crenshaw corridor: quality-of-life plan september 2009

7/30/2019 Crenshaw Corridor: Quality-of-Life Plan September 2009

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CRENSHAW CORRIDOR

A Multigenerational Vision for Our Collective Future

QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN SEPT 2009


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Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision 3

housing; commercial facilities; childcare, charter schools; jobs; and business development. These, albeit in a more focused and collaborative

process, are the same elements that make up Sustainable Communities.

Investments and accompanying technical assistance will be made through both people and place-based strategies that provide a balanced agenda

for community development. This agenda includes venues and

institutions where residents and business owners live, learn, work

and recreate. Another important feature of our approach will be to

enable our partners to explore, pilot and bring to scale innovative

programs and projects that are the realization of the Quality of Life

Plans. In short, Los Angeles LISC seeks to nourish communities

wherein People in Place can thrive within selective SustainableCommunities.

Seeking to produce outcomes of a transformative scale, Los

Angeles LISC has designated three Sustainable Communities

neighborhoods and will provide focused support and investment as

required to realize visible and demonstrable results. Believing that

success breeds success, Los Angeles LISC has adopted a strategy

for Sustainable Communities that will use successes in certainneighborhoods to build momentum for the initiative across all sites.

This strategy will validate the approach, attract additional

supporters and partners and inform subsequent efforts.

Los Angeles LISCs three Sustainable Communities

Neighborhoods are:

Crenshaw Corr idor

Lead Agency Community Build, Inc.

Boyle Heights

Lead Agency East Los Angeles Community Corporation

Central Avenue Corr idor

Lead Agency Coalition for Responsible Community Development


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6 Crenshaw Corridor: A Multigenerational Vision

Community Build, Inc. (Community Build) thanks LISC for

the resources to develop a Quality-of-Life Plan for the

Crenshaw Corridor. We welcome the opportunity to

encourage the integration of the elements of community

renewal planning, comprehensive and integrated program

development, and service delivery to effect broad-basedcommunity impact in a multigenerational context.

This planning process ran from October 2008 through June

2009. It builds upon work begun under the Neighborhood

Turnaround Initiative, where Community Build was honored

to collaborate with Ward Economic Development

Corporation and West Angeles Community Development

Corporation. In the same spirit, Community Buildacknowledges and appreciates the efforts and contributions

of all Crenshaw Corridor stakeholders.

The Quality-of-Life Plan for Crenshaw Corridor is a

framework. It is not a blueprint. It is a work in progress,

meant to stimulate and engage the community in a productive

and realistic discussion of a multigenerational vision of our

collective future. Community Build looks forward to futureconvenings and continued community engagement.

Thank you for your past and continued support.

Brenda Shockley

President & CEO

Community Build, Inc.

Acknowledgments


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Acknowledgments

Convening I nvitees

City Departments

Los Angeles City Council 8th DistrictLos Angeles City Council 10th DistrictCommunity Redevelopment Agency of Los AngelesLos Angeles Cultural Affairs Department

Los Angeles Office of the MayorLos Angeles Planning DepartmentMTA Expo LineMetro

Community Based Organizations

Community Health Council, Inc.

Los Angeles Urban LeagueNational Alliance of Mental Illness Urban Los Angeles

Schools

Audubon Middle SchoolDorsey High SchoolCrenshaw High SchoolView Park Preparatory Charter School

Businesses

Baldwin Hills Crenshaw PlazaChase/Washington MutualCrenshaw Chamber of CommerceGreater Leimert Park Village/Crenshaw Corridor Business

Improvement District

Quali ty-of-L if e Plan Parti cipantsBlack Employees UnionCommunity Police Advisory BoardCrenshaw Community Advisory CouncilEmpowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood CouncilEndeavor Applications, Inc.FAMILI, Inc.Greater Leimert Park Village/Crenshaw Corridor Business

Improvement DistrictKAOS NetworkLos Angeles City Council 8th DistrictLos Angeles City Council 10th DistrictLos Angeles Community Redevelopment AgencyLos Angeles Cultural Affairs DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department, Southwest DivisionLos Angeles Urban League

Leimert Park Village Merchants Association (LVPMA)MTA Expo LineMetroNeighborhood Development CouncilOne Bootstrap Coming Up (OBSCU)

Community Build Inc. Project Staff

Brenda Shockley, President/CEOKimberly Ramsey, Chief Operating Officer

Deanna Cherry, Research ConsultantInez Shahid, Consultant

Community Build Inc. Board of Directors

Paul Hudson, ChairmanBeverly DavisVanessa JollivetteDr. Clyde Oden

Virgil RobertsPatricia Watts


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Table of Contents

Summary................................................................................................................................................... page 9

Sustainable Communities Planning Process -------------------------------------------------------------- page 9

Creating a Sustainable Future in Partnership with the Next Generation-----------------------------page 11

Five Proposed Focus Areas/Strategies--------------------------------------------------------------------page 12

Background............................................................................................................................................. page 15

History --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 15

Remaining Projects in Pre-development -----------------------------------------------------------------page 18

Demographic Snapshot -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 19

Household Income Structure-------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 20

Gang Activity and Reduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 21

Healthy, Green and Prosperous Development ....................................................................................page 22

Snapshot of Green Marlton Square -----------------------------------------------------------------------page 23

Proposed Focus Areas and Strategies---------------------------------------------------------------------page 24

Timeline and Priorities.......................................................................................................................... page 34

Appendix................................................................................................................................................. page 38

List of Green Jobs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------page 38


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Summary

Sustainable Communities Planning Process

The Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities planning process ran from October 2008 to June 2009. Research and discussions

revolved around the five LISC Sustainable Communities priorities and began with a comprehensive assessment of previous

Crenshaw Corridor planning processes, including a thorough

review of 14 existing plans generated during the 1990s and

early 2000s.

Results from the review were presented at three stakeholder

convenings that identified and discussed critical needs in the

Crenshaw Corridor, comprising:

Job development

Financial literacy

Homeless supports Gang intervention

College access

Public transportation

Mental health resources

The insights gained from convenings and plan reviews

generated a set of five strategic recommendations that will form the centerpiece of a broad-based community engagement effortthroughout 2009-10 to refine the recommendations and garner support from those willing to work toward their fulfillment. The

process will provide for multigenerational feedback, and build the communitys capacity to define and meet its needs. Community

stakeholders will engage public officials and the private sector toward the objective of completing a Green Marlton Square by

2015.


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Since 1996, various organizations and agencies have generated a total of 14 plans related to the redevelopment of the CrenshawCorridor, including the Los Angeles Planning Department, Office of the Mayor and several community-based organizations. Acomprehensive review of these plans conducted during the Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities planning process revealedconsiderable work and point to a landscape that has multiple barriers and development goals that are difficult to reach.

List of Reviewed Plans and Reports

2008 Baldwin Village GRYD Needs Assessment Final Report, Office of the Mayor, Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD)Building a World-Class City for the 21st Century, Los Angeles Economy and Jobs Committee

City of Los Angeles Housing Element 2006-2014, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning

Connect Today Envision Tomorrow: The Impact of Built Environment on Crime and Fear of Crime in the Urban Draft General Plan:

Planning Tomorrows Great Places, Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning

Gang and Gun Violence Enforcement Initiative, City of Los Angeles, Office of the Mayor

Healing our Neighborhoods: A Citywide Partnership to Combat Gang Crime, Office of the Mayor

Connect Today Envision Tomorrow: The Impact of Built Environment on Crime and Fear of Crime in the Urban League 70 Block Area ,Healthy City

Long Range Transportation Plan, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

South Los Angeles Equity Scorecard, Community Health Councils, Inc.

2007 Leimert Park Village Principles of Design Development & Market Feasibility Study, The Leimert Park Collaborative, City of Los Angeles,

Community Redevelopment Agency

2005 West Adams, Baldwin Hills, Leimert Community Plan, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning

2003 Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan Design Guidelines and Standards Manual, City of Los Angeles, Office of City Planning

2000 South Los Angeles Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, The USC Center for Economic Development on behalf of the City of

Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Development

1996 Leimert Park Village Demonstration Project Work Plan, Margaret Brumfield DIOP Enterprises on behalf of the Recognized Community

Organization Members


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Creating a Sustainable Future in Partnership

with the Next Generation

The Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities planningprocess will generate a multigenerational vision for the targetarea, bordered by Washington Boulevard on the north,

Slauson Avenue on the south, La Brea Avenue on the west,and Arlington Avenue on the east. The area is a mix of newcommercial and housing developments, historic homes,community landmarks, churches, deteriorating storefronts,and crowded apartments surrounding the CrenshawCommercial Corridor which runs north-south the full lengthof the target area.

Planning process participants learned through reviewingnumerous reports, most issued in the last 12 months, thatmuch of the groundwork to demonstrate need and set newstandards for development had been done. What was lackingwas a plan for re-visioning Marlton Square, a large 22-acredevelopment, marked by significant bankruptcy and blight,and lying in the middle of the target area. Existing decades-old plans for renewal in Marlton Square were no longer

economically feasible. Instead, a new vision for MarltonSquare incorporates five core green economic andeducation strategies that combine into a new Multi-PurposeCommunity Campus where youth and their families willdevelop the skills and resources to benefit from opportunitiesgenerated by changes in the economy.

The Crenshaw Corridor Sustainable Communities plan is predicated on the

belief that the blight of Marlton Square must be addressed and eliminated.

Summary


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#1: Stimul ating Local Economic Activi ty A Multi-Purpose Community Campus at Marlton Square. Developa Multi-Purpose Community Campus to revitalize qualityeducation and training, remove blight, provide comprehensivecase-management services and support development along theCrenshaw Corridor. As the gateway to Baldwin Village,Baldwin Hills, View Park, and Windsor Hills, the Multi-Purpose Campus will meet local needs and also leveragedevelopment by MTA and Metro to bring more people to theCorridor as a unique green destination. Built with the latestenvironmental products and practices, the Campus comprising youth housing, the Green Home Center, a satellite

college campus and charter school, and a variety of commercialvenues catering to students will bring new vitality to theentire target area.

#2: Bui lding Family Income & Wealth Green HomeCenter: Position Marlton Square as a green distribution center for the emerging energy-efficient home and business constructionindustry. Green Home Center would serve as a new source of employment and would attract customers from other parts of the city.By inviting new green retail operations to locate in Marlton Square, the Crenshaw Corridor plan focuses on meeting the needs ofhomeowners, renters, and business owners who seek to comply with new water and energy conservation practices and regulations.

#3: Expanding Capital I nvestment i n H ousing and Other Real Estate Supportive Youth Housing: Create 120 unitsof permanent supportive housing for transition-age foster youth and youth recently released from detention, a response to the chronichomelessness that plagues this population. The proposed 120 housing units will be planned in collaboration with the targeted youthand the Department of Public Social Services and Probation to ensure it meets the needs of those it intends to serve. It will leverageproject-based Section 8 certificates for operation and tax credits and bridge and gap funding for development. Dorms housing 130students enrolled in trainings and college will facilitate retention.

Marlton Square Today

Five Proposed Focus Areas/Strategies


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#4: Improving Residents Access to Quality Education Satellite College Campus and Charter School: Neweducational resources will provide general education opportunities, practical technical training and environmental career preparation.Locally-based institutions will provide a variety of green workforce training opportunities and give interested residents andmiddle-school, high-school and community college students access to diverse instructors and courses. Courses will be available on-site, on-line and through other off-site options. The goal is increase the capacity of local residents to participate in the new greeneconomy and to attract students who are technologically-oriented, enthusiastic about science, and interested in moving intoengineering careers. Potential career paths include: waste management; weatherization; energy education; and solar powerinstallation.

#5: Developing H ealthy Environments and L if estyles A Community Resource, Referral and Treatment Center:With increased access to mental health services, residents may take better advantage of educational opportunities and jobs. Byproviding counseling and supportive services, the Community Resource, Referral and Treatment Center will address crises and buildthe soft skills that accompany success in careers and life. The community resource and referral office will ensure residents access to

mental health services available through LA County Department of Mental Health and community-based organizations.

Next Steps

As a next step, Community Build, Inc. will engage 10 youth to conduct research on each of the five focus areas. In partnership withthese youth, Community Build will continue to solicit community stakeholder input, generate a financing plan and refine the timelinefor implementation. The youth reports will be integrated into the final proposal to be issued in January 2010, along with acommunity engagement strategy and advisory committee roster.

Community Build, Inc. has full confidence that a multigenerational vision and partnership will result in a sustainable future for theCrenshaw Corridor and the green development of Marlton Square.

Summary


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Marlton Square Today


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Background

From the West Adams, Baldwin H il ls, Leimert Communi ty Plan, Department of City Planni ng, May 2001

History

The Crenshaw Corridor was originally settled in the 1820s by the

Spanish. The land was used for cattle, grain and vineyards. In

1822, Mexico won independence from Spain and California was

transferred to Mexican jurisdiction. L.J. Baldwin, the namesake

for the Baldwin Village neighborhood, acquired Rancho CienegaOPaso de la Tijera in 1875 for agriculture and cattle. About this

time, the rail line from downtown to Santa Monica was built,

helping the area grow its first commercial developments along

Crenshaw from 54th to Florence.

In the 1920s residents would shop at the Degnan Center, one block

from the rail line. Oil was discovered and 500 oil wells were drilled producing 400 million barrels of oil per year. Four airfieldswere built between Exposition and Santa Barbara Avenue (now Martin Luther King Boulevard).

Homes began replacing the airfields in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1932, Los Angeles

hosted the summer Olympics and housing was developed in Baldwin Hills to

accommodate visiting Olympians. In 1947, the Crenshaw Regional Shopping

Center opened at Crenshaw and Santa Barbara Avenue. After WWII, Japanese-

Americans moved into single-family homes west of Arlington Avenue and

developed shops close by. By the 1950s most of the land was developed, andconverting older buildings into apartment buildings was one of the few ways to

increase density.

The construction of the Santa Monica Freeway in the 1960s split the West Adams

neighborhood and divided the community. At the same time, African-Americans

Crenshaw Plaza, aerial photo, 1948

Mesa Vernon Market and drug store, 1931


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and Japanese-Americans acquired more homes and White flight to the suburbs led to the exodus of local businesses owned by

Whites. African-Americans began moving into the areas north of Jefferson Boulevard and east of Crenshaw, and into the View Park,

Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills and Ladera Heights neighborhoods.

Shopping centers suffered from a loss of revenue starting in the 1970s and some along Venice,

Washington, Jefferson, and portions of Adams Boulevard were converted to light industrial uses.

Suburban industrial parks led to the decline of the smaller urban industrial areas. Physicalconstraints, narrow or shallow lot depths, absentee landlords and competition from large outdoor

malls contributed to the decline of local strip mall commercial venues.

In the 1980s, mini-malls were having trouble maintaining a client base, resulting in increased

vacancy rates, boarded-up storefronts and abandoned buildings. Low real-estate prices in Moreno

Valley and Palmdale led African-Americans to purchase homes in outlying areas, while

Whites interested in historic properties and young Latino families moved into the area.The Community Redevelopment Agency created the original Crenshaw Redevelopment

Project (54 acres) in 1984 to redevelop the former Crenshaw Shopping Center. The one-

million-square-foot Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza was completed in 1988.

The civil unrest of the early 1990s brought both blight and progress to the region, culminating

in a patchwork of new commercial developments interspersed with neglected storefronts and

abandoned empty lots. The Crenshaw RedevelopmentPlan was amended in late 1994 to include the Baldwin

Hills Crenshaw Plaza shopping center, the Santa Barbara Plaza, the Crenshaw and Martin

Luther King, Jr. Boulevard corridors, as well as the Leimert Park Village area, comprising a

total of 152 acres.


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Since 1995, significant development efforts have been completed or are under construction:

The West Angeles Cathedral

Historic Preservation Overlay Zone to preserve local residential communities

LANI Projects providing aesthetic improvements to portions of Leimert Park, Crenshaw

Corridor and Jefferson Park

Bedford Park mixed-use development of 70

market-rate condominium units and 9,500

square feet of commercial space

Community Builds 27,000-sq.-ft.

commercial development and pocket park in Leimert Park Village

View Park Preparatory Charter School

Los Angeles Sentinel

The Magic Johnson Theatersand parking structure

Rosa Parks Senior Villa

under construction

MTA Expo Line Construction along

Exposition Boulevard

Background


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Remaining Projects in Pre-Development

Vi sion Theater The 8th District City Council Office is spearheading the renovation and re-

opening of the Vision Theater, an entertainment venue in Leimert Park Village. When

finished, the 17,250 sq. ft. theater will include a stage with seating for 750 and will house

youth training and development programs and feature professional and community theater

productions. The total development cost is $14.8 million, including $7.9 Million for Phase 1. Baldwin H il ls Plaza, Phase I I I Capri Capital Partners, LLC, is proposing large-scale

revitalization of the Baldwin Hills Plaza. The

owner has produced plans to redevelop the

mall into a flagship urban retail lifestyle center

with approximately 1.5 million square foot of

retail, a 16-screen theater, 1,000 residential

units, a 400-room hotel, and 100,000 squarefoot of office space.

Marlton Square While the Vision

Theater and Baldwin Hills Plaza developments are moving forward, Marlton

Square, a proposed mixed-use development with 140 single-family homes, 150

condo units and 150,000 sq. ft. of retail

space, is in bankruptcy, increasing blightand depressing not only the immediate area but the Crenshaw Corridor as well.

Construction has ceased on Buckingham Place, a nearly-complete senior housing

development with 71 units also located in the Marlton Square development area. The site

remains vacant and deteriorating.


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Project Area & Demographic Snapshot

The target area is bordered by Washington Boulevard,

La Brea Avenue, West Slauson Avenue and Arlington

Boulevard, and has a total population of 80,412. As

noted in Figure 1, the project area population is 68.6

percent African-American, 24.3 percent Latino/Latina,3.2 percent Asian and 2 percent non-Hispanic White.

Figure 1: Demographics for Crenshaw Corridor compared to Los Angeles County

Figures 1 and 2 summarize estimates for the Crenshaw

Corridor based on 2000 U.S. Census data from the

census tracts included in the target area. In some

instances the boundaries of the census tracts do not

conform exactly to those of the target area. The Los

Angeles County statistics also come from 2000 Census

data compiled by the United Way of Greater Los Angelesin its Zip Code Data Book

Demographic Snapshot

Indicators Crenshaw Corridor Los Angeles County

Total Population 80,412 9,519,338

Race/Ethni city Compositi on

African-American 68.6% 9.5%

Hispanic/Latino 24.3% 44.6%

Asian/Pacific Islander 3.2% 12.1%

Non-Hispanic White 2.0% 31.1%

Age

Youth Under 18 21,971 2,667,970

% of Total Population 27.3% 28%

Seniors 65+ 11,237 926,673

% of Total Population 14.0% 9.7%

Low-Income Households

Income Under $20,000 33.6% 23.3%

Pover ty Levels

Total Under Poverty Level 21.9% 17.9%

Under 18 30.4% 24.0%

Employment

Unemployment Rate 11.7% 8.2%

Education

Adults Age 25+ with no High School

Diploma or Equivalent25.8% 30.1%


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Figure 2: Household Income of Crenshaw Corridor compared to Los Angeles County

Figure 2 presents graphic evidence

of dramatic levels of poverty and

small pockets of wealth. The

Crenshaw Corridor remains a

stabilizing community for African-

American residents and institutions,as well as for growing numbers of

Asian, Latino and White residents.

The need for significant gains in

employment and education must be

addressed.`


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Figure 3: Map of Crenshaw Corridor and Gang Reduction Zones

Gangs and gang-related

violence are a major

concern for Crenshaw

Corridor residents. In

Baldwin Village alone,

four gangs carried out 201

gang-related crimes in

2007; 76 percent were

violent crimes and 79

percent of victims were

under age 35. There aretwo designated Gang

R e d u c t i o n Y o u t h

Development zones inside

the target area, and another

just adjacent to it. In 2008,

the City of Los Angeles

funded gang preventionand intervention services at

$1 million per zone, and

increased funding per zone

to $1.5 million in 2009.

Gang Activi ty and Reduction

Background


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Figure 4: Components of the Marlton Square Multi-

Purpose Community Campus

Senior Housing

Youth Supportive Housing

Student Dorms

Satellite College Campus

Green Jobs Center

Green Home Center

Charter School

Retention of Green Space Community Resource, Referral and Treatment

Center

Snapshot of a Proposed Green

Marlton Square

Healthy, Green & Prosperous Development


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Objectives: Establish more vibrant commercial districts; Retain

and strengthen existing businesses in commercial and transit

corridors; Attract new businesses to the area.

Research: South Los Angeles has lacked the leverage to bringdevelopment where it is most needed. The Los AngelesEconomy and Job Committee highlighted the need to put localeconomic development corporations and IndustrialDevelopment Bonds to better use. Currently, Los Angelessubmits few applications for bonds and therefore loses out onfunds other jurisdictions receive. Meanwhile, requests that the

Regional Business Assistance Network (RBAN) increase itssupport for small businesses, now the largest employers in thetarget region, have gone largely unheeded.

The fallout from blight and unemployment hits youth thehardest, leading to gang affiliation, tagger recruitment, familyproblems, high drop-out rates, and a lack of job-readiness. InBaldwin Village alone, four gangs carried out 201 gang-relatedcrimes in 2007; 76 percent were violent crimes and 79 percentof victims were under age 35. There are two GRYD zonesinside the target area, and another just adjacent to it (see Figure3).

The City of Los Angeles invests numerous entities in fightingcrime. Agencies and individuals involved include:

Community Law Enforcement and Recovery

(CLEAR) Program

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Explosives Community Gang Intervention Specialists

County Probation

Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD)

Prevention and Intervention Programs

Deputy Mayor Jeff Carr

LAPD Chief William Bratton

Los Angeles Sheriff's Department

Office of the District Attorney

The Armed Prohibited Possessor Database System(APPS)

Law enforcement as the primary response to safetyconcerns remains a controversial solution, with thecommunity split down the middle on its satisfaction withthe police. Even the Los Angeles Police Departmentacknowledges they do little to solve the problems thatcreate crime. Jobs, and training to prepare youth to step

Proposed Strategies By Focus Area

Focus Area #1: Stimulating Local Economic Activity and Connections to the Regional Economy


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Existing chambers of commerce, tenant-owner associations, and local Business

Improvement Districts (BIDs) are strong advocates for these improvements.

One small example is the Planning Department guideline that all car repair and

service venues should be shielded from the street and adjacent residential areas

by a six-foot wall with clinging vines, oleander trees, or similar vegetation, anda three-foot landscaped set-back. This change alone would greatly improve the

Crenshaw Corridors appearance (Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan Design

Guidelines).

Finding: Strategies that work in South Los Angeles, including small business

development and leveraging of industrial lands, need to be centerpieces in the

creation of a vision for the Crenshaw Corridor. Where these plans can be

combined with others to upgrade the look and feel of the area, to coincide with existing regulations as well as spur job development,

they will serve multiple purposes.

Strategy: Green Home CenterRaise income levels, local assets and employment prospects in the Crenshaw Corridor by

developing new green businesses, apprenticeship programs and job placement services and creating a center to distribute

supplies created in green industries for the home-improvement and business-improvement markets.

2.1: Green Jobs Center: Define retail needs.

2.2: Out-sourcing Program: Clarify how students at the satellite campus will be available to provide consultation to local

residents and business people. This program will provide immediate employment for local residents, as well as prepare them

to move into positions in the broader economy.

2.3: Research: Conduct employment projections in partnership with researchers such as the Los Angeles Economic

Roundtable (LAER), which can deliver both regional and neighborhood-level studies on forecasted job growth and skills

matching.

Focus Area #2: Increasing Family Income, Assets & Employment (contd)



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opportunity for them to pursue productive life paths.

3.1: Permanent Supportive Housing: Develop 120 unitsof housing for transition-age foster youth and youthrecently released from detention, using tax credits andbridge and gap funding.

3.2: Sustainability: Conduct study of financial optionsavailable to youth in transition so that the operations ofthe developed housing leverages public support providedthese youth, including securing project-based Section 8certificates.

3.3: Dorms and Apartments: develop housing for

students attending the satellite college campus.3.4: Youth workers: During the summer and fall of2009, Community Build will appoint two youthworkers to conduct a needs assessment on the level

of housing needed for community college students,emancipated foster youth and youth on probation.They will assemble a report of case studies that willhelp raise financial and community support for thehousing development and ensure the proposed

supportive services meet the target audiences needs.

Focus Area #3: Expanding Capital Investment in Housing & Other Real Estate (contd)

Focus Area #4: Improving Access to Quality

Education

Objective: Improved student performance resulting in higher

graduation rates and an increased number of residents attending

college and vocational training schools.

Research: The target area is characterized by extremes, especially in the area of educational attainment. In the affluent areas ofBaldwin Hills there are many professionals who have college and advanced graduate degrees. Because of this, the overall educationstatistics for the target area are higher than Los Angeles County as a whole. In South Los Angeles, 8 percent of residents have less



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incorporate the technology and trade skills needed to step into growing fields in green industries, as well as start on the careerladders that lead to futures as engineers, computer technicians, and designers, are crucial.

Strategy: Satellite College Campus and Charter SchoolPreparechildren, youth and adults for new economic opportunities and living-

wage jobs in developing green industries through a new satellitecollege campus and charter school.

4.1: Satellite College Campus: Provide the community access toeducational opportunities to move into living-wage careers, particularlycareers in emerging green industries.

4.2: Charter Primary and Secondary School: Work with CaliforniaCharter School Association and local charter operators to identify

partners to create a K-8 Charter School with a focus on environmentaleducation.

4.3: Job Training: Partner with local job-training efforts to build onexisting resource networks.

4.4: University Partnerships: Provide on-site teaching space for collegeand university instructors from universities and local community colleges.

4.5: Research: Develop MOUs with educational institutions to undertake research efforts that will help match trainingprograms with growth industries these partnerships would help clarify a range of opportunities with career growth prospectsof participants in mind.

4.6: Youth workers: During the summer and fall of 2009, Community Build will appoint two youth workers to conductresearch on green education centers and environmentalism-focused charter schools. They will interview local experts andassemble a report on best practices that can be leveraged in carrying out the Sustainable Communities plan.

Focus Area #4: Improving Access to Quality Education (cont d)



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5.2: Space-in-Trade Program: Provide low-cost or no-cost counseling office space to South Los Angeles mental healthprofessionals in exchange for a fixed amount of free services for low-income families, youth and children.

5.3: Career Counseling: Help youth develop personal plans covering their family, educational, career and income goals, andundertake realistic financial planning so they can realize their life goals, including starting a family, owning a car, purchasinga home, and travel.

5.4: Resource and Referral: Provide access information to enable youth and families to take advantage of the Los AngelesCounty Department of Mental Healths existing low- and no-cost mental health services, as well as other parenting, job-training, internship, tutoring, recreation and related programming.

5.5: Youth Workers: During the summer andfall of 2009, Community Build will appointtwo youth workers to conduct a communitysurvey that explores the proposed services andgathers input from youth about how to makethe services more accessible and useful.

Focus Area #5: Supporting Healthy Environments & Lifestyles (contd)


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1: Bring a new vision to Marlton Square

by promoting it as a cutting-edge

green destination

Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5

Timeline & Priorities

PROPOSED STRATEGY TIME FRAME

1.1 Re-visioning Marlton Square X

1.2 Youth workers develop video and hold

local community meetingsX

1.3 Resource identification X X X

1.4 Marketing & public relations

strategiesX X X

1.5 Technical assistance for new

small business operatorsX X

1.6 Leadership development

through the Business

Improvement District

X X

1.7 New services cultivation X X


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2: Develop new green businesses,

apprenticeship programs and job

placement services


2.1 Youth workers research green job

centers and present findings to business

leaders

X

2.2 Green jobs center defined X

2.3 University partnerships developed X

2.4 Research on forecasted job growth and

skills matchX X

2.5 Out-sourcing program developed

providing employment for local residentsX X


3: Develop housing for emancipated

foster youth and dorms for college

students


3.1 Youth workers report on level of youth

housing neededX

3.2 Sustainability study of public support

for youth housingX X



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3: Develop housing for emancipated

foster youth and dorms for college

students (contd)


3.3 Permanent supportive housing finance

and development X X X

3.4 Dorms and apartments for satellite

college campusX X


4: Satellite college campus and charter

schoolYr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5

4.1 Youth workers report on green

education centers and environmentalism-

themed charter schools

X

4.2 Resource identification among

government and private entitiesX X X

4.3 Satellite college campus X X

4.4 University partnerships X X X

4.5 Job-training partnerships X X X


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4.6 Research partnerships on growth

careers and career advancementopportunities

X

4.7 Charter primary and secondary schools

developedX X

4: Satellite college campus and charter

school (cont d)Yr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5


5: Community resource, referral and

treatment centerYr 1 Yrs 2-3 Yrs 4-5

5.1 Youth workers conduct a community

survey on proposed servicesX

5.2 Community resource, referral and

treatment center developedX X X

5.3 Career counseling provided X X X

5.4 Space-in-trade program partnership

with mental health professionalsX

5.5 Resource and referral services devel-

oped and deliveredX X X



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Appendix

Bicycle repair and bike delivery services

Car and truck mechanic jobs, production jobs, and gas-station jobs related to bio-diesel, vegetable oil and other alternative fuels

Energy retrofits to increase energy efficiency and conservation

Food production using organic and/or sustainably grown agricultural products

Furniture making from environmentally certified and recycled wood

Green building

Green waste composting on a large scale

Hauling and reuse of construction and demolition materials and debris (C&D)

Hazardous materials clean-up

Green (sustainable) landscaping

Manufacturing jobs related to large scale production of a wide range of appropriate technologies (i.e. solar panels, bike cargo systems, greenwaste bins, etc.)

Materials reuse/producing products made from recycled, non-toxic materials

Non-toxic household cleaning in residential and commercial buildings

Parks and open space maintenance and expansion

Printing with non-toxic inks and dyes and recycled papers

Public transit jobs

Recycling

Solar installation and maintenance

Tree cutting and pruning

Peri-urban and urban agriculture

Water retrofits to increase water efficiency and conservation

Whole home performance (i.e. HVAC, attic insulation, weatherization, etc.)

Green Jobs

The phase green-collar jobs commonly refers to traditional blue-collar jobs in green business, in other words, manual labor jobsin businesses and industries whose products and services directly improve environmental quality. Sources identify 22 differentsectors of the U.S. economy providing workers with green-collar jobs. These sectors include:


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Community Build, Inc.

Corporate & Administrative Office

4305 Degnan Blvd., Suite 105

Los Angeles, CA 90008

(323) 290-6560 (main)

(323) 294-2812 (fax)

Report Production:

Brian Shelton, Graphic Artist

Dawson Weber, Graphic Design

Eric Wat, Special Service for GroupsMapping Consultant

Todd Zagurski, Special Service for GroupsMapping Consultant

crenshaw corridor: quality-of-life plan september 2009

Documents