Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles
Urban Design Center serves as a resource development consultant to the CRA Mid City, Wilshire Koreatown and South LA Project Areas for grant funded projects. UDC works with CRA to identify and package proposals for submittal to local, state and federal grant programs and coordinate information for grant applications by and between city departments, community developers, community residents and neighborhood organizations.
Priority projects include the $22 million renovation of the historic Vision Theater in Leimert Park. Task include preparation of the project budgets, timelines, fund development strategy, marketing plan, grant proposals, meeting notes, project reports and grant correspondence. UDC facilitated the $2.4 million CA Cultural Historical Endowment grant received by the Department of Cultural Affairs for of the Vision Theater and managed the Area Planning Commission Height Exemption approved in July 2008 and Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan Design Review approved in November 2008. UDC also facilitated the Vision Theatre presentations before the Community Advisory Commission, Neighbor Council and the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Additionally, UDC is charged with preparing the State of California Proposition 1C applications for selected Infill Infrastructure and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects on behalf of CRA.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Urban Design Center is currently serving as the project manager and land-use consultant for LAFLA’s conversion an old public library and an adjacent house into new office space and parking lot at 246 & 256 W. 70th Street in Los Angeles. UDC facilitated and obtained the Parking Variance, Conditional-Use Permit and Mitigated Negative Declaration entitlements for the project.
As the project manager, UDC facilitated the construction bid process, prepared the RFPs for the demolition and abatement and general construction contract selection process, negotiated and prepared the construction agreements and is now managing the weekly construction team meetings and preparation of the action items and meeting notes. UDC serves as the owner’s representative for the approval of submittals, change orders and paydraw request.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor Capital Projects
Urban Design Center has served as the fund development and project management consultant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor since April 2001 for 5 of its capital projects: the San Pedro Club site renovation project completed in 2002, Port facility development completed in January 2004, Wilmington Club expansion completed in May 2007, new S. Mark Taper Foundation Teen Center completed in September 2008 and Daniels Field Skate Park & Sports Center scheduled to commence construction in February 2009. Projects total $5.3 million in capital funding.
UDC handles all of the Club’s contract negotiations, plan expediting and bid processes in accordance with funder guidelines. UDC also prepares the budgets and project correspondence and serves as the owner’s representative for the approval of submittals, paydraw request and change orders. The firm facilitates all funder correspondence and grant draw down request.
UDC also manages the County Sanitation District of Los Angeles County ground lease to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor for the Wilmington Boys & Girls Club and Teen Center including the lease amendment negotiations and signoffs with the District as required by the Club’s Trust Deed obligations and building permit and planning covenants. UDC manages the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks use permit issued to the Club for the development of a skate park at the City’s Daniels Field Park as well. This is one of the first permits issued by the department to allow a non-profit to directly build on its land.
To date, UDC has garnered and managed the following major government funding for the Club’s projects: $218,000 and $278,080 Prop K LA for Kids grants, $150,000, $130,000 and $400,000 Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $118,000 Prop 12 Murray Hayden grant, $500,000 Prop 40 Urban Parks Act grant, a $435,000 Prop 40 Murray Hayden grant and a $123,125 State of CA General Fund grant. UDC also developed proposals for several foundation grants awarded to the Club including a $550,000 S. Mark Taper Foundation grant, $350,000 Kresge Foundation grant, and $300,000 Ahmanson Foundation grant.
UDC obtained the Mitigated Negative Declaration CEQA clearance and Parking Variance entitlement for the Wilmington Teen Center project.
Inner-City Arts Phase II Expansion ¦ Downtown Los Angeles
UDC served as a fund development consultant from 2002 – 2008 for ICA’s new campus completed in 2008. The firm garnered a $1.24 million Prop 12 Murray Hayden grant and a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for the project. UDC provided as needed development, planning and fund development services including plan expediting, land-use analysis and bid management for the demolition and environmental mitigation process and worked to ensure contract compliance with the CDBG bid and construction guidelines.
Angels Gate Cultural Center ¦ San Pedro
Urban Design Center is serving as the development consultant for the Angels Gate Cultural Center and Park Master Planning project being facilitated by the Angels Gate Cultural Center. UDC provided organizational development, executive coaching and technical assistance to the executive director and board of directors and garnered a 2007 $160,000 planning grant from the California Cultural Historical Endowment for the master planning process.
Additionally, UDC is helping to implement the lease requirements for the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks site lease approved for the Angels Gate Cultural Center. Urban Design Center is assisting Angels Gate in preparing its Master Plan in compliance with its lease requirements and in determining the vision, scope, entitlement and capital requirements for the new and rehabbed buildings proposed for the site.
Variety Boys & Girls Club ¦ Boyle Heights
From 2003 to 2008 UDC served as a fund development and planning consultant for the Club’s proposed new Club site generating a $400,000 Prop K LA for Kids grant, $1.33 million Prop 40 Murray Hayden grant, $700,000 Weingart Foundation grant, $200,000 Parsons Foundation Grant and $400,000 Ahmanson Foundation Grant for the project. UDC successfully obtained the Mitigated Negative Declaration CEQA clearance and Parking Variance entitlement.
Broadway Federal Bank ¦ Los Angeles
Urban Design Center provided project management services for construction of the bank’s new branch on Crenshaw and Vernon in the City of Los Angeles. UDC managed the construction bid and selection process; provided technical assistance to the architect for the development of the site and floor plans and design concepts to enhance conformance with bank’s operating and maintenance requirements; facilitated weekly architectural and construction team meetings, prepared updated schedules, developed budgets and cash flow analysis and assisted in value engineering the proposed improvements to determine the most cost effective strategy for the implementation of the work.
Project management services also included the development of pay-draw requests and meeting minutes; handling the procurement of construction materials, furniture, fixtures and equipment purchases. UDC managed the design review approval process as required by the Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan. The project was completed in December, 2007.
Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools ¦ Los Angeles
Urban Design Center served as the Facilities Consultant for two of Alliance’s charter school sites: A modular 100-student middle school on the campus of 112th St. Elementary School completed in September 2006 and a 500-student new high school on Los Angeles Unified School District leased land at 17th & Georgia completed in January 2007. UDC assisted the Alliance in negotiating the terms of the ground lease issued by the District which served as one of the first lease agreement granted to a non-profit to develop on District owned land.
UDC worked through the District’s real development division’s requirements for development approval, managed the entitlement and CEQA process, expedited the plan approval process with the City and State Department of Architecture and managed the bidding process, facilitated the construction team meetings, prepared the meeting notes and board reports, prepared and facilitated the approval of all paydraws and handled the project close-out documents.
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