Little Tokyo Organizing against Jail & LAPD Headquarters

by Tracker
5/14/03
(Thanks to Burt Takeuchi)

Little Tokyo is uniting against a serious threat.

The City is proposing a $410 million project on a ten acre site. It would house headquarters for the LAPD, fire department, emergency response center, bomb squad & disposal facility and a 500-bed jail--a huge bunker to be plopped down on First and Alameda next to the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple which also houses a day care center. The City set its plans without serious community notice or input despite the history of urban removal of Little Tokyo and placement of the Parker Center Police headquarters.

In fact, the City has made the temple an offer to purchase their parking lot, which they need for weddings, funerals, community gatherings and annual summer Obon festival. Temple leaders feel they cannot function without it and have refused to sell.

The 80+ member Little Tokyo Community Council has unanimously voted to oppose the facility and stand behind the temple in retaining their property as it now stands. Also, the recently formed Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council--which includes Little Tokyo, the adjacent Arts District, Olvera Street/El Pueblo, Chinatown and neighboring residential areas-- is also opposed to the proposed mega-complex. But the City may proceed anyway. The City has a history of creating projects without Little Tokyo input.

The first step to opposing this abuse of Little Tokyo was a public hearing on Monday. For information, call LTSC CDC (213) 473-1680 .