For years Downtown L.A. was an afterthought for most people in the region; a place some had to go for work (but would flee as soon as they could) and few people ever wanted to live. Â But then things started to change….
When Staples Center was built down here Downtown was consolidated into (mostly) one council district. Historic buildings were re-adapted into lofts; bars and restaurants started to spring up almost daily. For those who lived in downtown for the past decade, they watched what used to be a ghost town transform into a destination for people far and wide.
Since, Downtown has emerged as one of the pre-eminent neighborhoods in L.A. It is the City Center Angelenos have always pined for and deserved: the intersection of civic life, entertainment, professional sports, top tier dining, and urban living.
With the help of Councilman Huizar and his office, DTLA was seen as the crown jewel of CD14.
Today, as we approach Mr. Huizarâs leaving office due to term limits, DTLA is home to more than 75,000 people and we face unique and serious challenges as a neighborhood related to our share of City services and resources.
Additionally, with re-districting on the horizon in 2020, we will need a champion on the City Council to ensure that our burgeoning community isnât carved up and gobbled up by other Council Districts. Although DTLA has been the driving force behind most of the Cityâs new multi-family constructionâa necessity for tackling our housing shortage crisisâthe rent is still âtoo damn high.â A place that now sees more than 20 million visitors annually, is still largely supported by an infrastructure that was meant for a fraction of that population. Worst of all: the place the City had decades ago tried to hide its homelessness and addiction problems has exploded into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
All that being said, to co-opt a phrase used about our country: there is nothing wrong with DTLA that cannot be cured by what is right with DTLA. Those cures start with us, the residents, and all of us flexing our civic engagement muscles through activism and voting.
But, it also requires that we have a strong steward as our council member for CD14.
Our next council member will need to be able to build on all of Councilman Huizarâs victories, avoid all of his defeats, and simultaneously have the vision to find solutions to problems where others could not.
Our next City Council member for CD14 will need to be champion for DTLA with the skills and passion successfully advocate for us.
Because this race is so important, DTLA Strong led by DTLA Patriot Gerren Taylor has organized a candidate forum for our residents and members to get an up-close look at the candidates to inform their decision on voting day.
This is step one for us to not only keep the DTLA we all built together, but to help push it to become the magical place we fell in love with when we decided to live, work, and play here.
RSVP is required, so sign up, show up, and be heard! www.dtlastrong.com
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