Plan to Study Renewal in Wilmington Gains Support

A key Los Angeles City Council committee on Wednesday recommended approval of an agreement between two city agencies that calls for a $100,000 study of revitalization needs in Wilmington.

The agreement, between the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Community Development Department, would require the CRA to hire a consultant to analyze economic conditions, population trends and other factors that affect industrial, commercial and residential development in Wilmington.

The study could lead to a downtown revitalization program similar to the one in San Pedro, or an enlargement of the city’s redevelopment zone in Wilmington, city officials said.

The study would consider potential growth on two of Wilmington’s major commercial thoroughfares: Avalon Boulevard between Denni Street and the harbor, and Anaheim Street between Fries Avenue and Lakme Avenue. It also would look into potential industrial development on the north side of Anaheim between Lakme and Alameda Street, as well as a possible expansion of the Los Angeles Harbor Redevelopment Project, an industrial park in south Wilmington.

The agreement, proposed last summer by harbor-area Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores, was unanimously endorsed by the Grants, Housing and Community Development Committee. A spokeswoman for Flores said the City Council is expected to vote on the matter next week.