News Article??New Infrastructure Projects Prep Up Historic Filipino District in Central L.A

By Arturo P. Garcia?People's CORE?

Los Angeles -- New infrastructure projects from both the public and the private sectors is prepping up Historic Filipinotown district. City Council President and Council 13 District Member Eric Garcetti made the announcements during the get-together breakfast meeting ?held at Remy’s on Temple Art Gallery last May 25.

Garcetti with Field Deputy for Historic Filipinotown Joseph Bernardo announced the following projects:

The ongoing construction and the future opening in the fall of 2007 of a children’s pocket park-playground at the Beverly-Union streets where the largest Filipino American mural is located.

* Construction and development of a pocket park in Rockwood/Belmont streets where the former oil pumps were located.?

* Construction and opening of the Central High School at the site of the former Belmont Learning Complex (BLC) in Beau dry and Beverly Streets where a football field is also being built. The new school will further decongest the still crowded Belmont High School in Loma Drive and 2nd Streets.?

* Development and construction of the Belmont High School football field so ?it can be used by the whole community for different activities. Construction of a school bridge in Rosemont Elementary School was also planned.

* The opening of the new basketball gymnasium in Lake St. Park that was inaugurated last May 24. The Lake Street Park was opened in 2004.?

More Room for Improvements Needed

EPCC''s Arturo P. Garcia noted that “the newly opened Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in the Lucas and 3rd Street area relieved a lot of overcrowding and unhealthy conditions in the 1923 Belmont High School complex but it is still crowded.”

“ At present there are still 4,000 students at the Belmont High School. If the New High School No.11 will be opened, then at least 1,200 students more will fill out the old Belmont Complez. Still the area is still crowded.” Garcia exclaimed.

Gentrification or Development?

The EPCC also noted that more and more private corporation build projects in Historic Filipintown. Many people are afraid that these leads to gentrification. Others says it development . Some of them were:

- The Mindanao Apartments, a 26 apartment unit to be constructed at the corner of Burlington and Temple St besides the FACLA

- The Religious of Good Shepherds construction for the 4 story homeless women at the Beverly/Union area is now under way.

Garcia also said that: “The EPCC noted that the new schools like the Lake ?Street Primary and the Camino Nuevo High School will help the community ?provide education to the children,. But the LAUSD insistence on opening school No. 14 in the crowded Alvarado-Sunset area which the District 13 office and the community opposes is still a big problem for the community.

But still EPCC want to see more affordable and low-cost housing in central Los Angeles that will help the newly arrived immigrants and the low-paid workers living in Echo Park area.”

For more information please contact EPCC@(213)241-0906 or email@epcc-la@hotmaial.com