Completed Portfolio

Our long-standing development consultancies with several entities has steadfastly worked to enhance and scale their operational infrastructure and effectively achieve their goals and objectives.
Hard Properties Development
Advisor for the redevelop of the second story of their 100,000 sq. ft. 3761 Hill S. Street property into offices and housing for creative industry professionals. Obtained LA City Planning entitlement approval in January 2019 (Case Number: ZA-2016-3524-ZAD) to convert 20 of the 33 creative office spaces to 16,547 sf of joint live-work. Served as the development advisor on several Hard Properties Downtown LA mixed-use and live-work commercial residential concepts.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Currently, UDC is serving as the fund development and project management consultant for Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles' East Los Angeles offices scheduled for redevelopment. UDC served as the fund development consultant for LAFLA’s $27 million 50,000 sf House & Robertson designed headquarters located at 1550 W. 8th Avenue @ Union in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. Advised the executive team and Board of Directors on the process to obtain New Market Tax Credit financing and grants from the S. Mark Taper Foundation and W. M. Keck Foundation. UDC also assisted with the value engineering process to facilitate retaining the 4th Floor conference center and community garden in the project scope. Previously, from 2006 to 2008, UDC served as the project manager, landuse and resource development consultant for LAFLA’s South LA office which included the conversion of a post WWII era concrete in place public library building and an adjacent house into new office spaces, a community atrium and a parking lot at 246 & 256 W. 70th Street. UDC obtained the Parking Variance, Conditional-Use Permit and Mitigated Negative Declaration entitlements. House & Robertson Architects, Inc. designed both buildings.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor

WE HAVE SERVED BGCLAH FOR OVER 20 YEARS!
Harbor City Harbor Gateway Club Site Port of LA Teen Center San Pedro Teen Center & Music Studio Wilmington B&G Club Gym and Studio S. Mark Taper Wilmington B&G Club Teen Center Daniel's Field Sports Center Wilmington B&G Club Sports Court
UDC has served as the owners representative and fund development consultant for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH) for 20 years leading efforts for seven of their capital development projects located within the San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City and Port of Los Angeles communities. UDC completed the Wilmington Sports Court project in December 2019 and five previous capital projects including: the San Pedro Club site renovation project completed in 2002; Port of Los Angeles Teen Center completed in January 2004; Wilmington Club expansion completed in May 2007; S. Mark Taper Foundation Teen Center completed in 2009; and Daniels Field Sports Center which was developed on City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks site. UDC also served as the project and fund development consultant the construction of the $4.6 million Harbor City Harbor Gateway Boys & Girls Club originally completed in 2000, an recently acquired by the BGCLAH.
To date, UDC has garnered and managed the following government funding for the Club’s: $218,000, $278,080 and $350,000 Prop K LA for Kids grants; $150,000, $130,000 and $400,000 Community Development Block Grants (CDBG); $118,000 Prop 12 Murray Hayden grant; $500,000 Prop 40 Urban Parks Act grant; a $435,000 Prop 40 Murray Hayden grant; and a $123,125 State of CA General Fund grant. UDC developed proposals for foundation grants awarded to the Club including a $550,000 S. Mark Taper Foundation grant; $350,000 Kresge Foundation grant; and $300,000 Ahmanson Foundation grant. Total of $3.3 Million Raised for their Clubs Sites! UDC also obtained the Mitigated Negative Declaration CEQA clearance and Parking Variance entitlement for the Wilmington Teen Center project.

Greater Leimert Park Village Crenshaw Corridor BID

Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr.’s Office and Community Build, Inc. for the Greater Leimert Park Village Crenshaw Corridor Business Improvement District 2020 to 2024 Formation. In addition, Urban Design Center is serving as a pro-bono thought leader for the Leimert Park Village 20|20 Vision Initiative. From 2014 to 2020, the Initiative will implement business and economic development strategies to leverage revitalization opportunities catalyzed by the upcoming installation of the Leimert Park Village Metro station. UDC assisted the Initiative in developing its 6 primary objectives to be addressed, facilitates the annual planning Charrettes, developed and manages the web portal and contact database and implementation of the Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) recommendations in partnership with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ Office (the funder of the (TAP) report and Charrette programs) and the community input for the public lot development feasibility assessment being facilitated by the Economic & Workforce Development Department of the City of Los Angeles.

6th Street Viaduct Replacement Project

Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project - Strategist July 2012 to October 2019 - www.SixthStreetViaduct.org. In partnership with Urban Strategy Group, LLC and Fixing Angelinos Stuck in Traffic (F.A.S.T.), the UDC team served as a subcontractor to CH2M Hill on its project management contract with the City of LA Bureau of Engineering for the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project straddling the Los Angeles River. The USG/UDC team assisted the City in conducting the design competition for the project which was won by the Michael Maltzan/HNTB design team. Work included preparation of the strategic outreach plan, content development for the project’s website and coordination of public outreach meetings and focus groups in partnership with Council District 14.

Central Avenue Historic District

City of Los Angeles Office of the City Clerk contracted UDC from May 2014 to February 2016. to serve as the Formation Consultant for Historic Central Historic Business Improvement District which received unanimous consent from the Los Angeles City Council and 78% support from voting property owners. The ordinance establishing the BID was signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti on 11/3/15 and became effective on 12/6/15. The district spans 1.56 miles along Central Avenue from Vernon Avenue to Washington Boulevard and includes 130 property owners totaling 181 parcels of land. UDC managed the feasibility assessment, constituent engagement and marketing processes, educational presentations, facilitation of monthly steering committee meetings, development of the proposed programs & assessment formula, preparation of the management district plan and engineer’s report, the petition and ballot drives and the establishment of the non-profit organization. UDC served as the Management Consultant to the Central Avenue Historic Business Improvement District (CAHD) from March 2016 to June 2020 to facilitate the day-to-day operations of the BID, the implementation of initial program operations, business development strategies and brand development efforts.

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles

From September 2016 to September 2019 AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles - www.altasea.org - contracted Urban Design Center to provide thought leadership and technical assistance to AltaSea on the development of project narratives and document submittal requirements for government funding applications to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Assistance program. AltaSea seeks revolutionary approaches to ocean-related sustainability issues by bringing together the best minds in science, business and education to generate innovative solutions to the global challenges of sustainability. Upon its final completion, AltaSea’s multi-million Gensler designed state-of-the-art Innovation Campus will consist of a Business Hub, Science Hub, Education Hub, outdoor recreational space that includes a public harbor promenade, a café and a verdant landscape.

Jordan Downs Redevelopment

UDC was contracted by Jordan Downs Community Partners from December 2014 to April 2015 to develop their $6.5 million State of California Strategic Growth Council Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program grant awarded for the Jordan Downs Urban Village project Phase 1a development. UDC then prepared a $966,000 grant submittal to the City of Los Angeles Proposition K - LA for Kids grant program for the proposed 4 acre Net Zero Energy community park to be located in the Jordan Downs Urban Village.

PIMA Alameda Partners

PIMA Alameda Partners, LLC - 4051 S. Alameda, Los Angeles - Entitlement Consultant – December 2014 to December 2018. UDC served as the entitlement consultant as part of the Allen Matkins team to facilitate the completion of the Environmental Impact Report and subdivision track map for the development of four new green build retail manufacturing and warehousing facilities totaling 480,000 sq. ft. UDC advised the project owners on strategies to expedite the EIR and track map approval process, managing the community engagement process, coordinating the job placement efforts and facilitating program and partnership efforts to develop of an onsite Design and Manufacturing Training Institute for local students and residents. Additionally, UDC worked with the owners to create an orchard of shade trees in the parkway surrounding the property to enhance the sustainable elements of the design.

Housing & Community Investment Department of Los Angeles

Under the oversight of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office and on behalf of the Housing & Community Investment Department of Los Angeles, from May 2015 to December 2017, UDC managed the implementation of the $14.6 million Crenshaw Mid City Corridors Proposition 1C Infill Infrastructure grant our team procured from the State of California Housing & Community Development under a consulting agreement with the former Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles in 2009. The project consisted of infrastructure improvements on 4 corridors and several streets including sidewalk improvements, tree planting, bus shelters, wayfinding signage, crosswalks and public art projects all designed to link new affordable housing developments to transit hubs. UDC lead the community engagement process in partnership with the Metro Crenshaw LAX Transit project to garner constituent input and support for the proposed improvements and coordinating the implementation of the scope of work by the Department of Public Works Bureau of Street Services and Beautification Department and the Department of Transportation.

Angels Gate Cultural Center

Urban Design Center served as the development consultant for the Angels Gate Cultural Center and Park - www.angelesgateart.org - 46 acre Master Planning project being facilitated by the Angels Gate Cultural Center from 2007 to 2009. Master Planning efforts included facilitation of staff, board and community input, preparation of the master plan narratives and action items, retention and management of sub-consultants and identification of funding for plan implementation. UDC provided organizational development, executive coaching and technical assistance to the executive director and board of directors as part of a program funded by the James Irvine Foundation. UDC also garnered a 2007 $160,000 planning grant from the State of California Cultural Historical Endowment grant program for the master planning process.

Alliance for College Ready Public Schools

UDC served as the Facilities Consultant for two of Alliance’s charter school sites: A modular 100-student middle school on the campus of 112th St. Elementary School completed in September 2006 and a 500-student high school on Los Angeles Unified School District leased land at 17th & Georgia completed in January 2007. UDC assisted Alliance in negotiating the terms of the ground lease issued by the District which served as one of the first lease agreement granted to a non-profit to develop on District owned land. UDC managed the entitlement and CEQA process, expedited the plan approval process with the City and State Department of Architecture, managed the bidding process, facilitated construction team meetings, prepared meeting notes and board reports, facilitated the approval of all paydraws and handled the project close-out.

City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks

In 2005, 2007 and 2009, UDC was retained by the Department to prepare capital grant proposal responses to the City of Los Angeles Proposition K LA for Kids RFP for the Harvard Park Skate Park, Harvard Park Ball Fields, 109th Street Park Aquatic Center, the Venice Park Lighting and Graffiti Arts project, Daniels Field Football Stadium improvement project, Martin Luther King, Jr. Therapeutic Recreation Center, Valley Glen Community Park and Westside Neighborhood Park. Scope included development of project description, demographic, area, operations and project readiness narratives. Grant requests totaling $5 million for all 8 projects were successfully funded. UCD also successfully secured a $184,500 State of California Parks & Recreation Habitat Conservation Fund grant in 2009 for the Department’s White Point Nature Preserve managed by the Palos Verdes Land.

Inner City Arts

From 2002 to 2006, Urban Design Center provided fund development and planning consultancy to Inner-City Arts - www.inner-cityarts.org - to procure funding and entitlements for its beautiful, award-winning youth arts campus designed by Michael Maltzan in the heart of Skid Row, one of Los Angeles' most impoverished neighborhoods. UDC secured a $1.24 million Murray Hayden Proposition 12 Urban Parks Act grant from the State of California and a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the City of Los Angeles to help complete the main campus building and the black box theatre.