The western
portion of Rosecrans Avenue has received an influx of information-based
businesses, as they move from West Los Angeles and beyond to the
South Bay. However, this migration stops at the intersection of
Rosecrans and the 405 Freeway. For the next five miles, Rosecrans
is an aging, underutilized stretch that serves more as a speedway
than a thoroughfare. The economy is depressed. The work pool is
untrained to meet the new demands of technology-based firms and
the physical environment is undesirable - for living or working.
It has become evident that the redevelopment and restoration of
this area is necessary to facilitate further economic expansion.
Through the
Rosecrans East Project, the SBEDP intends to facilitate an 18-month
planning process for the purpose of re-envisioning and redesigning
this section of Rosecrans Avenue. Through this project, the long-term
goals are to:
- Build a
broad base of stakeholders, including community members, businesses,
civic leaders and community-based organizations, to insure that
a wide array of voices are heard and that there is long-term commitment
towards redeveloping Rosecrans Avenue;
- Create a
solid visioning foundation for the participating cities of Lawndale,
Hawthorne and Gardena - a successful model of local government
cooperation that encourages multi-jurisdictional planning and
implementation;
- Increase
community and individual participation in the planning and implementation
of redevelopment in their communities; and
- Create a
solid implementation plan that is based on the following factors:
workforce education and training; redevelopment of industrial/office/commercial/
residential sites that are dilapidated and rundown; strategic
planning to ensure that the cities prosper during the shift from
manufacturing/industrial-based businesses to technology-based
business; and land use and transportation needs as they relate
to commercial growth, the impact of traffic and the quality of
life.
Outcomes:
The implementation plan itself will serve as an outcome of this
phase of the project. By the end of the 18-month planning process,
this business plan will outline priority projects, a timeline and
available resources to address the following issues:
- physical
redevelopment of industrial/commercial/residential sites existing
on Rosecrans East;
- economic
expansion by attracting and maintaining industry-based firms to
the redeveloped sites;
- workforce
development that will provide education and training programs
designed to raise the value of the workforce; and land use/travel
redevelopment for the purpose of creating a safe thoroughfare
that encourages commercial development and residential use.
