Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS SOLIS AND DUPONT-WALKER
Related to Item 12: Mariachi Plaza Joint Development
Cultural Preservation at Mariachi Plaza
Metro and the East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC) are currently parties to an Exclusive Negotiations Agreement and Planning Document (ENA) for the development of a mixed-use, affordable housing project located in Boyle Heights adjacent to Mariachi Plaza. The current proposal includes 60 units for homeless transitional aged youth and households earning between 30% and 50% of the area median income, as well as retail space, a mariachi cultural center, and a community garden. ELACC was engaged in 2018 following an extensive outreach process led by Metro which resulted in development guidelines for the Metro-owned properties.
Since the last extension to the ENA was approved by the Metro Board of Directors in August 2020, stakeholders have raised concerns about preserving Mariachi Plaza as a performance space and ensuring that mariachis can maintain their livelihoods after construction of the project. Concerns were also raised about the maintenance and operations of Mariachi Plaza itself, part of which is located on Metro property with the remaining portion located in City of Los Angeles right-of-way. To address these concerns, Metro should prioritize cultural preservation as part of all joint development projects proposed near Mariachi Plaza, explore strategies to comprehensively manage Mariachi Plaza, and engage Boyle Heights stakeholders such as nearby business owners, property owners, tenants, and local organizations including the Mariachi Plaza Festival Foundation.
Subject
SUBJECT: CULTURAL PRESERVATION AT MARIACHI PLAZA
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RECOMMENDATION
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APPROVE Motion by Directors Solis and Dupont-Walker that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to report back at the May 2021 Planning and Programming Committee meeting with:
A. Recommendations to streamline the management of Mariachi Plaza as it relates to event programming and maintenance. Metro should collaborate with the City of Los Angeles and Boyle Heights stakeholders to identify potential management frameworks.
B. A cultural preservation strategy for Mariachi Plaza developed in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, and local Boyle Heights stakeholders. The strategy should consider data on the use of the plaza, including the number of artists and musicians that utilize the plaza for performances, in order to ensure that the history and cultural significance of Mariachi Plaza is preserved, celebrated and uplifted.
WE FURTHER MOVE that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to collaborate with the East Los Angeles Community Corporation to explore strategies to meet the housing needs of the immediate neighborhood, especially people experiencing homelessness, and to report back at the May 2021 Planning and Programming Committee prior to execution of any further extension options.