CRA/LA Strategic Plan

Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles 354 South Spring Street Suite 800 Los Angeles California 90013 T 213 977 1951 F 213 977 1666 www.crala.org May 1, 2009 June 30, 2014 CRA/LA Strategic Plan Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles

CRA/LA Strategic Plan May 1, 2009 June 30, 2014

Who We Are and Our Traditional Role The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) is a public entity established under California state law by the Los Angeles City Council in 1948 to address conditions of blight throughout the City. For more than 60 years, CRA/LA has been a catalyzing force for economic growth and community-building, producing landmark results including Downtown s signature skyline, a reborn historic core and the exciting LA Live! complex. CRA/LA has also led the Hollywood renaissance, built tens of thousands of affordable residential units to meet the needs of families and seniors and created permanent supportive housing for persons who would otherwise be homeless. CRA/LA has created shopping opportunities in long-neglected communities from Reseda and Pacoima to Crenshaw and Watts, new transit-oriented districts in Hollywood, North Hollywood and Wilshire Center-Koreatown, and thousands of well-paying construction and permanent jobs for the City s residents. Operating under the California Community CRA/LA has helped to shape a Redevelopment Law (Section 33000 et Seq. of dynamic Los Angeles, improving the California Health and Safety Code), CRA/LA the quality of life for its residents is charged with eliminating and preventing the and businesses, and has helped to spread of blight and deterioration, maintaining restore pride and promise in many and expanding the supply of affordable housing, varied and diverse neighborhoods. and attracting investment into neglected areas of the City. We work in 32 project areas organized in seven regions. CRA/LA s primary role has been to formulate and implement geographically-based strategies to achieve reinvestment and revitalization in neighborhoods where the private sector has failed to create or sustain a quality living environment. CRA/LA has long implemented this role through such traditional means as property assemblage, construction of public improvements, funding of affordable housing and creating financial and other incentives to attract new investment. Rebecca Joyce 2009. Used with permission. Do not reproduce. 2

The Need for a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Over the last 25 years, Los Angeles has suffered a net loss of over 50,000 jobs in the formal economy, while at the same time gaining a million residents. The downturn in the economy that began in the early 1990s exacerbated by the impacts of the 1992 civil disturbances and the 1994 Northridge Earthquake resulted in a significant loss of middle class jobs. As the economy recovered, the vast majority of the new jobs created tended to pay lower wages, offer fewer (if any) benefits and provided more limited access to career ladders than the middle class jobs that had been lost. Our local economy also produced a small number of very high end jobs, creating a city of extreme income polarization. Urban lands that historically housed middle class manufacturing jobs have been converted to other uses, further diminishing the City s business attraction and retention capacity. Today, Los Angeles is facing unprecedented challenges: a churning, globalized economy, environmental and resource threats caused by climate change, crippled and uncertain credit and financial markets, historically high rates of home foreclosures, steep declines in property values and an associated loss of businesses and jobs. While today s global economic crisis has deepened swiftly over the last year, the long-term restructuring of the Los Angeles economy has signaled the need for a more comprehensive and strategic approach to economic development than traditionally pursued by local policy makers. In January 2008, the Mayor s Los Angeles Economy & Jobs Committee highlighted the need for the City to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy. The lack of a comprehensive economic development strategy in the City, embracing land use, infrastructure development, strategic investment, business attraction, workforce development, and the promotion of a sustainable quality living environment, has hampered the City s ability to effectively respond to the challenges facing Los Angeles. The Committee s report examined the obstacles to economic growth in Los Angeles, and clearly noted the need to find new approaches to job creation, housing and community development to revitalize communities. CRA/LA took to heart the Committee s 100 specific recommendations and embarked on a strategic planning process to reexamine its mission, values, goals and capabilities in light of this call for a more comprehensive approach to economic development. 4

A Strategic Plan to Guide Decisions in Tough Economic Times CRA/LA sought to create a tool that would guide our decision-making during troubled economic times and help us make tough choices as property tax increment (CRA/LA s primary source of revenue) declines precipitously in the coming years. CRA/LA recognizes that the traditional tools of redevelopment, while critical to restoring health to Los Angeles communities, need to be supplemented with additional focus on sustainability, growth of middle class career opportunities, and a healthier living environment for both current and future generations. We recognize that traditional resources are dwindling and that a new model that emphasizes targeting scarce resources, identifying new and creative ways of financing projects and rebuilding CRA/LA s own capacity is critical to the City s long-term health and well-being. CRA/LA presents this Strategic Plan as another step forward in our City s progress towards a comprehensive economic development strategy. Under the leadership of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and with the support of the Los Angeles City Council, the diverse policy tools of City government have begun to address the issues of workforce development, effective and real planning, affordable housing, critical infrastructure investments, public education, energy efficiency and the greening of the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and our local building industry. In addition to the Mayor s Los Angeles Economy & Jobs Committee, the City Council s Jobs, Business Growth & Tax Reform Committee and Councilmember Greig Smith s L.A. Legislative Economic Action Plan (LEAP) have also set forth a roadmap of the steps the City can take in formulating and promoting an economic development strategy. 6

How We Created This Strategic Plan In the summer of 2008, CRA/LA s executive management mapped a strategic planning process for our In developing this Strategic Plan, we were agency drawing on the expertise and careful to set forth goals that are counsel of Varouj Abkian, Assistant SMART SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, Director of the City s Bureau of ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC and TIME-FRAMED Sanitation. We formed a 20-member so that the Strategic Plan will provide an Strategic Planning Committee effective framework for defining our work composed of staff from throughout program and allocating our resources. CRA/LA. In work sessions facilitated by CRA/LA staff, every regional office and department conducted a SWOT analysis in which staff was asked to describe CRA/LA s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strategic Planning Committee members drafted new expressions of CRA/LA s mission, vision and values. Using an agency-wide survey, we vetted formulations of our mission and values. The survey enjoyed a high response rate and generated valuable substantive comments and suggestions. An outside facilitator tested formulations of our strategic objectives and goals through focus groups drawn from regional offices, and technical and business operations staff. The focus groups and follow-up discussions helped to crystallize the vision, values, strategic objectives and goals set forth in this Strategic Plan. 8

How We Will Use The Strategic Plan CRA/LA will use this Strategic Plan to help us carry out our mission of making strategic investments to create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for the people who live and work in our neighborhoods. We will track and measure our progress in meeting the SMART goals contained in the Strategic Plan by assigning individual goal owners to each goal. Every goal owner will be responsible for convening a work group to draft an Action Plan to implement his or her assigned goal and for reporting to CRA/LA s Management Team on our progress in achieving each goal on a quarterly basis. Each department director will be responsible for drafting annual performance goals for his or her department tied to the Strategic Plan. Individual staff members will be asked to work with their supervisors to draft annual performance objectives that reflect the staff members role in contributing to the achievement of the Strategic Plan s goals. Each year we will review our Strategic Plan and revise and adjust our goals in light of our progress the previous year. The Strategic Plan will be a living, evolving document as CRA/LA works to help the City achieve its economic development goals. 10

VISION This Strategic Plan is an effort to focus our collective energy to create a vision OF A COMPELLING FUTURE that aligns each of our departments and regions to achieve the goals contained in the Strategic Plan. If today was the year 2014, and our efforts to implement the Strategic Plan were successful, the following paragraphs would be the success story that CRA/LA would like to be able to recount: 12

CRA/LA in 2014 CRA/LA is a leading force for economic development in Los Angeles. Together, CRA/LA and its subsidiaries and affiliates played a critical role in shaping Los Angeles economic recovery from the recession of 2007-09. CRA/LA extended the life of, expanded, merged or adopted at least 10 redevelopment project areas in the San Fernando Valley, along the Los Angeles River, the Harbor Area and in South CRA/LA spurred the production of thousands of new, well-designed housing units, which are enhancing the livability of our neighborhoods. CRA/LA has also preserved thousands of affordable housing units at risk of conversion to market rate rents. CRA/LA has helped to green and beautify our neighborhoods. We have provided publicly-accessible open spaces and implemented because we can document our success in creating good paying jobs, housing, commercial, office and industrial development and open space. We enjoy strong community support because we are deeply engaged in the communities that we serve. We are trusted and respected by residents, homeowners, business owners and workers. We are viewed by other agencies as a good partner with whom to work. We are Our Central Office functions are efficient. We have clear, consistent and updated policies and procedures that staff reference and follow on a daily basis. We are constantly striving to maintain the balance of encouraging innovation and creativity, while adhering to policies and procedures that ensure integrity and excellence. Our continuous investment in our staff maintains and upgrades the Los Angeles. By focusing on key streetscape plans that have created seen as knowledgeable, creative and skills of existing employees throughout sectors of Los Angeles economy and tree-lined pedestrian-friendly districts collaborative. the organization regardless of tenure or targeting our business assistance that recycle rain water, cool our streets title. Our continuing education program efforts, CRA/LA contributed to the creation of thousands of middle class jobs in Los Angeles. CRA/LA helped and function as urban oases. We have facilitated the construction and retrofit of energy and water efficient buildings Everyone on staff knows CRA/LA s mission and we are missiondriven. Each staff person knows helps to inculcate and reinforce the values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, community engagement, focus on to position Los Angeles as the throughout our communities. how his or her performance will results, creativity and innovation. We nation s clean-tech manufacturing be measured. Staff in every office successfully integrate and acculturate center and revitalize many of the CRA/LA successfully competes for understands that they play an new hires in CRA/LA through a thoughtful City s industrial zones. federal, state and grant funding to create important role in ensuring we meet and consistent orientation process that economic opportunity and improve the our targets for strategic investment, stresses our mission, values, and vision. quality of life in our neighborhoods. creation of jobs, housing, retail, office, We effectively compete for these funds manufacturing and open space. 14

CRA/LA MISSION VALUES WE CHERISH We make strategic investments to create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for the people who live and work in our neighborhoods. Integrity Excellence and Quality Community Engagement Teamwork Focus on Results Creativity and Innovation 16

1.1 Create Middle Class Jobs Strategic Objectives 1 2 3 4 5 Strengthen the Los Angeles Economy Make Our Neighborhoods Balanced and Livable Build Capacity Invest in Our People Strengthen Business Operations 1.2 Support and Attract Businesses 1.3 Grow Key Sectors 1.4 Employ Innovative Economic Development Strategies 2.1 Build Better Housing 2.2 Green and Beautify Our Neighborhoods 2.3 Enhance Cultural Vitality 3.1 Strengthen and Grow Redevelopment Opportunities 3.2 Diversify Revenue 3.3 Foster Alliances 4.1 Clarify Job Expectations 4.2 Provide Training 4.3 Improve Employee Feedback 4.4 Recognize Achievement 5.1 Invest in Key Information Systems 5.2 Aggressively Pursue Business Process Improvements 5.3 Clarify Internal and External Policies 18

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1 Strengthen the Los Angeles Economy 1.3 Grow Key Sectors 1.1 Create Middle Class Jobs 1.3.1 Retain and grow employment in each region s key sectors (such as cleantech, bio-med, entertainment). (June 30, 2014) 1.3.2 Grow firms by 20 percent in each region s key sectors. (June 30, 2014) 1.1.1 Create 40,000 construction career-path jobs. (June 30, 2014) 1.1.2 Invest in projects and programs to provide 2,000 family-supporting permanent jobs. (June 30, 2014) 1.2 Support and Attract Businesses 1.2.1 Retain and grow the top ten firms in each region as defined by employment and tax generation. (June 30, 2014) 1.2.2 Assist 300 businesses a year through façade programs, marketing, permit expediting, public improvements, equipment purchases and other methods. (June 30, 2014) 1.4 Employ Innovative Economic Development Strategies 1.4.1 Invest $15 million per year to upgrade strategic infrastructure that will spur economic growth, for a total of $75 million in five years. (June 30, 2014) 1.4.2 Complete environmental documents for Central Industrial/CleanTech Manufacturing Center, Crenshaw Corridor and 1st/Mission Design for Development to reduce entitlement costs and processing time for new development. (September 30, 2012) 1.4.3 Collaborate with City Planning Department to complete at least five Community Plan Updates and/or Specific Plans to ensure implementation of jobs-creating strategies. (June 30, 2014) 1.4.4 Form and/or partner with five entities (such as the River Revitalization Corporation, CleanTech LA, Los Angeles Development Fund) to access new capital sources, introduce new business lines and expand the scope of CRA/LA s economic development activities. (June 30, 2014) 20

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2 Make Our Neighborhoods Balanced and Livable 2.1 Build Better Housing 2.1.1 Complete construction of at least 5,500 units of affordable housing in Redevelopment Project areas. (June 30, 2014) 2.1.2 Adopt a housing policy and strategy for our neighborhoods that complies with the California Redevelopment Law and sets consistent standards such as income targeting, leveraging ratios and average per-unit subsidies. (December 31, 2009) 2.1.3 Adopt CRA/LA-wide housing design guidelines to ensure quality context sensitive developments that respond to the needs of target populations. (June 30, 2009) 2.1.4 Preserve 100 percent of affordability covenants due to expire on non-profit owned units and 20 percent of covenants on for-profit owned units. (June 30, 2014) 2.2 Green and Beautify Our Neighborhoods 2.2.1 Create at least two publicly-accessible green open spaces in CRA/LA neighborhoods every year in cooperation with Department of Recreation and Parks, Business Improvement Districts, Neighborhood Councils and other stakeholders. (June 30, 2014) 2.2.2 Adopt a pilot Design for Development that implements the Healthy Neighborhoods Policy. (December 31, 2009) 2.2.3 Ensure that five LA River-related projects (two of which are green/open space are under development in or near our project areas consistent with the Los Angeles River Master Plan. (June 30, 2014) 2.2.4 Adopt 14 streetscape plans that improve walkability and the pedestrian environment. (June 30, 2014) 2.3 Enhance Cultural Vitality 2.3.1 Partner in at least three of the following activities in each region annually: special cultural events, community gardens, guide books, cultural markers and community designations, and art organization and attraction and retention programs. (June 30, 2014) 22

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3 Build Capacity 3.3.2 Build deeper relationships with key stakeholders such as labor, business organizations, affordable housing advocates, environmentalists and other groups influential with the State Legislature. (Immediately) 3.1 Strengthen and Grow Redevelopment Opportunities 3.1.1 Complete at least 10 amendments, expansions, mergers and adoptions of project areas. (June 30, 2014) 3.3.3 Design and implement a plan to communicate CRA/LA successes to stakeholders, constituents and elected officials in a systematic, regular and consistent manner. (July 1, 2009) 3.2 Diversify Revenue Sources 3.2.1 Generate at least five percent of annual revenues from recurring sources not related to tax increment. (June 30, 2014) 3.2.2 Generate 25 percent of annual revenues from new, one-time sources not related to tax increment. (June 30, 2014) 3.3 Foster Alliances 3.3.1 Build deeper relationships with state and federal legislators, other governmental officials and their staff through regular briefings, tours and events. (Immediately) 24

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4 Invest in Our People 4.1 Clarify Job Expectations 4.1.1 Establish departmental performance goals annually and track quarterly as part of Management Team meetings. (July 1, 2009) 4.2 Provide Training 4.2.1 Assess and identify the training needed for staff to achieve CRA/LA strategic goals by December 31, 2009 and provide the neccessary training. (June 30, 2011) 4.1.2 Link employees annual performance goals to their department s performance goals to meet CRA/LA Strategic Objectives. (July 1, 2009) 4.3 Improve Employee Feedback 4.1.3 Complete a classification and compensation study as specified in the MOU. (June 30, 2009) 4.3.1 Develop and begin implementing an improved employee feedback system. (July 1, 2009) 4.4 Recognize Achievement 4.4.1 Develop and implement a staff recognition program. (e.g. announcements of deal closures, openings, attainment of goals). (June 30, 2009) 26

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5 Strengthen Business Operations 5.3 Clarify Internal and External Policies 5.1 Invest in Key Information Systems 5.1.1 Update and modernize our website to make it more usable for people both inside and outside CRA/LA. (June 30, 2011) 5.1.2 Revise the intranet so that it provides the information that staff members need to do their jobs and allows departments to easily update their own web pages. (December 31, 2009) 5.1.3 Roll out Phase I of a project data collection system (ERNIE) by July 1, 2009 with subsequent full implementation. (June 30, 2013) 5.1.4 Migrate to an electronic document and workflow management system that allows regional and central office staff to share and manage project-related documents. (June 30, 2014) 5.2 Aggressively Pursue Business Process Improvements 5.2.1 Implement five business process improvements (identified by Management Team and reviewed in quarterly meetings) each year. (Annually) 5.3.1 Complete outstanding Administrative Policies and Procedures for Human Resources and for Contracts and Purchasing. (December 31, 2009) 5.3.2 Utilize focus groups (selected groups of employees) to update at least one Administrative Policy and Procedure (APP) per month until all of them have been simplified and clarified. (June 30, 2014) 5.3.3 Evaluate all CRA/LA Boardadopted policies; recommend changes or revisions where necessary and develop supplemental materials to make them easier to understand and use. (June 30, 2011) 28

General Notes 30