Culver City California Archives

CUlver City plans MLK Day celebration

CULVER CITY — The city will host a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Culver City Senior Center, 4095 Overland Ave.

The program is entitled “The Beloved Community: Justice, Faith, Hope.”

“Each year, the Culver City community gathers to honor and celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Mayor Jeffrey Cooper said. “Culver City is inspired by the work of Dr. King, who committed his life to the pursuit of equality and justice for all, and by his dedication to use peaceful means to teach social justice. I want to thank the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee and staff for organizing this event.”

The theme of the 13th annual City of Culver City King Celebration event centers on a philosophy of what makes a community thrive — justice, faith and hope. Activities include a community conversation with Frank Dawson, dean of career and technical education of Santa Monica College and director of the film “Agents of Change;” the Rev. Frances Wattman Rosenau of Culver City Presbyterian Church; and Lt. Troy Dunlap, the community relations officer for the Culver City Police Department.

They will be joined by Culver City High School’s Black Student Union President Sencere Watson and Associate Student Body Representative Zebida Abduselam.

The event also includes a dramatic rendition of King’s “I have a Dream Speech” by actor Gerald C. Rivers and a screening of Dawson’s film “Agents of Change.”

The event is free and open to the public.

Information: (310) 253-6675.

Ground broken for Ivy Station project

CULVER CITY — Ground was officially broken Sept. 27 to mark the formal start of construction of Ivy Station, a $350 million development at the Culver City Expo Line stop.

Ivy Station is located at the intersections of Venice, Washington and National boulevards.

Once completed, Ivy Station will feature 200 apartments, 55,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space, a 148-room hotel, a 200,000-square-foot office building and two acres of open space.

Ivy Station is being developed by Lowe Enterprises, Rockwood Capital and AECOM Capital and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

“The city’s overall plan has been to create a higher-density transit-served neighborhood that provides new, quality housing, retail and employment opportunities that will help improve regional mobility and air quality by reducing local reliance on the automobile,” Culver City Mayor Jeffrey Cooper said. “We have developed a strong partnership with Lowe, and we look forward to the opening of the Ivy Station project.”

Ivy Station’s proximity to the city’s burgeoning shopping, dining and business district offers easy access to everyone.

Whether it be a family having brunch followed by a day in the park, a business professional taking a break with a cup of coffee or a group of friends grabbing a drink after a day at work, Ivy Station will have something to offer for anyone looking to step away from the rush of the city, according to the developers.

When completed, Ivy Station will provide connections to transit, the community, tenants and visitors alike. Concerts, movie nights, wine and cheese festivals, fitness classes, holiday craft fairs and seasonal activities are just some of the events planned for the park.

The development also will provide 1,500 spaces of below-grade parking, 300 of which will be dedicated for use by transit riders. A 585-space parking lot for the Expo Line station was closed in February to make preparations for the construction.

“Along with our great partners Lowe and Rockwood, we are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone for Ivy Station,” said AECOM Capital CEO John T. Livingston. “This project is a true transit-oriented mixed-use development, allowing residents as well as the community of Culver City to take advantage of both the Expo Line and the new public space amenities we are developing.

“We applaud Culver City for having the vision to create this bold new project.”

Culver City receives Beacon Spotlight Awards

CULVER CITY — The city has won two Beacon Spotlight Awards, a Platinum Award in Agency Energy Savings and a Gold Award in Sustainable Best Practice Activities.

To earn the Platinum Award in Agency Energy Savings, the city decreased its energy usage by 26 percent since 2006 through implementation of turnkey energy efficiency projects citywide and by taking advantage of enhanced incentives and rebates.

In 2014, the city upgraded interior and exterior lighting to light-emitting diode lights, optimized heating and air conditioning equipment and implemented a new energy management system to manage those components.

The city has saved over 700,000 kilowatts annually, the equivalent to saving 1,150 tons of carbon dioxide or taking 225 cars off the road.

The city’s Gold Award in Sustainable Best Practice Activities was achieved by fulfilling three voluntary achievements within each of 10categories of sustainable best practices: energy efficiency and conservation, water and wastewater systems, waste reduction and recycling, green building activity, climate-friendly purchasing, renewable energy and low-carbon fuels, efficient transportation, land use and community development, open space and offsetting carbon emissions, and community and individual actions.

The energy efficiency efforts underscore the city’s commitment to sustainability and to addressing climate change by implementing energy efficient projects and adopting best practices that lower greenhouse gas emissions.

California’s Beacon Program gives local governments an opportunity to share best practices that promote healthier, more vibrant, resilient and sustainable communities. The program showcases voluntary efforts made by local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency projects and implementation of policies and programs that promote sustainability.