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LA Votes to Pay $97 Million, Keep Its Redevelopment Agency Alive

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Following similar (but less spendy) actions yesterday by Long Beach and Irvine, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to opt into the state's Voluntary Alternative Redevelopment Program, a move that will allow the CRA/LA to live and redevelop another day. LA's ransom to keep the CRA/LA alive is $97 million this year and an estimated $26.5 million in subsequent years. Had LA failed to pay the sum, the CRA/LA would have been forced to go out of business. The VARP comes from twin bills attached to the state's June budget--ABx1-26 and ABx1-27. The League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association filed a lawsuit in July to challenge the constitutionality of the bills. According to a press release from the CRA/LA, the City Council also approved four measures that would move forward four projects held up by the recent uncertainty, but according to CRA/LA rep David Bloom, those projects function separately from the $97 million payment. Downtown aerial via thelastminute on Flickr/photographyicon.com
· L.A. Council votes to shift $97 million in redevelopment funds [LA Times]
· CRA/LA Continuation Ordinance Approved [CRA/LA Press Release; goes to a pdf]
· New Budget Passes, Nabs $1.7B From Redevelopment Agencies [Curbed LA]