Like a stoical, self-effacing man going reluctantly but dutifully to his final reward, the doomed Redevelopment Agency morphed out of existence last night on the wings of a chill but prolific wind.
Mandated to die tonight at midnight by the perpetually money-hungry state Legislature so it may collect funds previously assigned to California’s 400 Redevelopment Agencies, Culver City’s Agency sought to leave the world on a high note.
Frantically grabbing what they could before their alleged arson-victim house burned down, City Hall staffers exclusively devoted January to compressing normally months’ long bureaucratic tasks into 30 mad-dash days.
The objective: To redeem, artistically and fiscally, as many of their table-full of properties as they could sell off at the weary end of a practically sleepless month. The artistic dimension of the deals was the condition that
Even though a sudden stone wall, dropped down from Sacramento, with the wall and their backs being fused into a single uncomfortable instrument, Redevelopment Agency members believe they attained their business goals.
At last night’s anti-dramatic, anti-climactic meeting in Council Chambers, the Agency needed a stenographer more than an audience, witnesses or historians to transcribe their deeds.
Nary an unpleasant word was heard among the four members. All votes were unanimous. All faces were smile-shaped.
In a confined shell for nuts, here are highlights of the Agency’s list of accomplishments:
• They sold long-lingering properties on Globe Avenue to Habitat for Humanity, which will build 10 affordable “ownership units.”
• They sold Parcel B, in front of The Culver Hotel, to last month’s chosen development team, Combined Properties/Hudson Pacific Properties.
• In a final hour deal where the ink still was running, the Agency approved a conditional commitment with a developer, Lowe, to build what is grandly known as the Washington National Transit-Oriented Development at the coming-coming Culver City Expo Line station.
• The sale of a 180-space, to-be-built parking structure in the Hayden Tract, 8550 Higuera-8600 Hayden Pl., to Hackman Capital Partners.
• Finally, a commitment agreement was approved with the owners of the Jazz Bakery to develop the property next door to the Kirk Douglas Theatre, at 9814 Washington Blvd.
Resting in Peace?
The state Supreme Court created the January urgency in a unanimous ruling on Dec. 29. Tacking a clouded verdict onto foggy legislation that still befuddles lawmakers a half-year later, the justices determined the Legislature proceeded properly last year when it consigned Redevelopment Agencies to oblivion. The court framed a 30-day death warrant so that lawmakers may start fattening their tax-collecting coffers beginning tomorrow morning.
