S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
July 15 – July 21, 2022 Volume CXLIX, Issue 153
INSIDE
Friendship City Pact Announced Between Santa Monica and Brighton, England
PAGE 6
Santa Monica Pier Starbucks to Close After Deemed Dangerous Store under the Pier among 16 closures nationwide BY SAM CATANZARO Starbucks is closing six locations in locations in the LA-area deemed unsafe, including a recently-opened storefront at the Santa Monica Pier. The six stores in Los Angeles are 1st and Los Angeles; 2nd and San Pedro; Hollywood and Vine; Hollywood and Western; Ocean Front Walk and Moss; and Santa Monica and Westmount. Employees at these six highincident stores will be transferred to new locations. In total, Starbucks announced 16 closures throughout the country. Incidents the company cited as creating an unsafe environment include drug use, assaults and thefts. The closures come after Starbucks executives sent out two letters addressing safety at its stores. “It’s clear we’re living in a changing world where economic, societal and operational
pressures are colliding. We’re seeing unprecedented cultural division and economic trauma – all while navigating a pandemic, and it seems as though every day there is a new crisis to address,” CEO Howard Shultz wrote in a July 11 letter. “All of this affects Starbucks as a company. And all of this deeply affects millions of customers who visit our stores every day. Our stores serve as windows into America and through them we see the magnitude of the hardships and the ways in which people’s needs are changing.” In a separate letter, Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, senior vice presidents of U.S. operations, addressed specific challenges workers are facing. “You’ve been open and honest with us about your experience – from what you need to feel your best at work, to the many inspirational and heartfelt examples of how you are creating memorable moments for one another and our customers. You’re also seeing firsthand the challenges facing our communities – personal safety, racism, lack of access to healthcare, a growing mental health crisis, rising drug use, and more. With stores in thousands of communities across the country, we know these challenges can, at times, play out within our stores too. We read every incident report
The Starbucks on Ocean Front Walk under the Santa Monica Pier.
you file – it’s a lot,” Stroud and Nelson wrote. The company said it put in place measures to address safety in its stores, including increasing training for employees, implementing procedures for addressing safety issues and providing mental health services. The closures come amid unionization efforts among Starbucks employees across the country. Recently, two Seattle stores that had voted to unionize closed. In addition, the company closed a unionized Ithaca, New York due to “operational problems”.
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
The company, however, said these closures were not related to the unionization efforts. “Opening and closing stores is part of our business operations,” a spokesperson for the company told NBC. “This is really rooted in safe and welcoming stores.” The Santa Monica Mirror had reached out to Starbucks Workers United for comment and asked whether or not it was aware of any unionization efforts at these 16 stores. The Union was not immediately available for comment.
Andrew Thomas Selected to Return as CEO of Downtown Santa Monica Inc Thomas will take the helm of public-private nonprofit BY SAM CATANZARO The Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Board of Directors has selected Andrew Thomas, to return as CEO. Thomas, who for the past decade has led the Westwood Village Improvement Association, will take the helm as the downtown Santa Monica area faces a range of issues including high vacancy rates and public safety concerns. Thomas replaces outgoing CEO, Kathleen Rawson. He will now lead the public-private nonprofit, which works in tandem with the City of Santa Monica to manage services and operations in Downtown Santa Monica and the Third Street Promenade. Thomas will take the helm as vacant storefronts and public safety concerns trouble the area. “The Board is excited to welcome back Andrew Thomas, whose wealth of experience in the placemaking industry and deep
understanding of the core values of Santa Monica will allow him to make an immediate impact in DTSM,” said Barry Snell, Chair of the DTSM Board of Directors. “We trust Thomas will help the Board as it embarks on a thorough reassessment of the organization’s programs so we can continue to best serve our community, the property owners and businesses. Thomas brings over 20 years of experience to the role, including serving as the director of operations for DTSM from 2001 to 2010 when it was known as The Bayside District. In selecting Thomas, the Board said it was “confident it has found a progressive, transformative and coalition-building leader to serve as its next CEO and solidify DTSM’s position as one of the most renowned Business Improvement Districts in the industry.” As CEO Thomas will now have to navigate the many challenges facing the area, including a Promenade plagued by vacancies and public safety concerns driven largely by the homeless crisis. “It is an exciting time to be an urban placemaking professional, as our expertise and leadership has never been more needed given
the challenges our traditional city partners are facing,” Thomas said. “Downtown Santa Monica, and particularly the Third Street Promenade, remains an economically vibrant, welcoming, diverse and innovative district with so much to offer. I am confident that with the support of the DTSM Board, the City and our many stakeholders, we can make great things happen and continue to be the envy of other cities across the globe.” Prior to returning to DTSM, Thomas was the founding executive director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association (WVIA) for the past 11 years, executing the non-profit organization’s mission to make Westwood Village a clean, safe place through maintenance, security and programming. Thomas managed a budget of $1.7 million annually from assessments on 120 properties within the District. Thomas is also the past president of the California Downtown Association and former Chair of the Los Angeles Business Improvement District Consortium. He is a graduate of Tulane University. Thomas’ appointment comes just after Santa Monica City Council appointed three
new board members to DTSM who are a departure from the status quo. The three– Leonid Pustilnikov, Luke M. Cain and Lucian Tudor–are members of the Santa Monica Bayside Owners Association (SMBOA). The association has been a vocal opponent to many City policies, including leading an unsuccessful effort to stop the demotion of Parking Structure 3.