When's Phil's Diner, a neighborhood ol' reliable greasy spoon from the 1920s, was hoisted into its new position on Lankershim Boulevard adjacent to what would become a Laemmle's multiplex, the future looked bright for the restored rail-car restaurant. But last weekend, Phil's Diner redux closed its doors, and the owners are left with a lot of hindsight and debt. more ›

It is one of the saddest patches of languishing land in the East Valley, and now comes the news that it's not going to get better anytime soon. A half-billion dollar redevelopment project long in the works for Valley and Laurel Plazas in North Hollywood is not going to happen, according to the Daily News, thanks to recession woes and defaulted note from one of the investors. more ›

Yesterday the Los Angeles City Council voted to "transfer $930 million in building projects overseen by the Community Redevelopment Agency to the city’s coffers," reports KPCC. The "nick of time" vote came after three postponements, as the issue garnered debate and the clock nearly ran out on the coveted monies. more ›

With their funding on the chopping block under Governor Jerry Brown's proposed state budget, State Controller John Chiang has announced his auditors were beginning reviews of 18 redevelopment agencies (RDA) across the state in an effort to obtain facts on how RDA funds are used and the extent to which they comply with laws governing their activities. more ›

Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget includes the elimination of the agency that is home to Community Redevelopment Agencies in the state, which is what spurred the LA CRA to quickly approve allocation of $885 million for projects around the city last Friday. This week, the Los Angeles City Council put the move on hold, reports blogdowntown, however the projects the CRA plans to pursue represent hundreds of efforts all over the city. more ›

Remember that movie Brewster's Millions? That's the sort of spend-it-or-lose-it scenario the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency was facing, prompting them to allocate $885 million for projects around the city before their agency is dissolved by Governor Jerry Brown and his austere state budget, according to CBS2. "The projects involve infrastructure, affordable housing and cultural facilities." If the money wasn't spent, said a CRA rep, there would be no way to guarantee it would be used in L.A. if the agency was taken over by the state. more ›

Fueled by a grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, the ambitious River Corridor Project is moving forward, according to the Daily News. The plan is to turn the area surrounding the LA River into a usable public space that rivals the famous San Antonio River Walk more ›

They're eco-friendly, cost-effective, and will work for food--literally. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday tapped Christine Essel to head up Los Angeles' redevelopment agency, which has helped bring the city major projects like Hollywood & Highland and smaller ones such as The Farmer's Kitchen. The former industry executive -- she served as Paramount's senior vice president of government and community affairs -- most recently lost a grueling campaign bid... more ›

A project five years in the making finally became reality this morning when the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market opened its doors to the public for the first time at the corner of Central and Adams in South Los Angeles. On hand to cut the ribbon and speak about the significance of the neighborhood having access to fresh and affordable food were City Councilmember Jan Perry, Vice President & General Counsel for Fresh & Easy Mary Kaspar, Store Manager Aaron Davis, and a number of local officials and professionals. more ›

CurbedLA shares this good-news bit for preservationists and fans of Fatburger, and report that the original 1952 South LA stand where the popular fast food franchise began has been purchased by the CRA and will be preserved and made a part of the new development on the property. According to family rep Frank Evanisko," The actual shack still on the property cannot be torn down but must be rehabbed and incorporated into any new development." The site is destined to be for low income housing; public records indicate "the proposed project will be a 66-unit moderate income housing condominium consisting of 61 residential condominiums and five Live/Work units at 3001-3023 S. Western Avenue." Fatburger was founded by "female African American entrepreneur Lovie Yancey." Yancey died at age 96 in February 2008. more ›

As expected, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles voted to give $5 million towards a 3.4 mile downtown streetcar route. But there is still a long way to go as the project is expected to cost $90 million with up to half of the funding possibly coming from the private sector. Earlier this week, LA City Councilman Jose Huizar said that he intends on riding the streetcar in 2014. more ›

In Los Angeles, there are some important streets named for some important people. Beaudry, Wilcox, Van Nuys, Lankershim, Wilshire, Micheltorena, and hundreds of others named for leaders, developers, owners, and others. But, in Los Angeles, there are streets that have been changed in honor of an individual. Santa Barbara Avenue in South Los Angeles was changed to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1982 and Brooklyn Avenue & Macy Street were changed in 1993 to honor civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. Tom Bradley had a section of First Street named concurrently in his honor in 2001. These are the most recent street name changes of major lengths. (Yes, Chick Hearn Court was also changed from Eleventh Street, and Johnnie Cochran Vista was named just last year from Seventeenth Street; but neither are of major street length). There is one other street, though, that needs mention here: James M. Wood Boulevard. more ›