#LA I don’t believe in beating a dead horse, but when that horse keeps rambling and speaking incomprehensively, you have to take him out to pasture before he renegades again. Just when I thought we had moved on from the Clippers owner Donald Sterling debacle, and had swiftly tossed the issue to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) hands, he does an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and issues a sorry, not sorry statement among other flabbergasting things, including petty jabs at Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. Tuesday, I held a news conference to refute the claims made by Sterling as far as Magic not investing in the community. Personally, Magic was a staunch advocate for me in my re-appointment bid for Police Chief with the LAPD so I had to stand up for all the hard work and tangible contributions to the community that I know he’s done. I’ve seen Magic’s influence throughout the city, but particularly in my district where he has been the ultimate partner by lending both his name and finances to the communities I serve. Although, some of his ventures are just outside of my district’s boundaries, the economic benefits to the area in the form of jobs are unmistakable. Today,Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza is such an anchor in the community. Without Magic Johnson Theaters (now known as Rave Theatres) staying at the shopping center while other tenants fled, who knows if we would have been able to enjoy the numerous vendors that call the center home now. Magic is the best stimulus package to come to the community and he has proven not only locally, but nationally, that if you invest in minority communities, you will get a return on investment and then some. Some of Magic’s investments include: Multiple Starbucks Franchises, most notably at Chesterfield Square and Ladera Heights(County). Magic once owned 105 Starbucks franchises. 24-Hour Fitness, Ladera Heights(County) TGI Friday’s in Ladera Heights(County), which has always been one of the franchise’s most successful in the state. Magic’s scholarship and HIV/AIDS awareness programs offered through his namesake Foundation Owner of the Dodgers The only time the Magic was not successful, the city had a hand in it. Magic was primed to develop the South L.A. project known as Marlton Square. But, for reasons still unknown, the city decided to take that project away from him. Today, it still sits in disrepair and is partially developed with a commitment from Kaiser to create a 200,000 square foot medical facility. The remaining 11 acres still sits as an undeveloped eyesore. And, it’s been that way for about 30 years. Sad but true… You can view coverage from Tuesday’s news conference below. latimes/local/lanow/la-me-ln-parks-magic-sterling-20140513-story.html
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 16:28:43 +0000
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