“broadway is going to be all you dreamed it could be” - villaraigosa
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Earlier this morning on a busy block of Broadway, the press corps, local politicos, developers, Downtown boosters and bloggers filled the ornate reception hall at the historic Los Angeles Theatre to hear the much-anticipated plans for an unprecedented push to revitalize Downtown’s grand old theater district.
After attending the conference, it’s clear that the ambitious “Bringing Back Broadway” initiative has the financial, political and public support and momentum needed to return the nation’s largest collection of historic theaters to the premier cultural, nightlife and entertainment destination it once was.
This Time, Everyone’s on Board
Councilman Jose Huizar of the City’s 14th District was on hand to lead the conference and introduce his grand vision. In conjunction with varied public and private interests, Mr. Huizar revealed that the newest Broadway revitalization strategy not only contains the best ideas of previous plans, but also fresh concepts and partnerships that will ensure this latest effort will succeed.
Where previous efforts relied solely upon government intervention (or lack thereof), this initiative brings all parties to the table.
The Business Improvement District, the Planning Department, property owners, business owners, developers and preservationists all have a hand in Bringing Back Broadway.
A Sentimental Yesteryear
Before LA Live, Hollywood & Highland Center and Universal CityWalk, Broadway was LA’s foremost urban entertainment destination. Neon signs crafted by true artisans of the trade lit the nighttime sky and beckoned residents from all over Southern California while streetcars ferried shoppers and movie patrons up and down the strip.
Several nostalgia-laden speeches by local players, many of whom traversed Broadway and patronized the theaters during its heyday, highlighted the role of the corridor as a historic cultural resource for all Angelenos.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, after reminiscing his childhood days of shining shoes for a quarter in front of the May Company Department Store, boldly proclaimed in his signature style, “Broadway is going to be all you dreamed it could be!”
Let’s hope so.
“A Great City Is More Than A Beach, Two Theme Parks and A Sign” - Carol Schatz
Carol Schatz of the Central City Association delivered her wisecrack that got more than a few chuckles from the audience before describing how far Downtown has come since the days it was just a 9-to-5 work destination.
In 1998, the Central City Association was actively engaged in luring the Staples Center to Downtown while simultaneously canvassing for the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which in hindsight has been the single most important piece of legislation to spur all the developments we report on today.
A decade later, the numbers support all the hard work that has gone into the effort: 60,000 jobs have been formed; 10,000 housing units have been created, with 8,000 more now under construction; and $60 million in tax revenue has been added to the City’s general fund, supporting vital services that enhance the quality of life throughout the entire city.
With all the change occurring in Downtown, even those Angelenos who rarely (if ever) venture here have heard of the progress. A renewed sense of civic pride in the city’s center is one of the most important outcomes we’re experiencing today. These advancements have the laid the foundation for an environment where a full Broadway facelift seems truly plausible.
Politicians Can Talk, Now What About the Action?
With all the failed attempts to restore Broadway in previous decades, it’s no surprise that skepticism is accompanying all the bold new proclamations.
High-profile campaigns such as these can be misconstrued as underhanded means of gaining political recognition and capital, with flashy press conferences, lots of back-slapping and no real specifics.
However, this time around the money is talking. Nearly $40 million dollars in funds have been identified to spur a revival of the grand movie palaces and their streetscapes, including $17 million in grants and program resources from public coffers.
Infrastructure improvements are first on the list to receive said funds. Outlined in the proposal are unified streetscape enhancements including helpful wayfinding signage, a new parking structure to serve Broadway visitors, increased public safety, top-down street-front and lighting design guidelines, and incentives for property owners to rehabilitate their buildings.
Picking Up Where Government Leaves Off
Budget problems and rising expenses in local government can bury any well-intentioned program before it starts, so the private sector must step up to the plate to take advantage of the framework set by City agencies.
Many Broadway property owners have penciled agreements to bulk up theater programming, clean street-fronting facades and augment lighting elements, seek new tenants for upper floors, and attract retail and restaurant uses to complement Broadway’s entertainment composition.
In return for the private investment, parking requirements will be relaxed, and businesses that follow guidelines set forth by the City will profit from an expedited permitting process.
Though everyone benefits from a revitalized Broadway, some theater owners didn’t need any incentives to rehab their properties. Steve Needleman, owner of the restored Orpheum Theatre, announced that Andrew Lloyd Weber Productions will be bringing Oliver! to Broadway later this year, just in time for the beloved play’s 50th anniversary.
The Orpheum is host to 170 nights of programming per year, and upper levels that have been converted into rental housing ensure there’s always a human presence at the intersection of 9th and Broadway.
To add to the excitement, plans to rejuvenate the Cameo, Arcade, and Roxie theaters between 5th and 6th streets are also in the works.
The Streetcar Challenge
The centerpiece and most critical segment of the Bringing Back Broadway initiative is the streetcar revival project, public transportation infrastructure which will one day service the Broadway strip while linking to the Grand Avenue Project and LA Live anchor developments.
The $40 million in earmarked funds is only the first phase of the revitalization program and does not contain resources for the streetcar component, which is still undergoing a feasibility study.
Three possible routes are being considered, and the next step is to determine which is the preferred alignment. Follow that up with environmental studies and mitigation measures, and this piece of the puzzle may be years away from becoming a reality. No funding is in place at this time.
Something for Everyone
In contrast with LA Live and the Grand Avenue Projects that cater to tourists looking for a sensory-overload experience, Broadway will be an active entertainment zone on a human scale. An excerpt from the Bringing Back Broadway press release states:
“Broadway will, for the most part, offer services and amenities needed by Downtown residents who want to enjoy some time away from their apartments, but who are not looking for a mega-venue experience at the moment.”
But don’t mistake this historic counterpart to the two mega-developments as uninspired. Broadway’s celebrated architecture and neon backdrop now has the potential, political will and force to be the success story we all want it to be.
-Broadway Revitalization Map — We color-coded the efforts as follows: green=complete, yellow=underway, blue=proposed. Notice that every block contains at least one project.
-first look: the judson
-first look: broadway exhange lofts
-“broadway west?” the wsj weighs in
-downtown old vs. new: the broadway exchange building
-downtown old vs. new: the judson rives building
-metropolitan lofts conversions quietly progressing
-los angeles theatre getting a restaurant
-palace theatre gets its act together
-top twelve conversions we want to see
15 comments
wow, nice article. downtown needs this so badly. i wonder when the improvements will start happening.
shogun…the improvements have been happening. It’s been ongoing with the Eastern Columbia, Orpheum, Chapman, Broadway Exchange, Judson, etc…. This is not a “processed change”, this is the combination of politicians and private developers. You won’t see LA Live, Grand Avenue change; the new Broadway plan is asking the building owners to start revitalizing the corridor, and in return, the city will give some street parking (yes!), find new parking garages (damn - wonder what will happen to Hill street), bring focus to broadway, etc.. This is a win-win situation. My only fear is Hill Street and possible razings due to parking structure needs. What about the Pershing Square station?????????
This is the dream…
I will only nod my head in appreciation and mumble “the dream has become reality” when I start going to see movies on Broadway (other than the Last Remaining Seats program).
This is very hopeful though, all the stars seem to be aligned.
Who owns/is fixing up the Cameo/Roxie/Arcade?? Any insight on that?
I want an historic streetcar line on Broadway.
Broadway DOES NOT NEED MORE OFF-STREET PARKING!
Does anyone remember the huge protest march and all of those people filling the streets?? How do you think they all got there? ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT, that’s how!
Scott, if looks as if the the long-time theaters owners of each will handle the restorations. According to the LA Tax Assessor, the Cameo and Arcade theaters are owned by the same group, and the Roxie by another - both of which have owned these properties over a decade.
We don’t have any other details.
The Roxie is also owned by the Hellens who own the Cameo and the Arcade Theaters plus three other buildings on that block including the Broadway-Spring Arcade Building and the Jewelry Trades Building - plus the parking lots on the west side of Spring Street and the Chester Williams Buildings.
There you go. The ownership records are much less telling.
The more Main and Spring morph into residential corridors the better the commercial prospects for Broadway. If only Center Theater Group, which recently developed a venue in Culver City, would add a site at one of the Broadway spaces. And please….bring on the trolley!
This is something that Los Angeles needs to bring back a soul to the center city. With the many new developments like Bunker Hill, South Park, Staples Center the new Union Station developments etc all add to Los Angeles becoming a “real” city again, but a city with out a center or a soul.
This project is very much needed and will be very successful if done right. The missing link is parking and getting people easily to Broadway or from the new north and south developments. The “Trolley/Streetcar” or Red Car is the link to make it all work. The line needs to serve South Park, LA Live, the Convention and Staples Center on the south with a possible extension to USC, the Coliseum and Expedition Park Complex on the south and Union Station and or the Music Center, Disney Hall and the new Grand Ave developments on the north. This way the existing parking along the way can be used with out having to take additional real estate for parking. This will give easy access to Broadway from the many events at venues along the line. Your car is parked once for a venue, then the “Red Car” can take you to or from the event with a stop off along Broadway for dinner shopping or whatever. What a Win-Win-Win for Downtown, Broadway and the people of Los Angeles.
after reading all of these comments, no one has yet to mention about the current retail stores on broadway between 3rd and 9th.
will these predominantly hispnic-owned mom and pop stores get kicked out because of gentrification? seriously, what will happen to these businesses and where will they relocate?
from hearing city leaders talk, like Jan Perry, she does not want these stores relocated. They are just going to add new stores around the existing ones, believe me there are enough empty store fronts to make enough room for everybody.
The changes on Broadway will bring a combination of new, more upscale retailers and sprucing up existing tenants - it will be up to the building owners to decide. For example, the Metropolitan Lofts will be retaining Fallas Paredes after its conversion, as will the Arcade Building retain existing retailers.
Developers of the Judson and Chapman, has obviously decided to go more upscale, whereas Broadway Exchange Building owners are undecided at this point. Broadway will become a patchwork as it evolves - it won’t be all Hispanic or otherwise. Other lower-profile changes are happening as well, such as a new Asian gift store in this space: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/2079303545/in/set-72157603349423762
Most of the stores are not owned by Latinos, other than the restaurants and the wedding stores. And both of those categories are pretty safe since they have strong ethnic support. As an example, the bakery that had to leave the Jewelry Trade Building moved around the corner onto Broadway and is thriving and El Huarache Veloz which was burned out at 4th and Broadway is now doing fine next to the Rite-Aid.
But most other stores are NOT owned by Latinos and are selling Chinese imports you can buy anywhere to a Latino market, so they will likley need to change with the changing market and they are already having a hard time with their old business plan. As for Fallas Paredes, they own the building - so I think they are pretty safe there. And the new Asian Gift Store just went out of business. Partly due to poor business - until the going out of business sale - and partly because the owner was killed in a car crash in Hong Kong right when it opened.
brady - how long have many of the Broadway businesses been having tough times? i keep reading that Broadway demands one of the highest rents around. what would be the reason behind the bad sales there?
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