Lincoln Place
by Eric
Alhberg
While housing costs soar and
homeless walk the street, AIMCO keeps Lincoln Place Apartments empty in their
plan to destroy a special affordable housing community in Venice. They have
been withholding vacated apartments to avoid having to evict new tenants later
for their redevelopment plans.
One elderly resident, who is facing
probable eviction from the apartment she has made home for many years, said,
"Why don't they just shoot us." Even with the assistance that landlords are
required to supply to evicted tenants, there just aren't apartments in our
community that they can afford on their fixed
incomes.
Over 100 people attended the
Lincoln Place Community Forum meeting, which was held Tuesday March 16 at Penmar
Park.
The 795-unit Post-World War II
modernist complex was bought last summer by the large real estate investment
trust AIMCO. Although an 850-unit condo project had been approved--over great
protest from tenant and historic preservationists--by the City Council in
November of 2002, nothing has been done on the project thus far. The project was
to include demolition of all 52 apartment buildings to be replaced by 708 condos
and 144 affordable rentals.
AIMCO
has given no indication that it intends to pursue that project. At a conference
call with its stockholders in the fall, AIMCO representatives discussed Lincoln
Place as having the potential for 1300 newly built units, but also said it might
consider selling the 32-acre property. Building 1300 new units would require a
zone change, by the National Register Office with the request for additional
documentation following intense lobbying by the previous owner.
Lisa Bialac, granddaughter of the
project's original developer Sam Bialac, spoke, as well a representative of the
National Organization of Minority Architects. A report was made on how Lincoln
Place fits into Venice's housing and income statistics. Sally Richman of the LA
City Housing Department and Edmund Gonzalez, Director of Housing of the
Volunteers of America also spoke.
Also in attendance was a representative of Congresswoman Jane Harman's office,
who supports the preservation of Lincoln Place, and Kevin Keller, Councilwoman
Cindy Miscikowski's planning deputy.
A community member proposed that the current buildings be bought, however the
current price is expected to exceed $100,000,000. This is being
investigated.
A suggestion was made
that since AIMCO is a publicly held corporation, that publicity campaign
targeting their stockholders might influence their
plans.
Alice Stek reminded us that
in Europe people would often squat in housing that was being kept off the
market. These comments seemed to strike an emotional chord. Squatting has a
long honored tradition but is illegal both for the homeless and nice middle
class Americans.
People in Venice
have been hearing about Lincoln Place for years, and are encouraged to visit it
to discover all the unique gardens and courtyard which would require a lengthy
public review process.
AIMCO was
invited to participate in the forum to share the range of plans it's exploring,
but did not attend, and has requested another meeting be scheduled later in the
spring when it will have more to share and can engage in a productive dialog. In
holding the forum, the LUPC has provided the GRVNC board with community
sentiment and desires regarding Lincoln
Place.
Shortly before the property
was sold to AIMCO, former owner Bob Bisno demolished 7 of the 52 apartment
buildings. In a conversion with Burns, Emily Gabel-Luddy of the city planning
department said that, as the owner had said he did not intend to proceed with
the condo project, the City had issued the demolition permits without the extra
conditions the condo project approval would have
imposed.
Although there are rumors
that another round of demolitions and evictions are imminent, an AIMCO
representative assured LUPC co-chair Laura Burns, that, at the moment, none are
"in the works".
Amanda Seward, Chair
of the Residential Council of the LA Conservancy's Modern Committee, provided an
overview of the 56-year history of Lincoln Place, which was designed by
African-American Ralph Vaughn and his white partner, Heth Wharton. Seward is
currently revising her 2002 nomination of the complex to the National Register
of Historic Places, which, although unanimously endorsed by the State Historical
Resources Commission, was returned spaces, the fabulous modernist architecture
and the exceptional floor plans.
Community members are encouraged to let their representatives know how they
feel about this destruction of this beautiful and historic affordable housing
resource.
Fences went up around two
empty buildings the day after the meeting (Wednesday). The word from some of the
employees is that they will begin the process to demolish in a couple of weeks.
They are starting asbestos removal prep at 2 buildings at Doreen and
Elkgrove.
This ill-advised
destruction of a viable community has been going on for over 17 years, cruel and
inhuman punishment for seniors, disabled, fixed income pensioners and for
children of work-force people, all of whom need and deserve a stable and
affordable place to live.
Posted: Sat
- May 1, 2004 at 04:08 PM