LOS ANGELES : Ridley-Thomas Wins Turf Battle With Holden
Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas won a nasty turf battle with colleague Nate Holden Wednesday, acquiring for his district a Crenshaw-area shopping center that is a likely redevelopment target.
The City Council voted 12 to 1 that Ridley-Thomas should represent Santa Barbara Plaza, despite angry protests from Holden that taking the center from his district was unfair and “a slap in the face.”
The 23-acre shopping center--the largest concentration of black-owned businesses in the city--is aging and in need of repair. But it is considered a plum because of pending proposals for redevelopment that could be a showcase of post-riot economic revival.
The larger Crenshaw District, one of the wealthiest black enclaves in the nation, is also viewed as a desirable political base. The vote places the bulk of Crenshaw in Ridley-Thomas’ 8th District, though Holden keeps a portion.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
