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.

KTLA Skate Plaza w/ Rob Dyrdek Segment!

Check out this video by KTLA from this morning with the very cool Rob Dyrdek! Today is the grand opening of this new Skate Plaza located at Hollenbeck Park. 3:30pm
Hope to see you there!

 

Skate Plaza Grand Opening Thursday Dec. 17th! 3:30pm

Join Councilmember José Huizar and MTV Skateboarding Star Rob Dyrdek Thursday

at Skate Plaza Grand Opening!

Friends, please join me (and bring the skateboarding enthusiasts in your families) at the Grand Opening of our new Skate Plaza at Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights.

This new “Safe Spot Skate Spot” skating area is a 14,000 square-foot, tri-level street skating plaza, which is already considered one of the premier Skate Plazas in the entire nation and offers a picturesque view high on a hillside at the southeast corner of the park overlooking the lake.

This street-skating plaza is a $350, 000 collaboration between my office and Rob Dyrdek, star of “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.”

Rob and my office discussed the Safe Spot Skate Spot a few months ago and we moved forward very quickly. We know all too well that our young people need more recreation space, particularly in a dense neighborhood like Boyle Heights.

Celebrate Park's New Outdoor Fitness Zone and Workout Equipment

We’ll also be celebrating our new outdoor Fitness Zone and workout equipment I had installed at the park recently, which brings total renovations to Hollenbeck Park to nearly $1 million.

Other park improvements include:

• A completely renovated floating bridge, which sits on the lake and had been shut down for five years.

• Repair to signature fountains in the lake.

• New landscaping and tree plantings.

• Repairs to the jogging/walking pathway around the lake.

• Remodeling Playground area to make it ADA accessible.

All these improvements are part of $1.4 billion in mostly public investment in Boyle Heights, including the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension; four new schools including the Mendez Learning Center and Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School and the New Hollenbeck Community Police Station, to name just a few.

So, please join us!


What: Grand Opening of Safe Spot Skate Spot at Hollenbeck Park

Where: 415 Saint Louis Street (near Saint Louis and Sixth Street)

Los Angeles, 90033

When: 3:30 p.m., Thursday, December 17, 2009.

For more information, please call my Boyle Heights District Office at (323) 526-3059.

El Sereno Sees Business Improvements Along Huntington Drive

I’m very proud to see that El Sereno is seeing a revitalization of its business corridor. In 2006, I asked the City’s Community Development Department to find projects that would improve the business environment along Huntington Drive and I was happy we were able to set aside $354,000 for El Sereno Beautification. Yesterday I was joined by LANI – the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, the El Sereno Steering Committee, community members and youth from Barrio Action Youth Family Center to celebrate the renovations in façade and signage of many store fronts alongside the Huntington Drive Corridor. Together, we are helping beautify and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment for the community.

Aside from a new building, lighting and signage improvements to nine storefronts between Castalia and Rosemead avenues, the renovations allowed one property owner the opportunity to lease three spaces that have been empty for more than 20 years. For their involvement, LANI awarded the El Sereno Steering Committee, which consists of El Sereno stakeholders and property and business owners, their 2009 Outstanding Community Project Award winners.

Recently, my office has also help fund the trimming of 500 trees along Huntington Drive and Eastern Avenue, as well as add 20 new trash receptacles and increased bulky-item pickups throughout El Sereno. Thank you to everyone that keeps making these improvements possible!