05-31-10 by Los Angeles Downtown News

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS

Readers Choice

A new statue, tipping cops, and other happenings Around Town.

The readers speak out on a streetcar, a freeway capping plan and more.

W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M

May 31, 2010

Volume 39, Number 22

INSIDE

Vote for The Best Of Downtown

Eli Broad: ‘We’d Rather Be Downtown’ Philanthropist Details Plans for a $100 Million Grand Avenue Art Museum, Though Santa Monica Is Still in the Running by Ryan VaillancouRt

Urban Scrawl on the sinking city.

Paying tribute to local firefighters.

‘South Pacific’ docks at the Ahmanson.

staff wRiteR

li Broad is no stranger to Grand Avenue. He helped found the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Grand Avenue Committee. With former Mayor Richard Riordan he revived the stalled plan to build the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and he convinced the Los Angeles Unified School District to hire a big-name architect to build its $232 million arts high school on Grand Avenue. Last year, he came back to where he started, infusing a financially strapped MOCA with $30 million, essentially saving the Downtown institution. Now, Broad wants to directly join the Grand Avenue party by building a $100 million art museum on the street, across from MOCA. If he has his way, the 120,000-square-foot facility, which would showcase some of the 2,000 works owned by his

Broad Art Foundation, would open by 2012, in what he termed “an exciting, iconic piece of architecture.” The billionaire philanthropist has spent the past several months publicly weighing two locations for the proposed museum, the other being in Santa Monica, where the foundation now has offices (a previous contender, Beverly Hills, pulled out of the running earlier this year). But in a recent meeting with Los Angeles Downtown News editors and reporters, Broad delivered his strongest public preference yet to place the museum — to be called The Broad Collections — in the Central City. “We’d rather be Downtown,” Broad declared. Despite the enthusiasm for Grand Avenue, Broad clearly stated that a deal is not done. He expressed skepticism about securing approvals for a project in a spot where he has to deal with four entities: see Museum, page 10

photo by Gary Leonard

Philanthropist and art enthusiast Eli Broad hopes to build a contemporary art museum on Grand Avenue. It would house some of the 2,000 works collected through his charitable foundations.

The Broadway Backslide Cornerstone closes its Justice Cycle.

Once the Busiest Retail Corridor in Downtown, Key Street Now Suffers From High Vacancy and Low Rents by RichaRd Guzmán

city editoR

Five great entertainment options.

16 CALENDAR LISTINGS 18 CLASSIFIEDS photo by Gary Leonard

About 20% of Broadway’s street-front retail is vacant. Contributing factors include the economic downturn and competition from shopping centers in other cities.

R I C H A R D

ou can find just about anything for sale on Broadway. Stores, many of them small mom and pop shops, hawk everything from wedding dresses to plastic toys to opulent jewelry. In some ways, the street has barely changed in decades. On weekends in particular, Broadway is filled with activity as mostly Latino shoppers crowd the sidewalks while retailers scream out the bargains from the front of their stores. But something else has changed drastically, and shoppers can now easily find something that used to be rare: vacant storefronts. At least 20 “For Lease” signs dot Broadway from Second to Ninth streets. On a recent weekday afternoon, dozens more street-level storefronts were shuttered. A survey conducted by officials with Bringing Back Broadway, 14th District Councilman José Huizar’s effort to turn the street into a major, entertainment-focused destination, found that the vacancy rate is now 18%-20% on the portion of Broadway see Broadway, page 8

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2 Downtown News

May 31, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

AROUNDTOWN Arts District Getting a Dog Park

owntown will finally get a public doggy playground. Arts District Senior Lead Officer Jack Richter last week said that after two years of work, he and the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association have procured a small plot to turn into a dog park. The roughly one-third acre site on the southwest corner of Fourth and Molino streets is owned by the Honda family, owners of Honda Plaza in Little Tokyo, said the LAPD’s Richter, who previously tried to turn land owned by Meruelo Maddux Properties into a dog area. “I said to the Honda family, how about if I find a group to pay the taxes, do the weeding, fix the fencing and put in a dog park,” Richter said. “They said ‘OK, do it.’” LARABA has purchased insurance to cover the site, said group president John Saslow. He added that the park is expected to open in June. Those interested in helping with the park can learn more about the effort at the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Dog Park page on Facebook.

Last Chance to Vote for Downtown’s Best

here are only a few more days to vote in Los Angeles Downtown News’ annual Best of Downtown issue. Online voting in more than 100 categories — from Best Pet Grooming to Best Sushi to Best Sports Bar — ends Wednesday, June 2. All voting takes place online at votebestof.com. There is another reason to move quickly: Those who beat the deadline and fill out at

least 30 categories will be entered in a contest to win prizes including an iPhone, cash and gift certificates. The grand prize package is a two-night stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, dinner for two at Sai Sai, $200 cash, dinner for two at Morton’s The Steakhouse, a $150 Ticketmaster gift card and a Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour. The Best of Downtown issue will publish July 19.

Tip a Cop, Again

Downtown tradition repeats soon, as regular citizens have an opportunity to tell some Central City police officers what to do — though they have to pay for the privilege. On Monday, June 7, the Tip-A-Cop program moves to Wurstküche in the Arts District. From 6-10 p.m., Central Division officers will be raising funds for the Special Olympics. Visitors can munch an exotic sausage, crunch some fries and guzzle — OK, with all the police around, maybe just sip — some Belgian beers. Unlike a recent TipA-Cop event at Pete’s Café, officers won’t actually be waiting on tables, said Arts District Senior Lead Officer Jack Richter. Instead, they plan on milling about, socializing and soliciting tips. The theme continues on June 10, when Central Area officers will participate in the Special Olympics Torch Run, which goes through every LAPD division.

Homeless Housing Facility in Danger of Closing

he financial struggles of a Downtown homeless services provider could have

Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?

Find out at the landmark location near Downtown. Home of the original Chili-burger. Quality and value since 1946:

Chili Hamburger .............. $1.85 Chili Cheeseburger ........... $2.25

Many Imitate, But None Compare!

tax included

a severe effect on women and children at a facility in Sylmar. The Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center, which provides permanent supportive housing to 34 families, including approximately 70 children and 23 senior women, is in danger of closing. Rev. Andy Bales, the 118-year-old mission’s CEO, said officials need to raise $2.8 million by the end of June to save the facility, which has a $4 million annual budget. The problem comes as demand for URM services has increased 45% while giving is down 21%, he said. If forced to close, Bales said the mission will strive to find other services and housing for the families at the center. Bringing them back to Skid Row would be a last resort, he said. The drop has come from both small, private donors — “the kinds of people who pay like $25 or $50 per month,” Bales said — and large foundations, where donations have fallen by about 50%, he said. There could be an uptick, however, as since announcing the shortfall, the mission has raised about $500,000. Bales said one other option is to find a partner to share expenses at Hope Gardens. Visit urm.org to make a donation.

Getting Historical

wo more Downtown buildings are headed for historical status. On Tuesday, May 25, the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved HistoricCultural Monument status for the Spreckels Building, at 322-324 W. Seventh St., and the Sun Realty Company Building, at 629-633 S. Hill St. The council must still give final approval, which is expected this week. The 1922 Spreckels Building was designed by Samuel

Heiman. According to the Cultural Heritage Commission, the seven-story Beaux-Arts structure is now mostly used for garment manufacturing. The 13-story, 1930 Sun Realty Company Building, an example of the Art Deco style, was designed by Claud Beelman.

Cyrus the Great May Invade Downtown

ershing Square may be getting a statue of a Persian emperor. On Tuesday, May 25, the City Council’s Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee approved a motion to accept the donation of a bronze statue of Cyrus the Great, who ruled circa 600 B.C. and was known as the first human rights advocate. The statue was offered as a gift to the city by Ezatollah Delijani, an Iranian-born investor whose family owns four Broadway theaters — the Los Angeles, Palace, State and Tower. According to the motion, which was introduced by Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, the Delijani family would pay for the statue’s design, fabrication, installation and maintenance. No timeline was set on when the statue would be completed. Delijani already has a significant public presence in Downtown. In addition to the theaters, last summer city officials named the intersection of Seventh Street and Broadway Ezat Delijani Square. The Delijani family is also seen as instrumental in upgrading the street, as a key part of 14th District Councilman José Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative is activating the theaters. Rick Coca, a spokesman for Huizar, said the statue effort is unrelated to Bringing Back Broadway.

May 31, 2010

VOL 1, ISSUE 2

DowntownNews.com

Downtown News 3

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4 Downtown News

May 31, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

EDITORIALS Broad Museum Is Right Fit for a Key Downtown Space

or the past few months, officials in Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica have each salivated over the prospect of landing a state-of-the-art museum housing philanthropist Eli Broad’s art collection. Civic and private representatives of the communities recognize the positives that would follow, including a surge in visitors and a boost in reputation. Does this mean that Broad, a razor-sharp power player who built two billion-dollar companies, is fostering a competition between Los Angeles and Santa Monica? To a degree, yes (a third contender, Beverly Hills, pulled out earlier this year). Does this place extra layers of urgency and pressure on Downtown-area negotiators, who know that Broad wants to secure his approvals within 45 days, and that if they can’t pull off the deal on a timely basis, the extraordinary 2,000-artwork collection could wind up in another city? Certainly it does. These two questions beg another question: Should the fact that Downtown is being forced to compete for the project, or as some might read it, to jump through hoops, mean that local leaders should take offense and back away, or if not that, at least slow things down until they are 110% ready? Absolutely not. The proposed museum would be a great boon for Downtown Los Angeles. Not only would it activate a block where nothing has happened since Bunker Hill’s deteriorating Victorian homes were razed more than five decades ago, it might kick-start the stalled Grand Avenue plan. The Broad museum is worth pursuing. It is worth fast tracking. It is the best and most feasible opportunity ever offered for this key parcel. Blowing the opportunity is unlikely, but it is possible and would be regretful. Negotiators for the public sector should pursue a fair deal that most benefits the community. This is, after all, public property. The key is striking a balance that works for taxpayers and gets the project done. Broad, who during his long business career founded KB Home and SunAmerica, recently detailed his museum vision to Los Angeles Downtown News editors and reporters. His plan is exciting: He hopes to build a three-story parking garage that starts on lower Grand Avenue across the street from the entrance to REDCAT. Atop that, at street level of upper Grand Avenue, would be a 120,000-square-foot contemporary art museum designed by a “world-class” architect. He is choosing from six firms to create a building that fits the site and complements works on Grand Avenue by Frank Gehry (Disney Hall), José Rafael Moneo (the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels), Arata Isozaki (Museum of Contemporary Art) and Wolf Prix (High School for the Visual and Performing Arts).

Having five world-renowned architectural gems within a few blocks of each other would leverage the international draw that already exists Downtown, benefiting not only the community but also boosting city and county tax coffers (from the visitor draw). The synergy and momentum created by these projects would have such reverberations that it is worth the effort to make the deal as fast as possible. Downtown would be a superb global attraction. The project would include about 40,000 square feet of gallery space and another 45,000 square feet of storage space. The galleries would hold works acquired by Broad over several decades — expect ample presentations of Jeff Koons, Jean-Michele Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman, among many others.

The Broad museum is worth pursuing. It is worth fast tracking. It is the best and most feasible opportunity ever offered for this key parcel. Blowing the opportunity is unlikely, but it is possible and would be regretful. Negotiations with Broad are currently taking place, and the basics appear to establish a solid base on which to reach a deal. Broad would fund the $100 million construction cost of the facility. That includes a $23 million loan to the Community Redevelopment Agency to pay for the 293-car garage. Broad’s willingness to make this unusual loan lends credence to his comment that, when it comes to Downtown vs. Santa Monica, “We’d rather be Downtown.” Broad would establish a $200 million endowment for the museum, ensuring that it would have the financial wherewithal to thrive well into the future. He predicts that the facility, in conjunction with MOCA’s Grand Avenue campus across the street, would create an art hub that draws 500,000 people a year. That may be optimistic, as is Broad’s stated desire to open the museum in 2012, but then again, he has an impressive track record.

Several elements of the proposal have drawn raised eyebrows: First, the deal calls for Broad to lease the land for $1 a year for 99 years. Additionally, it would rise where Grand Avenue plan developer Related Cos. had anticipated creating 100,000 square feet of retail. It would leave Related with just 20,000 square feet of retail, vastly diminishing the sales tax revenue envisioned. We understand those who question if $99 for 99 years represents a sweetheart deal. It does — but only if you look at it in a vacuum, with just the price and not the greater benefits. The fact is, this presents a fabulous opportunity to turn underused space — a surface parking lot — into an amenity that generates attention, visitors and, ultimately, greater spending both at the museum and at surrounding businesses. We believe there is a greater cost to be paid by allowing the site to sit long-term as a parking lot — that does nothing for the area. The loss of tax revenue from decreased retail is a smoke screen. Despite the growth of Downtown Los Angeles in recent years, highlighted by an influx of thousands of affluent residents, retailers — especially large, national retailers, the kind being pursued to populate this project — are moving hesitantly. There is ample empty street-level retail across Downtown, including new spots just blocks from where the Grand Avenue plan would rise. A shrinkage in sales tax occurs only if the space would be filled with stores that are jammed with shoppers. Sadly, that is not the case. Broad is antsy about dealing with the four entities that come into play when working on Grand Avenue. This has also flummoxed Related Cos. In fact, we can’t blame either one: Moving forward on the plots dedicated for the Grand Avenue plan requires securing approvals from the CRA, the city, the county and the joint powers group the Grand Avenue Authority. There’s overlap, but all still need to be dealt with. It’s a prickly and burdensome process, one complicated by the egos of some grandstanding politicians. We’re not sure if Broad’s 45-day aim for approvals can be met, and who knows if a prolonged slowdown would really send him walking? We hope not. There is every reason to make this museum happen on Grand Avenue. We believe the deal can and should get done on a timely basis. The will is there, and so is the money. Broad is a businessman and will do what it takes to get himself the best deal — we don’t blame him for that. Local negotiators, meanwhile, should keep the public in mind. But they also need to remember that failing to make the deal happen would have its own, worse impact on the public — really, this key plot should be more than a parking lot.

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis 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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May 31, 2010

The Readers Respond Website Comments on the Broadway Streetcar, A Freeway Capping Plan and More

os Angeles Downtown News posts comments to stories on our website. Here are some of the most recent responses. Additional comments appear on downtownnews.com (comments follow individual articles). Regarding the article “Big Names Get Behind Streetcar Project,” which notes a proposed northbound route on Hill or Olive Street, by Richard Guzmán, published online May 12

ill Street is definitely a better option than Olive. The subway stations are on Hill which will allow for seamless transfers. Angels Flight is there too. In addition, Olive has great traffic flow because it is one way and that should not be tampered with. —posted by Stephen, May 12, 1:20 p.m.

streetcar on Hill Street could ease some of Pershing Square’s woes as well. Imagine what that would do for foot traffic and central Downtown’s only public space. —posted by Rachel, May 12, 1:58 p.m.

efinitely Hill Street for northbound streetcars. Olive is too far away for an effective north-south couplet. Also, though hard to do, the tracks should be completely separated from other traffic. Otherwise, its usefulness as an effective Downtown connector/distributor will be undermined. —posted by Jim Norton, May 14, 3:12 p.m.

Regarding the article “Dues and Don’ts,” about the rent battle at Olvera Street, by Richard Guzmán, published online May 14

o the merchants commissioned one study, have not released the findings, and are commissioning a second study. Is it possible that the first study falls in line with the findings of the city-issued study on what market rates should be? It is ridiculous that these businesses are able to withhold rent simply because they do not agree with the amount to be paid. Maybe they should close down and look for rent somewhere else that is suitable to them. But they will not find anything as low as what they were paying. —posted by Off the Street, May 16, 3:59 a.m.

l Pueblo/Olvera Street is not just any city facility — it is L.A.’s birthplace and a historic monument. Many of the merchants aren’t just business owners, they are the history of the site; when it was nothing they were there to get it started and to save the history. When times were bad, they kept it going. We don’t need another L.A. Live, we need people who love Olvera and will keep it safe from the corporate vultures. —posted by News Guy, May 18, 1:32 p.m. Regarding the article “Dreaming of Downtown’s Central Park,” about the proposal to cap the 101 Freeway in the Civic Center, by Ryan Vaillancourt, published May 10

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his is a good idea, but I believe it would be cheaper if the proposal would only cover two blocks over the 101 Freeway. Make it from City Hall and end the proposed park at Olvera Street. This would save a lot of money from covering the freeway eight blocks down to the Los Angeles River. And, the proposed park would at least bridge the gap to the birthplace of Los Angeles. —posted by Michael Tagupa, May 11, 7:35 p.m. Regarding the article “What’s in Store: Skate Cafe,” by Ryan Vaillancourt, published online May 14

’ve come to know these guys and they are a perfect fit for this community. Great attitudes and very respectful to all. I truly hope they do well. I’ve already seen an increase in skateboarders in the neighborhood. Both Skid Row and the Historic Core should support this wonderful addition to the Downtown community. —posted by General Jeff, May 15, 2:57 a.m. Regarding the column “Welcome to Los Beutnerangeles,” by Jon Regardie, published online May 7

ook up in the sky: It’s a bird, it’s a plane. No, it’s Austin Beutner. He’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap buildings in a single bound. Is he Superman? I’m sure that’s what the mayor would like us to think. The next story we’ll see is that Beutner rescues little old ladies from burning buildings and cats from trees; all in his spare time. Mayor Villaraigosa has a knack for picking men and women for these high level appointments who are endowed with a silver tongue or perhaps the gift of gab. I can’t recall very many appointments by the mayor that were based upon one’s technical skills and qualifications. Look

at the mayor’s appointment of Bud Ovrom to GM of Building & Safety. A non-engineer has never served in the capacity of general manager of the department. In a Downtown News interview, Ovrom admitted that he had no experience but that he had bought a few books and will try to learn something about what the department does. Quite frankly, it scares the heck out of me having someone like Ovrom overseeing a department responsible for ensuring that buildings are constructed according to proper building codes. —posted by David321, May 8, 1:29 a.m. Regarding the article “Filming Complaints Rise,” by Ryan Vaillancourt, published April 26

am a resident of South Park. Although I don’t have an issue with filming in our area (which happens quite often), I cannot understand why these film companies fail to provide advance notice of street closures, etc., within a reasonable time. I’ve asked our front desk person about this and was told that sometimes they don’t get notified until the day before or the day of. This is problematic for residents since we are unable to plan ahead of time to use another route. I like the fact that the film companies are stimulating the economy within our city, but please be considerate of the residents. —posted by Chisaikaya, April 28, 12:17 p.m.

live in the Historic Core and love all of the filming going on around town. I tend to walk most places in the neighborhood, so I always see the notices informing residents of what’s going on. Honestly, most of the time the filming is done quickly and I’ve seen traffic held up more by the city than by any film crew. I’m glad people have the chance to gripe, but hope the production companies aren’t turned off by it. —posted by Spooky, April 29, 2:35 p.m.

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Envisioning the Industrial Arts District City Officials Ponder Recommendations for Transforming the ‘Cleantech Corridor’ by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

f Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Community Redevelopment Agency are serious about transforming a four-mile swath of industrial land along the Los Angeles River into the “Cleantech Corridor,” they may have to flip the area’s current zoning model on its head. They also should ditch the name. Those were two of the many short- and long-term suggestions that city officials are beginning to weigh in the wake of a visit by a high-ranking panel from the Urban Land Institute. The group, which was invited by the CRA, is now working on a formal report on how to make the area a hub of innovative and environmentally friendly businesses. Currently, about 80% of the industrial space in the area that runs from Chinatown to Washington Boulevard (including the Arts District) is zoned for manufacturing or distribution uses. Only 20% is reserved for business and technology incubators, fabrication and related support services. The group of land-use experts from around the country assembled by the ULI said that in order for the area to thrive as a center for innovation, the zoning ratio needs to be reversed. The panel’s initial ideas were put forth at a May 21 presentation, which came after a week studying the area. A full report from the ULI is due within eight weeks. The push toward smaller firms and incubators seems to be in line with recent CRA moves in the area; the agency recently reached

a deal with the DWP to build a research lab and green business incubator across from the Barker Block lofts in the Arts District. The panel had a number of other thoughts, including coming up with a new name for the Cleantech Corridor. “There’s a risk of ‘cleantech’ becom-

‘Some of these recommendations may really be reaching but it’s to get people to think about the area and really ponder the possibilities.’ —Len Betz, CRA ing trendy and dated,” said panelist Jeff Kingsbury, managing principal of Indianabased Greenstreet, Ltd. The cleantech label also risks excluding industrial users that would be good fits for the neighborhood, Kingsbury said. The name may be catchy, but it sounds like it is too tied to companies engaged in clean technologies such as solar panel or wind turbine manu-

facturers. The area is more likely to attract smaller companies engaged in an array of new technologies that have less obvious, but still clean, applications. “It’s a pretty interesting and diverse genre and within it there are many segments,” said Tom Eitler, vice president of the ULI, who helped coordinate the Los Angeles visit. Instead of the Cleantech Corridor, Kingsbury and the panel suggested the city brand the area with a nod to its existing creative character and call it the Industrial Arts District. Start With Greenery If the area is to turn into a dynamic industrial district and employment center, the panelists said it needs some basic infrastructure upgrades and an aesthetic facelift with an emphasis on greenery. “Repave the streets and the sidewalks,” which have been historically overlooked by government, said panelist and New Yorkbased architect Thomas Curley. “Do it now.” Once the basics are taken care of, the panel suggested that the district set its sights on greening the Los Angeles River and creating a space that could double as an art park spanning both sides of the river, bounded by Fourth and Sixth streets, Santa Fe Avenue, and east of the river, Mission Road. Under a proposed design, tracks for freight trains would be switched to the east side of the river, and commuter rail tracks would be condensed and streamlined on the west side. Once investment starts pouring in and companies choose to locate in the Industrial

Arts District, employees will need better transportation access to the area, Curley said. Curley and the panelists, repeating a proposal floated by City Councilman Tom LaBonge, recommended that the city and Metro extend the Red Line from its existing terminus at Union Station through the Arts District. The line could be accompanied by three new stations, at Fourth and Seventh streets and Olympic Boulevard, the panelists said (LaBonge’s proposal, currently under review by Metro staff, envisions a station at Sixth Street and Santa Fe Avenue). As the CRA waits for the ULI’s full report, it is already making some moves. The agency is currently weighing the suggestions and brainstorming on how to approach implementation, said CRA project manager Len Betz. As the agency starts to digest the suggestions, Betz acknowledged that some recommendations, like fixing basic infrastructure flaws, are doable in the short term. He also recognizes that some of the bigger picture ideas — a new light-rail line, a park spanning both sides of the river — will not happen anytime soon. “Some of these recommendations may really be reaching but it’s to get people to think about the area and really ponder the possibilities,” Betz said. “Are they doable? In the next five years, no. But the point is really to look beyond our constraints and say we have an asset here and how can we make something like the river happen for Downtown?” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Broadway Continued from page 1 between Second Street and Olympic Boulevard. That comes at the same time that rents have tumbled. Some blame the economy for the trend, while others attribute it to landlords unwilling to renegotiate high rental rates. Still others believe the traditional customer base has moved on to places that are catering to their needs and pocketbooks. “The current decline seems to have started about a decade ago, when other cities like Lynwood, Baldwin Park and Huntington Park began realizing there was a big market for Latino shoppers and started catering to that market,” Huizar said in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News. “Also, a lot of those people began gravitating to high-profile malls that cater to everybody. Not only do Broadway’s businesses suffer when those customers take their dollars elsewhere, but the city misses out on tax revenues and jobs, too.” Glory Days The historic corridor is flanked by impressive buildings constructed in the early part of the 20th century. Broadway houses 12 historic theaters, and in the 1920s through ’40s the street was a hub of entertainment and commerce. Residents and tourists would flock to the area, where they would shop and get around via streetcar. The area has remained active through the years, though the demographics shifted; in recent decades the focus has been on bargain shopping and the Latino consumer. In several spaces, large, swap-meet style operations have been set up. In other locations, it is inexpensive electronics. Jessica Wethington-McLean, the executive director of Bringing Back Broadway, said a retail survey conducted last year, with information provided by local brokers, revealed the 18%-20% vacancy rate. The area holds about 155 buildings with approximately 80-90 property owners. Wethington-McLean attributes the rise in vacancy to several factors, such as shoppers heading to places like Lynwood’s Plaza Mexico, a 650,000-square-foot mall designed after Monte Alban, an ancient city near Mexico City. It offers 250

stores, restaurants and even a carousel. “They have basically an entire little village targeting the Latino shopper,” she said. “You have municipalities that are targeting our basic shoppers that have been faithful to Broadway for the last 15 years.” Jorge Corralejo, chairman and president of the Downtown-based Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles, sees Broadway’s vacancy issues more as a result of the economy than attempts by other cities to lure Latino customers. “With the high rate of unemployment people have less money in their pockets,” he said. “It’s not just about Broadway. This is happening in a lot of places.” Steve Needleman, a longtime Downtown stakeholder who owns the Orpheum Theatre on Broadway, along with about 1 million square feet of property in the Central City, agrees that the vacancy is the result of the economy. But he also thinks increased competition is having an effect. Needleman noted that the competition is not just coming from other cities. He also pointed to Santee Alley, the Fashion District bargain hunter’s mecca. “There is so much competition to what Broadway used to be, the main shopping thoroughfare,” Needleman said. “There’s just tons of competition from everywhere.” Time to Negotiate Some landlords are starting to feel the pain. Derrick Moore, vice president of brokerage services at real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, said that in the last two years Broadway rents have dropped drastically as a result of the vacancies. He said rates under $2 per square foot are now common. That’s a far cry from the time when some small spaces commanded $7 per square foot, he said. (In fact, a common claim from the 1990s was that Broadway streetfront rents were comparable to those of street-level space in Beverly Hills.) Wethington-McLean, along with other local retail brokers, also noted that rates of about $2 per square foot are now common on Broadway. Moore noted that sometimes, rental negotiations between tenants and landlords are contentious. “I’m seeing tenants playing hardball,” he said. “It’s a terrible game of chicken where they are saying, ‘Hey, I need you to lower the rent or we are shutting the doors,’ and you come

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May 31, 2010

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Museum Continued from page 1 the Community Redevelopment Agency, the City Council, the County Board of Supervisors and the joint powers group the Grand Avenue Authority. “Santa Monica is smart,” Broad said. “Their attitude is, look, [with us] you’re one-stop shopping.... Maybe in their mind they’re thinking, when you get tired of all this stuff Downtown, we’re ready.” If Santa Monica offers a smoother path toward a groundbreaking, Broad is nevertheless motivated to build the museum on Grand Avenue because he strongly desires to help create a vital urban center in Los Angeles. “I can’t think of any city today or in world history that’s been great without a vibrant center,” he said. Fast Track Broad is currently negotiating with local officials, and said he wants to secure approvals within 45 days. That is necessary, he said, to meet his 2012 opening goal. Although talks continue, the proposed museum has already passed some high hurdles; the project would be folded in to the stalled but approved $3 billion Grand Avenue project, for which entitlements and environmental studies are complete. The plan envisions the Broad Collections museum replacing phase two of developer Related Cos. project — a mixed-use structure with housing and about 100,000 square feet of retail. The change to the museum (and 20,000 square feet of Related retail) is currently under review to ensure it meets

California Environmental Quality Act guidelines, but it is expected to gain approval because the museum would have a lower impact than the already cleared phase two structure, a Broad spokeswoman said. Once the environmental review is complete, the museum will need approvals from the four overseeing groups. No votes have been scheduled. Under the proposed terms, the museum would lease the space from the CRA for $1 a year for 99 years, the same agreement the city has with MOCA’s two Downtown locations. The Broad Foundation would spend about $80 million to develop the structure on a current parking lot bounded by lower Grand Avenue, Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko Way, Hope and Second streets, just south of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Broad would also lend about $23 million to the CRA to fund a three-level, 293-space parking garage. The loan would be paid back over 11 years with a low interest rate, Broad said. The museum would sit atop the parking structure, fronting upper Grand Avenue. Broad would endow the museum with $200 million. Galleries, Broad said, would feature works by artists the foundation has collected, among them Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cindy Sherman. A foundation official confirmed reports last week by the New York Times and Los Angeles Times that it has engaged six architectural firms in a competition to design the museum. The firms are Foreign Office Architects/ Alejandro Zaera Polo, Diller Scofidio Renfro, Rem Koolhaas/OMA, SANAA, Christian de Portzamparc and Herzog & de Meuron. The preliminary proposal calls for about 40,000 square feet of gallery space and 45,000

photo by Gary Leonard

The plan calls for building a three-story parking garage on lower Grand Avenue, across from REDCAT. The museum would sit atop the garage, allowing it to front upper Grand Avenue.

square feet of archive and storage space. Small spaces, 6,000 square feet or less, would be set aside for the foundation’s administrative offices and a bookstore. The project is anticipated to create nearly 100 full-time jobs. Support and Dissent Although many Downtown stakeholders applaud the plan, support is not unanimous. Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who has frequently criticized the Grand Avenue plan, maintains that the city and county should scrap the entire project as drawn up. Related has been unable to attain an estimated $700 million in construction financing for phase one of the project, which would include a 48-story tower with 295 hotel rooms and 266 condominiums, a 19-story edifice with 126 market-rate apartments and 98 affordable residences. Even if credit were readily available, the residential portion of the plan may not be viable until the Downtown condominium market is otherwise absorbed, said

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May 31, 2010

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Food, Fun and Fire Hope for Firefighters Event in Downtown Aims to Raise $150,000 by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

o one doubts the life saving skills of local firefighters. But this week, they’ll be showing off something almost as important: how they cook up firehouse favorites. The 13th annual Hope for Firefighters takes place Thursday, June 3, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Hope Street between Third Street and Hope Place. The event raises money for the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association’s Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund. The event will feature appearances by Los Angeles Kings players, actress Alisa Reyes of Nickelodeon’s “All That,” a firefighter photo booth, raffles, live music and more. A highlight will be the popular “muster” games,

where more than 20 corporate teams compete in events such as the bucket brigade, the firefighter suit-up and a hose pull contest. Also making an appearance this year is Wilshire the Fire Dog, a Dalmatian rescued by Fire Station 29 in the Mid-City area after a girl took him there because she could no longer keep him in her small apartment. “It’ll be an amazing afternoon of fun, laughter, good food, good music and some sporting competition from the muster games,” said Steve Robinson, co-chair of the event, which is expected to attract about 15,000 people. He said organizers hope to pull in about $150,000. Last year’s event raised $126,000. While the muster games and Wilshire the dog will entertain attendees, one of the biggest crowd pleasers is the

kick-start the Grand Avenue plan. “Let’s be clear here: Fundamentally the overall real estate market has to improve, the capital markets have to come back, irrespective of any other development there,” Witte said. “That said, there’s no question that it helps us tell a better story to lenders and to the hotel.” One strong supporter of the Broad project is Jeffrey Deitch, who will take over as director of MOCA on June 1. He sees the proposed museum as an opportunity to build critical mass and raise attendance for the museum. Broad’s collection, he said, is anchored by newer contemporary works, from the 1960s onward, whereas MOCA is more heavily weighted

Museum Continued from page 10 state, Witte said. Meanwhile, the $56 million, 16-acre Civic Park included in the Grand Avenue plan — funded by Related’s $50 million up-front payment and accrued interest — is moving forward, with a groundbreaking expected in July, Witte said. A CRA release last week said the park could open by June 2012. Witte is hopeful that the museum would

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food prepared by the firefighters. About 25 firehouses will compete in a cook-off in categories including Best Food, Best Dessert and Best Booth Decor. “The firefighters are creating a taste of the firehouses,” said Robinson. “One station is bringing in a spicy shrimp taco, and of course there will be things like tri-tip sandwiches and other firefighter food. It’s also firefighter portions, so bring your appetite.” Paul Linton, the founder of the event, said he is looking forward to the general ambience of the afternoon, when everyone gathers to help those who make a living helping their community. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved, from the firemen to corporate sponsors to the people on the street,” Linton said. “It’s gratifying knowing you’re helping firefighters.” Hope for Firefighters is Thursday, June 3, from 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. on Hope Street between Third Street and Hope Place, (310) 237-6430 or hopeforfirefighters.org. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

in earlier works, Deitch said. “The Broad Foundation’s collection fits in very, very well, and does not really compete with MOCA’s collection,” Deitch said. “It’s complementary.” Currently, MOCA’s annual attendance is less than 200,000, Deitch said. Both Deitch and Broad hope the new museum would bring up to 500,000 visitors a year to the two attractions. Broad’s ambitious 2012 timeline relies in large part on the fact that the project does not require outside financing. If approvals come within 45 days, Broad said, an architect could be selected shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, he

You are welcome to bring your own wine, champagne or other beverages...

said the firm Matt Construction has already finished the documents for the parking garage, and that could be built in five months. As for the rest of the Grand Avenue project, Broad is less certain. “I can’t predict that,” Broad said. “If the economy were recovering — and I hope that it’ll continue to recover — it’ll sop up [the condo supply in Downtown] and then the question is, when can they get a construction loan? Pick a date. Three, four years from now? I don’t know.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 13

DowntownNews.com

RESTAURANTS Grub With Guzmán

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Tastes Like Chichen

cumbers, tomatoes and avocado. It’s a specialty of the Yucatan Peninsula, although it is usually prepared with chicken instead of turkey. Another reliable starter is the kibi ($3.99), which is ground beef and cracked wheat patties flavored with mint and spices — it was brought to the Yucatan by Lebanese immigrants. I recommend an old Guzmán family favorite, the platano con crema ($2.79). It’s a simple dish, fried plantain served with cream, that is popular in Central America as well. Just dip the hot plantain in the cool crema and enjoy. If you want to be adventurous and try it as a dessert, skip the cream and add sugar to the platano. It’s a littleknown way of eating it from my homeland, El Salvador. The entrees are all under $10. Choices include huevos motulenos ($6.99), two fried eggs over a crispy corn tortilla with black beans, tomato sauce, smoked ham, cheddar cheese and fried slices of platano. It’s the Yucatan version of huevos rancheros. The poc chuc ($8.29) is a wonderfully tender pork marinated with sour orange juice and salt, which adds a slightly acidic flavor. It is served with pickled roasted red

The Flavors of the Yucatan Come Alive in Downtown by RichaRd Guzmán

city EditoR o, Chichen Itza is not a chicken restaurant. That’s an “h”in the middle, not a “k.” Chichen Itza is actually named after a famous pre-Columbian archeological site built by the Mayans in the Yucatan Peninsula. And while you will find a couple of chicken dishes on the menu, you’re more likely to feel like a culinary Indiana Jones discovering real Mayan treasures that you get to eat. The restaurant can be a bit tricky to find, as it is not visible from the street. But if you’re like me, easily amused and with an overactive imagination, you can pretend you’re Indiana Jones searching for the lost Mayan temple as you hunt for Chichen Itza — no joke, that actually went through my head as I was looking for it.

Or you can take the easy route (like Indy did when he pulled out his gun and shot the guy showing off with the sword) and just look for the big, colorful building that is Mercado La Paloma, where Chichen Itza has a quick-service spot. Mercado La Paloma, not far from USC, has a nice sitting area, and a handful of restaurants share the colorful tables. You order at the counter and a waiter brings the food. The menu concentrates on Southeastern Mexican cuisine, which is a mixture of Spanish, Caribbean and Middle Eastern recipes. Starters include panuchos ($2.19), a crispy corn tortilla stuffed with black beans and topped with lettuce, shredded charbroiled turkey, pickled red onion, cu-

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onions and tomato sauce. At Chichen Itza I ordered one of my favorite dishes of all time: cochinita pibil ($8.29). This is a savory, slowcooked pork marinated with sour orange juice and annatto seeds. It is roasted while wrapped in a banana leaf and topped with pickled red onions and a habanero pepper. Calling Chichen Itza’s version juicy is an understatement. The dish is swimming in a tangy red sauce that I tried in vain to scoop up with my fork when I was done devouring the meat. They should consider including a French roll instead of tortillas so diners can get all the juice. Regardless, the meat was succulent and exploded with flavor down to the last bite. I didn’t even bother messing with the habanero though. I know I’m no Indiana Jones, but I’m no sucker either. Chichen Itza is at 3655 S. Grand Ave., (213) 741-1075 or chichenitzarestaurant.com. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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14 Downtown News

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CALENDAR

l l e H d n a n Heave c i f i c a P h t u o S In the A Grittier 61-Year-Old Musical Docks At the Ahmanson by Jim Farber

n April 7, 1949, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific opened on Broadway. Ten days later, the New York Times reported that a ship had arrived in Honolulu bearing the bodies of 120 American war dead, the last casualties to be accounted for in the battle of the Pacific. That’s how current South Pacific was in the minds and hearts of those that attended its premiere. The audience included soldiers and sailors who had personally experienced the hell of that theater of war. Others had lost loved ones. Joshua Logan, the show’s director, co-writer and producer, was a World War II veteran. The production, based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, starred Mary Martin as the “cockeyed-optimist,” Nellie Forbush, and Metropolitan Opera star Enzio Pinza as French expatriate plantation owner Emile De Becque. It was an immediate hit, ran for more than five years, and closed on Jan. 16, 1954, after 1,925 performances. But as time went on, observed Bartlett Sher, a director whose Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific opens June 2 at the Ahmanson Theatre, the show’s character changed. Drastically. “South Pacific drifted into the realm of a grass-skirt musical,” said Sher, who is currently in New York directing a musical adaptation of Pedro Almodovar’s film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. “But it didn’t start that way. The people that had lived through that war brought to it the truth. But over time that truth lost traction.” The South Pacific that opens this week in Downtown, said Sher, restores that truth. Even if some of it may take audiences aback. The production, which premiered in 2008, received seven Tony Awards, including recognition for Sher as Best Director and the trophy for Best Musical Revival. The national tour, which opened in San Francisco in September, features its own stellar cast led by former Los Angeles Opera star baritone Rod Gilfry as Emile de Becque; Carmen Cusack as Nellie Forbush; and Anderson Davis as Lt. Joe Cable, the Princeton preppy turned Marine who finds himself on a paradisiacal island after suffering through the hell of Guadalcanal. Sher said the key to rediscovering South Pacific was a return to the source. The candycolored 1958 movie version, he said with a derisive laugh, was of little use. “I watched about 10 minutes and decided it was not going to help,” he said by phone. “But when I read the show’s original book and lyrics I was very impressed. Then I read Michener’s book. That’s when I made the decision to go ahead. South Pacific is a remarkable adaptation of the source material. But I thought there was crucial information there

photo by Steven Coombs

The version of South Pacific that comes Downtown this week includes elements that had been cut from the original 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein work.

that had been lost and needed to be looked at again in a new way; issues about race, issues about the military, how we look at our culture and our sense of ‘otherness.’ I was also interested in the challenge of capturing the reality of the war and the period, which didn’t mean just wearing the right uniforms.” Restorations For Sher, capturing the reality of the Pacific theater of war was crucial to understanding the reality of South Pacific, the musical. He noted that young soldiers would be sent into the hell of battle, but then could wind up on a beatific island, sometimes for years. In addition to interviewing men who actually served in the South Pacific, Sher was given full access to the Rodgers and Hammerstein archive. He discovered a wealth of dialogue, and in some cases entire scenes and songs, that had been cut or altered for the 1949 production. “There are a lot of little bits we’ve restored,” Sher explained. “We didn’t restore all of it. But we restored a lot. And I think it gives the show some real teeth.” Race and racial prejudice play an important role in South Pacific, as Cable falls in love with a beautiful native girl, and Nellie, from Little Rock, Arkansas, discovers that the man of her dreams, De Becque, has fathered two children with a Polynesian woman. In the novel, Forbush makes an overt declaration of her upbringing, lobbing an offensive racial epithet at the woman. Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the word to “colored,” and then, fearing even that was too strong, cut the line from the show. Sher has restored it to the Rodgers and Hammerstein original. The effect, critics have reported, is palpable. For Anderson and Cusack the experience of working with Sher for the first time has been eye opening.

Speaking from the tour’s stop in Des Moines, Iowa, where Anderson had just completed his 250th performance, the young actor explained the conundrum of Lt. Joe Cable and how working with Sher helped him to clarify it. “One of the unique qualities that Bart has as a director,” said Anderson, who grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, “is he really helps you dig into the reality of a character, especially in an old-fashioned musical like this where it’s so easy to stray into old-fashioned musical land. “In the case of Joe Cable,” he continued, “he’s the typical musical theater leading man who has all the right things to say and sing. Bart wanted me to dig into the reality of being a Marine in 1942. I’ve been watching the HBO miniseries The Pacific, which starts with the battle of Guadalcanal, which is where Cable has just come from. That’s an intense back-story to be able to work with.” Cusack, who has appeared in Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, said being cast as Nellie Forbush came as a bit of a surprise. She had seen the National Theatre’s 2003 revival of South Pacific in London, and though she loved the role of Nellie, she never saw herself filling that nurse’s uniform. “I had it in my head that I’m a bit too edgy,” she said. “And I don’t think I look the typical Nellie type. I didn’t think anyone would ever cast me for it.” Ironically, all the factors that Cusack thought worked against her appealed to Sher. “We’re lucky that she doesn’t realize how good she is,” said Sher with a good-hearted laugh. “She has the type of voice that can belt a song. She’s intelligent and a great comedienne. She’s a little older than the usual Nellie. But I think that’s an advantage; most of the women that served as nurses during the war were in their late 20s or older. Carmen also

photo by Steven Coombs

Anderson Davis is Lt. Joe Cable, a Marine who after surviving Guadalcanal winds up on a beautiful island, where he falls in love with a native girl (played by Sumie Maeda).

has a look that is untraditional. But when you see her in the part you can’t imagine anyone else doing it.” Those who see South Pacific in Downtown can certainly expect to be “Bali Ha’ied.” But with the additions to the script, audiences may also leave thinking seriously about the current generation of Americans that are putting their lives in harm’s way in distant lands. South Pacific plays June 2-July 17 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-4400 or centertheatregroup.org.

And Justice for All Cornerstone Theater Company Closes a Four-Year Focus On the Law

Downtown News 15

DowntownNews.com photo by Ramy Eletreby

May 31, 2010

by Richard Guzmán city editor

ver the past four years, the members of the Cornerstone Theater Company have ventured into the lives of day laborers. They have discussed reproductive rights. They have even touched the waters of the Los Angeles River. This month, that body of work comes to an end, as the Arts District-based troupe closes its “Justice Cycle,” a theatrical and community examination of the different ways justice and laws affect society. The sixth and final play in the series, 3 Truths, opens June 4 at the Cal Plaza Watercourt. Written by San Diego-based Naomi Iizuka, 3 Truths is the Justice Cycle’s culminating “bridge show.” The work which closes June 12 links all the themes in the previous plays together with a story based on The Oresteia, a trio of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus. “She’s done an amazing job of tying all of the themes of the Justice Cycle together on this final piece,” said Michael John Garcés, artistic director for Cornerstone and the director of 3 Truths. Garcés said the play distills stories from previous performances and blends them into one narrative without seeming forced, while also painting a compelling portrait of Los Angeles. The Justice Cycle was launched in 2007. Like previous Cornerstone multi-year cycles (such as one focused on religion and faith), the intent was for the company to collaborate with various communities throughout Los Angeles. That meant creating shows that mix professional actors with community members, and finding unusual settings such as the banks of the L.A. River or a place where day laborers gather. The cycle began in 2007 with Los Illegals, a play about day laborers and domestic workers. It was followed the next year by Someday, a story of non-traditional families and reproductive rights, and For All Time, which addressed prisoners, their families and victims. Touch the Water, performed along the banks of the Glendale Narrows in the Rio de Los Angeles State Park in 2009, touched on the environment. On Caring for the Beast, which ran earlier this year, concerned crime, retribution and healthcare. Iizuka said she used the Aeschylus stories because they fit the theme. “I chose this ancient Greek myth because it’s one of the oldest plays we have still in existence and it is about issues of justice,” she said. Although 3 Truths includes thematic elements from previous Justice Cycle works, the story stands on its own, Iizuka said. “You don’t need to be familiar with the other plays in order to understand this one. But if you have seen the others you will definitely recognize some of the themes,” she said. Big Cast The play 3 Truths continues Cornerstone’s tradition of mixing professional and amateur actors. It also has the largest cast of the series, with six Cornerstone ensemble actors and more than 40 community members taking the open air stage on Bunker Hill. “Working with a cast that size is a rare thing unless you’re doing a big musical,” Garcés said. “It’s tough but it’s exciting what you can do with scope and size, so it’s fun as a director,” The story begins with the return of a father who has served time in prison for murder. When he himself is killed, it sets off a cycle of violence within his family and the community, culminating in a judicial arena where the fate of many characters is decided. “It’s basically a play about the cycles of violence,” Garcés said. “And it’s about how to break these cycles.” Ultimately, Garcés said, the play hopes to answer the question of what is the truth. It gets there in part by utilizing characters who will be familiar to the audience, including a homeless, mentally ill man, a public defender and the clients she serves. “It is about different ways of defining what is just and justice in contemporary Los Angeles,” Iizuka remarked. “That may mean a look at how people move through the criminal justice system, issues of healthcare, and that may mean personal issues of justice.” One of the most memorable characters is the public defender, played by Neetu Badhan. An amateur actor, Badhan happens to actually work as a public defender. Iizuka conducted lengthy interviews with Badhan to learn see Cornerstone, page 20

Neetu Badhan, a real life public defender, and Cornerstone Theater Company member Shishir Kurup rehearse a scene from 3 Truths. The play, the final piece in Cornerstone’s four-year Justice Cycle, opens this week at the Cal Plaza Watercourt.

16 Downtown News

SPONSORED LISTINGS Where’s the Money? Access to Capital Business Expo Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown, 711 S. Hope St., (213) 488-3599 or vedc.org. June 12, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Join the VEDC for a day of education, resources and business growth. Discuss your financing needs in a oneon-one consultation. Obtain information from business resource providers. Attend workshops about unconventional financing, recovering from the recession, using online marketing, repairing credit and creating a financial plan. Sponsored by Cathay Bank. Peter Pan the Musical Central Los Angeles High School No. 9, 450 N. Grand Ave., (213) 217-8600 or central-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com. June 4-12: The Los Angeles High School for the Visual and Performing Arts presents a student musical production of Peter Pan. The play opens at 7 p.m. on June 4 and then runs at 2 and 7 p.m. on June 5; 2 p.m. on June 6; 7 p.m. on June 10-11; and 2 and 7 p.m. on June 12. 3rd Annual Spring Green Expo Metropolitan Water District Headquarters, 700 N. Alameda St., mwdh2o.com. June 10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: This unique one-day educational event has something for everyone: Listen to noted speakers on various sustainability topics and see eco-innovative concept projects created by Southern California college students. Vendors will showcase green products and services including the latest alternative fuel vehicles and motorcycles. Free. Target Free Family Saturdays at JANM Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Enjoy a day of family-centered activities. Then at 7:30 p.m., artist Kip Fulbeck and educator and author Maya Soetoro-Ng, President Barack Obama’s half-sister, discuss identity, family and what it means to be multiracial in America.

Wednesday, June 2 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Richard Russo, the Pulizter Prize-winning author of Empire Falls, discusses his new novel That Old Cape Magic. Thursday, June 3 Thursdays at Central 630 W. Fifth St., Meeting Room A, (213) 228-7272 or lapl.org. 12:15-1 p.m.: The 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet, held at Dominguez Field (near the modern Cal State Dominguez Hills campus) helped to open the door to aviation in Southern California. The seminar features many fascinating photographs from the Library’s own collection. ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: A panel of experts discusses the emergence of urban agriculture in Los Angeles, with a focus on such topics as policies, challenges, trends and current programs. Friday, June 4 Farmlab Public Salon The Metabolic Studio, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.or.g Noon: M.A. Greenstein, an author, blogger and lecturer on comparative culture and neurosomatics, will speak on the embodied mind. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or visit nhm.org. 5:30-10:30 p.m.: This installation of First Fridays, the last of the season, features a conversation titled

The ‘Don’T Miss’ LisT by Lauren CampedeLLi, Listings editor

one photo by Bernard

n his 70-year career as a choreographer, the late Merce Cunningham put the avant in avantguarde. Now is the final opportunity to see his innovative work performed by the dancers he personally trained. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company this week presents Roaratorio at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The revival is performed to an original recording by John Cage, another pioneer of the arts, as well as Cunningham’s life partner. His composition “Roaratorio, an Irish Circus on Finnegans Wake” was assembled from sounds that Cage recorded in locales mentioned in James Joyce’s novel as well as more traditional music. The choreography, meanwhile, incorporates motifs on Irish traditional dances. The three-show stand runs June 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. and June 6 at 2 p.m. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (800) 982-2787 or musiccenter.org.

FoUR S

aturday night’s all right for pogo dancing to power punk at Club Nokia. The legendary Buzzcocks, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Pete Shelley, take the stage on Saturday, June 5, at 9:30 p.m. to perform their first two classic albums, Another Music in A Different Kitchen and Love Bites, in their entirety. That means you can scream along to “Orgasm Addict” and “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve).” Formed in Manchester, England, in 1975, the not-so-angry punk rockers named the band after the “buzz” of performing live on stage coupled with the local slang for blokes. They’ve influenced generations of acts, including bands who made it far bigger than the Buzzcocks ever did. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., clubnokia.com.

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

Open the Vault, See Merce’s Dance, and Bang to the Buzzcocks

calendar@downtownnews.com

What’s so funny about a midlife crisis? Ask Pulitzer Prizewinning author Richard Russo when he speaks at an Aloud event at the Central Library on Wednesday, June 2, at 7 p.m. Russo will discuss his new novel, That Old Cape Magic, which melds introspective drama and slapstick humor in a story about a middle-aged professor who is reassessing his marital and familial bonds. Russo’s got himself quite the track record: His Empire Falls not only won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but was adapted into an HBO mini-series starring Paul Newman, Ed Harris, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Helen Hunt. Russo will be in conversation with L.A. Times book blogger Carolyn Kellogg. At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

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photo by Elena Seibert

photo by Gary Leonard

Monday, May 31 City of Angels Wine Fest Music Center Plaza, 135 N Grand Ave., cityofangelswinefest.com. Noon-5 p.m.: The first annual City of Angels Wine Fest will feature fine wines from more than 30 California wineries, food from Patina Restaurant Group’s Downtown eateries, live entertainment, a silent auction and the interactive “Living Mural” project. The festival is a charity event to benefit the Volunteers of America Downtown homeless service center, the newly named Rotary House.

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May 31, 2010

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FiVe

ant a little sketch comedy with your dance? A little performance art with your live music? The Latino Theater Company pulls out all the stops with the variety show The Vault, which is at the Los Angeles Theatre Center through June 12. A multicultural, multi-disciplinary ensemble — multiinspired by pop culture, politics and technology — presents an original cabaret-style show weekly. From whence the title, you ask? Well, the building, which opened in 1916, housed various financial institutions before becoming a theater complex in 1985, preserving the bank lobby with its stained glass ceiling and, yes, its vault. If you’re hip and you know it, check out The Vault June 3-5, at 8 p.m.; and June 5, at 8 and 10 p.m. At 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 ext. 107 or thelatc.org. photo by Berto Morfin

May 31, 2010

Downtown News 17

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“Now Introducing: The Massive Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy,” followed by performances from pop-synth band Neon Indian and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf. Friday Night Flicks Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare/. Sunset: Pershing Square’s 2010 season of Friday Night Flicks presents a variety of family films on a 40 X 20 outdoor screen. Tonight Spy Kids will be shown. Bring a picnic and a blanket. Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. 8 p.m.; June 5, at 8 p.m: Grand Performances kicks off the 2010 season with a two-weekend presentation of 3 Truths by Naomi Iizuka, the final play in Cornerstone Theater Company’s “Justice Cycle.” It explores how laws have the power to shape and disrupt communities in Los Angeles. Saturday, June 5 Weird West Adams Crime Bus Tour Departs from Second Ave. and W. 25th St., (323) 223-2767 or esotouric.com. Noon-4 p.m.: Esotouric, the offbeat bus adventure company that unearths criminal skeletons from L.A.’s civic closet, offers its occasional neighborhood true crime tour, “Weird West Adams.”

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., downtownindependent.com for showtimes. Through June 3, showtimes TBD: Like a detective story, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo untangles the web of influences behind Japan’s captivation with insects. The documentary travels through history and adventure, opening in modern-day Tokyo where a single beetle recently sold for $90,000, then slipping back to the early 1800s, to the first cricket-selling business and the development of haiku and other forms of insect literature and art. May 31, 7 p.m.: “The Radio Show’s” David Branin and Karen Worden will host the fifth Film Courage Interactive featuring writer/ director Thomas Verrette’s I Am the Bluebird. The film spotlights a young man’s struggle to uncover the truth surrounding an illegal medical operation performed on him by his own father. June 4-10, showtimes TBD: In Manoel de Oliveira’s Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl, Macário falls madly in love with a young blonde. His uncle and employer, totally opposed to the match, fires him and kicks him out of the house. Macário departs for Cape Verde where he makes his fortune. Flagship Theatres University Village 3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321 or flagshipmovies.com.

Visit website for current schedule. REDCAT 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800, redcat.org. June 4, 8 p.m.; June 5, 6 p.m.: Dance Camera West presents Dance Media Screen Innovations, part of its month-long Dance Media Film Festival. Three experimental shorts programs, consisting of 24 films from 12 countries, represent a survey of what’s happening in the current state of screen dance around the world.

See Complete Listings on the Web at ladowntownnews.com/calendar.

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THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

We Got Games Lakers Push for the Finals, The Dodgers Keep Pitching Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/lakers. May 31, 6 p.m., if necessary: The Lakers were locked in a nice duel with the Phoenix Suns before Los Angeles Downtown News went to press, but unless one of the two teams finds a way to win on the road, this one will go to game seven. If the Purple and Gold manage to punch out the Suns in six, they’ll move on to the NBA Finals, where they will get a rematch of a previous championship series, either the 2008 loss to the hated Boston Celtics, or the 2009 victory over the Orlando Magic. Kobe et al. are looking for a repeat or revenge. Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. May 31, 6:10 p.m.; June 1, 7:10; June 2, 12:10 p.m.; June 3-5, 7:10; June 6, 1:10 p.m.: The D’Backs are in the house this week, and they’ll have to contend with a suddenly hot Dodgers pitching staff. Chad Billingsley appears to have regained his control and his role at the top of the rotation. After three games with Arizona, the Atlanta Braves are in town for a fourgame set. Speaking of Dodger pitching, We Got Games offers a tip of the cap to former pitcher Jose Lima, who died last week. Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks. The Sparks start the week in Phoenix, where they’ll take on Diana Tauresi and the defending champion Mercury, then they’ll return home, sort of. The Sparks host the Seattle Storm on June 5, but the game will be at the Home Depot Center in Carson. —Ryan Vaillancourt

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L.A. Downtown News Classifieds

May 31, 2010

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Business OppOrtunities ALL CASH VENDING! Be Your Own Boss! Your Own Local Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888-625-2405. (Cal-SCAN) Help Wanted JOBS. JOBS, JOBS! Get paid to train in the California Army National Guard. Up to 100% tuition assistance. Parttime work. Full-time benefits. May qualify for bonus. www. NationalGuard.com/Careers or 1-800-GO-GUARD. (Cal-SCAN)

SERVICES

advertising

HealtH

ADVERTISE ONLINE in a network of 140-plus newspaper websites. Border to Border with one order! $7 cost per thousand impressions statewide. Minimum $5,000 order. Call for details: (916) 288-6010. www. CaliforniaBannerAdNetwork. com. (Cal-SCAN)

IS YOUR TEEN Experiencing: School Problems - Conflicts at home or w/friends? Adolescent support group ages 13-17. low fee. Marney Stofflet, LCSW 323662-9797.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING in 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $550. Reach over 6 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 2886019. www.Cal-SCAN.com. (Cal-SCAN) DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com. (CalSCAN)

attOrneys cleaning

ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION! Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs! Child Support / Custody Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español / Korean

get your green card or citiZensHip Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

accOunting/BOOkkeeping EXPERIENCE COUNTS Bookkeeping, Accounting, Projections. Contact Office Mgr. 213880-5992 stephanie@jkbassoc. com 600 W. 9th St. #1102, LA, CA 90015. Business services SHINE TIME SHOE CARE pick service complete shoe care “Boston Gloss” Dwayne Whitson 213-281-1237

Downtown News 19

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. educatiOn HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA! Graduate in 4 weeks! Free Brochure. Call Now! 1-866-5623650 ext. 60 www.SouthEasternHS.com. (Cal-SCAN)

2008 MERCEDES BENZ CLK350 Convertible certified, low miles, navigation, leather, (243042), $39,939. Call 888319-8762. 2007 TOYOTA (C100473-1/038999) Call 888-203-2967

HYBRID $15,488.

2008 INFINITI G37 Low Miles, Loaded, CO1055D1-1/122597. $31,887. 888-879-9608

AUTOS pre-OWned

For a complete list of our pre-owned inventory, go to www.DTLAMOTORS.com

dOWntOWn l.a. autO grOup

LEGAL

PETS/ANIMALS adOpt a pet

name cHange

ADOPT (OR FOSTER) your forever friend from Bark Avenue Foundation. Beautiful, healthy puppies, dogs, cats and kittens available at Downtown’s largest private adoption facility. Call Dawn at 213-840-0153 or email Dawn@ BarkAveLA.com or visit www.Bark Avenue Foundation.org.

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME No. BS125340 Petitioner: Law Offices of Joe Ramirez Manahan, 1539 Beverly Blvd., 2nd Floor, LA CA 90026. Attorney for MICHAEL REGINALD YAP, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: MICHAEL REGINALD YAP Proposed name: MICHAEL YAP ALANES THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. I f no written objection is timely filed,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

autOs Wanted

Porsche Volkswagen audi Mercedes-Benz nissan cheVrolet cadillac

DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (Cal-SCAN)

‘08 HONDA CIVIC EX only 16K miles with navi. N13552/507882, only $17,999. 888-838-5089.

DONATE YOUR CAR! to Songs of Love! Seen on the TODAY SHOW! Make a sick child smile and get a tax-deduction. Endorsed by Bob McGrath of Sesame Street! Call 888-909-SONG (7664) (Cal-SCAN)

2002 911 TURBO X-50 yellow, loaded, 28k miles, one owner,vin 686559, 888-685-5426. 2007 AUDI A4 Premium Pkg. Moonroof, leather, (200420), $17,995. Call 888-583-0981.

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf.info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, NonRunners Accepted, 1-888-4685964. (Cal-SCAN)

2010 VOLKSWAGON CC 2,369 miles, white, carfax 1 owner, VIN 528667, $24,888. Call 888781-8102

vOlunteer OppOrtunities HELPING KIDS heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts. org or 310-313-4278 for more information. cHurcHes THE BRIDGE / Little Tokyo: Contemporary worship, 4:00pm Sundays, 401 E Third St. www. thebridgewired.org.

FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE? People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad should be here?

(213) 481-1448

The Downtown Renaissance Collection

Financial services CASH NOW! Get cash for your structured settlement or annuity payments. High payouts. Call J.G. Wentworth. 1-866-SETTLEMENT (1-866-738-8536). Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. (Cal-SCAN)

the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 7/01/2010 Time: 9:00 a.m. Dept.: 1A Room: 548 The address of the court is 111 N. Hill Street, LA CA 90012. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in CIVIC CENTER NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA of general circulation, printed in this county. John A Clarke, Executive Officer/ Clerk LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT Date: MAY 20, 2010 Hon. Matthew C. St. George, Commissioner Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21/2010

I c o n I c B e au t y

Be Inspired...

S e e k S S t y l i S h M at e

Best Downtown Locations!

nOW leasing

$1,400’s/mo. Free parking

On Spring St.

Spring Tower Lofts:

1900 sqft, open LOFT w/views $2850/mo • 17 ft ceilings, Live/Work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly

Premiere Towers:

2 bdrm/2 bath, $1,650/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/ GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking

ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE GRAND LOBBY • FITNESS CENTER • SPA MODERN KITCHEN w/CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY • DRAMATIC VIEWS WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET

756 S. Broadway • Downtown Los Angeles 213-892-9100 • chapmanf lats.com

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MILANO LOFTS Now Leasing! • Gorgeous Layouts • 10-15’ Ceilings • Fitness Center • Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge • Amazing Views

680 sqft, 16 ft ceilings, $1450/mo. • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly We are located in a prime area in Downtown LA nice neighborhood w/ salon, market, café etc. Wired for high speed internet & cable, central heat & A/C

Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

6th+Grand Ave. • milanoloftsla.com • 213.627.1900

Clean furnished single rooms. 24-hour desk clerk service. •Daily, $25.00 •Weekly, $99.00 •Monthly, $295.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

downtownnews.com Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator. Full bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Casaloma L.A. Apartments Clean unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with bath at $695/mo. Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site. Gated building in a good area. 208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown LA

For English Call Pierre or Terri 213.744.9911 For Spanish Call Susana 213.749.0306

Monthly from $695 utilities paid. (213) 627-1151

550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST.

877-231-9362

Pricing subject to change without notice.

City Lofts:

madison hotel

Elegant World Class Resort Apartment Homes

Orsini

the loft expert! group

Medici 725 SOUTH BIXEL ST.

877-239-8256

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Piero 616 ST. PAUL AVE.

877-235-6012

WWW.THEPIERO.COM

Visconti 1221 WEST THIRD ST.

866-690-2888

WWW.THEVISCONTI.COM

FREE Rent Specials On Select Floor Plans • Free Resident/Guest Parking in Gated Garage • Private Library, Business Center & Conference Rooms • Free Wi-Fi & DSL Computer Use • Resident Karaoke Lounge • Directors Screening Room • Lavish Fountains & Sculptures • On-Site Private Resident Park with Sand Volleyball, BBQ’s and Jogging Track • Night Light Tennis Courts • Indoor Basketball

• Brunswick Four-Lane Virtual Bowling • Full Swing Virtual Golf • 3100 Square Foot Cybex Fitness Facility • Free Tanning Rooms • Massage Room, Sauna & Steam Room • Rooftop Pools with Dressing Rooms • Concierge Service • 24-Hour Doorman • 24/7 On-Site Management • Magnificent City Views *Amenities vary among communities

Downtown since 2002

Don't settle for anyone less experienced! Call us today! Bill Cooper • 213.598.7555 • TheLoftExpertGroup.com

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Monthly from $550 utilities paid. (213) 612-0348

Version 2 LOFTS ARTIST

FOR LEASE Live/Work in DowntownClient: Fashion District

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation

Singing, G.H. Palmer Associates dancing, Publication: LADT News performing 700 to 1500 Sq. Ft. Lofts. ADOPT (OR FOSTER) your and fun! High ceilings, skylights,Size/Color: cable, 4.3125” x 8” 4C forever friend from Bark Avenue For boys & kitchen, bath+shower, laundry room, elevator, controlled access, sub. parking. Sorry noDesign dogs. Call George: 818-634-7916 or 310-826-8810 x24

Take us home

Foundation. Beautiful, healthy girls ages 3 puppies, dogs, cats and kittens and up! available at Downtown’s largest adoption facility. Call Dawn by:private apluscreative@yahoo.com Ph: 323.474.4668 at 213-840-0153 or email Dawn@ BarkAveLA.com or visit www.Bark SunshineGenerationLA.com Avenue Foundation.org.

909-861-4433

20 Downtown News

May 31, 2010

Cornerstone Continued from page 15 about her professional experiences and about the stories behind her clients. In the play, she represents the homeless man who appears in court for trespassing and disorderly conduct. She also represents a man accused of murder. “The play has become very personal to me because I shared my own life experiences with her, so some of it really parallels my own experiences,” Badhan said. “The client interactions I have, the fact that I work with some young men and women who are accused of serious crimes is reflected in the play.” Badhan is no stranger to Cornerstone. She performed in Someday and Touch the Water; in the latter, she portrayed a dancing raccoon that played the violin. As a now veteran performer of the Justice Cycle series, she said it is easy to see how the play encompasses the previous performances. “This really touches on every form of justice or every avenue of justice that all of the plays have talked

photo by Ramy Eletreby

Twitter/DowntownNews about.” Badhan said. “It tells a story I think people will really relate to. It’s a story about families, what truth is, if we believe in an eye for an eye. I think it really will become a dialogue piece.” Badhan said being part of the Justice Cycle is both an honor and humbling. For Garcés, who joined Cornerstone in 2007, the series has helped the company embed itself in the communities they met. “I think it’s been very successful in terms of engagement,” he said. “I think as a company we’ve been fully engaged in these issues not only during the course of the play, but beyond. We’ve remained engaged with a lot of the communities we worked with.” Although the focus on justice and laws is complete, Cornerstone’s work with communities is not. A musical focusing on West Hollywood’s 25th anniversary arrives in the fall. Then, in 2011, the next cycle begins: It will be a series of works relating to issues of food and hunger in Los Angeles. 3 Truths runs June 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 at California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., grandperformances.org. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Cornerstone ensemble actor Peter Howard portrays Augustus, a homeless man at the L.A. River in Naomi Iizuka’s 3 Truths.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

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

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

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

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

Now For l l a C n Specials Move-I

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

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

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

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)

It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one 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 with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses 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.

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