step sisters. Through April 26.

She Kills Monsters Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org.

April 18, 8 p.m. and April 19, 7 p.m.: Role playing games get the theatrical treatment in this satirical journey through the heart of the absurd and fictional heroic quest. Through May 3.

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

April 14, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

S I N C E 19 7 2

U

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 Tuesday, april 14 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com photo by Gary Leonard

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Helene Grimaud in Recital facebook: twitter: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. Downtown News DowntownNews (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

8 p.m.: French Pianist Helene Grimaud takes on Berio, Takemitsu, Ravel, Albeniz, Liszt, Janacek, Debussy and Editor &Faure, PublishEr: Sue Laris Brahms for good measure.

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin Thursday, april 16 saTurday, april 18 ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie Camerata Pacifica Annual Concert by Wesley Youth Orchestra sENior EddieAve., Kim(213) 621-2200 or Zipper Hall,writEr: 200 S. Grand Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or stAFF writEr: Donna Evans colburnschool.edu. colburnschool.edu. coNtributiNG Maese 8 p.m.: StandoutEditor: chamberKathryn musicians put in good work on 4 p.m.: Straight from the private rehearsal spaces of Ktown coNtributiNG JeffMacMillan.

Favre, Greg Fischer pieces from Brahms,writErs: Liszt and James comes the Wesley Youth Orchestra.

Friday, april 17 sunday, april 19 Art dirEctor: Brian Allison Brahms’ Fourth Olivier Latry Organ Recital AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

7211 or musiccenter.org.

AccouNtiNG: April 17, 8 p.m. Ashley and AprilSchmidt 18-19, 2 p.m.: Neeme Jarvi conducts 7:30 p.m.: Knob-pulling, pedal-pushing keyster Olivier Latry theclAssiFiEd L.A. Philharmonic and violinist Martin Chalifour in the iconic takes Hurricane Mama through the paces in an evening of pipeAdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway Brahms’ opus as well as the composer’s somewhat shorter Tragic bursting music. Bring the noise!

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens Overture. sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez Jasmine Choi Master Class circulAtioN: Salmon Zipper Hall, 200 S.Danielle Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles Downtown Independent colburnschool.edu. distributioN AssistANts: Gustavo Bonilla 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 4 p.m.: The principal flautistLorenzo for the Castillo, Vienna Symphony likely has the requisite credentials to manage this instruc- or downtownindependent.com. ©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center Continued on next page tional affair.

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kuleles are big these days. More proof of that comes Saturday, April 18, when the L.A. Ukulele Expo takes place at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. The celebration of the tiny four-stringed instrument will feature an array of activities, including an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ukuEditor & PublishEr: Sue Laris lele ensemble (it is currently 2,370 participants).

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin Anyone with a ukulele can participate in the 11:30 ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie a.m. event, which kicks off with an instructional sENior writEr: Eddie Kim play-through of Daniel Ho and Tia Carrere’s song stAFF writEr: Donna Evans “Pua I Ka Ua.” On-site registration for the recordcoNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese SINC E 19 7 2festival will breaking song starts at 9:30 a.m.

The coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer also feature ukulele Los Angeles Downtown News sales and a free concert from 1264 W. First Los Angeles, CA 90026 Ho and Carrere after theStreet, record-breaking attempt.

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison phone: 213-481-1448 The Expo is hosted by the JACCC• fax: and213-250-4617 its ukulele AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa DowntownNews.com shop/school web: U-Space. email: realpeople@downtownnews.com PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard At 244 S. San Pedro St. or laukuleleexpo.com. clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon

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distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

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

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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie sENior writEr: Eddie Kim stAFF writEr: Donna Evans coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

S I N C E 19 7 2 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

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ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie sENior writEr: Eddie Kim stAFF writEr: Donna Evans coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

©2015 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.

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2 Downtown Locations Corner of BroaDway & 3rd

260 S. Broadway, 213-626-7975 • 213-626-8235, Tel/Fx: 213-626-4572

Fashion DistriCt at Corner 9th/santee 226 E. 9th St. , 213-623-5091 • 213-327-0645, Tel/Fx: 213-623-9405

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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with Tortillas & Salsa

+

CROSSWORD

2

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR

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LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

or californiasciencecenter.org.

Galapagos 3D. If it was good enough to blow Charles Darwin’s mind, it’s probably good enough for you!

Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction..

Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies.

See website for schedule.

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Continued from previous page April 13-16: Below Dreams chronicles the story of three people searching New Orleans for an existential fiber of life.

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

April 16, 7:30 p.m.: The grand saga of the life and death of Tower Records returns with All Things Must Pass.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019

April 13, 2015

JOE’S AUTO PARK

UNION BANK

319 E. 2nd St. #206 213-687-7780 Los Angeles,CA90012

*Behind Union Bank Parking Validated*

Dim Sum

Lunch and Dinner • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Parking Next to Restaurant Tel: 213.617.2323

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18 Downtown News

April 13, 2015

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL

Downtown News 19

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS VOlUnteer OppOrtUnities

Office space lease/sale

Downtown Office For Rent • 1100 S. Flower 3rd floor, Window Overlooks Staples 1 year lease $1,400/mo.

TYPE 1 DIABETES clinical research opportunities. You may be compensated for time and travel. CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION 858-245-1963

EMPLOYMENT

(213) 458-3650 accOUnting/Banking

REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lOfts fOr sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

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AUTOS & RECREATIONAL pre-OWned

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Nearly Every Make & Model Visit us online

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ACCOuNTANT: Jobsite/Resume/Ad: Bartels Motorcycle, 4141 Lincoln Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292.

PUBLIC NOTICE Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) And Draft Section 4(f) De Minimis Finding Available for the State Route 710 North Study Announcement of Public Hearings

Join Our Professional Live/Work Community of Startups and Entrepreneurs in the High-Tech, Entertainment, Fashion, Legal, Finance, Consulting, Real Estate, Advertising Industries and More

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Touring Daily 877-338-1010 1010wilshire.com stay@1010wilshire.com 1010 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017

restaUrant/hOtel RESTAuRANT SuPERVISOR M/F, FuLLTIME POSITION, $15.75/HR, 4 YR. EXPERIENCE REQuIRED, ENGLISH/ SPANISH SPEAKING, CALL FOR APPOINTMENT AT 213484-9800.

Live/Work - Up to 67% Tax Deductible

ASK ABOUT OUR NOW MOVE-IN RENTING SPECIALS! For Filming & Events: filmingandevents @ 1010wilshire.com Also visit our Oceanside property at 1010oceanside.com

EMPLOYMENT MEDiCaL assOC. aDMiNisTraTOrs Int’l Medicine Prog. in Los Angeles, CA. Dvlp int’l medical patient referral prog. Direct & implement clinical care & consulting svcs for int’l patients. Travel up to 50% of the time. Reqs: Master’s + 5 yrs exp. Apply: USC, Attn: Jamitsa Ramirez, Job ID# AA926, 2011 N. Soto Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90032.

the LOFT expert!

Voted Best Rooftop in Downtown L.A.

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Four public hearings will be held to give you an opportunity to talk about certain design features of the project with members of the study team.

WHAT’S There are copies of the Draft EIR/EIS available at the following AVAILABLE libraries:

Downtown since 2002

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

WHAT’S California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in BEING cooperation with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan PLANNED Transportation Authority (Metro), is proposing to find solutions to long standing traffic congestion and mobility constraints on State Route 710 (SR 710) in Los Angeles County, between State Route 2 (SR 2) and Interstates 5, 10, 210, and 605 (I5, I-10, I-210, and I-605, respectively) in east/northeast Los Angeles and the western San Gabriel Valley. The study area for the SR 710 North Study is approximately 100 square miles and generally bounded by I-210 on the north, I-605 on the east, I-10 on the south, and I-5 and SR 2 on the west. The proposed alternatives for the project include: the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative, the Freeway Tunnel Alternative, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternative, the No Build Alternative, and the Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM) Alternative.

WHY THIS Caltrans has studied the effects this project may have on AD the environment. Our studies show it may significantly affect the quality of the environment. The report that explains why it may have a significant effect on the environment is called an Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/ EIS). This notice is to tell you of the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement and of its availability for public review and comment and to offer the opportunity for a public hearing.

Call 310.395.7368

Alhambra Civic Center Library101 S 1st St, Alhambra

El Sereno Library5226 Huntington Dr. South Los Angeles

City Terrace Library4025 E. City Terrace Dr. Los Angeles Bruggemeyer Malabar LibraryEast LA Library Library2801 Wabash Ave. 4837 E. 3rd St. 318 S. Ramona Los Angeles Los Angeles Ave. Monterey Park Glendale Central Anthony Quinn La Canada LibraryLibraryFlintridge Library222 East 3965 E. Cesar E 4545 N. Oakwood Harvard St. Chavez Ave. Ave. Glendale Los Angeles La Canada Flintridge

Pasadena Central Library285 E. Walnut St. Pasadena San Rafael Library1240 Nithsdale Road Pasadena South Pasadena Library1100 Oxley St. South Pasadena

The Draft EIR/EIS can also be viewed online at http://goo. gl/84KSgF. There is also a copy of the Draft EIR/EIS at the Caltrans District 7 Office (100 South Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012) available on weekdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Visit the Metro website at http://www.metro.net/sr710studyfor a listing of additional libraries that will have access to the Draft EIR/EIS. WHERE Have the potential impacts been addressed? Do you have YOU COME information that should be included? Your comments will be IN part of the public record. If you wish to make a comment on the Draft EIR/EIS you may submit your written comments until July 6th to Caltrans at the address below.

Garrett Damrath Caltrans District 7 Division of Environmental Planning 100 S. Main St., MS-16 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Comments can also be submitted electronically at the above referenced Caltrans website.

WHEN AND The four hearings will be held at the following locations: WHERE

NOTiCE OF BraNCH OPENiNG Notice is hereby given that Open Bank, 1000 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90017, will be filing an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on April 15, 2015 for the authority to establish a branch at 550 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, California 90020.

Any person wishing to comment on the application may file his or her comments in writing with the Regional Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at its regional office located at 25 Jessie Street at Ecker Square, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94105, not later than April 30, 2015. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file in the regional office and are available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the non-confidential portion of the application file will be made available upon request.

1. Saturday, April 11, 2015 2. Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. – Map Viewing 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. – Map Viewing 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. – Public Hearing 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. – Public Hearing East Los Angeles College Pasadena Convention Center Rosco C. Ingalls Auditorium Ballroom 1301Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, Park, 91754 91101 3. Wednesday, May 6, 2015 4. Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

5 p.m. - 6 p.m. – Map Viewing 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. – Map Viewing 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. – Public Hearing 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. – Public Hearing La Canada High School Los Angeles Christian Auditorium – Building B Presbyterian Church 4463 Oak Grove drive, La Canada, Multi-Purpose Room 91011 2241 N. Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles, 90032

Individuals who require special accommodation (American Sign Language interpreter, accessible seating, documentation in alternate formats, etc.) are requested to contact Jason Roach at (213) 897-0357 at least 21 days prior to the scheduled hearing date. TDD users may contact the California Relay Service TDD line at 1-800-735-2929 or Voice Line at 1-800-735-2922.

CONTACT For more information about this project, call Jason Roach at (213) 897-0357 or visit the Metro website at http://www.metro. net/sr710study.

downtownnews.com

CNS#2737013

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

20 Downtown News

April 13, 2015

weingart, 11

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.

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at xci Gr ti A 255 South Grand Avenue an ng sk A dT ow Ne bou Leasing Information er w t O Co 213 229 9777 m Re ur ing n Su ova Apartment Amenities: Community Amenities: m m tio ~ Refrigerator, Stove, ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby er Microwave & Dishwasher ~ Concierge 20 n 15 (most units) ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas

Grand Tower

~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

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

Promenade Towers

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

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

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Beauty Salon

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

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

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

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

Together with PATH Ventures, a nonprofit organization that provides long-term housing for those graduating from shelters and transitional housing programs, Murray aims to create a workforce development center that includes an outdoor courtyard and three floors of office space that provide services to formerly homeless individuals. Apartments would be on the upper levels. Initial renderings by Gonzalez Goodale Architects of Pasadena show a “Sky Garden” with a rooftop deck. Current plans for the upscale structure on San Pedro and Crocker at Sixth streets call for units to have glass balconies.

The project would be a U-shaped structure, with a courtyard in the middle, the San Pedro Street side rising 13 stories, the middle section being 11 stories and the Crocker Street side climbing to 14 stories. Murray said the height is based upon creating approximately 200 apartments. He also said that the proposal puts the project in line with current urban planning theory that encourages density to maximize limited space.

The structure would rise where Weingart currently owns a one-story building used as a cafeteria for clients. Murray said he would like to help alter the way Skid Row looks.

“I’d like to see a first-class-looking building,” he said. “Let’s change the aesthetics of the environment and focus on job development and workforce training.”

The plan was presented last week to the Central City East Association. Raquel Beard, the executive director of the CCEA, which runs the Los Angeles Downtown Industrial District Business Improvement District, said her board is still evaluating the project, but found the renderings impressive.

“The building design is very modern and aesthetically pleasing,” she said. “It looks like most modern residential buildings that you see across Southern California. Housing is needed and this sophisticated project helps to address that need.”

However, Beard pointed out that while she and her board find the project appealing, it is the type of housing development that they would like to see spread throughout Los Angeles County, and not focused solely in Skid Row. Many stakeholders in Downtown have long called for a decentralization of supportive housing and homeless services, so that other parts of the county can alleviate the crush of homelessness in the Central City. donna@downtownnews.com

yosemite, 5 Driving on the freeway by Fresno, I saw one very pretty old building. I looked for something else of note, but, well, there was nada. That made me reflect on the Downtown L.A. skyline. Speed along the 110 Freeway and you’ll notice a sparkling collection of skyscrapers.

Sure, we have drawbacks like a sizeable homeless population and rents you need a blue chip stock portfolio to afford, but I’ll take that over Fresno, where the city slogan is “There’s Always a No in Fresno!” (Fine, I made that up).

Actually, there is something else you see on the ride: almond trees. Acres and acres and endless acres of almond trees. Some of those acres are accented by billboards for farming products, gun shops and the pro-life movement.

I realized we were in GOP territory and that this also separates Downtown from points north: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a giant redwood or a Republican here.

The most shocking thing about the ride was the amount of construction. I can’t figure out what they’re building or why they’re building so much of it, but it caused me think of the California High Speed Rail project, and having made this drive I’m even more perplexed that the first leg of the $68 billion speedy choo choo will connect Merced and Fresno. About the only reason I can figure to make that trip is if someone in Merced wanted to see the one pretty building in Fresno.

Climbing over the Grapevine and coming back to Los Angeles, and ultimately seeing the Downtown skyline come into view, I felt a sense of both loss and happiness. I already missed the splendor of the waterfalls and the redwoods. Then again, I couldn’t wait to hear what Emperor Wesson had done with the place. regardie@downtownnews.com