Gloria Angelina Castillo
EGP Staff Writer

The Town Hall meeting began with a packed auditorium at the Puente Learning Center last Tuesday, but towards the end of the meeting, nearly half of those in attendance left to protest in front of the building.

Speaking quickly in order to cover all the topics on his agenda, Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar (CD-14) started the meeting with a presentation on the projects and services his office is involved with, including: street repairs, graffiti removal, public safety and community events.

Huizar told participants that almost all areas of crime in Boyle Heights are down this year, especially gang-related crime which has dropped by almost 50 percent.
During his presentation on public and private projects, Huizar outlined what projects had been completed, are in progress or scheduled or proposed for the future.
Transportation projects in the area, including the Gold Line Extension that will open next year, have influenced construction and development of retail and housing the most in those areas, he said.

The three Gold Line stops in East L.A. are on: Mariachi Plaza, 1st and Soto Street, and Third and Indiana. Civic space, recreational and open spaces are also under construction in those areas.

Pico Aliso Senior Housing, Las Casitas, Vista del Sol, and Pueblo del Sol, Pico Gardens and Colonia Jess Lopez Senior Housing are developments that have been completed in Boyle Heights. There are four other approved housing projects awaiting completion.

The Boyle Hotel, apartments in a mixed-use building on 1st and Soto, and two more mixed-use buildings on Chavez and Soto and 1st and Lorena are under construction.

The Wyvernwood Apartments have been proposed for a 2 billion dollar mixed-use community development that would increase from 1,200 units to more than 4,000.

According to Fifteen Group, which owns the buildings, they have spent three years planning, investigating and communicating their plans for Wyvernwood to their tenants.

Corporate Vice President Steven Fink says there are miscommunications as well as many rumors circulating amongst tenants. He insists that besides creating more affordable and low-income housing than there currently is at Wyvernwood, he says he has no intentions of evicting tenants in good standing.

“We treat our residents professionally because they are our customers and it is in our best interest that they stay during the phased construction, they are our built in tenant base,” Fink told EGP. “It is sad that a small group is taking advantage of those less informed and manipulating them for their own interest.”

Outside the Town Hall meeting, a group of approximately 200 people protested the plans for Wyvernwood saying they did not want the apartments demolished.

“We are fine, I want them to let us live in peace,” Maria Consuelo Avelar, 58 and an 18-year tenant of Wyvernwood, told EGP.

“We don’t want gentrification,” Dr. Sanchez said, asking that we not use his first name, “The reality is that the project is good for their corporate wallet.”

Residents and supporters of the Comite Esperanza (Wyvernwood neighborhood council) gathered at 5:30 p.m. and marched to the meeting. They had been inside listening to the presentation but left and protested outside.

Inside, Attorney Elena Popp who represents the Comite Esperanza stood up from the audience and accused Huizar of not letting people come in when well over 100 seats were open, she also accused him of not wanting to listen to the tenants concerns. Defending himself, Huizar told Popp not to “spread lies” and told her he had plenty of time to talk to the tenants.

After the meeting, Huizar met with the protestors and reminded them that he had a meeting scheduled for next week to address their concerns.

“If you look at my track record, you’ll see that I have always supported affordable and low-income housing,” Huizar told the group—many who yelled, “don’t sellout Huizar.”

Huizar also asked them to think about how the project would affect the rest of the area.

After the meeting, Popp told EGP the protest was a victory and said the councilman had previously been in “complete denial and [had been] unwilling to communicate.”

The meeting between Huizar, Popp and some of the Wyvernwood tenants is set for next Thursday, Aug. 7.