Soboroff Leads Palisades Commercial Zoom Meeting

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Kim Kedeshian, who owns K’s Bakery and Armav plans to reopen, but is waiting on DWP’s approval of using water from the city. She spoke at the Zoom meeting.

Steve Soboroff, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass choice to lead the Fire Recovery efforts, hosted a zoom meeting today, February 25, that was attended by at least 55 people, mostly commercial landlords. The meeting also attracted a number of people who own apartments and condos in or near the commercial area.

Soboroff summed up the problem as “what comes first the chicken or the egg?” He said that he’s hearing that “people don’t want to return to their homes until there are stores,” and “stores are reluctant to open until residents and workers have returned”

He gave meeting attendees an opportunity to explain their situation. He reminded business owners that when he helped build Playa Vista, initially there were 1,000 residents, but the businesses that opened early,  did well.

Someone commented, “with all the workers in town a place for coffee and food will be important.’ Kim Kedeshian, who owns K’s Bakery and Armav, has leases in buildings still standing. To come back she will need water in those buildings.

Feeding the FEMA and constructions workers in Pacific Palisades will be a big business.

Currently, Garden Café has opened and has worked out a deal with the World Central Kitchen to supply meals.  This past week, the editor noticed that there were lines at the food trucks in town.

The buildings standing in the commercial area of Pacific Palisades include Caruso’s Palisades Village. Representative Sunil Watumull, said they have 55 tenants and “We hope to reopen as soon as possible.”

He was asked if the parking area and the Tesla chargers were working and Watumull said they didn’t know but that everything is still being tested.

Jim Cragg from the American Legion said that the Legion has been remediated and is open as a FEMA, SBA and Corps of Engineer resource center. The Post Office is operational and CVS plans to reopen the end of April or the beginning of May.

Soboroff said that Ralph’s has a demolition permit and will rebuild. He mentioned that Ralphs has two trailers that he hoped could be used to sell grocery items that could be brought in while they are rebuilding (mobile grocery stores).

He also added that the building that Gelsons had occupied, had been sold earlier, but that Gelson’s has a long-term lease and will rebuild. “They are talking about reopening three years from now,” Soboroff said.

Anawalt is open. Two gas stations in town are open, one at the car wash, a second is the 76 Station at Via de la Paz and Sunset.

The dry cleaners at the corner of Antioch and Via is standing.

Jim Kirtley, the executive director of the Palisades Malibu YMCA said, “we want to rebuild as fast as we can.” He noted that the Y plays an important role in the community not only as a gathering place, but also the sole fitness center in town.

David Felman, of Anderson, said they had 25 tenants in the Chase Building and the Historic Business Block Building at 15300 Sunset. The later was designated a City Historical Monument in 1984. Anderson is working diligently to reopen as soon as possible.

The Business Block Building, owned by Anderson, was declared a City Historical Monument in 1984.

The building after the fire.

The Marquez Business district was completely destroyed.

The Self-Realization Center is largely unharmed, but a building it owned that housed the Waldorf School is destroyed. The Mayor’s office was alerted that OSHA will not allow the Center to bring workers back, as long the area is still an evacuation zone. A representative from the Mayor’s Office said that will be investigated.

As far as commercial areas, the Army Corps of Engineers does not perform Phase 2, Debris Removal. But, even though ACE doesn’t perform Phase 2 debris, commercial owners still have to register with an Opt Out form with the county. Owners are responsible for debris removal in a timely manner so as not to negatively impact their neighbors..

Libby Owens with the Mayor’s office told attendees that the City/County are offering a maximum of $25,000 grants to small businesses, but the deadline to apply is March 2.

A separate meeting may have to be held to help property owners of apartments and condos, because as one person said about debris removal, “The City/County can’t interface with FEMA , and if it’s a condo, the whole thing collapses. No one knows. We can’t move forward.”

Another said, “There needs to be a carve out accommodation for residential apartment building owners.” (About L.A. Housing Department records show that 770 rent-controlled units were destroyed in Pacific Palisades and will be lost as affordable housing if their replacements no longer fall under the city’s rent stabilization ordinance.)

Najla Kayyem asked about undergrounding the utilities.

Soboroff said, “Other than FEMA , there are not funds for the incremental costs of undergrounding utilities in certain areas.”   He is hopeful that maybe something can be worked out with FEMA, otherwise another possibility for funding is assessment districts.

James Olson, who organized the meeting, by looking through commercial property records, is happy to include anyone he may have missed. Email him at jamesolson@me.com.

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