Things to read from the past week:
- Los Angeles orders more restrictions as coronavirus surges: "Los Angeles County announced a new stay-home order Friday as coronavirus cases surged out of control in the nation’s most populous county, banning most gatherings but stopping short of a full shutdown on retail stores and other non-essential businesses." (AP)
- San Pedro’s Ports O’ Call was torn down. A new waterfront is finally taking shape: A breakdown of new developments on the L.A. Waterfront (LA Times)
- A Jared Kushner-connected company is buying an L.A. Mall, denying a local black community group from making a final bid: The latest on what's happening with the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw Plaza Mall (LA Taco)
- Rent is falling in Los Angeles. Head east, you’ll find the opposite: "Estimated rent for a vacant apartment has fallen 5.3% since the beginning of the year in Los Angeles County, according to one measure, as landlords try to fill vacant units in a down economy....In the Inland Empire, apartment hunters are encountering a stark difference." (LA Times)
- Santa Monica’s 2-Way Protected Bikeway Along Ocean Avenue: "The new 0.6-mile, two-way parking-protected bikeway extends along the west side of Ocean Avenue from the Santa Monica Pier to California Avenue. This closes a gap between the Colorado Esplanade and the California Incline, creating a continuous low-stress bikeway from the Beach Path to the Metro E Line (Expo) terminus station." (Streetsblog LA)
- Where Unhoused People Saw Freedom, Their Venice Neighbors Saw A 'War Zone': LAist explores the interactions between residents of an encampment on Rose Avenue in Venice and surrounding homeowners (LAist)
- Proposed aerial tram for Dodger fans ignites controversy at Los Angeles State Historic Park: "...a company funded by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has proposed a $125-million electric aerial gondola system to ferry baseball fans and concert goers from Union Station over the park to Dodger Stadium — and community activists have weighed in with a barrage of concerns." (LA Times)
- CHP Removes Activists From Empty El Sereno Homes Owned By Caltrans: "The transit agency previously bought the homes with taxpayer money (and, in some cases, eminent domain) as part of its plans to connect the 710 freeway in Alhambra to the 210 freeway in Pasadena. After six decades of debate and lawsuits, that project was officially killed in 2018." (LAist)
- Life, death and pandemic greet California’s struggling Main Streets: "Unlike on Wall Street, a lack of data hides the pandemic’s true toll on American Main Streets because many small businesses simply board up without going through bankruptcy court, said Nick Shields, an analyst for the investment research firm Third Bridge. Smaller retailers, he said, are having a harder time than big-box stores dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, paying for personal protective equipment and transitioning to online shopping." (LA Times)
