Last quarter, the sidewalk maintenance team collected 3,028 bags (down from 3,496 prior quarter) of trash (69,644 lbs.), dispensed approximately 4,000 doggie bags, picked up 8 bulk items, and removed 325 graffiti tags on sidewalk pots, poles, and news racks (up from 240). The crew is out every Monday and Thursday sweeping the sidewalks, picking up trash, clearing gutters and painting out graffiti from street poles, news racks, and flower planters. The team empties 59 trash cans throughout the District due to the City’s reduced efforts which had led to an overflowing of the cans. The sidewalk along Normandie between 6th and Wilshire was steam cleaned.

The landscape crew for the District’s Wilshire streetscape continues to maintain all 15 medians and about 160 flower pots along Wilshire Blvd. The work consists of removal of trash, trimming of plants, watering of plants, repairing the sprinkler system, and replacing damaged plants. The median in front of the Line Hotel was redone with new landscaping.

Last quarter, the security team assisted the City in getting over 464 bulky items picked up, made 4 calls to the City for street repairs, assisted in getting 314 graffiti tags cleaned up and 13 potholes were reported and fixed. The team responded to 84 calls (up from 65) for assists to the LAPD and others. They issued 21 illegal vendor warnings (up from 10) and assisted 45 homeless individuals (down from 62); 460 illegal signs (up from 362) were removed. The team addressed the subject of 46 individuals drinking in public (up from 7) and 34 belligerent transients (up from 18). The team captain attended 6 LAPD crime control meetings and attended the Wilshire Center Business Watch meetings. The next Watch meeting is Thursday, September 18th 2014, 12:00 noon, Archdiocesan Catholic Center, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., in the La Purisima Conference Room (5th floor).

Community Events

WCBID community events: We had a successful RFK Community Movie Night at Robert Kennedy Community Schools on July 19th. We showed Despicable Me 2 (“The movie night was great! Everyone was very happy.” - Jackie Olvera). The next Movie night is August 16th. We will be showing The Lone Ranger.

The best place to keep informed of Wilshire Center District’s activities is on Facebook; become a friend of the Wilshire Center District at facebook.com/wilshirecenter.

Other News

On July 20th, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple inaugurated their exciting new interactive multimedia exhibit in the Audrey & Jack Skirball Exhibit Hall and officially broke ground on the Sixth Street end of the Glazer Campus for construction of the Karsh Family Social Service Center.

This new ground-floor facility will house the Temple’s enlarged food pantry and provide dental, eye, and mental health care as well as legal services to our underserved neighbors.

The four-story structure will include parking for 400 cars and rooftop athletic facilities for their schools and community. Come visit the Temple! There’s a lot to see and do.

The Vermont, a newly built luxury apartment complex on the corner of Wilshire and Vermont was purchased last month by Capri Capital Partners LLC and TruAmerica Multifamily for $283 million.

Capri, a Chicago-based real estate investment advisory firm, and TruAmerica of Los Angeles bought the two-tower, 464-unit property from a partnership that includes developer J.H. Snyder Co. and Washington Capital Management Inc., the buyers said today in a statement. J.H. Snyder spent about $190 million to build the Vermont.

For more info about what the Wilshire Center BID is up to please visit us at facebook.com/wilshirecenter.

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Video highlighting much of the work that the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District does on a daily basis was presented at the last Annual Membership Meeting.

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