Change comes hard in Los Angeles. The latest example: the proposed Hollywood Millennium project, which has engendered much controversy regarding proposed building heights and density, as well as effects on street and freeway traffic in and around Hollywood, not to mention the Hollywood skyline itself.
Perhaps of greater concern is the possibility the project would sit on or too close to an earthquake fault line. These all appear to be legitimate concerns that should continue to be diligently explored and weighed. Appropriately, neither the city nor the California Department of Transportation appear to be willing to allow these concerns to be bulldozed over.
To be fair, the developer appears to be responsive to these concerns, including reducing the heights of the proposed buildings and recently agreeing to have trenches dug to explore the fault line concerns.
I am not sure whether this particular project as proposed is “right” for Hollywood. What I am sure of is if the revitalization of Hollywood is to continue to move forward, all affected stakeholders (including home and business owners in the area) must bear in mind that despite change being difficult to accept, change is necessary for long-downtrodden areas such as Hollywood to leap forward.
As an example, look at the current “downtown renaissance.” Whether one believes that phrase is accurate or hyperbole, it is indisputable that today’s downtown Los Angeles has changed radically from 20 years ago. I remember talk in the late 1970s and early ’80s about how downtown was “coming back,” with new office buildings bringing a professional workforce to the area, and how converted lofts (mostly for the artsier types) would lead to people living and working downtown again. The reality was much different – for decades, those who worked in the office buildings essentially deserted the area after the work day finished, and those adventurous enough to try living downtown struggled with the high crime rate, the homeless and the lack of amenities such as restaurants and grocery stores.
Revitalized downtown
Not until the ’90s did the prospect of a revitalized downtown truly take root and take shape. Staples Center proved that if given a regular destination spot, people from the “outside” would venture downtown. Tom Gilmore’s redevelopment of the Old Bank District and other buildings in the historic core proved that people (especially younger people and professionals) would be willing to live downtown if attractive rental apartments (and, later, condominiums) were available.
Now, folks from all over go downtown not just for sports events, but also for movies, drinks and dinner at the hotels, bars and restaurants that have popped up in the last decade or so. And, despite the recession, more people live downtown than in many decades, with amenities such as grocery stores (of which there were none for decades – now there are or will be a Whole Foods, City Target and Smart & Final Extra along with a Ralphs Fresh Fare that has been thriving since it opened in 2007) there to serve them.
Whatever one thinks of AEG, getting Staples Center (and, thereafter, L.A. Live with its hotels and restaurants) built was a big and bold step that accelerated the current and ongoing downtown renaissance.
Downtown still has problems – homelessness, particularly along Skid Row, remains a huge issue that also needs bold action as well – but Staples Center assuredly moved the area along at a faster pace toward the sustained growth in populace and economic activity that was so sorely lacking for so long.
As difficult as it might be to imagine a Hollywood where the Capitol Records building and the Hollywood sign might no longer be the most obvious icons of the skyline, if residents, business owners and politicians want to move the revitalization of Hollywood forward at a faster pace, a project such as the Hollywood Millennium should at least be considered properly as a potential game changer for the area.
Make no mistake – I am not advocating ignoring the Hollywood Specific Plan and other proper tools of planning meant to ensure sustainable and proper growth. I am optimistic that lessons have been learned over the last 30 or so years about how to grow the Hollywood area in a sustainable way – for example, the continued emphasis on development around rail lines already in place and on mixed-use development might adequately (perhaps not perfectly) mitigate effects on traffic and encourage people to use their cars less, whether they live in the area or come to visit.
Whether the Hollywood Millennium project gets built as proposed today will be decided by the politicians, the developer and the citizens. But cities change. Cities grow. Hollywood is home to the movie industry and the dream factory that often embraces nostalgia. That’s great for the silver screen, but in real life we must move forward.
Chauncey M. Swalwell is a real estate lawyer and partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Century City.
