When 30,000 people crowded downtown Los Angeles last week for the monthly Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk,
Angelenos from all walks of life confirmed that downtown Los Angeles’
renaissance is now.
This coming weekend, we have another opportunity to
welcome visitors downtown, this time from all over the nation. The
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) will be in Los Angeles for its annual convention.
This highly sought-after group represents thousands of associations
that we would like to host in Los Angeles in future years.
Congratulations to LA INC., The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors
Bureau for bringing ASAE to Los Angeles.
Ever since STAPLES Center launched downtown’s revitalization in the
late 1990s, the area hasn’t looked back. Dozens of decaying historic
buildings have been transformed into beautiful art deco apartments, and
a host of new condo and apartment buildings have followed suit. The
restaurant scene has grown from a small number of eateries that
attracted the Monday-to-Friday business crowd to one of the nation’s
most important culinary destinations. Downtown is now an entertainment
destination seven days a week.
The completion of L.A. LIVE, which includes the JW Marriott and The
Ritz-Carlton hotels, finally makes our City a first-choice convention
destination. Microsoft will bring thousands of visitors annually for
its meeting of service providers, and the list of big name conventions,
entertainers and sporting events that are on the docket will boost our
economy long into the future.
Now is the time to build on this success. Three other projects are in
the works that have the potential to bolster downtown Los Angeles even
more. Each of these additions deserves the support of our entire
community, and fast action by elected officials:
The Eli Broad Museum. This new, $100 million museum will house more
than 2,000 of the finest contemporary art pieces in the world. There is
not a city in the world that would not do everything in its power to
attract a museum of this stature for the benefit of locals and visitors
alike.
The $1 billion Korean Air development. This exciting project will
replace the aging Wilshire Grand Hotel with three high rise towers,
including a 560-room luxury hotel. This is exactly the kind of
investment Los Angeles should embrace as the "Capitol of the Pacific
Rim."
Bringing Back Broadway. This plan will revitalize a section of
downtown’s historic center that includes a fabulous stretch of classic
movie houses and performing arts theatres. Complete with a trolley car,
this project will bring new life to one of Los Angeles’ most famous and
important streets.
All of this is happening despite the recession. Collectively, these
efforts to attract visitors and make our downtown a 365-days-a-year
attraction will create and support thousands of jobs while generating
millions of dollars in vital tax revenue for the City. And we can
all help, by going out of our way to invite and welcome visitors and
make sure these projects are completed quickly.