I was encouraged recently by the Culver City City Council’s plans in further developing the western end of the city. Gentrification efforts have already begun as far west as Beethoven Street along Washington Boulevard, but ought to extend further. Councilman Scott Malsin referred to the area as the “Gateway to Culver City,” which has a nice ring to it.
The business community has done very well at the eastern end of Washington Boulevard thanks in large part to the attention (fiscally speaking) the city has paid it. The Helms Bakery District is a brand that serves the entire city well. The area is branded as something of an artistic community and boasts excellent galleries, furniture stores and restaurants.
The same could be true for the Gateway area if properly managed. A median dividing traffic along the boulevard is a good start. Hopefully, there will be grass, flowers, shrubbery and trees, which might serve to offset the vast amount of concrete and commercial buildings. A façade improvement plan, in which the city matches funds to improve existing signage and structures up to a certain amount, is another good idea, especially considering how out-of-date much of the area currently appears.
Business owners on the western stretch of the city pay their fair share of taxes just like everyone else and deserve a little piece of the pie to come back to them. Many of the shopkeepers in the district have been there for decades and seen little in return for their loyalty to the city. Kudos to the concerned business owners who have organized for a common goal, and kudos to the city council for rewarding their efforts.
Now if they would just take down all the traffic cameras in along that stretch of the boulevard, I might just drive it.
