WESTWOOD : $600,000 in Seed Money OKd for Revitalizing Village

Hoping to spark the rebirth of Westwood Village, the Los Angeles City Council on Friday earmarked $600,000 as seed money for the make-over of the once-bustling promenade of theaters and shops.

The money, to be transferred from a Westwood parking fund, will go to a nonprofit corporation formed to oversee the revitalization of the village. Under the plan, the funds will cover the operating expenses over the next three years of the Westwood Village Management Corp., which will soon hire an executive director and lease an office. The money will then be repaid through an assessment on property owners in the village.

Previously, the council allocated $499,000 from the parking fund for architectural drawings of the redesigned village, which will include new landscaping, lighting and sidewalks.