Romer Studies Deal to Use Chamber Building as School

Los Angeles schools Supt. Roy Romer is exploring a deal to buy the downtown headquarters of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and turn it into a school that could relieve overcrowding in the Belmont area.

The chamber building would be combined with a district property across the street to create a campus that could serve up to 1,500 students. If the deal goes through and the site clears environmental reviews, the school could open as early as next September, one district official said.

It was unclear if the new school would serve elementary or secondary students. If it is a high school, it would relieve crowding at the existing Belmont High School, Romer said.

Romer met Wednesday with Dick Poladian, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, to discuss the idea of buying the 80,000-square-foot building a few blocks west of downtown. Poladian is scheduled to present the proposal today to his board.

“If I get permission [to negotiate], we could put the pedal to the metal and move forward,” Poladian said. “We are business people with a great sense of conscience, who view public education as vital to this city.”

The proposal is Romer’s latest effort to address the district’s dramatic shortage of schools at a time of unprecedented enrollment growth, particularly in the Belmont area.

On Tuesday, Romer won approval to explore the possibility of opening--or selling--the Belmont Learning Complex. The Board of Education killed the nearly completed school near downtown in January amid concerns over environmental hazards at the site.

The former Colorado governor has said that he would like to complete the project if it can be made safe. But he acknowledged in an interview Wednesday that he faces a tough battle.

Not only must he overcome board resistance, but the school community is polarized on the issue. Romer said he was taken aback by how divisive and political the project has become.

The school Romer is proposing at the Chamber of Commerce building would not eliminate the need for the Belmont Learning Complex.

“This is in addition to Belmont,” he said.

He wants to pair the Bixel Street building with a district-owned property across the street to create a school with an athletic field. He would seek to close Bixel to traffic between 3rd and 4th streets.