Something Was Missing
The bravado of a few months ago appeared to be absent.
There was not even a hint of the past winter’s aggressive, strongly worded resolve to reverse what seemed to be swelling public opinion.
With vigor, the charismatic developer told a resistant crowd at El Rincon School on Dec. 5 of his panoramic vision.
A Champion View of the Future
He would turn staid, 1950s’-style South Sepulveda into an upscale golden corridor.
He would weld a menu of national, regional and local businesses into a magificent melange, a glittering civic showcase. The scarlet cherry on the cake would be fashionable living quarters.
Minutes after a heavily promoted 9-person citizens advisory committee was chosen at last night’s Redevelopment Agency meeting, reports of a scaled-down model began to circulate.
It Is Unavoidable
“You can be certain change will come to South Sepulveda,” a highly replaced insider said.
“There is no doubt about that because of the exigencies of Westside commerce.”
It is not as if the opponents of the project have ducked a bullet.
“Only it does not seem likely that change will come in the form that many people have been against,” the source added. “I don’t think.
Far from Settled
“I have no idea about the time frame. The change may be in small chunks, or it may not. It isn’t clear. A great deal is in flux, and will be for awhile.”
Although contracturally nothing has changed since yesterday between City Hall and the touted Mr. Champion, sources tell this newspaper that the proposed one-swipe teardown and rebuild “is becoming increasingly remote.”
Maybe Yes, Maybe No
Mr. Champion, himself, stopped just short of flatly saying so.
To the question, “Is it possible only a portion of the South Sepulveda project will be implemented?” he said:
“That is a definite possibility.”
Half or less?
“I am not a gambler,” said Mr. Champion, “although my wife would say I am, being a developer.
“When reasonable people get together, they are going to realize there is an issue here.
Time for Change Overdue
“The issue is, you have property improvements that are over 50 years old. And they are not designed in a manner that is consistent with current philosophy on what constitutes good urban planning.
“There needs to be an action taken to improve it.
“The Redevelopment Agency will decide what that action is.”
No Appetite?
Rumors long have floated, but have not been officially confirmed, that Mr. Champion never had an appetite for developing the whole 12 and a half acres.
He didn’t last year when the project became public for the first time, setting off a communal explosion.
He doesn’t this year, either, say sources, even though a portion of the neighborhood appears quite willing to hear out the Champion scheme.
The story goes that Mr. Champion long has regarded a single — but immensely valuable — pocket-sized patch of this territory as his preferred redevelopment objective, the equivalent of plum pie for a smart developer, which everyone agrees he is.
‘We Will Build’
However, in public Mr. Champion has said something quite different.
He has stated with emphasis that a single developer — for the sake of aesthetic and commercial coherence — should be in charge of remaking the entire South Sepulveda corridor. “And I should be that developer,” Mr. Champion says.
He suggests that a group of developers would create a mess, the same way half a dozen 3-year-old boys could re-decorate a kitchen that was filled with tempting bowls of gooey foods,
Picking People
With Agency Chair Steve Rose having recused himself because he owns nearby property, the 4 remaining members of the Agency smoothly chose the official oversight group without anyone shedding a tear or raising his voice.
This is not to say that disappointment did not course through the minds of the 42 applicants who were passed over.
The roster of the official 9-member Citizens Advisory Committee:
Sunkist Park/Studio Village Townhomes:
Marla Osband, former preschool and elementary school administrator.
Laura Stuart, one of the most eloquent and active voices in her neighborhood in recent years.
Marianne Kim.
Other Community Residents:
Loni Anderson, owner and operator of a clinic on Overland Avenue, best known perhaps as an activist in the school community.
J. Marvin Campbell, owner of a Vinton Avenue business he describes as a “service provider to the fitness community.” He is a member of two advocacy groups related to the environment and the automobile industry. He also is a member of SAG, the Screen Actors Guild, and AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Blanco/Culver Crest:
Howard W. Lichtman, architect/builder.
Other Community Businesses:
Asher Schechter, general manager of the Fox Hills Mall.
Redevelopment Area Business and Property Owners:
Allan Goldman, who has owned 2 businesses on South Sepulveda in recent years.
James Jun, owner of an electronics business on South Sepulveda.
AGENCY NOTES — Demolition of the former group home in the 110 block of mid-town Washington Boulevard was so uncontroversial that it was grouped with another agenda item and approved by acclaim…
