Second of two parts
Re “Key Parcel B Vote on Monday”
As Vice Mayor Andy Weissman – the longest serving member of an elected or appointed city panel – recalls:
“In 1999 or 2000, the decision was made that Parcel B would be a 115,000-square foot commercial development with no parking on-site. All of the code-required parking would be in the Ince Parking Structure.”
Wryly and helpfully, Mr. Weissman points out with historical accuracy that “this was at a time when nothing was happening Downtown,” so inert that it commonly was rated as indistinguishable from a cemetery at midnight.
“Parcel B was entitled back then,” Mr. Weissman said. “Since, we have gone through the two developers.
“Originally, Parcel B was envisioned as an office building in front of The Culver Hotel.”
While Downtown has exploded into a major showplace admired across Los Angeles County, Parcel B has changed as dramatically over the last decade and a half, its dominant feature being a broad Grand Stairway.
“The steps,” said Mr. Weissman, “will link into the Town Plaza, which also is going to be developed – with benches and perhaps retail kiosks.”
For the uncountable time, Parcel B’s paralysis is supposed to be cured this evening when the City Council, at its 7 o’clock meeting, approves a second underground parking entrance, this from south-bound Main Street traffic.
If the City Council delivers this evening, the third groundbreaking is expected in June.
