A couple of weeks ago, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of Los Angeles released a list that cited some of the possible projects that could be affected by the city's budget cuts. Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about the cuts and included a "downtown park" on the list of potentially-threatened CRA projects. Ehhh, what downtown park would that be? Because downtowners would probably love to hear news of a forthcoming green space. CRA project manager Lillian Burkenheim tells us she's not sure what park is being referenced in story, but says the agency is considering helping fund three potential parks in downtown. One is proposed near Little Tokyo, one is proposed on Spring Street ( this is that space between the Rowan and El Dorado buildings ), while the agency is also considering different sites for a park in South Park. "We were going to help out with those sites," she says. "They may still happen. We will seek whatever funding we can." It's not clear how much all this talk about potential cuts and the parks is just political posturing for the CRA, which may sue over the loss of funds. Meanwhile, via the LA Times, more questioning about the relevance of the CRA. "'Where redevelopment has worked the best is, ironically, in places where it was scarcely needed," because private investors were going to come in anyway, said Thomas Tyrrell, a lawyer for Los Angeles County, tells the paper. "I'd like to see a better city, but I'm far from convinced this is the mechanism."
· California's redevelopment agencies face an uncertain future [LA Times]
· Westlake Theatre and More: What CRA Projects Could Be Affected [Curbed LA]
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