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VIEW THE FLYER FROM THE PAST WILSHIRE CORRIDOR FORUM ON NOV.15, 2007

The Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce and the Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corporation are creating a unique community coalition and forum to examine how current and existing real estate developments along Wilshire Boulevard between Wilshire Center and Miracle Mile will impact the future of those living, working and visiting the Corridor.

This Corridor consist of two Regional Commercial Centers as defined by the Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning, Wilshire Community Plan, Sept. 19, 2001

“Wilshire Center Regional Commercial Center: The Wilshire Center Regional Commercial Center is approximately 100 acres in size. It includes a dense collection of high rise office buildings, large hotels, regional shopping complexes, churches, entertainment centers, and both high-rise and low-rise apartment buildings. The Regional Commercial Center includes Wilshire Boulevard in the eastern central portion of the Plan Area and is generally bounded by 3rd Street on the north, 8th Street on the south, Hoover Street on the east, and Wilton Place on the west. The Regional Commercial Center includes the Vermont, Normandie, and Western Metro Red Line subway stations along Wilshire Boulevard. Wilshire Center is designated in both the General Plan Framework Element and on the Community Plan Land Use Diagram as a Regional Commercial Center.”

“Miracle Mile Regional Commercial Center: The Miracle Mile Regional Commercial Center is approximately 100 acres in size. It is centered around Wilshire Boulevard in the west central portion of the plan area, and is generally bounded by 6th Street on the north; 8th Street on the south; Sycamore Avenue on the east; and San Vicente Boulevard on the west. Miracle Mile is characterized primarily by numerous high rise office buildings, mid to low rise apartments, single-family areas south of 8th Street, entertainment centers, museums, and regional shopping complexes. Both the General Plan Framework Element and the Community Plan Land Use Diagram designate the Miracle Mile as a Regional Commercial Center.”

The Coalition and the Forum brings together engaged minds and community leadership; a collaboration of business related organizations, civic groups, municipal offices, resident associations, neighborhood councils and local Chambers who are committed to co-producing and hosting a series of special community events to address the future of Wilshire Boulevard from an urban planning, sustainable, economic development and transportation perspective.

The Wilshire Corridor Coalition recognizes the thousands of housing units and hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail and commercial development recently approved along the Boulevard. The Coalition and the forum program will ultimately address issues concerning density, transportation planning and sustainable growth.

Projected Outcomes:

• Create a platform for examining long-term impact of trends, issues, problems and desires

• Allow for stakeholder groups to create thoughtful issue framing and sound decision-making processes through reflection, listening and discussion with peers.

• Develop a common vision, and guiding set of principles for action plans.  

The First Forum on the future of the Corridor held in March was a success; 175 people participated. The Second Forum was held on Nov. 15, 2007 and focused on creating a vision for the Corridor and improving the Rapid Bus and promoting the Redline (Purple) extension.   We will need to develop a strategy that will lead to securing the funds for the extension. There are competing interests from others in the county for those limited transportation funds. Outline action items for us to address, ie: (TRANS - dash lines, parking management programs, DOT/MTA coordination ideas, taxi services, bike lanes, Rapid bus, Red line extension reality checks), and (SUSTAIN - developers and existing building owners reward and incentive programs, improving community support for green buildings for new and existing and encourage a green life-style).  We need to start reducing the Corridor’s global warming carbon dioxide (CO2) by at least 2 percent a year for each of the next 40 years, see WCBIC Cool District Plan.

There are currently two laws that ban subway construction along Wilshire Blvd that need to be removed. One law was voted in by citizens and only the voters can remove the ban.   It bans the use of sales tax money to build a subway which is generally the local match that is often required by the federal government.   The other law is a federal law put into place by Congressman Waxman. This bill should be repealed next year.   The only transit system beside buses that is currently permitted is a monorail system.   There is current discussion for a Wilshire monorail (see www.wilshiremonorail.com).   The short-term work is to enhance the Wilshire Rapid Bus Line - adding computer information and ticket booths and getting the paving at curb lanes repaired.

Update on Wilshire Rapid Bus: The City Council unanimously adopted LADOT's recommendation to install peak period bus lanes on Wilshire Blvd. DOT has tentatively scheduled to report back on funding and public outreach plans to Transportation Committee on June 27. DOT plans to repair the deteriorated curb lanes between Western and Fairfax as part of the project, and the bus lanes will be installed after that work is done. It should take 2-3 years. They are putting together a more detailed schedule and budget now.  Check back for more information and updates.

As to the Red Extension: Yaroslavsky has no plans to repeal the measure (sales tax ban), he said, because it would be of little consequence to the Red Line extension. When L.A.'s first underground subways were built before Yaroslavsky's proposition was passed, the local share of the funds was raised when the MTA borrowed against sales tax revenues. Now, he explained, even if the MTA could still borrow against these revenues for subway tunnel construction, it would be of no help because recent light rail and bus line projects have used up the MTA's borrowing capacity.  Yaroslavsky said that a big chunk of the money will have to come from the state. "We are going to have to get something in the governor's infrastructure bond for mass transportation, and for the Red Line extension specifically," he said from a recent article. 

The Mayor and some others think that it should get some funding for the bonds (although the Westside Cities COG, at least, is very clear that Expo Line Phase 2 has to come first). First, however, the project has to become part of the Metro Long Range Transportation Plan as the signal that we are locally committed to building it.

A brief summary on the First Wilshire Corridor Forum, March 29

1) Total attendance - 175

2) Attendees represented the following stakeholder groups representing Wilshire Corridor and Los Angeles - Wilshire Center BID, Wilshire Enhancement Group, Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce, Miracle Mile Residential Association, Jamison Services, LACMA, Korean American Council, 3rd Street Business Association, Westside Economic Collaborative, Green Building Council, AIA - Los Angeles, Urban Land Institute, Miracle Mile Action Committee, Miracle Mile Civic Coalition, Park La Brea, Wilshire Vista Residential Association, Carthay Residential Association, Sycamore residential association, Mid City West Neighborhood Council, Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, Hancock Park Residential Association, LA Metro, LA Planning Department, Office of Councilman Tom Labonge, Office of Councilman Herb Wesson, Office of Councilman Jack Weiss, Office of Mike Feuer - State Assembly, Governor's Office, Congresswoman Diane Watson

As a result the program was attended by developers, architects, real estate brokers, elected officials, City staff, media, neighborhood councils and association representatives, investment bankers and local property and retail owners.

3) Some Findings worth reporting:

A. This is the beginning of a potentially powerful coalition that can communicate a common vision and action plans for the Wilshire Corridor;

B. Overwhelming support for future programs that take what we are doing to the next level;

C. The issues of sustainability and transportation are at the heart of making the Wilshire Corridor economically viable;

D. While the proposed "red line" extension is the biggest issue facing the transportation of Wilshire, there are a number of smaller and more immediate actions that can be taken by DOT and Metro. Those items, including dedicated "dash" buses, parking structures, increased taxi service and implementing dedicated Metro bus lane service during peak hours can be addressed immediately. These action items can link Wilshire Center to Miracle Mile and Miracle Mile residents and businesses to The Grove/Farmers Market ...for example.

E. There was support for Green Building initiatives for future Wilshire Boulevard projects - however, such measures would have to reward developers. To that end, City staff must be better educated to promote such programs and offer economic initiatives.

"The Wilshire Boulevard Corridor is an area that is presently undergoing a transformation, moving from a past where office buildings dominated the thoroughfare to a future where it will be lined with retail and housing centers, complementing its many museums and cultural institutions. To get a better picture of how the future will look, local business and government leaders came together with community members last week for the Wilshire Corridor Forum, the first of a series of events that organizers hope will become a think tank for guiding the area."   Ed Folven, Editor, Park Labrea News, Beverly Press

We welcome your comments about the future of the Wilshire Corridor between Wilshire Center and Miracle Mile.

To contribute some of your thoughts and ideas please contact

Gary Russell, AIA, Executive Director, at gary@wilshirecenter.com