Councilman Taking Aim at Flores’ Old Projects : Politics: Newly elected Rudy Svorinich wants to redirect nearly $4 million for street and parking developments in the 15th District.

Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr. is taking steps to scuttle two long-planned projects in San Pedro and redirect almost $4 million to street and parking developments that he insists will better serve the public.

In one case, the new Harbor area councilman has persuaded the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency to halt demolition of a vacant store in downtown San Pedro to make way for a parking lot. The action will free up $1 million for other projects, he said.

Svorinich has also directed city offices to stop work on a proposed $3-million pedestrian walkway linking the port’s cruise terminal with the neighborhood of South Shores.

“That (project) is pork-barrel spending at its worst,” said Svorinich, who plans to reallocate the funds for sidewalk repairs and street improvements throughout his San Pedro-to-Watts district.

Svorinich’s actions, after less than a month in office, make it clear he intends to quickly establish his own agenda in the 15th District represented for 12 years by Joan Milk Flores. Indeed, while he did not mention her by name, Svorinich’s harsh criticism of the projects left no doubt that he was questioning Flores’ judgment in approving them.

But Flores, who lost her seat to Svorinich in last month’s elections, says the projects are needed. Responding to Svorinich’s description of the walkway project as “pork barrel,” Flores said: “There are certainly a lot of people who use the area . . . so I don’t know whose barrel that pork was supposed to be for.”

Still, Svorinich said he was troubled to learn that the city spent $1.3 million several years ago to buy a vacant storefront and was about to spend another $1 million to tear down the building and use the site for parking. The $1 million was borrowed from the parking revenues of other districts, he said.

While the location at 6th and Mesa streets would have provided parking sought by some downtown businesses, Svorinich said, it only would have added a net of 12 spaces to the land since part of the property already is used for parking. “I just can’t justify spending almost $2.5 million for only (12 additional) parking spaces,” Svorinich said.

Instead, Svorinich said, he has asked city staff to consider other uses for the site. One possibility, he said, is converting the building into a storefront location that would be available to several start-up businesses. Such a so-called “business incubator” in Boston has proven successful in allowing new enterprises to get off the ground with assistance including temporary free rent, he said.

Svorinich added that the project was proposed by the nonprofit San Pedro Revitalization Corp. and also has the support of the San Pedro Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Svorinich has also asked city staff to study alternative uses for almost $3 million originally earmarked for the waterfront pedestrian path dubbed World Port Walkway. That project, like the parking lot, had been on the drawing board for several years, he said.

Already, Svorinich said, it is clear the city can redirect the walkway funds to other public works projects in the district, such as curb and sidewalk repair.

In addition, Svorinich said, he has asked city departments to determine if some of the money could also be spent on a transit service--similar to dial-a-ride--for the district’s senior citizens and youth in Wilmington and Harbor Gateway, two communities that do not have such transit services.

“The $3-million walkway is an extravagance,” he said. “And I don’t believe in spending taxpayers’ money on something like that when I know there are sidewalks and curbs in every area of this district that need attention.”

Flores, defending the projects, said the parking lot plan was launched after requests by some in the downtown area. “We responded to what people in the community said they wanted,” Flores said.

As for the walkway, she said the project is needed for the convenience and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists who travel between South Shores and the cruise terminal.

“Anybody can go out there almost any time of the day or night and see people walking and jogging and biking,” Flores said. “There has been nothing in San Pedro specifically designed for people who need and want to get their exercise walking.”

And without a walkway, she said, pedestrians run the risk of being struck by traffic along the route. “We realize there are other needs in the community like soccer fields . . . but this was an area that had been neglected,” she said.