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

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]