Los Angeles Downtown News 08-03-20

#FreeBritney

Fans call to free pop singer from her ‘abusive’ conservatorship Page 6

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THE PEOPLE CONCERN

New homeless services center opens in Skid Row

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Ramirez named LAUSD interim police chief

By Sarah Donahue eslie Ramirez was appointed Los Angeles Unified School District’s interim police chief. Despite the impact of the budget cuts and public scrutiny, Ramirez said she feels optimistic that she can create a positive outcome.

“It felt great that they had the confidence in me at this time, but you know, it is a challenging time,” Ramirez said in an interview with LA Downtown News. “There are mixed feelings, but I am still very honored to have been selected.”

In late June, LA’s Board of Education

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bowed to pressure from protesters and voted to cut $25 million from the school’s police department budget and invest in counselors, safety aides and psychiatric social workers, prioritizing underprivileged schools with the highest population of Black students.

School police will be taken off campus and out of uniform until the superintendent task force comes back with its recommendations, the adopted measure states. What exactly this will look like is uncertain, Ramirez said.

“The work is ahead,” she said. “Obvious-

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ly there were some changes to our budget, which you know, are no secret to anyone, and also some calls for how we operate overall as a department.”

Protesters’ demands for police divestment have spread to more specific areas of public safety, like LAUSD’s police department, where many say they contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline and criminalize students for minor offenses.

Black students have been targeted by school police at disproportionate rates, Black Lives Matter LA claimed during protests. Despite Black students only making up less than 9% of LAUSD’s population, they account for 25% of arrests, diversions and citations, according to a 2018 analysis from UCLA’s Million Dollar Hoods project.

Ramirez acknowledges this is an issue

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: William Bergholz, Sarah Donahue ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Monica Orozco, Ian Spanie ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

that needs to be confronted and said the school’s police are looking at ways to address that. She said there are increased restorative justice practices and the department is looking at other ways to offer better levels of prevention before arresting students.

Ramirez replaced now-former Chief Todd Chamberlain, who resigned almost immediately after the new changes were adopted by the school board. He warned in the school board Zoom meeting that if the changes were adopted, only “bare minimum service” could be offered.

Two days after the changes were adopted, LAUSD announced that Ramirez would be the school’s police interim chief, without acknowledging Chamberlain’s resignation.

Ramirez said she worked with Chamberlain

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for only a brief period of time but respects his decisions on why he resigned.

“I know that (Chamberlain) came with the best intentions to move this department forward into a 21st century policing agency, and unfortunately, due to the circumstances, that did not happen,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re just in a different time right now and we’re moving in a different direction.”

Their “operational posture” is different, Ramirez said, and she feels she will be able to lead the police despite the changes and public scrutiny. Her understanding of the schools as an alumnus and graduate as well as her 22 years of experience of policing LAUSD schools is her greatest strength, she said, and that experience will help her lead the school’s police through the changes effectively.

“Without a doubt, a cut of this magnitude will affect our operation, and some of it may be unfortunate, but I am optimistic that we are going to look at the circumstances and try to bring out the best possible outcome,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez grew up on Westside LA, starting her education at Shenandoah Elementary School and graduating from Hamilton High School. After college and a few travel years, Ramirez said she learned about school police and their mission and decided it would be the career path for her.

“I can’t say during my formative years that I said I wanted to be a police officer, but that definitely sparked once I was introduced to school police and learned more about what they do,” Ramirez said.

School policing is a team effort, Ramirez said, explaining how creating good relationships with students, staff, parent groups and the extended community is key to preventing a lot of things from happening before they occur. Knowing the climate of what’s going on in and out of school allows police to have more preventative measures in place, she said.

“We need to look at how we can help families and help students through traumatic events and through incidents that occur,” Ramirez said. “That’s where our focus is.”

Despite students not being on campus, Ramirez said the school’s police department will continue being part of a “grab-and-go” food distribution service as well as patrolling their schools 24/7 to prevent crimes like vandalism and breaking and entering. Ramirez said she is confident that schools will go back to a normal posture soon and they want to be in a good position for when that point comes.

“We’re still here,” Ramirez said. “We’re still going to be focused on student safety. We just have to find a new way to make that happen now.”

Leslie Ramirez brings 22 years of experience policing LAUSD schools as she becomes the new interim police chief.

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New homeless services center opens in Skid Row

By Sarah Donahue he social services center that works to find homes for Skid Row’s unhoused individuals just found a home for itself.

For employees of The People Concern, one of LA County’s largest social service providers, the literal streets were the only location where they could offer their services to people living in the streets.

Now with the newly opened Mollie Lowery and Frank Rice (C3) Center in Skid Row, The People Concern can provide homeless individuals with access to food, bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities and mental health services, on top of the resources they will continue to provide in the streets.

“We consider it a real privilege to do this work alongside the people that we’re serving, and I hope that the new Mollie Lowery and Frank Rice Center will be able to expand access to care and services and ultimately to housing for people on the streets of Skid Row,” said John Maceri, CEO of The People Concern, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.

Around 20% of their employees have lived the experience. They’ve recovered from situations of homelessness, domes-

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tic abuse, mental illness, substance addiction or a combination of those things, Maceri said.

The People Concern’s mission is to empower vulnerable individuals to rebuild their lives by providing “evidence-based” solutions to victims of homelessness and domestic violence.

The new facility allows employees to bring in the people they are working with off the streets where they can meet privately, something they haven’t been able to do before, Maceri said. The facility’s construction was funded and contracted through the Department of Health Services’ Housing for Health Division and The People Concern.

None of this comes without the barriers of COVID-19.

“During the pandemic, our ability to serve as many people at one time has to be spread over a longer distance of time,” Maceri said. “That’s been a little bit of a challenge.”

Employees’ schedules are staggered where fewer people are able to work together at any given time, he explained.

With a big enough space, it has been easier

to socially distance between staff and the clients they are serving, he said.

Group recreational activities have also been impacted by the coronavirus, hindering the facility from creating the lively, activated environment they imagine will soon become a reality.

“We hope that we will be able to have people together again and actually to be able to provide more services to more people,” he said.

Even without COVID-19, another challenge is the intensity of this kind of work, Maceri explained.

“Working on the streets, particularly in Skid Row, is really stressful,” he said. “These are staff (members) that are incredibly committed to the work and feel really passionate about serving these populations, but it’s challenging when you’re working on the street.”

The biggest misconception about Skid Row is that many people see it and think these individuals don’t want housing or help, he said. Each day The People Concern’s facility serves around 240 individuals in addition to the services rendered to people on the street. Nearly 2,000 others are in permanent supportive housing and 350 are in interim living situations. Over the course of a year, The People Concern helps 6,000 different people across the agencies, Maceri said.

AUGUST 3, 2020

Maceri’s mission started in the 1980s when he worked in a nonprofit AIDS service organization at the beginning of the epidemic, he said, expressing how that experience changed his life. From that point forward, he said he felt a calling to work with poor, disenfranchised people “who are on the margins of our society.”

Twelve years later he came to work for what was once the Ocean Park Community Center, which later merged with Lamp Community, another homeless and mental health-focused community organization.

This merger created what is now The People Concern.

“In my 21 years here at the agency I’ve seen people at the lowest part of their life and I’ve seen them overcome tremendous trauma and many barriers in their lives,” he said, adding that it’s a great privilege to see people go on to be happy, healthy and self-sufficient.

The People Concern’s ultimate goal is for people to be housed with no risk of domestic violence, Maceri said, adding that the organization wants everyone to have access to resources that will help with substance addiction as well as chronic and mental health issues. The goal is for everyone on Skid Row to live stable, productive lives.

“That’s ultimately what we want, is for people to be their best selves.”

AUGUST 3, 2020

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The People Concern’s mission is to empower vulnerable individuals to rebuild their lives by providing “evidence-based” solutions to victims of homelessness and domestic violence.

The new Mollie Lowery and Frank Rice (C3) Center’s construction was funded and contracted through the Department of Health Services’ Housing for Health Division and The People Concern.

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By Sarah Donahue hether you like her music or not, almost everyone is familiar with Britney Spears.

The singer of “Oops!... I Did It Again” has released hit singles, albums and music videos for about 20 years, but her fans say she needs more power over her own life.

Around 40 protesters clad in flashy outfits and face masks holding pink signs saying #FreeBritney gathered and marched around Stanley Mosk Courthouse on July 22 to raise awareness for Spears’ conservatorship.

A conservatorship is a guardian or a protector who is appointed by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another due to physical or mental limitations, or old age. A conservator may make arrangements for the conservatee’s meals, health care, clothing, personal care, housekeeping, transportation, shelter, recreation and well-being, according to an official California Courts government website.

After Spears suffered multiple well-doc-

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umented mental breakdowns in the late 2000s, she was placed under a conservatorship by her father.

Fans at the protest call this “abusive.”

A protester used a pink megaphone to lead chants saying, “What do we want?

Free Britney! When do we want it? Now!” and “Hey hey! Ho ho! This conservatorship has got to go!”

“A lot of people aren’t aware of the type of restraints that she’s under,” said LA resident Carlos Caldera, 30. “For so many years her team has done a great job at making it seem like everything is OK through the media, and in reality it’s not.”

Spears’ sister, Jamie Lynn, has shut down fans’ rumors that the situation is abusive.

Other people close to Spears have told multiple news outlets that the arrangement helps the superstar, also stating that she is very much involved with her own business affairs. However, Spears’ mother has reportedly liked a handful of comments speaking out in support of the #FreeBritney campaign on social media.

Spears’ father and former conservator originally claimed in court documents that the permanent conservatorship was necessary due to her “dementia,” which prevented her from making her own decisions.

Caldera and many fans argue that if the claims are true that 38-year-old Spears needs this conservatorship due to such severe mental health problems, why has she released multiple albums, guest starred on TV shows, and held a four-year Las Vegas residency?

“We’re out here to be her voice,” said Alex Garcia, 27, a Britney Spears fan and Sacramento resident. “We hope some kind of monumental thing happens today with the progress of her getting free, and in the long run we just hope she gets her autonomy back.”

The private court case was held to review the current role of Spears’ “care manager” and temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery. Spears’ father, mother and “care manager” attended virtually, and Spears was supposed to speak as well but reportedly wasn’t able to due to Wi-Fi issues.

However, during that same time, she posted a photo to her Instagram account.

Because of the “technical difficulties,” the case will be continued on August 19, when the status of her conservatorship will be further discussed.

What was supposed to be a temporary conservatorship that was granted in 2008 has continued. For about a decade, her father, Jamie, had full control over Spears and shared control of her estate with their attorney, Andrew Wallet, documents say.

Wallet resigned as co-conservator in 2019 and left Jamie as the full conservator.

Later that year, her father reportedly filed paperwork to temporarily step down as Spears’ conservator due to personal health reasons. Around that same time, Jamie was involved in an altercation with Spears’ teenage son, Sean. Reports say he wasn’t charged.

Since then, the sole conservator of Spears has changed to Montgomery. What is #FreeBritney and what is its goal?

The #FreeBritney movement began in 2009 but started gaining traction recently when a weekly podcast called Britney’s Gram started gaining popularity, multiple fans said. Comedians Tess Barker and Barbara Gray use the podcast to dissect and investigate Spears’ Instagram posts.

There are a lot of supporters of the #FreeBritney movement, including Miley Cyrus and Paris Hilton. However, not everyone is buying it.

Many think the situation is unbelievable, and that’s why people are having a hard time supporting the movement, said Lareina Adair, 24, who traveled with her friends

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Fans call to #FreeBritney from her ‘abusive’ conservatorship

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from Scottsdale, Arizona, to attend the protest.

“People are also thinking this is sort of laughable because it’s Britney Spears and she’s been the butt of the joke for so long,” Adair said. “I think maybe if it was someone else, not—I hate saying this—like a ‘dumb blonde’ like Britney, it would be taken more seriously.”

A 2007 video of a fan crying and yelling “Leave Britney Alone!” has become a staple, but fans have pointed out that this situation is no joking matter. The conservatorship prevents Spears from having a normal relationship with her children, Caldera and other fans noted.

“It’s just sad that her sons have grown up pretty much without her,” Caldera said. “As a father of two kids myself, I could not even imagine someone taking away my rights and my freedom. I just—I don’t know how she does it.”

California’s court system needs to make some changes to prevent the abuse of people in harmful conservatorship agreements, Caldera said, adding that it’s not just Spears that is in this kind of restrictive situation, but her fame and dedicated fan base has created a platform to advocate against this kind of abuse.

“At this point,” Adair said, “It’s not even a matter if you’re a Britney fan; it’s if you’re a fan of human rights.”

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Fans march around Stanley Mosk Courthouse on July 22 to protest Britney Spears’ conservatorship during a #FreeBritney rally.

Photo by Sarah Donahue/LA Downtown News

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U.S. Bank Tower sold to Trade Center developer

By William Bergholz fter 18 months on the market, the U.S. Bank Tower at 633 W. Fifth Street, Downtown, has been sold.

When news broke last year that the tower would be sold, experts projected it could be sold for $700 million. OUE Ltd. has agreed to sell the U.S. Bank Tower to Silverstein Properties for $430 million. This is a 34% decrease from the $650 million valuation OUE declared in its annual report last year. However, it’s still an increase from the $367.5 million that in 2013 OUE reportedly paid.

The deal is set to close in September, and Silverstein Properties has made a $10 million deposit. Closing may be extended by one month in exchange for an additional $5 million deposit.

Since 2013, the U.S. Bank Tower has been owned by OUE Ltd., a Singaporean and diversified real estate owner, developer and operator group, with a real estate portfolio located in prime locations in Asia and the United States.

“The sale will enable OUE Ltd. to streamline its asset ownership in a period when the longer-term outlook of the U.S. property market may not be favorable,” OUE said in a statement.

Furthermore, “Due to the measures implemented by state governments in the U.S. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tenants in the property have reduced, or temporarily closed down, their operations, and the rental income from the property has been correspondingly affected,” OUE said.

Silverstein Properties is a family-held, full-service real estate development, investment and management firm based in New York City, with 40 million square feet in its portfolio, founded by developer Larry Silverstein. The company has been looking to expand in the West.

“This is a unique opportunity to manage

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a trophy asset in a dynamic market. This is our first investment in Los Angeles, and we are looking at a number of other opportunities in the city and elsewhere on the West Coast,” said Jeff Grasso, senior vice president and head of acquisitions at Silverstein Properties.

Silverstein Properties has residential buildings and hotels but is best known for having developed the One World Trade Center for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The buildings replaced the World Trade Center and other structures destroyed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The U.S. Bank Tower, also known as the Library Tower and First Interstate World Center, opened in 1989 and stands at 73 stories on Bunker Hill. It is one of the most prominent buildings on the Los Angeles skyline and is one of the tallest structures west of the Mississippi River. It has office space, restaurants, and an observation deck on the 70th story with a glass slide.

U.S. Bank Tower workers have to take as many as three elevators to get to their offices, starting from the six-level underground garage.

This sale is happening at a challenging time for the office property market. Most offices are being sparsely used as tenants are working from home to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. It is unclear when or if they will want to return.

The average office vacancy in Downtown Los Angeles’ central business district was 13% in the second quarter. At the same time, the overall vacancy rate of 12.8% was lower than in the second quarter last year, and monthly asking rental rates held steady at about $3.87 per square foot for Class A space, according American commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE. The U.S. Bank Tower has more than 1.4 million square feet, and about 22% of that

is not leased to tenants, according to real estate data provider CoStar.

The sale also reflects a push in recent years by foreign and domestic investors to purchase properties in the Los Angeles re-

AUGUST 3, 2020

gion because they view it as economically diversified and buoyed by the robust media, entertainment and technology sectors.

The U.S. Bank Tower, also known as the Library Tower and First Interstate World Center, opened in 1989 and stands at 73 stories on Bunker Hill.

Photo courtesy SPI

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Site preparation begins for 8th and Figueroa Tower

By William Bergholz fter 18 months on the market, the U.S. Bank Tower at 633 W. Fifth Street, Downtown, has been sold.

Five months after announcing the project, developer Mitsui Fudosan America, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui Fudosan, has initiated the construction of a high-rise apartment tower at 8th & Figueroa in the heart of Downtown’s resurgent Financial District. Mitsui Fudosan America has owned the property at 8th

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and Figueroa since the 1980s.

Earthmovers and heavy equipment recently began clearing the asphalt site, where the city of Los Angeles has approved the construction of the tower, a 530-foot and 42-story building containing 438 studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, above a parking podium, lined with 7,500 square feet of groundfloor retail space. This tower will be Mitsui Fudosan America’s second residential building in the Greater Los Angeles Area

and fifth in California, as it continues to expand its West Coast presence.

The tower is designed by the award-winning Scott Johnson, AIA of Johnson Fain Architects.

It fills in a parking lot, with a modern design that will provide a pedestrian promenade down Figueroa Street, lined with sidewalk cafes and shade trees, reinforcing the goals of the city’s recently completed MyFigueroa improvements.

The tower’s design references some of Downtown’s architecture by relating to the larger scale with prominent banding up the facade, and culminating in a dramatic, illuminated cornice at the top of the building.

Furthermore, the design includes a glass facade inlaid with LED lights, leading to an illuminated crown. The glass encloses the tower’s parking podium.

The construction is expected to be completed in 2023.

“We are pleased to commence the next phase of this project and make our contribution to the renewed vitality and dynamism of Figueroa Street and the Financial District. The beginning of construction marks Mitsui Fudosan America’s continued commitment to the revitalization of Downtown and the next phase of our investment that began more than 30 years ago,” said Stuart Morkun, The Mitsui Fudosan America’s vice president.

Lendlease Construction has been retained to build the project.

“Lendlease is honored to have been selected as the general contractor for the Eighth and Figueroa project for Mitsui Fudosan America,” said Caleigh Raymer, operations director and vice president of construction, Lendlease.

“The Eighth and Figueroa residential tower will be a notable architectural gem added to the Los Angeles skyline, right in the heart of bustling Figueroa Street.

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Lendlease has been working with Mitsui Fudosan and their consultant team over the past three years and we are very excited to see this project break ground. We are committed to delivering a successful project, safely and sustainably.”

Lendlease has operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Its vision is to create the best places that inspire and enrich the lives of people around the world. As listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Lendlease has approximately 13,000 employees internationally.

Its core capabilities are reflected in its operating segments of development, construction and investments. The combination of these three segments provides Lendlease with a sustainable competitive advantage, which allows it to provide innovative integrated solutions for customers.

In the United States, Lendlease has more than 100 years of experience in the construction industry. In the past decade, Lendlease has provided construction services on over 2,500 projects for 1,100 clients nationwide. Lendlease provides a full range of construction services including construction management, general contracting, program management, project management, design/build and consulting services.

Along with the tower, Mitsui Fudosan America intends to install a new midblock crosswalk, which will connect the tower site to the Figat7th Shopping Mall across the street. The Figat7th Shopping Mall landlord Brookfield is constructing its own residential high-rise on a property located immediately west of the sunken shopping center.

Mitsui Fudosan America also owns a separate property two blocks east at 8th and Hope streets, which is slated for the construction of a similar residential high rise.

Earthmovers and heavy equipment recently began clearing the asphalt site, where the city of Los Angeles has approved the construction of a high-rise apartment tower, a 530-foot and 42-story building containing 438 studios and one- and twobedroom apartments, above a parking podium, lined with 7,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Renderings courtesy Mitsui Fudosan America

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Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE

Pop singer is supporting venues that supported him

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ach Heckendorf is playing benefits for Live Nation venues in all 50 states—all without leaving his New York apartment.

The pop singer has paired with the concert promoters to livestream performances simulcast through social media channels over 14 dates, creating a potential audience of more than 4 million live music fans.

The second leg of Heckendorf ’s “50 States Livestream Tour” kicked off July 27 in Arizona, in support of The Van Buren.

“I’m happy to be active, and it’s pretty cool we were able to get together for Live Nation,” Heckendorf said.

At 5 p.m. Friday, August 10, he’ll perform for California venues Ace of Spaces, Belasco, House of Blues Anaheim, House of Blues Los Angeles, House of Blues San Diego, Magnolia Performing Art Center, Observatory Orange County, Observatory North Park, The Palladium, Riverside

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Live and The Wiltern. For information, visit facebook.com/zachheckendorf.

The benefits are twofold for the shows.

Besides raising funds for the venues, the former Santa Monica resident is using the gigs to advance his album “Hawk Talk,” which is due out in September. Heckendorf has been releasing singles monthly since May to lead up to the record. The set will also feature covers that are pertinent to the state in which he’s performing.

In June, Heckendorf released his single “Take to the Floor” via Organically Elevated/Missing Piece Records. “Take to the Floor” followed Heckendorf’s single “Up,” which was produced by Grammy winner John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Pink, Miley Cyrus).

“John is a super pro producer,” he said.

“I feel like I learned so much, like what it means to be a producer, how you run a session and the energy that you want to cultivate. He’s just a total musical genius.

Zach Heckendorf has been inspired by music since he was a young child in Colorado.

Photo courtesy Zach Heckendorf

“He’s amazing at engineering. He has this super infectious energy. No one’s ever board in Fields’ studio. The cool thing about John is he’s so tapped into the Minneapolis music scene. He brings in amazing musicians.”

Music is in Heckendorf ’s blood. As a

child growing up in Colorado, he pretended he was in boy bands and danced around his bedroom. He picked up his first guitar at age 10 and started writing songs that night.

“It’s definitely innate in some sense,” he said.

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Covered California will help BUSINESS

Paul Smith brings English inspiration to Downtown

By William Bergholz aul Smith is opening a new store at 844 S. Broadway in the heart of historic Downtown.

“Even in these strange circumstances, it’s very exciting to be able to look ahead and take some positive steps,” Smith said.

“Online is what everyone has their minds on right now, but hopefully shops with character and staff with conversation and friendship also have a place in the future.”

This Paul Smith shop is set to become a destination.

To celebrate the opening of the new double-height, 1,250-square-foot shop, British artist John Booth designed it.

His work includes graphic window displays, large-scale pieces and brightly colored antique furniture. He drew inspiration from the art deco-styled building of the area, like the Orpheum Theatre.

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Booth will paint pipes and other elements of the exterior. From Booth’s artwork, a colorful approach to design will be featured in the store to encapsulate a collection of scarves and caps. The approach is Beyond The Individual, meaning beyond egoism and individualism to create artworks symbiotically, between bodies and between different forms of matter.

The scarves and caps will be available in the shop and from PaulSmith.com.

“I love his positive and colorful work,” Smith said about Booth. “We’ve had his work available in the gallery I have as part of my shop in Albemarle Street in Mayfair, and for the new Downtown shop, John has painted parts of the interior and even the outside of the shop.”

As for coronavirus, Smith is confident that business will rebound.

“I’ve been in business for nearly 50 years and we’ve come through many storms, so

English artist John Booth provided the artwork for the new Paul Smith store Downtown.

Photo courtesy Paul Smith

that gives me some optimism,” he said.

“Downtown LA is such a vibrant and creative area. We are lucky enough to be opening next to the beautiful Orpheum Theatre, which has amazing history but once it’s able to reopen will have an amazing future, too. I look forward to places like that coming back to life. I’m hopeful that such a creative community full of artists and musicians will always find a way to come through these challenging times.”

Smith is England’s foremost designer, best known for his creative spirit, which can be described as a combination of tradition and modernity.

Since Smith opened his first store 50

years ago in 1970 in Nottingham, England, the company has grown into a global business, selling to five continents. The company sells clothing and other items for men, women and children.

Classic with a twist, Smith’s pieces are eclectic and inspired by high art and everyday life. Each individual Paul Smith design is underpinned by a dry British sense of humor: quirky but not frivolous, and eccentric but not silly. With this, Paul Smith is happily positioned between high fashion and formalwear, while taking reference from both. Paul Smith has always been proud to stand apart.

AUGUST 3, 2020

DT

DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Covered DINING California will help

Dodgers, Postmates team up to deliver ballpark treats

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ans can get a taste of the ballpark experience delivered on demand by ordering from Home Plates, which will bring Dodger Dogs and stadium favorites directly to Los Angeles-area fans’ doorsteps through Postmates.

Home Plates will serve Dodger Dogs, micheladas and garlic fries to go along with snacks, salads, bar and dessert options. In addition to premium Dodger Dogs, items specially produced by Home Plates include individual thin-crust Brooklyn-style pizza, carne asada helmet nachos and Dodgers’ blue gelato. The full menu, with family party pack and catering options, can be found at Dodgers.com/HomePlates.

Home Plates will initially launch in Los Angeles’ Hollywood and West Hollywood neighborhoods with plans to expand to additional neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Dodgers dishes created and packaged by Home Team Kitchens’ restaurants

F

will be delivered with Postmates within the delivery radius for each restaurant.

“In launching Home Plates, we’re bringing the unforgettable Dodger Stadium experience home to Angelenos,” said Tucker Kain, president, Dodgers Business Enterprise.

“Los Angeles sports fans will now have year-round access to their favorite stadium flavors, whether it’s for a gourmet gameday, celebration or just to satisfy an everyday craving. Home Plates will bring together the best in the business as we build on our groundbreaking partnership with Postmates and enlist the culinary expertise of Home Team Kitchens to serve our fans a taste of a Dodger Stadium.”

Home Team Kitchens founders Michael Jacobs and Massimo Noja De Marco are just as excited.

“We’re thrilled to bring our delivery-first restaurant home to Dodgers’ fans. And it’s fitting to do this with Postmates given its Dodgers fans can now bring home gameday favorites like Dodger Dogs, carne asada helmet nachos and Dodgers’ blue gelato through Postmates.

Submitted photos

FAMOUS FIRE-GRILLED CHICKEN

connection to LA and special relationship with the Dodgers,” said Jacobs.

A noteworthy restaurateur, De Marco was voted by Nation’s Restaurant News to its 2020 Power List of restaurant leaders changing the industry.

“We’ve reimagined ‘dine-in’ as a ‘dine-out’ experience, bringing the same quality and creativity to design, preparation and packaging for our in-home meals that fans expect from a stellar night out at the stadium.

It’s a pleasure collaborating with the Dodgers and Postmates to extend the in-stadi-

um experience by creating memorable and delightful in-home dining worthy of loyal Dodgers fans.”

In keeping with the Dodgers’ standards, Home Team Kitchens employs technical innovations like healthier air frying rather than oil, and uses moisture-reducing packaging technology to ensure freshness.

Customers will receive no delivery fees on orders with a minimum basket size when they subscribe to Postmates’ subscription service, Postmates Unlimited.

DT

Covered California will help CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT

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