ULI LA convenes Westchester TAP

On February 27, 2009, ULI Los Angeles convened a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) for the Westchester Business Improvement District. The panel drew upon the knowledge and expertise of an expert panel, including land developers and owners, planners, public officials, and others. In fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land Institute, the panel is intended to provide objective advice that will promote the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.

The main objective of the panel was to develop a Vision for the Westchester Business Improvement District (BID) that maximizes the development opportunities that exist by serving as the town center for the Westchester/Playa del Rey market area and the "Gateway" to the LAX North Side Area; and to prepare a "Road Map" for the implementation of this development opportunity through the establishment of appropriate linkages with LAWA and the Westchester community.

Please check back in May for the report.

Panel Chair

Javier Mariscal, AICP
Project Director, Public Private Ventures

Javier Mariscal is highly experienced in public and private sector urban redevelopment. Javier has over 18 years of real estate development experience, including 10 years in the public sector as redevelopment agency staff for the Cities of Huntington Park, West Covina, Ontario and Cypress. He also worked more than 8 years in the private sector homebuilding industry specializing in urban infill development for award-winning builders such as the Olson Company and John Laing Homes. Javier was instrumental in acquiring and entitling urban infill housing sites that created over 750 new homes in diverse communities including Santa Ana, Claremont, Inglewood, Sylmar and Pasadena. Javier is a nationally accredited urban planner and member in good standing with AICP. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Javier received his MA in Urban Planning from UCLA and his BA in Architecture from Yale University.

Panel Members

Donald Brackenbush, Urban Design
Principal, Public Private Ventures

With PPV, Donald Brackenbush has participated in developing and implementing asset development plans for the new California State University, Channel Islands Campus in Camarillo, the asset development program for Cal Poly Pomona, as well as the plan for College Park (Chino, California)-a new community that incorporates a new Chaffey Community College District campus. With PPV, Donald has been a key participant and manager in all PPV asset development programs. Donald is PPV's lead principal relating to the planning, design, and engineering aspects of this work. Donald is presently managing the site searches for and planning for new campuses for the Kern Community College District in Bakersfield and the College of the Desert in the Coachella Valley.

Edward (Ned) D. Fox
Partner, Vantage Property Investors, LLC

Since January 2003, Mr. Fox has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vantage Property Investors, LLC, a private real estate investment and redevelopment company. Prior to 2003, Mr. Fox was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Center Trust, a real estate investment trust, from 1998 to January 2003 when Center Trust was acquired by Pan Pacific Retail Properties. Mr. Fox also served as the Chairman of CommonWealth Partners from 1995 through October 2003, a fully integrated real estate operating company that he co-founded in 1996. Prior to forming CommonWealth Partners, Mr. Fox was a senior partner with Maguire Thomas Partners. He is a member of the ICSC, ULU and the American Institute of CPA.

John A. Fransen
President, The Fransen Company

John A. Fransen is the president of The Fransen Company, a Newport Beach-based real estate consulting firm founded in 1984. The company works with cities, private land owners, developers, and users of property, as well as pension funds and lenders on new projects, redevelopments, and re-positioning of existing properties. The firm evaluates project potential, provides strategic plans, and in many cases also assists in the implementation of the plan. Current and past clients have included: Third Street Promenade and the Bayside District in Santa Monica; TIAA-CREF; The California cities of San Jose, Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Big Bear Lake; The Irvine Company; Newhall Land and Farming; Westfield; The City of San Bernardino; and The San Diego Olympic Training Center.

Bill Fulton
Principal, Design Community and Environment
Deputy Mayor, City of Ventura

William Fulton, Principal, joined DC&E in 2008 as part of its merger with Solimar Research Group, where he was the Founding President for eight years. Bill specializes in urban planning, metropolitan growth trends, economic development, TDR and policy projects with a focus on government agencies, land conservation organizations and developers as clients. Leading DC&E's Ventura office, he is well known as the best-selling Author of the Guide to California Planning and the L.A. Times best-seller, The Reluctant Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles. Currently serving as Ventura's Deputy Mayor, Bill is also a Senior Scholar at the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California. He is also the founding publisher of California Planning & Development Report.

Jim Kumon
Project Manager, Miralles Associates

Jim Kumon is a Project Manager at Miralles Associates where he leads the implementation of sustainable design practices within a full service architecture firm. With a background in urban design, design/build development and construction management, he is uniquely qualified to consult on delivering diverse residential and mixed use buildings as the foundation of vibrant urban neighborhoods. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and graduate of the University of Michigan. Recently, he has been speaker for the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles and the Congress for New Urbanism, as well as served as the chair of the AIA Pasadena Committee on the Environment.

Neal Payton
Senior Principal, Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc.

Neal I. Payton, AIA, LEED-AP, is a Senior Principal at Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc. where he created, opened and directs the West Coast office in Downtown Los Angeles. Projects extend from the coast of Mississippi and central Texas, to Washington State, Salt Lake City, as well as throughout southern California, including a 70-acre redevelopment parcel in Boyle Heights known as Wyvernwood. Often called upon to work on politically and culturally sensitive sites, Mr. Payton has led over 40 design charrettes and participated in close to 100. His work centers on Urban Design and Town Planning at a variety of scales including inner city revitalization, inner suburban infill and refill, transit oriented development in emerging development areas as well as regional plans for counties and metropolitan areas

Neil Resnick
Executive Vice President/Transaction Services, Grubb & Ellis Company

Neil Resnick, a veteran office leasing broker, has joined the West Los Angeles office of Grubb & Ellis as a senior vice president. Resnick's forte is tenant representation. While he has represented numerous high profile corporate tenants, his specialty has been acting in an advisory capacity to entertainment and creative firms. Resnick got his start in 1986 joining the Beverly Hills/Century City office of CB Richard Ellis, where he was consistently a top producer. His partial list of clients include Universal Music Group, MCA Music Publishing, CarsDirect.com, IBM e-Business, Fox Studios, Motown Record Co., Brillstein / Grey Entertainment, Hilton Hotels Corp., Bank of America and the William Morris Agency. Prior to the Seagram acquisition of PolyGram, Resnick was responsible for assisting PolyGram with numerous office relocations and renewals across the country.

Richard W. Thompson, AIA, AICP
Principal, Urban Design & Planning, AC Martin Partners

As Principal in Charge of the Urban Design and Planning Studio at AC Martin Partners, Inc., Richard leads the firm's division dedicated to urban and campus planning. Under his leadership, the studio has developed a national reputation with an award-winning portfolio that includes significant projects in Campus Master Planning, New Community Planning, Urban Mixed-use Development, Urban Revitalization and Corporate Master Plans. The success of the studio's practice is reflected in the fact that all of AC Martin's master plans have been approved by their respective communities and institutions and are guiding the architecture that follows. Richard has also been honored as a member of American Institute of Architects's prestigious College of Fellows.