What Will the Role of the Lucky 9 Be? Sunkist Park Neighbors Feeling Gloomy

The teardown of 77 businesses, involving 19 property owners, along the west side of South Sepulveda, between Sawtelle and Jefferson, has aroused much of Culver City by its sheer monster size and the massive emotions involved.

A far more upscale replacement is envisioned.

Once the dozens of mom-and-pop enterprises are flattened, the ambitious Wilshire Boulevard developer Bob Champion has told residents he wants to gentrify, to greatly upgrade the blue-collar commercial district.

Early talk has centered on 400 housing units and the vague concept of a quarter-million square feet of commercial space.

The Shape of the Plan

Mr. Champion was scheduled to present his conceptual design to City Hall yesterday.

Another factor that distinguishes South Sepulveda aside from its relatively grandiose size is the celebrated charm of the developer.

He has wooed and won some affected parties while infuriating others.

About Personality

To this early stage, the project has been personality-driven, by Mr. Champion’s suave and graceful manner.

Some established residents of Sunkist Park plan to go into Monday’s 7 p.m. Redevelopment Agency meeting at City Hall oozing with skepticism.

Especially about the Citizens Advisory Committee.

Independence Challenged

“A meaningless gesture,” said the middle-aged housewife who has lived in the smart southerly neighborhood just west of Sepulveda for the past 15 years.

“Be honest. How independent, how influential are they going to be? The project is, or shortly will be, in stone. The developer is in control. It’s his baby, with questionable input from us.”

Just a Pacifier?

Her neighbor, an older gentleman on the other side of the coffee table, spoke up.

“The city is doing this to mollify us,” he said. “The Citizens Advisory Committee is intended to keep us quiet since they are not going through the traditional process of getting input from the residents by holding workshops. They can talk about the workshops 3 or 4 years ago, but little would be applicable today

“Times change. Except for generalities, what was said then does not apply today. Different dynamics, a number of different people in Sunkist Park, and this project is much larger, much more ambitious than anything we were talking about then.”

A Follower

His comments sparked a cynical flareup from the youngest member of the group, a mother of 2 toddlers.

“I don’t go to many City Council meetings, but I follow them on television,” she said. “On the Westside, they had many workshops, and residents had a very strong say about the eventual developer of the Washington-Centinela intersection.

Will Treatment Be Different?

“Residents said the project was too big. And now there is a new developer, and it’s going to be much smaller than when the Olson Co. was in charge. But I am not optimistic we will be treated the same way they were.

“What I mean is, if the west side residents were able to get their project downsized, why can’t we?”

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