Elected Officials Need to Show Up for Downtown

Last week, the Social District hosted Councilmember Ysabel Jurado and the staff from CD14 at our office for March “Drop-in Hours”. Over 65 downtown residents promptly awaited the councilmember’s arrival at 5:30 pm. Many were expecting a townhall, while several others were already signed up for a one-on-one opportunity to discuss issues that were of importance to them.

Our board meetings take place on the 4th Wednesday, every even month, in the same place the community gathered last Monday. Our meetings are always open to the public. In my tenure as the leader of the BID, we’ve invited elected officials to join us and hear from our stakeholders. Councilmember de Leon showed up once to assure us he was pursuing foreign investment to solve our Oceanwide problem. Four months later the towers were covered in graffiti. Until last Monday, no other elected official has shown up.

This early in her term, it is a positive sign that Councilmember Jurado is meeting stakeholders where they are. She’s shown up not just last Monday, but at our grand opening brunch event for Cultura’s Restaurant. And as I’ve done previously, I will continue to offer our experience and service as a resource to her and her team. But given how clearly unexpected walking into a $1 billion deficit in her first term of elected office was for the councilmember, the question remains who in City Hall will have the fortitude to stand up with us and be a Downtown champion.

It’s never been more necessary – downtown is an economic driver, worthy of investment because of it’s positive returns. Investments in downtown public spaces, plazas, and infrastructure, can inject hope into drab financial prospects for hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and thousands of full-time, part-time, and gig workers. These investments also attract additional redevelopment and permanent residents; increasing property values have a net positive impact on city tax collections.

Mayors and leaders across North America have recognized the tax windfalls of investing in downtowns through increased tourism and sales taxes, as well as residential property tax growth. Mayor Harrell’s leadership at the forefront of investment and regulatory change in Downtown Seattle, Mayor Johnston and City Council President Sandoval leading the way to secure $500m to revitalize Downtown Denver, Mayor Lurie doubling down on investment in Downtown San Francisco, Mayor Watson’s support for a new convention center in Downtown Austin, and Mayor Gainey and Governor Shapiro’s support for a $600m investment in Downtown Pittsburgh, are a few among the many examples of elected officials planting their flags in downtown, proclaiming its importance, and taking ownership of its future. Downtown BIDs were partners in each of these efforts, providing expertise and knowledge to guide and shape everything from regulatory changes to program development assisting local businesses, and the prioritization of investment in public spaces.

The Social District’s $4m budget pales in comparison to the budget of the City of Los Angeles. Even with the combined budgets of the DTLA Alliance, Fashion District, Arts District, and Historic Core, we can’t keep up with what Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, Austin, and Pittsburgh are doing to make sure their downtowns are safe, attracting investment, and retaining the talent and capital that has grown and nurtured historically in those markets. 

What we can do and have done is invest in places where our resources will make a difference. Adding lighting to 11th and Pico Streets, additional lighting planned for Olive and Hill, community gardens planned for 11th Street, pursuing the Pico Triangle Gateway and reopening Venice-Hope Park south of Pico, a new website launching soon to serve as a resource for those considering investment in our neighborhood, new wastebins to support neighborhood cleanliness, adding more safety ambassadors in Q2 of this year, staying ahead of persistent graffiti abatement needs, and new banners and utility box wrapping planned in the coming weeks to create a sense of place. I’m clear that our investments may have to suffice because of the city’s deficit. 

But there are more opportunities going unmet because they require much more from us than standing next to elected officials for town halls or ribbon cuttings. We need our elected officials to support the expansion of the convention center. We need our elected officials to create new parks and plazas with us ahead of the Olympics. To enforce existing codes to prevent fires in blighted buildings and expedite their transformation into much needed housing. Our opportunities are urgent, and our willingness to partner is sincere. I hope elected officials will continue to show up for us and consider taking ownership and investing alongside us, the same way their peers in other cities have, and for the same reason. Investing resources in downtown, not just time, is a smart investment.