The Great White Way of the West

Los Angeles is home to the largest historic theater district west of the Mississippi. The most pre-World War II movie palaces and theatres are located here in the city of angeles, even though over half of them have already been demolished. In Downtown LA on Broadway Avenue, there remains a good number of these theatres which have been put to various uses including jewelry shops, Latino markets, and museums. Many of them are still in great shape with their original architecture and artwork still in place. These buildings draw hundreds of visitors each year who seek to revisit the past on tours of historic Los Angeles such as those given by the LA Conservancy.

With so many historical gems located in one of the largest cities in the nation and one of the largest cities in the world, Councilman Jose Huizar of LA Council District 14 established an initiative to revitalize the area and start a project dedicated to the development something Los Angeles has lacked for a long time: an arts district. The Bringing Back Broadway initiative in downtown LA would create a place which would attract many large plays, muscials, and art shows serving those who live, work, and play in Los Angeles. There has been a concern about the gentrification of the area, however in the long term, this project will benefit LA's economic and community development to a great extent as it will bring in a more diverse variety of people and businesses to the city. Especially as California experienced much White Flight suburbanization and sprawl in the past several decades, the revitalization of the Broadway district would attract not just Latinos as it does now, but people of all races and incomes offering more options and places for people to spend their time and money in LA.

The Broadway corridor is home to twelve historic theatres within nine blocks. This area was once considered the "retail capital of the United States" and now carries over one million square feet of vacant commercial space. With this area located in the heart of historic downtown, politicians say this current use of space is inefficient and does not serve the needs or fulfil the utility of corridor area or its residents and patrons. This project is a ten-year public-private partnership launced in January of 2008 which aims to:

• Revitalize the historic Broadway district between 2nd Street and Olympic Boulevard
• Activate inactive theaters
• Re-active more than a million square feet of vacant commercial space
• Assist retailers and prevent further retail vacancies
• Increase parking and transit options to serve Broadway
• Encourage cultural, entertainment and retail uses on Broadway that will sustain generations
• Create a sense of place and history through urban planning, design and lighting guidelines and streetscapes
• And make the dream of riding a streetcar downtown by 2014 a reality.

Bringing Back Broadway has been receiving much support, attention, and success from local politicians and community members as the project progresses into its second year. However, much still needs to be done in downtown LA before the project can take flight. The initiative calls for a complete streetscape and infrastructure rennovation, more parking, and permanent street closure on Broadway to make way for the planned streetcar. In a way, this project is turning a piece of downtown into The Grove. There will be much traffic and construction in the years to come in order to make this project successful, but I look forward to the day when I can walk safely in downtown Los Angeles and decide whether or not I want to see The Drowsy Chaperone, Jersey Boys, Wicked, Rent, or any of nine Broadway shows here in Southern California's own Great White Way. This entertainment and arts district is long overdue and will be much loved once it is a reality.