This is the third edition of a monthly column to provide answers to frequently asked questions about the North Hollywood activities of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA).  Additional information on our activities can be found on the CRA/LA web site at http://www.crala.org [CRA/LA Project Areas > North Hollywood].  The North Hollywood team updates the information on our pages regularly.  There is also a quarterly report published in hard copy that may be downloaded from the web, obtained at our office or sent via US Mail. 

The CRA/LA manages 32 redevelopment project areas in seven regions throughout the City of Los Angeles.  The North Hollywood Redevelopment Project Area is located within the East Valley Region.  The region also includes the Laurel Canyon and the Pacoima/Panorama City project areas.  The East Valley Region offices are located in the Academy building at 5200 Lankershim Boulevard, Suite 750 (the corner of Lankershim and Magnolia boulevards).  Our phone number is (818) 753-1918. 

This month’s Q&A: 

What is your agency doing for the arts? 

In the March 2007 edition of this column, we described an Arts Retention Program that CRA/LA was preparing to launch.  As promised, the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for this program was issued (May 14).  It can be downloaded from the CRA/LA web site at http://www.crala.org (Jobs and Contracting Opportunities > RFP's, RFQ's and Bids).   

Responses are due by 10:00 am on July 9, 2007.  A pre-submittal conference will be held on May 30, 2007 (see the RFQ for details). 

Here is a brief overview: 

The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) seeks to partner with, and provide assistance to, a select number of high-quality, financially responsible arts and/or cultural organizations with a demonstrated need for assistance and a commitment to the North Hollywood community.  Only those organizations that are either currently located in, or will permanently return to, a site within the boundaries of the North Hollywood Redevelopment Project Area will be considered.  Relocating organizations must have been displaced from the Project Area due to an unsustainable increase in rent. 

When will the retail stores on Lankershim between Chandler and Weddington be open for business? 

HOWS market opened for business on May 16, 2007.  The store is located at 5300 Lankershim Boulevard and is open 24/7 (the Peet’s coffee bar inside the store is open from 5:00 am-9:00 pm).  Parking is found behind the store.  HOWS is a union grocery store. 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is expected to open by the end of May 2007 and will be joined in June by stores including California Pizza Kitchen ASAP, T-Mobile, Wells Fargo Bank and Panda Express.