Dear Fashion District Property Owner,
As we enter March, a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are beginning to see pedestrian traffic increase. The daily trash tonnage that we pick up is at pre-pandemic levels. We are cautiously optimistic and beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, there are some hurdles to overcome in our recovery.
Graffiti tagging is still a major issue. Our policy is to cover or remove graffiti within 24 hours, but that is becoming increasingly difficult to control.
What can you do to help? Please ensure that your properties are well-lit. If you have parking lots, please gate them to make it more difficult for taggers. Our paint budget is almost depleted. We have requested paint from the City, but if you have paint that you can provide our teams to use at your property please email anthony@fashiondistrict.org.
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Mural Restoration – The Fashion District is fortunate to have a number of renown murals. Unfortunately, most of them were severely tagged over the past year. The BID is working with building owners and artists to restore the artwork where possible. After many months, the BID -- along with Tommi Lim (the mural artist), AYAN, and local DTLA residents -- restored the mural on Los Angeles Street between 7th and 8th.
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Illegal merchant trash dumping is still a major issue. We are working with LA Sanitation to ensure a clean and trash free environment. We consistently see merchant trash bags and furniture out on the sidewalks and in alleys.
What can you do to help? Please work directly with NASA to provide your tenants with the appropriate trash removal services.
Ground floor retail vacancy rates continue to creep up. We are experiencing a 24% ground floor vacancy rate. As more people are vaccinated and we see more activity on the sidewalks, there will be interest in renting these spaces. Proactively, the BID is developing a retail leasing incentive grant and a pop-up retail program to help the district rebound quickly.
What can you do to help? If you are interested in learning more about the two retail opportunities, drop me an email at rena@fashiondistrict.org. We will be sending out detailed information to all property owners later this spring.
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Vandalism and robberies are increasing along with the increase in graffiti -- we are seeing random window bashings and robberies. We have increased our public safety patrols and we are working with both Central and Newton LAPD.
What can you do to help? Please report any robberies, vandalism or break-ins to LAPD. The website for doing so is here. LAPD uses this data and information to determine their resources and deployment, so it's important to report these occurrences.
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Homeless encampments have increased year over year. Our partners at LA Sanitation and CD14 are working with us to find housing for the homeless as well as helping to keep the areas clean of debris and rodents. This week, the BID’s Clean and Safe teams worked with the homeless people residing on San Julian between 9th and Olympic, and with their cooperation, we removed 4 tons of trash in a few hours.
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Our marketing efforts encourage residents and visitors to safely shop, dine, and do business in the district. We highlight businesses that are open and show lots of love to our small businesses through our blogs posts, e-newsletters, and social media. We continue to provide important information regarding COVID-19 relief as well. Here are some recent marketing highlights:
Between our webpage views and social media impressions, our digital content was seen by nearly 1 million people in the month of February!
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Redistricting and advocating for DTLA to be in one council district: Every 10 years, in conjunction with the Federal Census, the City Council redraws the lines for council districts. Currently, DTLA is primarily in CD14, but Chinatown is in CD1 and LA Live is in CD9. Each of the 15 CDs must have equal portions of the City’s total population per the census. They must be contiguous and consider community interests, neighborhood councils, and demographic compositions. Additionally, CD14 is currently 50% Latino and that will need to be maintained. The City Council must adopt the redistricting maps by 12/31/21, so the timeline is aggressive and mandated, and boundaries go into effect Jan 1, 2022. The Fashion District BID has signed on to a coalition letter with Central City Association (CCA) requesting that DTLA be recognized as a community of interest with political representation in only one council district that includes both Chinatown and LA Live.
Over the next 6 months, the BID will implement programs to help the District make a quick recovery. The Fashion District is resilient, and we are looking forward to brighter days!
Stay well,
Rena Leddy, Executive Director
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Administration Office
818 S. Broadway St. #801
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel: 213.488.1153
Fax: 213.488.5159
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Clean & Safe Team Field Office
424 E. 15th Street, #11
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tel: 213.741.2661 (24-HR RESPONSE)
Fax: 213.741.2666
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© 2014 LA Fashion District, All Rights Reserved.
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