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CRENSHAW CORRIDOR
A Multigenerational Vision for Our Collective Future
In 1987, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nations leading community development support organization, opened an office in Los Angeles and brought to Southern California a key element in the success of community-led transformations of distressed urban communities ready access to national sources of funding and technical know-how. For almost 30 years, and 20 in Los Angeles, LISC has invested in the ideas of the residents of some of the countrys most hard-pressed communities, convinced that resident-led renewal initiatives offered the best hope for true community transformation. And it worked. Communities once synonymous with neglect and despair are now vibrant and alive with hope and opportunity. Resident-led organizations know as community development corporations, or CDCs, have built new homes and apartments to replace garbage-strewn lots and burned-out buildings, and have reinvigorated formerly moribund commercial corridors. Los Angeles LISC and Sustainable Communities: Now, in order to sustain and expand the enormous strides Los Angeles communities have made since 1987, Los Angeles LISC much like other LISC programs across the country has launched Sustainable Communities. Sustainable Communities does not represent a radical new direction for LISC in Los Angeles. In fact, it represents the natural evolution of community-based development and builds upon a series of successful focused investment and community transformation initiatives. From the Affordable Housing Operating Support Collaborative through Bridges to Wellness to the Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative, Los Angeles LISC has consistently sought to expand its investment and support programming for Los Angeles-area CDCs in order that they could build truly whole and healthy communities. What is new about Sustainable Communities is its integration of the elements of community renewal planning, comprehensive and integrated program development and service delivery, and broad-based community impact and the forging of new partnerships to achieve sector-specific goals in workforce development, for instance, or education that will now become the standard against which all development initiatives are evaluated and will create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Sustainable Communities immediate precursor, the Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative (NTI), was launched in 1998 as a multi-phase effort to focus support and technical assistance through designated CDCs in several geographically defined neighborhoods across the city. The discrete elements that NTI sought to facilitate in the defined communities included:
Sustainable Communities Program Objectives Stimulating local economic activity, including connecting targeted neighborhoods and their residents to the regional economy and beyond; Building family income and wealth, including improving residents skills and access to living wage jobs; Expanding capital investment in housing and other real estate; Improving residents access to quality education; and Developing healthy environments and lifestyles, including safe streets and recreational amenities, community health clinics, and environmentally sound design.
housing; commercial facilities; childcare, charter schools; jobs; and business development. These, albeit in a more focused and collaborative process, are the same elements that make up Sustainable Communities. Investments and accompanying technical assistance will be made through both people and place-based strategies that provide a balanced agenda for community development. This agenda includes venues and institutions where residents and business owners live, learn, work and recreate. Another important feature of our approach will be to enable our partners to explore, pilot and bring to scale innovative programs and projects that are the realization of the Quality of Life Plans. In short, Los Angeles LISC seeks to nourish communities wherein People in Place can thrive within selective Sustainable Communities. Seeking to produce outcomes of a transformative scale, Los Angeles LISC has designated three Sustainable Communities neighborhoods and will provide focused support and investment as required to realize visible and demonstrable results. Believing that success breeds success, Los Angeles LISC has adopted a strategy for Sustainable Communities that will use successes in certain neighborhoods to build momentum for the initiative across all sites. This strategy will validate the approach, attract additional supporters and partners and inform subsequent efforts. Los Angeles LISCs Neighborhoods are: Crenshaw Corridor Lead Agency Community Build, Inc. Boyle Heights Lead Agency East Los Angeles Community Corporation Central Avenue Corridor Lead Agency Coalition for Responsible Community Development three Sustainable Communities
Lead Agency
Community Build, Inc.
Community Build, Inc. (Community Build) is a non-profit community development corporation established in 1992 in response to the conditions that led to the Los Angeles Civil Unrest of 1992. Community Build was founded with the support and assistance of Congresswoman Maxine Waters and seven organizations: Black Womens Forum, Inc., Broadway Federal Bank, Brotherhood Crusade, Family Savings Bank, Founders National Bank, 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, and Watts Health Foundation. Community Builds mission is to revitalize low-income communities in South Los Angeles through human capital investment, community economic development, and commercial economic development.
Lead Agency
Type and Scope of Services Offered/Geographic Area Served
Youth and young adults program activities include the following: case management; peer counseling; life skills management training; career preparation training; college preparation; college retention; college scholarships; education and career counseling; job development; employment placement; entrepreneurship support; recreation and cultural programs; tutoring; mental health assessment and counseling; homeless prevention and intervention; tattoo removal; traffic warrant clean-up; and supportive services. Community Build currently operates the following programs: Gang Reduction Youth Development Prevention and Intervention Programs in the Baldwin Village/Southwest Gang Reduction Zone; College Preparation and Retention Program; Second District Literacy Community Delinquency Prevention Project; Workforce Investment Act Youth Program; Self-Sufficiency Project (State Foster Care Demonstration Project for Emancipating Foster Youth and Older Almuni, sponsored by Casey Family Programs, Los Angeles County DCFS, and Deutsch Foundation); Family Development Network; CD 10 Project SAVE Gang Prevention and Intervention Program; Safe Passages patrols in neighborhoods surrounding three elementary schools and two high schools as well as the Newton Gang Reduction Zone and Watts-Southeast Gang Reduction Zone; Greater Leimert Part Village/Crenshaw Corridor Business Improvement District; and the Los Angeles LISC Sustainable Communities Project. Community Build believes that youth and young adults are a tremendous resource. The organization strives to empower the community by investing, training, and equipping our young people with the necessary confidence, skills, and resources they need to become active participants and contributors to the local and global economies. The youth programs offered by Community Build focus not only on developing marketable skills and providing employability training, but also on providing educational and long-term career counseling to young people who need guidance. Community Build recognizes the importance of meeting the immediate needs of the communities and resident we serve. Accomplishing Community Builds mission depends on strong partnerships with community volunteers, schools, colleges, universities, workforce investment boards, youth-serving consortia, public safety collaboratives, government agencies, private non-profit agencies, grassroots community organizations, the faith-based community, agencies that promote civic and economic development, business owners, employers, corporate foundations, and private foundations. These partnerships and Community Builds numerous programs and essential services are coordinated by a professional staff of 25 full-time and 22 part-time employees to ensure positive outcomes for our participants and neighborhoods. Community Builds South Los Angeles service area includes West Adams/Baldwin Village, Leimert Park Village/Crenshaw Corridor, South Central Los Angeles, and Southeast Los Angeles/Watts. The service area has high percentages of family poverty, adults without baccalaureate degrees, and first-generation college-bound youth. The Community Build corporate office, GRYD Intervention office and BID office are located at 4305 Degnan Boulevard in Leimert Park Village. The Community Build Youth and Community Center is located at 8730 South Vermont Avenue on the Vermont-Manchester corridor. The Community Build Youth Development Center is newly opened at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 West Martin Luther King Boulevard on the Crenshaw-MLK Corridor. Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
Acknowledgments
Community Build, Inc. (Community Build) thanks LISC for the resources to develop a Quality-of-Life Plan for the Crenshaw Corridor. We welcome the opportunity to encourage the integration of the elements of community renewal planning, comprehensive and integrated program development, and service delivery to effect broad-based community impact in a multigenerational context. This planning process ran from October 2008 through June 2009. It builds upon work begun under the Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative, where Community Build was honored to collaborate with Ward Economic Development Corporation and West Angeles Community Development Corporation. In the same spirit, Community Build acknowledges and appreciates the efforts and contributions of all Crenshaw Corridor stakeholders. The Quality-of-Life Plan for Crenshaw Corridor is a framework. It is not a blueprint. It is a work in progress, meant to stimulate and engage the community in a productive and realistic discussion of a multigenerational vision of our collective future. Community Build looks forward to future convenings and continued community engagement. Thank you for your past and continued support. Brenda Shockley President & CEO Community Build, Inc.
Acknowledgments
Convening Invitees
City Departments Los Angeles City Council 8th District Los Angeles City Council 10th District Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Los Angeles Office of the Mayor Los Angeles Planning Department MTA Expo Line Metro Community Based Organizations Community Health Council, Inc.
Los Angeles Urban League National Alliance of Mental Illness Urban Los Angeles Schools Audubon Middle School Dorsey High School Crenshaw High School View Park Preparatory Charter School Businesses Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Chase/Washington Mutual Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce Greater Leimert Park Village/Crenshaw Corridor Business Improvement District Leimert Park Village Merchants Association (LVPMA) MTA Expo Line Metro Neighborhood Development Council One Bootstrap Coming Up (OBSCU)
Table of Contents
Summary................................................................................................................................................... page 9 Sustainable Communities Planning Process -------------------------------------------------------------- page 9 Creating a Sustainable Future in Partnership with the Next Generation ----------------------------- page 11 Five Proposed Focus Areas/Strategies-------------------------------------------------------------------- page 12 Background............................................................................................................................................. page 15 History -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- page 15 Remaining Projects in Pre-development ----------------------------------------------------------------- page 18 Demographic Snapshot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- page 19 Household Income Structure------------------------------------------------------------------------------- page 20 Gang Activity and Reduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ page 21 Healthy, Green and Prosperous Development .................................................................................... page 22 Snapshot of Green Marlton Square ----------------------------------------------------------------------- page 23 Proposed Focus Areas and Strategies--------------------------------------------------------------------- page 24 Timeline and Priorities .......................................................................................................................... page 34 Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. page 38 List of Green Jobs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- page 38
Summary
Sustainable Communities Planning Process
The Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities planning process ran from October 2008 to June 2009. Research and discussions revolved around the five LISC Sustainable Communities priorities and began with a comprehensive assessment of previous Crenshaw Corridor planning processes, including a thorough review of 14 existing plans generated during the 1990s and early 2000s. Results from the review were presented at three stakeholder convenings that identified and discussed critical needs in the Crenshaw Corridor, comprising:
Job development Financial literacy Homeless supports Gang intervention College access Public transportation Mental health resources
The insights gained from convenings and plan reviews generated a set of five strategic recommendations that will form the centerpiece of a broad-based community engagement effort throughout 2009-10 to refine the recommendations and garner support from those willing to work toward their fulfillment. The process will provide for multigenerational feedback, and build the communitys capacity to define and meet its needs. Community stakeholders will engage public officials and the private sector toward the objective of completing a Green Marlton Square by 2015.
Since 1996, various organizations and agencies have generated a total of 14 plans related to the redevelopment of the Crenshaw Corridor, including the Los Angeles Planning Department, Office of the Mayor and several community-based organizations. A comprehensive review of these plans conducted during the Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities planning process revealed considerable work and point to a landscape that has multiple barriers and development goals that are difficult to reach.
List of Reviewed Plans and Reports 2008 Baldwin Village GRYD Needs Assessment Final Report, Office of the Mayor, Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Building a World-Class City for the 21st Century, Los Angeles Economy and Jobs Committee City of Los Angeles Housing Element 2006-2014, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning Connect Today Envision Tomorrow: The Impact of Built Environment on Crime and Fear of Crime in the Urban Draft General Plan: Planning Tomorrows Great Places, Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning Gang and Gun Violence Enforcement Initiative, City of Los Angeles, Office of the Mayor Healing our Neighborhoods: A Citywide Partnership to Combat Gang Crime, Office of the Mayor Connect Today Envision Tomorrow: The Impact of Built Environment on Crime and Fear of Crime in the Urban League 70 Block Area, Healthy City Long Range Transportation Plan, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority South Los Angeles Equity Scorecard, Community Health Councils, Inc. 2007 Leimert Park Village Principles of Design Development & Market Feasibility Study, The Leimert Park Collaborative, City of Los Angeles, Community Redevelopment Agency 2005 West Adams, Baldwin Hills, Leimert Community Plan, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning 2003 Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan Design Guidelines and Standards Manual, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning 2000 South Los Angeles Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, The USC Center for Economic Development on behalf of the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Development 1996 Leimert Park Village Demonstration Project Work Plan, Margaret Brumfield DIOP Enterprises on behalf of the Recognized Community Organization Members
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Summary
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#2: Building Family Income & Wealth Green Home Center: Position Marlton Square as a green distribution center for the emerging energy-efficient home and business construction industry. Green Home Center would serve as a new source of employment and would attract customers from other parts of the city. By inviting new green retail operations to locate in Marlton Square, the Crenshaw Corridor plan focuses on meeting the needs of homeowners, renters, and business owners who seek to comply with new water and energy conservation practices and regulations. #3: Expanding Capital Investment in Housing and Other Real Estate Supportive Youth Housing: Create 120 units of permanent supportive housing for transition-age foster youth and youth recently released from detention, a response to the chronic homelessness that plagues this population. The proposed 120 housing units will be planned in collaboration with the targeted youth and the Department of Public Social Services and Probation to ensure it meets the needs of those it intends to serve. It will leverage project-based Section 8 certificates for operation and tax credits and bridge and gap funding for development. Dorms housing 130 students enrolled in trainings and college will facilitate retention. 12
Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
Summary
#4: Improving Residents Access to Quality Education Satellite College Campus and Charter School: New educational resources will provide general education opportunities, practical technical training and environmental career preparation. Locally-based institutions will provide a variety of green workforce training opportunities and give interested residents and middle-school, high-school and community college students access to diverse instructors and courses. Courses will be available onsite, on-line and through other off-site options. The goal is increase the capacity of local residents to participate in the new green economy and to attract students who are technologically-oriented, enthusiastic about science, and interested in moving into engineering careers. Potential career paths include: waste management; weatherization; energy education; and solar power installation. #5: Developing Healthy Environments and Lifestyles A Community Resource, Referral and Treatment Center: With increased access to mental health services, residents may take better advantage of educational opportunities and jobs. By providing counseling and supportive services, the Community Resource, Referral and Treatment Center will address crises and build the soft skills that accompany success in careers and life. The community resource and referral office will ensure residents access to mental health services available through LA County Department of Mental Health and community-based organizations.
Next Steps
As a next step, Community Build, Inc. will engage 10 youth to conduct research on each of the five focus areas. In partnership with these youth, Community Build will continue to solicit community stakeholder input, generate a financing plan and refine the timeline for implementation. The youth reports will be integrated into the final proposal to be issued in January 2010, along with a community engagement strategy and advisory committee roster. Community Build, Inc. has full confidence that a multigenerational vision and partnership will result in a sustainable future for the Crenshaw Corridor and the green development of Marlton Square.
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Background
History
The Crenshaw Corridor was originally settled in the 1820s by the Spanish. The land was used for cattle, grain and vineyards. In 1822, Mexico won independence from Spain and California was transferred to Mexican jurisdiction. L.J. Baldwin, the namesake for the Baldwin Village neighborhood, acquired Rancho Cienega OPaso de la Tijera in 1875 for agriculture and cattle. About this time, the rail line from downtown to Santa Monica was built, helping the area grow its first commercial developments along Crenshaw from 54th to Florence.
In the 1920s residents would shop at the Degnan Center, one block from the rail line. Oil was discovered and 500 oil wells were drilled producing 400 million barrels of oil per year. Four airfields were built between Exposition and Santa Barbara Avenue (now Martin Luther King Boulevard). Homes began replacing the airfields in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1932, Los Angeles hosted the summer Olympics and housing was developed in Baldwin Hills to accommodate visiting Olympians. In 1947, the Crenshaw Regional Shopping Center opened at Crenshaw and Santa Barbara Avenue. After WWII, JapaneseAmericans moved into single-family homes west of Arlington Avenue and developed shops close by. By the 1950s most of the land was developed, and converting older buildings into apartment buildings was one of the few ways to increase density. The construction of the Santa Monica Freeway in the 1960s split the West Adams neighborhood and divided the community. At the same time, African-Americans
Mesa Vernon Market and drug store, 1931 From the West Adams, Baldwin Hills, Leimert Community Plan, Department of City Planning, May 2001
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and Japanese-Americans acquired more homes and White flight to the suburbs led to the exodus of local businesses owned by Whites. African-Americans began moving into the areas north of Jefferson Boulevard and east of Crenshaw, and into the View Park, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills and Ladera Heights neighborhoods. Shopping centers suffered from a loss of revenue starting in the 1970s and some along Venice, Washington, Jefferson, and portions of Adams Boulevard were converted to light industrial uses. Suburban industrial parks led to the decline of the smaller urban industrial areas. Physical constraints, narrow or shallow lot depths, absentee landlords and competition from large outdoor malls contributed to the decline of local strip mall commercial venues. In the 1980s, mini-malls were having trouble maintaining a client base, resulting in increased vacancy rates, boarded-up storefronts and abandoned buildings. Low real-estate prices in Moreno Valley and Palmdale led African-Americans to purchase homes in outlying areas, while Whites interested in historic properties and young Latino families moved into the area. The Community Redevelopment Agency created the original Crenshaw Redevelopment Project (54 acres) in 1984 to redevelop the former Crenshaw Shopping Center. The onemillion-square-foot Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza was completed in 1988. The civil unrest of the early 1990s brought both blight and progress to the region, culminating in a patchwork of new commercial developments interspersed with neglected storefronts and abandoned empty lots. The Crenshaw Redevelopment Plan was amended in late 1994 to include the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza shopping center, the Santa Barbara Plaza, the Crenshaw and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard corridors, as well as the Leimert Park Village area, comprising a total of 152 acres.
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Background
Since 1995, significant development efforts have been completed or are under construction: The West Angeles Cathedral Historic Preservation Overlay Zone to preserve local residential communities LANI Projects providing aesthetic improvements to portions of Leimert Park, Crenshaw Corridor and Jefferson Park Bedford Park mixed-use development of 70 market-rate condominium units and 9,500 square feet of commercial space
The Magic Johnson Theaters
Community Builds 27,000-sq.-ft. commercial development and pocket park in Leimert Park Village View Park Preparatory Charter School Los Angeles Sentinel
under construction
Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
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Remaining Projects in Pre-Development Vision Theater The 8th District City Council Office is spearheading the renovation and reopening of the Vision Theater, an entertainment venue in Leimert Park Village. When finished, the 17,250 sq. ft. theater will include a stage with seating for 750 and will house youth training and development programs and feature professional and community theater productions. The total development cost is $14.8 million, including $7.9 Million for Phase 1. Baldwin Hills Plaza, Phase III Capri Capital Partners, LLC, is proposing large-scale revitalization of the Baldwin Hills Plaza. The owner has produced plans to redevelop the mall into a flagship urban retail lifestyle center with approximately 1.5 million square foot of retail, a 16-screen theater, 1,000 residential units, a 400-room hotel, and 100,000 square foot of office space. Marlton Square While the Vision Theater and Baldwin Hills Plaza developments are moving forward, Marlton Square, a proposed mixed-use development with 140 single-family homes, 150 condo units and 150,000 sq. ft. of retail space, is in bankruptcy, increasing blight and depressing not only the immediate area but the Crenshaw Corridor as well. Construction has ceased on Buckingham Place, a nearly-complete senior housing development with 71 units also located in the Marlton Square development area. The site remains vacant and deteriorating.
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Demographic Snapshot
Project Area & Demographic Snapshot
The target area is bordered by Washington Boulevard, La Brea Avenue, West Slauson Avenue and Arlington Boulevard, and has a total population of 80,412. As noted in Figure 1, the project area population is 68.6 percent African-American, 24.3 percent Latino/Latina, 3.2 percent Asian and 2 percent non-Hispanic White.
Indicators
Total Population Crenshaw Corridor 80,412 Los Angeles County 9,519,338
Race/Ethnicity Composition
African-American Hispanic/Latino Asian/Pacific Islander Non-Hispanic White 68.6% 24.3% 3.2% 2.0% 9.5% 44.6% 12.1% 31.1%
Age
Youth Under 18 % of Total Population Seniors 65+ 21,971 27.3% 11,237 14.0% 2,667,970 28% 926,673 9.7%
Figures 1 and 2 summarize estimates for the Crenshaw Corridor based on 2000 U.S. Census data from the census tracts included in the target area. In some instances the boundaries of the census tracts do not conform exactly to those of the target area. The Los Angeles County statistics also come from 2000 Census data compiled by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles in its Zip Code Data Book
% of Total Population
Low-Income Households
Income Under $20,000 33.6% 23.3%
Poverty Levels
Total Under Poverty Level Under 18 21.9% 30.4% 17.9% 24.0%
Employment
Unemployment Rate 11.7% 8.2%
Education
Adults Age 25+ with no High School Diploma or Equivalent 25.8% 30.1%
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Figure 2 presents graphic evidence of dramatic levels of poverty and small pockets of wealth. The Crenshaw Corridor remains a stabilizing community for AfricanAmerican residents and institutions, as well as for growing numbers of Asian, Latino and White residents. The need for significant gains in employment and education must be addressed.`
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Background
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Marlton Square
The Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Community planning process focuses on the development of Marlton Square as a generator for economic development along the corridor. As long as the 22 acres remain blighted it depresses surrounding development. Stakeholders and residents along the Crenshaw Corridor have the opportunity to turn blight at Marlton Square into an engine of green job development that radiates throughout the target community. Results by 2015: New housing for 250 students and youth; Green job skills training for 1,000 adults and youth; "The clean energy economy, still in its infancy, 400 more spaces in expanded K-16 education and training; is emerging as a vital component of America's More than 100 new jobs for instructors, green home center workers, economic landscape. Across the country, jobs environmental consultants, builders and apprentices; and businesses in the clean energy economy are being driven by consumer demand, venture Locations for new green businesses; capital infusions by private-sector investors Coordinated promotion and marketing efforts; eager to capitalize on new market Expanded engagement of Business Improvement Districts; opportunities, and policy reforms by federal Promotion of new development at local transit stops and partnerships with and state lawmakers who want to spur economic growth while sustaining the the MTA to move new customers to the Corridor; environment. Today, every state has a piece of Crime reduction; the clean energy economy." Changes in perceptions of community safety; and, Pew Charitable Trusts, June 2009 Retention of green space for healthy environments and lifestyle purposes. 22
Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
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Proposed Strategies By Focus Area Focus Area #1: Stimulating Local Economic Activity and Connections to the Regional Economy
Objectives: Establish more vibrant commercial districts; Retain and strengthen existing businesses in commercial and transit corridors; Attract new businesses to the area. Research: South Los Angeles has lacked the leverage to bring development where it is most needed. The Los Angeles Economy and Job Committee highlighted the need to put local economic development corporations and Industrial Development Bonds to better use. Currently, Los Angeles submits few applications for bonds and therefore loses out on funds other jurisdictions receive. Meanwhile, requests that the Regional Business Assistance Network (RBAN) increase its support for small businesses, now the largest employers in the target region, have gone largely unheeded. The fallout from blight and unemployment hits youth the hardest, leading to gang affiliation, tagger recruitment, family problems, high drop-out rates, and a lack of job-readiness. In Baldwin Village alone, four gangs carried out 201 gang-related crimes in 2007; 76 percent were violent crimes and 79 percent of victims were under age 35. There are two GRYD zones inside the target area, and another just adjacent to it (see Figure 3). The City of Los Angeles invests numerous entities in fighting crime. Agencies and individuals involved include: Community 24 Law Enforcement and Recovery (CLEAR) Program Bureau of Explosives Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Community Gang Intervention Specialists County Probation Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) Prevention and Intervention Programs Deputy Mayor Jeff Carr LAPD Chief William Bratton Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Office of the District Attorney The Armed Prohibited Possessor Database System (APPS) Law enforcement as the primary response to safety concerns remains a controversial solution, with the community split down the middle on its satisfaction with the police. Even the Los Angeles Police Department acknowledges they do little to solve the problems that create crime. Jobs, and training to prepare youth to step
Focus Area #1: Stimulating Local Economic Activity and Connections to the Regional Economy (contd)
into living-wage careers, are universally acknowledged as both the "South Los Angeles is in need of substantial public and private short- and long-term solution. New thinking is needed to fill the economic development assistance to stabilize, expand and gaps, respond to the recent economic downturn, and serve the diversify the local economyThe constraints and challenges for continuum of personal and economic needs that together make for economic development in South Los Angeles are numerous and sustainable change. acute. The only available land to develop is infill and many of Findings: If long-term solutions are to be realized, investments that these lots have a combination of environmental issues that affect are practical and meet the needs of the coming generation should be their redevelopment potentialMuch of the South Los Angeles prioritized. Blight sends a strong message to youth that their safety region is also characterized by blighted and economically and quality of life do not matter. Ending blight is a critical first step distressed conditions that further hamper private investment and in making the Crenshaw Corridor a place where youth can and want redevelopment. (Draft General Plan, 2008) to make a future that does not include gang membership and crime. Strategy: A Multi-Purpose Community Campus at Marlton Square Connect the Crenshaw Corridor to the regional economy through a new vision for Marlton Square comprising the creation of a Multi-Purpose Community Campus and promoting Marlton Square as a cutting-edge green destination. 1.1: Re-visioning Marlton Square: Continued community discussion, comprising displays of artists renderings, meetings with leaders and developers, and community engagement. 1.2: Resource Identification: Secure financial investments through coordination with government and private entities. 1.3: Marketing/Public Relations: Develop marketing strategies for Marlton Square. 1.4: Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to new business operators. 1.5: New Services: Continue community-building activities to promote interested in business patronage, farmers markets, health and resource fairs, and cultural events. 1.6: Leadership Development: Expand the Leimert and Crenshaw BID to include Marlton Square and empower new business leaders to take leadership roles in the community. 1.7: Youth workers: During the summer and fall of 2009, Community Build will appoint two youth workers to produce a video that highlights the current conditions at Marlton Square, features interviews local residents and business owners, and presents the new plan for Marlton Square in a creative and direct manner. Students will be asked to screen their work at local community meetings to help raise the level of awareness and involvement in the project.
Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
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Focus Area #2: Increasing Family Income, Assets & Employment (contd)
Existing chambers of commerce, tenant-owner associations, and local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are strong advocates for these improvements. One small example is the Planning Department guideline that all car repair and service venues should be shielded from the street and adjacent residential areas by a six-foot wall with clinging vines, oleander trees, or similar vegetation, and a three-foot landscaped set-back. This change alone would greatly improve the Crenshaw Corridors appearance (Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan Design Guidelines). Finding: Strategies that work in South Los Angeles, including small business development and leveraging of industrial lands, need to be centerpieces in the creation of a vision for the Crenshaw Corridor. Where these plans can be combined with others to upgrade the look and feel of the area, to coincide with existing regulations as well as spur job development, they will serve multiple purposes. Strategy: Green Home CenterRaise income levels, local assets and employment prospects in the Crenshaw Corridor by developing new green businesses, apprenticeship programs and job placement services and creating a center to distribute supplies created in green industries for the home-improvement and business-improvement markets. 2.1: Green Jobs Center: Define retail needs. 2.2: Out-sourcing Program: Clarify how students at the satellite campus will be available to provide consultation to local residents and business people. This program will provide immediate employment for local residents, as well as prepare them to move into positions in the broader economy. 2.3: Research: Conduct employment projections in partnership with researchers such as the Los Angeles Economic Roundtable (LAER), which can deliver both regional and neighborhood-level studies on forecasted job growth and skills matching.
Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
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Focus Area #2: Increasing Family Income, Assets & Employment (contd)
2.4: University Partnerships: Develop memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with educational institutions doing research on growth industries allowing access to their information on the range of opportunities and possible careers. 2.5: Youth workers: During the summer and fall of 2009, Community Build will appoint two youth workers to conduct research on green jobs centers and work with college planning students to present their findings to the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, the BID, and the Neighborhood Council.
Focus Area #3: Expanding Capital Investment in Housing & Other Real Estate
Objective: Increase the balance and equity of development in Southern California by improving the availability of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households. Research: Reviews of the 14 existing plans reveal that while housing for all of residents regardless of their income level, race, or ethnicity is a goal, it is also a considerable challenge. In South Los Angeles, there is a particular need to house a growing homeless population, a portion of which is youth. In the City of Los Angeles, nearly 65 percent of emancipating foster youth do not have permanent housing. Many of the plans call for developing more affordable single- and multi-family housing units. By 2014, the city is responsible for producing 112,876 new units of housing, 44 percent of them affordable. Significant federal and local funding is necessary to reach that goal, especially as per-unit costs run from $182,700 to rehabilitate an existing affordable unit to $250,000 for new construction. The Draft General Plan 2008, West Adams - Baldwin Hills 28 Leimert Community Plan, and CHC Health Equity Scorecard promote mixed-use housing developments, particularly near major transportation and commercial corridors, and argue that recent planning allowances for such development are not leading to sufficient housing being built. The Draft Housing Element 2006-2014 promotes ending and preventing homelessness through long-term solutions, such as rental assistance for homeless persons and the development of permanent supportive housing. Finding: Given the need for housing generally, and particularly among low-income youth, the Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities plan will leverage the consensus around mixed-use housing, particularly when it is in proximity to commercial corridors and transportation hubs. Strategy: Supportive Youth HousingDevelop dorms for college students and stable supportive housing for emancipated foster youth and youth re-entering the community from criminal detention centers, creating the
Focus Area #3: Expanding Capital Investment in Housing & Other Real Estate (contd)
opportunity for them to pursue productive life paths. 3.1: Permanent Supportive Housing: Develop 120 units of housing for transition-age foster youth and youth recently released from detention, using tax credits and bridge and gap funding. 3.2: Sustainability: Conduct study of financial options available to youth in transition so that the operations of the developed housing leverages public support provided these youth, including securing project-based Section 8 certificates.
of housing needed for community college students, emancipated foster youth and youth on probation. They will assemble a report of case studies that will help raise financial and community support for the housing development and ensure the proposed supportive services meet the target audiences needs.
3.3: Dorms and Apartments: develop housing for students attending the satellite college campus. 3.4: Youth workers: During the summer and fall of 2009, Community Build will appoint two youth workers to conduct a needs assessment on the level
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Findings: To prepare youth and young adults for the jobs of the future requires a focused effort beginning in the primary grades and continuing on through high school and into college, community college or vocational school. Instruction and training options that
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TIME FRAME
Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5
1.4 Marketing & public relations strategies 1.5 Technical assistance for new small business operators 1.6 Leadership development through the Business Improvement District
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PROPOSED STRATEGY
2: Develop new green businesses, apprenticeship programs and job placement services
2.1 Youth workers research green job centers and present findings to business leaders 2.2 Green jobs center defined 2.3 University partnerships developed 2.4 Research on forecasted job growth and skills match 2.5 Out-sourcing program developed providing employment for local residents
TIME FRAME
Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5
X X X X X X
3: Develop housing for emancipated foster youth and dorms for college students
3.1 Youth workers report on level of youth housing needed 3.2 Sustainability study of public support for youth housing
Yr 1
Yrs 2-3
Yrs 4-5
X X X
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PROPOSED STRATEGY
3: Develop housing for emancipated foster youth and dorms for college students (contd)
3.3 Permanent supportive housing finance and development 3.4 Dorms and apartments for satellite college campus
TIME FRAME
Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5
X X
X X
Yr 1
Yrs 2-3
Yrs 4-5
X X X X
X X X X
X X
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PROPOSED STRATEGY
4: Satellite college campus and charter school (contd)
4.6 Research partnerships on growth careers and career advancement opportunities 4.7 Charter primary and secondary schools developed
TIME FRAME
Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5
Yr 1
Yrs 2-3
Yrs 4-5
X X
X X
X X X
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Appendix
Green Jobs
The phase green-collar jobs commonly refers to traditional blue-collar jobs in green business, in other words, manual labor jobs in businesses and industries whose products and services directly improve environmental quality. Sources identify 22 different sectors of the U.S. economy providing workers with green-collar jobs. These sectors include:
Bicycle repair and bike delivery services Car and truck mechanic jobs, production jobs, and gas-station jobs related to bio-diesel, vegetable oil and other alternative fuels Energy retrofits to increase energy efficiency and conservation Food production using organic and/or sustainably grown agricultural products Furniture making from environmentally certified and recycled wood Green building Green waste composting on a large scale Hauling and reuse of construction and demolition materials and debris (C&D) Hazardous materials clean-up Green (sustainable) landscaping Manufacturing jobs related to large scale production of a wide range of appropriate technologies (i.e. solar panels, bike cargo systems, green waste bins, etc.) Materials reuse/producing products made from recycled, non-toxic materials Non-toxic household cleaning in residential and commercial buildings Parks and open space maintenance and expansion Printing with non-toxic inks and dyes and recycled papers Public transit jobs Recycling Solar installation and maintenance Tree cutting and pruning Peri-urban and urban agriculture Water retrofits to increase water efficiency and conservation Whole home performance (i.e. HVAC, attic insulation, weatherization, etc.) 38 Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision
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Community Build, Inc. Corporate & Administrative Office 4305 Degnan Blvd., Suite 105 Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 290-6560 (main) (323) 294-2812 (fax)
Report Production:
Brian Shelton, Graphic Artist Dawson Weber, Graphic Design Eric Wat, Special Service for GroupsMapping Consultant Todd Zagurski, Special Service for GroupsMapping Consultant