L.A. Council Candidates Pledge Support to Lincoln Place Tenants

   In its survey of City Council District 11 and mayoral candidates in the upcoming L.A. election, the Venice Beachhead asked the following question: “Venice's largest low-income housing complex, Lincoln Place, is being depopulated and may be demolished. Would you support the tenants' efforts to save it? How?”
   Council candidate Flora Gil Krisiloff said, “Yes. I would support the effort of Lincoln Place residents to see that the housing complex is granted historic designation by the City and State.”
   Council candidate Angela Reddock said, “I definitely support the efforts to save Lincoln Place and have before now. I submitted a letter to the State’s Office of Historical Preservation and to the office of the current Councilwoman expressing my support for designating Lincoln Place as a historical site. I also have attended meetings regarding the preservation of Lincoln Place and am in communication with the leaders attempting to save this project. As a Councilwoman, I would continue in my efforts to have Lincoln Place designated as a historical site and would work with state legislators to accomplish this goal. I also would seek to have a letter of support issued from the entire Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor’s office.”
   Council candidate Bill Rosendahl said, “I have and will continue to support the tenants. The destruction of that wonderful (and affordable) community is a travesty. I invite Beachhead readers to visit my website: www.billrosendahl.com where they can see my letter of support for State Historic Designation for the Lincoln Place community.”
   The responses from the mayoral candidates suggest that they do not know that two lawsuits have been filed in Appellate Court against the City of L.A., or that there is currently a stay on any demolition or redevelopment, or that there is wide support locally and nationally among experts and preservation organizations to include Lincoln Place on the California Register of Historical Resources, or that it meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and that such designations would play a key role in determining its future.
   Mayoral candidate Richard Alarcòn said, “I would like to make the Lincoln Place a model for utilizing the Housing Trust Fund to guarantee that any new development at the site will include a substantial amount of affordable units. I will also ensure that existing and former tenants will be guaranteed the first opportunity.”
   Mayor James Hahn said, “As City Attorney, I worked with Lincoln Place tenants for several years to prevent the building’s demolition. However, the owner has prevailed in court.”
   Mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa said, “I would support the tenants, but I also know that the City Council members representing Lincoln Place (especially former Councilwoman [Ruth] Galanter) have done so to no avail. The City turned down a redevelopment proposal flat, was taken to court and lost. The property owner is not a willing seller, and no one has ever been able to successfully assemble the funds for a buy-out anyway. I will work with the tenants to seek workable solutions, but I know this will remain a difficult, uphill struggle. The tenants are to be commended for their perseverance.”
   Mayoral candidate Bill Wyatt said, “Condo-ize it and get homeowner loans for the tenants to buy the place.”