When Kevin de León boasted that the Pershing Square project will “breathe life into the heart of downtown Los Angeles,” he could just as easily have been saying this is exactly what it was doing for his political career.
By ASHLEY CHASE
LOS ANGELES — Does anybody take Kevin de León seriously anymore? Or is he now just another roadside attraction, like the carnival magician whose tricks have been exposed as the chicanery of an aging formerly rising political star?
But he refuses to go away, to crawl under that rock of embarrassment the way most politicians often do. Even the President of the United States’ call for his resignation over his unforgiving racist comments went unheeded by the Los Angeles City Councilman of whom it could be asked: where else could he go to earn the money he does from the city he so proudly humiliated?
Pershing Square, one of the oldest parks in the city of Los Angeles is set to undergo a revitalization intended to redefine and renew the iconic landmark, Councilman Kevin de León announced last week — and it was as if he were unveiling his own political comeback almost a year after the racism scandal that led to days of protests, police and state investigations and shook public faith in City Hall.
In fact, when de León told a news conference the Pershing Square project will “breathe life into the heart of downtown Los Angeles,” he could just as easily have been saying this is exactly what it was doing for his political career.
And who is the say that it won’t. Too often, politicians have proven that voters have surprisingly short memories and that their followers and political supporters don’t care what kind of messy business their leaders get themselves into so long as they deliver on what’s important to their political base.
Early proof of that may have been that this spring a campaign to recall de León failed to gather enough signatures, immediately suggesting even then that those who had written off de León might’ve been premature. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Even a Los Angeles Times poll of voters in his district also indicated that de León may not be as vulnerable as some had believed. Only 51% of the voters in his district thought he should resign, and an even lower 43% of Latinos felt the same way. And that was a poll taken in January when the racist comments that de León and two other council members made a year earlier that had been secretly tape-recorded.
And for all the hoopla and political chaos that secret tape-recording created, here the question on the minds of law-enforcement today? Was that secret tape recording even legal? De León himself doesn’t even have to make that argument as he has toward reelection in 2024. He can just sit back and watch what happens in the weeks and months ahead.
Los Angeles Magazine reported last month that “the LAPD may finally be close to arresting a suspect behind the recording and leaking of the [secret tape recording] that sparked one of the biggest scandals in recent Los Angeles political history.”
An arrest, for crying out loud. And it won’t be anyone named de León.
The LAPD continues its investigation, and the identity of the illegal secret tape-recording suspect — not to mention his or her arrest — would likely give that scandal an entirely new target on whom to focus. For his part, de León just needs to avoid trouble and campaign for reelection as if it’s his first time running for political office. And he will be doing so with a big plus — the power of the incumbency, which can keep them in the spotlight as much as he likes.
Get a load of what the Pershing Square revitalization project for transforming a cherished open space for Angelenos and visitors did for him. It was a stroke of genius. It kicked off de León’s reelection campaign in the heart of downtown Los Angeles in front of cameras and television. And it will be a talking point for him and others for the next year.
The revitalization offers several key project changes that will transform the park space, which is almost completely cemented, into an open and flat green area.
The city had already initiated a design competition to reimagine Pershing Square. The winning design, “Radical Flatness,” by French Architecture firm Agence Ter, envisions removing barriers and walls, opening up the park to the public, and restoring lush greenery to the once-concrete plaza. To execute this plan, the city enlisted Gruen Architects, with Agence Ter as their sub-consultant, to break the project into phases, ensuring its feasibility and cost-effectiveness.
Phase 1A, with a total project cost of $21,665,535, focuses on Olive Street’s perimeter enhancements. It includes the demolition of the existing cafe structure, the revitalization of park edge landscaping, the addition of a new street-level entry plaza, and the installation of two new glass elevators and stairs for improved accessibility and security.
Phase 1A is set to be completed in the fall of 2024 after an 18-month construction period.
“I’ve always been a champion for open space — particularly in our urban communities,” de León said.
When the councilman served on the State Assembly and State Senate between 2006 and 2010, and 2010 to 2014, respectively, he introduced AB 31 and SB 5, which created more new parks for California. Now in collaboration with the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks, he said they will deliver 18 new playgrounds and construct two new parks in his Fourteenth District.
De León said he aims to ensure that “every child has access to green space.”
Phase 1B –improvements on 5th and 6th Streets — and Phase 2 –which includes construction on Hill Street esplanade and wall removal — are fully designed and ready for construction upon completion of Phase 1A. Phase 1B is estimated at $5 million, with Phase 2 estimated at $16.5 million. Phase 3, involving the central portion of the park, awaits design and funding, according to de León office.
And Pershing Square was just for starters.
A few days later de León introduced a motion calling for the development of temporary housing on a parcel of city-owned land across from City Hall. The council voted 13-0 to support the motion to begin the process of building a modular housing village for the homeless in downtown L.A.
“Right across the street on First and Broadway, and Spring Street, we have a huge open lot,” de León said. “It’s a dirt lot and oftentimes we see homeless encampments right outside on the sidewalk.
“This is a big piece of land here, and eventually it will be a park that we’re going to create as a centerpiece for the city of Los Angeles, just like when we broke ground on the first phase of Pershing Square just a few days ago.”
Not a bad week for a “formerly rising political star,” huh?
Ashley Chase can be reached at ashleylynchase@gmail.com.
