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Battle Erupts at Los Angeles Theatre Center
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| A new proposal could result in the Los Angeles Theatre Center being donated to a partnership of the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum of History, Art & Culture. This lofty lobby would be turned into a gallery. Photo by Gary Leonard. |
Council Committee Spikes Past Recommendation for an Operator, Opens Door to New Group
by Jon Regardie
A pitched battle has broken out over who will control the long-troubled Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC). In a move that raised questions from one councilman about its legality, the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted last week to quash an earlier recommendation.
At the same time it appeared to set the stage to embrace a new choice, one that has not gone through normal vetting processes.
In a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, strong words and open conflict were expressed on matters including $4 million in state funds set to flow to the facility, and whether groups that have existed there more than a decade will be kicked out under new leadership. Questions were also asked about whether the entire City-owned LATC can be given, free of charge, to a new owner.
"How can we sit here and reject an RFP [request for proposals] that is legitimately done?" asked 12th District Councilman Greig Smith, the lone dissenter in a 4-1 vote. "We're giving up a bird in the hand for two in the bush, and we don't know what's out there in the bush, quite frankly."
Officially, the panel voted to "receive and file" (the equivalent of terminate) a 20-month-old recommendation by the Cultural Affairs Department to have a team of developer Tom Gilmore and theater troupe Will & Company operate the four-theater structure at 514 S. Spring St. The partnership won the recommendation after a 2003 RFP process when it far outscored other competitors.
Gilmore vowed to battle for the space.
"I'm willing to fight for the community, and not for myself on this one. This is not about me," said Gilmore, whose Old Bank District complex, a short walk from the LATC, is credited with igniting the current round of residential development in Downtown. Although he stands to benefit from a thriving neighborhood, he said, "This is not about money for me or money behind me or anything like that. This is about maintaining the venue for the benefit of the community. We're going to do whatever we have to do."
Possible New Owners
The committee's vote opened the door to give control of the facility, and possibly outright ownership, to a partnership between the Latino Theater Company - which fell short in the last round of competitive bidding - and the Latino Museum of History, Art & Culture. During the Tuesday meeting, a representative from the city attorney's office said the city could select a party and negotiate, rather than open the issue up for another competition. If the panel chooses to do so when it meets next week, the Gilmore and Will & Company team would not be allowed to compete for the venue. That led Smith to question the action's legality.
The Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum began speaking about a partnership last August, said Stan Sosa, a member of the museum's board of trustees. The museum has been without a permanent home for about a year, he said. Previously, the museum had space in the Los Angeles Mall and, before that, in a former Bank of America building at First and Main streets.
Their plan for the LATC involves changing one theater into a multi-purpose space and leaving the three others (the four currently range from 90 to 490 seats). "A good portion of the museum would be located in the lobby," said Sosa, referring to the soaring entrance. "The basement would be fixed into beautiful gallery space. We're not talking about having four walls and that's it."
Sosa estimated that construction would take about a year.
Plans call for the $4 million revamp to be covered by funds from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, a $128 million program created by the voter approved Proposition 40. The Historic Core allocation is being supported by state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, whose district includes the LATC (he also maintains a residence in one of Gilmore's Old Bank District buildings).
Marco Firebaugh, a former state assemblyman who now runs a Downtown-based company called MAF Strategic Consulting, and appeared at the meeting on behalf of Nuñez, said that the $4 million will "bring the theater up to world-class status."
Firebaugh also said this represents the first of three stages of development around the LATC. He said a second phase could include purchasing a nearby parking lot, and phase three could involve new construction. "This could be up to a $30 [million], $40 million investment in the city of Los Angeles," Firebaugh said.
Money Issues
The state money, and the requirements for it, could be points of contention. Moctesuma Esparza, the chair of the board of the Latino Theater Company, said the allocation requires that the funds be matched by another source. The current proposal is that the city donate the LATC to the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum.
"The matching value would be the value of the building," said Sosa.
It is an issue in part because of what the city has poured into the structure. In the 1980s, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) spent $32 million to turn the building into the LATC. The Cultural Affairs Department took over the space in 1991, and it currently costs the city nearly $800,000 a year in maintenance and other expenses, said Cultural Affairs Department General Manager Margie Reese.
Downtown Councilwoman Jan Perry said there is currently no agreement to give the city-owned LATC to the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum, though she indicated that the issue is open to discussion.
"I think as we move forward on the MOU [memorandum of understanding] process, that will certainly be an issue that is up for discussion. Nothing definitive on that issue has been decided yet," Perry said.
Gilmore argued that the state money should go to the space, not the operator. He said that if allowed to re-bid, "We'll be going after the same dollars they're going after. Those state dollars are not unique to the Latino Theater Company. Those state dollars should be for that venue, not for that artistic group, and we'll fight for those dollars, just like they fight for those dollars."
Nuñez's office did not return calls for comment.
Troubled History
The current divide is the latest in the long, troubled history of the LATC. The building was a bank in the early part of the 20th century. The CRA renovation was expected to turn the structure into a haven for the performing arts. Although it buzzed with activity for several years, little investment was made in the surrounding area. Most people parked in garages across the street or next to the LATC and left as soon as the show ended.
Financial mismanagement also plagued the structure, leading to the Cultural Affairs Department takeover. Productions dwindled, and the venue has continued to suck funds out of the department's budget. Now shows are sporadic, and many are rentals by other companies, as opposed to productions by an in-house artistic staff.
The current divide was set off nearly two years ago, when the Cultural Affairs Department put out an RFP for a three-year contract to operate the facility. In July of that year, a panel unanimously picked the Gilmore/Will & Company team.
However, the Latino Theater Company argued loudly for a role. Negotiations began and appeared promising: A December 2003 press release from Councilwoman Perry said that Perry, Mayor Jim Hahn and state Sen. Gil Cedillo had mediated an agreement between the Gilmore group and the Latino Theater Company. "This is an excellent partnership that is certain to create a dynamic, successful theater center that will continue to drive the growth and interest in our city center," said Perry in the press statement at the time.
However, the partnership never came to fruition, as Latino Theater Company Artistic Director José Luis Valenzuela sought to control the lion's share of the venue's programming. The Gilmore proposal envisioned Will & Company, an LATC tenant for 12 years, at the artistic helm.
Currently the troupes Will & Company, Moving Arts and the Latino Theater Company have space in the building. However, at the Tuesday meeting, numerous Will & Company members testified to the entity's history of multi-ethnic programming, and worried that they will lose their space if the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum take over. "There is a theater company in there with a heart," said one Will & Company member.
Esparza said the Latino Theater Company would not program the entire venue on its own, and that Will & Company and other companies would not lose their space.
The future of the building also sparked concern from numerous members of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) who, like others in attendance, said they had little notice of the meeting (it was billed as a "special meeting" of the Budget and Finance Committee, and was only posted one day before the event).
"The ironic part is that DLANC got 24 hours notice of this meeting," said DLANC President Brady Westwater. "What is wrong with this picture?"
As the process moves forward, Gilmore said he is considering legal challenges. Meanwhile, Perry said issues including money and which entities will fill specific roles need to be formalized. She also hopes there will be discussion about a "strategy of inclusivity."
Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downownnews.com.
page 1, 4/11/2005
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to redistribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
At the same time it appeared to set the stage to embrace a new choice, one that has not gone through normal vetting processes.
In a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, strong words and open conflict were expressed on matters including $4 million in state funds set to flow to the facility, and whether groups that have existed there more than a decade will be kicked out under new leadership. Questions were also asked about whether the entire City-owned LATC can be given, free of charge, to a new owner.
"How can we sit here and reject an RFP [request for proposals] that is legitimately done?" asked 12th District Councilman Greig Smith, the lone dissenter in a 4-1 vote. "We're giving up a bird in the hand for two in the bush, and we don't know what's out there in the bush, quite frankly."
Officially, the panel voted to "receive and file" (the equivalent of terminate) a 20-month-old recommendation by the Cultural Affairs Department to have a team of developer Tom Gilmore and theater troupe Will & Company operate the four-theater structure at 514 S. Spring St. The partnership won the recommendation after a 2003 RFP process when it far outscored other competitors.
Gilmore vowed to battle for the space.
"I'm willing to fight for the community, and not for myself on this one. This is not about me," said Gilmore, whose Old Bank District complex, a short walk from the LATC, is credited with igniting the current round of residential development in Downtown. Although he stands to benefit from a thriving neighborhood, he said, "This is not about money for me or money behind me or anything like that. This is about maintaining the venue for the benefit of the community. We're going to do whatever we have to do."
The committee's vote opened the door to give control of the facility, and possibly outright ownership, to a partnership between the Latino Theater Company - which fell short in the last round of competitive bidding - and the Latino Museum of History, Art & Culture. During the Tuesday meeting, a representative from the city attorney's office said the city could select a party and negotiate, rather than open the issue up for another competition. If the panel chooses to do so when it meets next week, the Gilmore and Will & Company team would not be allowed to compete for the venue. That led Smith to question the action's legality.
The Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum began speaking about a partnership last August, said Stan Sosa, a member of the museum's board of trustees. The museum has been without a permanent home for about a year, he said. Previously, the museum had space in the Los Angeles Mall and, before that, in a former Bank of America building at First and Main streets.
Their plan for the LATC involves changing one theater into a multi-purpose space and leaving the three others (the four currently range from 90 to 490 seats). "A good portion of the museum would be located in the lobby," said Sosa, referring to the soaring entrance. "The basement would be fixed into beautiful gallery space. We're not talking about having four walls and that's it."
Sosa estimated that construction would take about a year.
Plans call for the $4 million revamp to be covered by funds from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, a $128 million program created by the voter approved Proposition 40. The Historic Core allocation is being supported by state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, whose district includes the LATC (he also maintains a residence in one of Gilmore's Old Bank District buildings).
Marco Firebaugh, a former state assemblyman who now runs a Downtown-based company called MAF Strategic Consulting, and appeared at the meeting on behalf of Nuñez, said that the $4 million will "bring the theater up to world-class status."
Firebaugh also said this represents the first of three stages of development around the LATC. He said a second phase could include purchasing a nearby parking lot, and phase three could involve new construction. "This could be up to a $30 [million], $40 million investment in the city of Los Angeles," Firebaugh said.
The state money, and the requirements for it, could be points of contention. Moctesuma Esparza, the chair of the board of the Latino Theater Company, said the allocation requires that the funds be matched by another source. The current proposal is that the city donate the LATC to the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum.
"The matching value would be the value of the building," said Sosa.
It is an issue in part because of what the city has poured into the structure. In the 1980s, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) spent $32 million to turn the building into the LATC. The Cultural Affairs Department took over the space in 1991, and it currently costs the city nearly $800,000 a year in maintenance and other expenses, said Cultural Affairs Department General Manager Margie Reese.
Downtown Councilwoman Jan Perry said there is currently no agreement to give the city-owned LATC to the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum, though she indicated that the issue is open to discussion.
"I think as we move forward on the MOU [memorandum of understanding] process, that will certainly be an issue that is up for discussion. Nothing definitive on that issue has been decided yet," Perry said.
Gilmore argued that the state money should go to the space, not the operator. He said that if allowed to re-bid, "We'll be going after the same dollars they're going after. Those state dollars are not unique to the Latino Theater Company. Those state dollars should be for that venue, not for that artistic group, and we'll fight for those dollars, just like they fight for those dollars."
Nuñez's office did not return calls for comment.
The current divide is the latest in the long, troubled history of the LATC. The building was a bank in the early part of the 20th century. The CRA renovation was expected to turn the structure into a haven for the performing arts. Although it buzzed with activity for several years, little investment was made in the surrounding area. Most people parked in garages across the street or next to the LATC and left as soon as the show ended.
Financial mismanagement also plagued the structure, leading to the Cultural Affairs Department takeover. Productions dwindled, and the venue has continued to suck funds out of the department's budget. Now shows are sporadic, and many are rentals by other companies, as opposed to productions by an in-house artistic staff.
The current divide was set off nearly two years ago, when the Cultural Affairs Department put out an RFP for a three-year contract to operate the facility. In July of that year, a panel unanimously picked the Gilmore/Will & Company team.
However, the Latino Theater Company argued loudly for a role. Negotiations began and appeared promising: A December 2003 press release from Councilwoman Perry said that Perry, Mayor Jim Hahn and state Sen. Gil Cedillo had mediated an agreement between the Gilmore group and the Latino Theater Company. "This is an excellent partnership that is certain to create a dynamic, successful theater center that will continue to drive the growth and interest in our city center," said Perry in the press statement at the time.
However, the partnership never came to fruition, as Latino Theater Company Artistic Director José Luis Valenzuela sought to control the lion's share of the venue's programming. The Gilmore proposal envisioned Will & Company, an LATC tenant for 12 years, at the artistic helm.
Currently the troupes Will & Company, Moving Arts and the Latino Theater Company have space in the building. However, at the Tuesday meeting, numerous Will & Company members testified to the entity's history of multi-ethnic programming, and worried that they will lose their space if the Latino Theater Company and the Latino Museum take over. "There is a theater company in there with a heart," said one Will & Company member.
Esparza said the Latino Theater Company would not program the entire venue on its own, and that Will & Company and other companies would not lose their space.
The future of the building also sparked concern from numerous members of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) who, like others in attendance, said they had little notice of the meeting (it was billed as a "special meeting" of the Budget and Finance Committee, and was only posted one day before the event).
"The ironic part is that DLANC got 24 hours notice of this meeting," said DLANC President Brady Westwater. "What is wrong with this picture?"
As the process moves forward, Gilmore said he is considering legal challenges. Meanwhile, Perry said issues including money and which entities will fill specific roles need to be formalized. She also hopes there will be discussion about a "strategy of inclusivity."
Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downownnews.com.
page 1, 4/11/2005
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to redistribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
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