State of Boyle Heights Future Bright: Chamber Breakfast

I had the pleasure of attending a breakfast Thursday at the U.S.C. Keck School of Medicine to address the Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce on the “State of Boyle Heights.” Even with the economic circumstances we find ourselves in as a City, Boyle Heights saw an unprecedented $1.4 billion in public improvements come to fruition in 2009, including the Gold Line Eastside Extension, our soon to be re-dedicated Rudy De Leon Hollenbeck Community Police Station, four new schools and improvements to our parks, to name a few. Due to strong partnerships among the hardworking men and women of the LAPD, residents, community groups and my office, crime is down to record lows. And in the coming months and years, we’ll see more public investment in Boyle Heights, including multi-million dollar plans to support the creation of an Arts District along 1^st Street; improved streetscapes along the Chavez Business Corridor and a mini-Civic Center at Chicago and 1^st. There is no doubt that the City’s ongoing budget issues will affect services in all our neighborhoods. But by investing public dollars so significantly into this once-forgotten community, we are ensuring that Boyle Heights’ future is bright.