Almost 300 Redevelopment Projects Could Get Boost from Last-Minute Funding Approval

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.

In addition to Los Angeles, since Brown's budget was revealed "officials in Long Beach, Pasadena, Palm Springs and numerous other cities have hastily called special meetings to discuss transferring billions of dollars from their redevelopment agencies to city control to keep the money out of the state's reach," notes the LA Times.

Almost 300 projects have been tentatively allocated funds in Los Angeles, all of which are outlined in a 19-page document [.PDF]. "The projects range from building affordable housing in rundown neighborhoods to putting $35 million toward the planned Eli Broad art museum downtown and contributing nearly half a million dollars to a bicycle facility." Transit corridors, library sites, parks, and cultural centers, from the Harbor to the far reaches of the Valley and the Eastside, could all get a boost--if the CRA's big move is approved.