may 19, 2005 various to: agency commissioners

COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CA
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
MAY 19, 2005
VARIOUS
TO:
AGENCY COMMISSIONERS
FROM:
ROBERT R. OVROM, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
RESPONSIBLE
PARTY:
LILLIAN BURKENHEIM, PROJECT MANAGER
DAVID RICCITIELLO, REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR
SUBJECT:
RECONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATION OF $500,000 OF CRA
DISCRETIONARY REVENUES FOR THE CHINATOWN
CULTURAL CENTER
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Agency, subject to City Council review and approval:
1.
Reconsider and rescind the allocation of $500,000 of discretionary
revenues from the City Center Redevelopment Project for a Chinatown
Cultural Center in the Chinatown Redevelopment Project in the proposed
FY 06 Budget and Work Program; and
2.
Direct staff to undertake a feasibility and location study for a Cultural
Center highlighting Chinese cultural heritage and identify funding during
FY06 that would allow for an FY07 development commitment.
SUMMARY:
At the April 21, 2005 Board meeting, the Agency Board of Commissioners reviewed and
authorized the proposed FY06 Budget and Work Program. During that meeting, the
Board discussed the Agency’s Memorandum on the allocation of $22 million in
discretionary resources for existing and new projects and programs. The agreed upon
criteria for the allocation of those funds for new projects in resource limited project areas
were: 1) Project readiness, 2) Leverage of CRA resources, 3) Catalytic in Nature, 4)
Generator of Tax Increments revenues, 5) Generator of jobs, and 6) a Community
priority. Following that discussion, the Board affirmed the Chinese Cultural Center was
a high Agency priority for funding and directed staff to identify from discretionary
resources to fund this priority; then moved and approved the transfer of $500,000 from
the City Center Redevelopment Project to the Chinatown Redevelopment Project for the
creation of a Cultural Center that is at least 20,000 square feet in size.
The Agency had been working towards the creation of a Cultural Center as part of the
Blossom Plaza mixed-use development at the NE corner of Broadway and College
Streets and adjacent to the MTA Gold Line station in Chinatown. Due to a variety of
design, financing, and location factors, the size of that Center would be 7,000 square
feet within the building with an outdoor plaza of 10,000 square feet. Many members of
the community believe that this facility is too small for the Cultural Center that has
envisioned for the area. The community has requested that Agency staff look at
alternative sites in order to determine if another location would accommodate a 20,000
square foot Chinese Cultural and Trade Center.
DISCRETIONARY REVENUES FY 06
2
There are several steps that need to be undertaken in order to complete a site selection
process that would lead to a larger Cultural and Trade Center in Chinatown. First, the
Agency would need to have a clear definition of the purpose and functions of the Cultural
Center from the community. Then the Agency could propose alternative sizes and
configurations to meet those needs. In addition, the Agency would need to determine
the marketability of the proposed Center in order to access the necessary amount of
revenue needed for construction, operations, programming and maintenance. Finally,
the Agency would need to determine alternative sites that conform to the site selection
criteria of the Cultural Center. To undertake this study and plan for the Cultural Center
discretionary resources will be identified to ensure the success of this important
development.
RE:
April 21, 2005 - Proposed Budget And Work Program For The Fiscal Year Ending June
30, 2006.
SOURCES OF FUNDS:
Agency Program Income
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The proposed action does not constitute a “project” as defined by the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PROGRAM AND BUDGET IMPACT:
This action would amend the Proposed FY 06 Work Program and Budget submitted to
City Council for approval.
BACKGROUND:
Following the Agency’s action of April 21, 2005, City Councilperson, Jan Perry,
requested that the Agency reconsider the transfer of funds from the City Center Project.
The action before the Agency Board is in response to that request. Therefore if the
Board directs, staff will work to identify additional discretionary resources that can be
used for the Cultural and Trade Center.
Creation of a Chinese Cultural Center has been a community priority since the 1980’s
when Councilmembers Gloria Molina and Mike Woo appointed an Ad Hoc Study Group
to develop the goals, concept and initial plans. They completed their work and published
their report in May 1987. Although the Cultural Center remained a priority, there were
never sufficient funds to acquire a site and develop the Center. The Chinatown
Community Advisory Committee had requested an allocation of $1.5 million for the
Cultural Center and the Agency Board and Council approved. But a site was never
selected and plans stalled. The Redevelopment Plan was amended in 2001 seeking
additional tax increment funding for the project, that amendment was held in litigation.
The funding that had been set aside for the Cultural Center was used to fund the project
during the interim and those funds have not been replaced. The City of Los Angeles
did allocate funding of $1.2 million in grant funding for the development of a Cultural
Facility as part of the Blossom Plaza development. The Agency is committed to and has
DISCRETIONARY REVENUES FY 06
3
approved expending these funds at Blossom Plaza, whether or not the Cultural Facility
remains there or is moved off site.
In an effort to obtain additional funding for the Cultural Facility, staff submitted an
application to the State Department of Recreation and Parks for Proposition 40 funding
for the Cultural Center. The descriptive portion of the application is attached to convey
the goals of the Cultural Center.
Chinatown traditionally has been the center of the Chinese community in Southern
California. Over the last twenty years, the Chinese community has been moving to the
San Gabriel Valley. El Monte has built a Chinese Cultural Center and San Gabriel now
has plans to create a new Center along Valley Boulevard. The Huntington Museum is in
construction of the largest Chinese Garden in North America. Attachment B outlines
additional efforts to create a Chinese Cultural Center elsewhere.
Currently, China has the largest population in the world, and it is one of our largest
trading partners. Trade between China and Southern California is currently $86 billion.
Trade between Southern California and Taipei is $14 billion. A significant amount of our
economy is based on our relationship with China. To secure the future of Chinatown as
the cultural center of the Chinese community and the economic viability of Los Angeles,
it is imperative that we move forward in an expeditious manner to create a significant
Chinese Cultural and Trade Center in Los Angeles’ Chinatown.
Robert R. Ovrom
Chief Executive Officer
By
___________________________
Richard L. Benbow
Chief Operating Officer
There is no conflict of interest known to me, which exists with regard to any Agency
officer or employee concerning this action.
Page Two of Two
ATTACHMENT A
Brief Project Description:(please use the space provided below)
Since 1848 people from China have been immigrating to California. With them, they have brought
a culture that is uniquely theirs. Like all immigrants, they have struggled to become part of
America yet maintain their special history, culture and experience. The Chinatown Cultural
Facility is envisioned as a focal point to expand the imagination of visitors by allowing them to
experience and be educated in the arts in Chinese culture: performance, visual, culinary and
gardening. The Chinatown Cultural Facility will have three components: a 7,000 square foot
Cultural Facility, a 10,000 square foot open-air Cultural Plaza, and a 12,500 square foot Classical
Chinese Garden. The Cultural Facility and Cultural Plaza will be located at Blossom Plaza, a
mixed use development project, directly adjacent to the Chinatown Gold Line (light rail) station.
The Chinese Garden will link the Blossom Plaza facilities and the Gold Line Station to the
Cornfield Historic State Park, which is directly adjacent to the north.
The Chinatown Cultural Facility will provide an environment that will encourage exploration of
the culture through plays, dance, music and art. It will provide a learning environment for culinary
arts and garden design. The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility will include flexible exhibit/multipurpose space and a kitchen. The adjacent Cultural Plaza will be used for performances,
demonstrations and exhibits. These facilities will not only allow people to observe, but also to
become more knowledgeable about the Chinese-American culture.
The Chinese Garden will be designed in the style and employing the symbolism of the traditional
Classical Chinese Garden but with a contemporary interpretation. The garden will be linear in
form, connecting the Blossom Plaza facilities and Chinatown Gold Line station to the new
Cornfield Historic State Park with a series of traditional Chinese garden elements, including: a
stone mosaic path, a fragrant garden of flowering trees and scented plants, Taihu stone formations
(from Suzhou), a bamboo grove, a pond, a “Ting” or pavilion in which to rest and observe the
garden, a Ginkgo grove, and a Moon Gate.
The Chinatown Cultural Facility will be located on a site that bridges the Old Chinatown, which began
at the site of Union Station, then was moved to El Pueblo, and then pushed to Broadway with the
building of the “New Historic” Chinatown. Thus, the site is unique and will provide a hub for the
surrounding important locations. Right now, we have the opportunity to work with a private developer
to provide a space for the Chinatown Cultural Facility. If we do not take advantage of this opportunity,
the possibility of creating the facility in this key location will be lost.
The Chinatown Cultural Facility will be operated by the CRA/LA and the City of Los Angeles. At
the same time, there is a broad-based committee that came together to support the development and
long-term operation of the facility. As the construction of this project moves forward, they are
committed to raising funds, and working closely with City staff to attract and organize exhibits and
develop special programming for the facility.
CCHE Use Only:
Department Reference No.:
Bond:
Budget Year:
Award Date:
Type of Award:
Project Type:
Chinatown Cultural Facility
CRA/LA
9/30/04
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
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Page 2
PART TWO – SIX QUESTIONS
Question One
Project Description and Project Goals – Please state the benefit and contribution your
project will have toward the overall goal of enhancing the threads of California’s culture
and history, and how your project goals will achieve this.
The Chinatown Cultural Facility at Blossom Plaza will provide an introduction to Los Angeles’
Chinatown for visitors and a venue for Chinese cultural activities.
The story of Chinese immigration reflects the history of California. Many men came to California,
drawn by the discovery of gold. During the 1850’s fifty percent of all miners were Chinese.
Prejudice grew against the Chinese as the success of the gold and silver mines waned. Laws
against the new Chinese population sent many to Los Angeles from the northern mining towns.
There they worked at whatever businesses did not compete with the white population. Then came
the railroad construction. Chinese from Los Angeles, as well as many new immigrants from
China, came to build the railroad. Their hard work was not rewarded and following completion of
the railroad laws were approved that halted immigration, took away their civil rights, and pushed
the Chinese into Chinatown and away from the white population. Due to these circumstances, the
Chinese established their own communities and thrived within their borders. Their ability to create
a community that strived to be part of the California fabric, while being isolated from the majority
population resulted in a special fusion of cultures.
The Chinatown Cultural Facility will provide an environment that will encourage exploration of
the Chinese culture through the arts, including visual, performance (plays, dance and music),
culinary and Chi. It will provide an experiential and learning environment for these arts. The
facility will be comprised of several elements:
ƒ The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility. A 7,000 square foot space in the Blossom Plaza mixeduse (commercial and residential) project will include exhibit space, multi-purpose space,
kitchen and classrooms. It will include a permanent exhibit introducing visitors to historic
Chinatown, as well as the flexible exhibit and multi-purpose space which can be used for a
variety of exhibits, activities and events.
ƒ The Cultural Plaza. The adjacent 10,000 square foot cultural plaza will be designed for
performances, demonstrations and exhibits. Leading from this plaza will be an artistically
designed path that will lead visitors to the Chinese Garden.
ƒ The Chinese Garden. The 12,500 square foot Chinese Garden will provide a sequence of
spaces, designed in the style and employing the symbolism of the traditional Classical Chinese
Garden but with a contemporary interpretation. The garden is linear in form, connecting the
Chinese Cultural Facility and Chinatown Gold Line station to the new Cornfield Historic State
Park. A series of traditional Chinese garden elements will provide a sequence of cultural
experiences along the 500 foot walk between the Cultural Center/Gold Line station and the
Cornfield State Park. In addition to providing a visual and tactile experience of a Chinese
Garden, the garden space will be used for cultural activities and events, including gardening
classes, Tai Chi, solitary reflection, receptions, and performance.
The mission of these three facilities is to educate and enlighten the public with respect to Chinese
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culture, skills and philosophy. In keeping with this mission, a number of important goals are
integral to the conceptual planning process. These goals are to:
ƒ Create a high-visibility destination with appeal to a broad market spectrum.
ƒ Incorporate a number of visitor-participation, as well as spectator, activities that will enhance
the entertainment value and engender a sense of personal involvement.
ƒ Portray the significant contributions made by the Chinese community to California.
ƒ Design a program and facility capable of generating substantial earned revenue to keep the
facility operating with minimal subsidy.
Consistent with these goals, exhibits and other features of the Cultural Facility will incorporate a
variety of hands-on visitor-participation experiences and informative displays. This approach is
unique among the genre in that it incorporates talent and skill (“how to”) with art and chi (show
you philosophy). Exhibits and activities will be designed as , not just a series of pictures, words
and artifacts, but as a participatory experience, incorporating video/computer imaging, dance
where, for example, the participant learns the dance and the reasons why the dragon eats
cabbage, and classes that teach the “chi” philosophy behind much of the art. So when a visitor
looks at a picture or a dance, he not only see what is before him, but he has an opportunity to
learn the techniques of the art as well as why it is done in a particular way.
The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and Chinese Garden are three components in a
cluster of cultural facilities located throughout Chinatown. They will complement and will not
duplicate the programs and services provided by other facilities, which include:
ƒ Chinatown’s own branch of the City public library system
ƒ The Confucius School, a private nonprofit organization affiliated with the Chinese
Consolidated Benevolent Association offering Chinese language classes for young people
ƒ The new Chinese American Museum located nearby in El Pueblo del Los Angeles Historical
Monument
ƒ The Chinese Cultural Center, operated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO),
providing library and other cultural services primarily to a Chinese monolingual audience
ƒ The Chinese Heritage & Visitors Center in two historic houses located at 411 and 415
Bernard Street
ƒ Historic Chinatown, a historic district comprised of various buildings and shops which are
architecturally significant.
Collectively these and future cultural facilities will comprise a comprehensive Chinatown Cultural
Complex. The cultural facilities at Blossom Plaza will be the hub of and portal to the entire
system.
Chinatown Cultural Facility
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Question Two
Project Audience and Project Need – Please describe your project audience and illustrate
the critical needs your project will address.
The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and Chinese Garden are envisioned to attract
a wide range of users, including:
ƒ The Chinatown community ( residents, business owners and property owners)
ƒ The broader Chinese American community in Southern California, including the San Gabriel
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Valley
Youth and students (including school field trips)
U.S. and international tourists
L.A. area residents who visit museums, festivals, and other ethnic cultural events
People of all ethnic backgrounds who are interested in Chinese-related cultural topics such as
food, painting and other visual arts, medicine, martial arts, dance, and Chinese opera
Senior citizens
Adoptees from China and their families
Metro Gold Line passengers
Within the broad audience of potential users are two key groups that are expected to find them
particularly appealing:
ƒ The Southern California Chinese American community. Together with the other cultural
venues in Chinatown, the Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and Chinese
Garden provide a cultural center for all Chinese Americans in Southern California at the
original portal of Chinese culture to Southern California.
ƒ Visitors. The three facilities will introduce visitors to an aspect of Southern California
history and culture not previously celebrated in a public venue. In particular, because Los
Angeles County’s fixed rail lines have become a top tourist attraction, providing visitors the
opportunity to see the areas in-between tourist attractions and get a better sense of the region
as a whole, the location of the three facilities at the Chinatown Gold Line Station will allow
them reach an unusually wide visitor audience.
While the Southern California Chinese community is dispersed throughout the region, its cultural
center remains in Chinatown, the original Chinese settlement in the Los Angeles area. Because
there is no single Chinese Cultural Center in the area, the story of the Chinese in Southern
California is not well known nor is Chinese culture celebrated publicly in a way that is accessible
to these audiences.
Throughout its history, Los Angeles Chinatown has been an entry port into the United States. It
has welcomed hundreds of thousands of arrivals of Chinese descent and provided them with the
necessary community and business infrastructure to make their way in this country. Over time,
as wave after wave of new arrivals kept the enclave alive, Chinatown evolved into the historical
and cultural hearth stone for Chinese in Southern California. Although still an entry port for
Chinese from many parts of the world, the population is now migrating to other parts of Southern
California.
The oldest ethnic enclave in Southern California, Los Angeles Chinatown, like its counterparts in
San Francisco, New York, Boston and elsewhere, developed as a support system and survival
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mechanism to insulate the Chinese from discrimination and exploitation in the 1800’s and early
1900’s. Because Chinese were prohibited from owning land and prevented from living in
predominately white communities, segregated communities of Chinese residents supported by
Chinese social services, businesses and civic associations grew and prospered.
As Old Chinatown was being condemned for the construction of Union Station, plans began to
create a New Chinatown. Chinatown was envisioned as a complete community with homes,
businesses and safe, clean streets. Planners strove to create a food, retail and cultural mix that
would attract families to live and work and tourists to visit. Opened to the public in 1938, Los
Angeles Chinatown was one of the first planned Chinese communities in the United States. It
was a successful, thriving place for many years.
The civil rights movement of the 1960’s freed the Chinese to move into other neighborhoods and
take advantage of more land, lower prices and a new suburban lifestyle. Yet Chinatown remains
the emotional center for Chinese in Los Angeles. Because of its historical and cultural past,
Chinatown is a “psychic touchstone” for the Chinese community. It is the locus of the historical
roots and connections to Los Angeles. In interviews, half of the respondents felt that
Chinatown’s major strength is its role as the cultural and historic center. Although as new
generations grow up in the suburbs, that connection is less strong.
The development of the Gold Line Station creates a transportation link between Chinatown and
the newer communities in the San Gabriel Valley. It provides an opportunity to link the historic
China City, El Pueblo and Chinatown with the suburban communities at the station, where the
new Chinese Cultural facility is planned.
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Question Three
Priorities of CCHE – How does this project fit into the priorities of CCHE?
The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and Chinese Garden will:
1. Preserve, interpret and enhance understanding and appreciation of the following
significant elements that contribute to the State’s cultural, social and economic evolution:
A unique identifiable ethnic community – the Southern California Chinese American
community as it has evolved from 1850 until the present and as it exists today: from all parts
of China and distributed throughout Southern California.
California’s living cultural heritage – because the diverse Chinese cultures that have settled
throughout Southern California thrive and immigration continues, Chinese culture has
become an integral part of California’s contemporary culture.
In addition, as the portal to Chinatown, the Blossom Plaza cultural facilities, together with the
Chinese American Museum and the new Angels Walk historical markers, will tell the story of
the Southern California Chinese American community’ s history. The Chinese American
Museum (CAM), located a few blocks south of the Chinatown Cultural Facility, preserves and
interprets the history of the Chinese American community in Southern California. The
Chinatown Cultural Facility will complement CAM by providing an introduction to it and to
other cultural facilities in Chinatown and by addressing other aspects of the Chinese American
cultural, specifically: performing arts, visual art, culinary arts and garden design, along with an
understanding of the philosophical roots of the art.
2. Preserve, document, interpret or enhance understanding of threads of California’s story
(both historical and contemporary) that are not represented in existing parks, monuments,
museums or other facilities.
There are many commercial venues in which to experience Chinese culture in Southern
California, notably restaurants and shops in Chinatown, Monterey Park, Alhambra and San
Gabriel, but very few places to experience other aspects of Chinese culture. Chinatown is the
one place where cultural events do occur, including the annual Chinese New Year celebration
and Golden Dragon Parade which attracts 50,000 attendees, the Chinese Moon Festival
Celebration with traveling telescope for moon viewing, Lotus Festival, Taste of Chinatown, Miss
Chinatown, and Dragon Boat Festival. After all the commercial expansion throughout Southern
California, Chinatown remains the cultural heart of the Chinese American community in
Southern California.
The Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and Chinese Garden will celebrate this community
through displays of contemporary and historic visual arts, performance, culinary events and garden
design, activities and events. In addition to activities related to the annual events listed above, other
activities anticipated to occur at the Chinatown Cultural Facility include:
Performances
ƒ Asian American Ballet Company and other dance presentations
ƒ East-West Players community outreach plays
ƒ Chinese Opera groups
ƒ Chinese and Chinese American music groups
Chinatown Cultural Facility
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ƒ Chinese acrobats
ƒ Puppet shows, shadow plays, lectures, readings and other performances
ƒ Artists and scholars in residence
Visual Arts (Exhibits and Films)
Types of Exhibits:
ƒ Painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture
ƒ Calligraphy, jewelry, carvings, folk art, and fashion
ƒ Garden art and landscape
ƒ Asian film festival
Potential Exhibitors:
ƒ Association of Asian Pacific Artists
ƒ Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
ƒ Los Angeles Chinese Women’s Club
ƒ Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce
ƒ Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Workshops
ƒ Asian American Study Centers at UCLA, CSULA, CSULB, USC
ƒ Mei Wah Club
ƒ East Wind Lion Dance
ƒ Chinese Cultural Society of Southern California
ƒ Chinese American Citizens Alliance
ƒ Chinatown Public Safety Association
ƒ Friends of Chinatown Library
In addition, other community functions may be sponsored by the above community groups and others,
including the Chinatown Business Improvement District, merchant and business associations, 10K Run
Committee, L.A. Chinatown Athletic Association, youth groups, church groups, senior groups and social
clubs. Nutrition, wellness, and athletic programs will also be scheduled.
3. Achieve a careful balance geographically, among communities and organizations of large
and small size, and among diverse ethnic groups.
The wide range of activities listed above will be sponsored by large and small community groups
throughout Southern California. Participants will be drawn from the ethnically and culturally
diverse region. For example, participants in the Chinese New Year Golden Dragon Parade
include representatives of Southern California Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Cambodian,
Laotian, Filipino, Latino, Anglo and other ethnic and cultural groups. The Blossom Plaza
cultural facilities will draw visitors from nearby Olvera Street and Little Tokyo, and will serve as
a link to other ethnic communities historically based in today’s Chinatown, including French,
Italian
and
Croatian.
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Question Four
Ongoing Project Maintenance and Public Accessibility
Project Maintenance – What is your plan for financially maintaining and sustaining your
project after CCHE funds are exhausted? AND
The Chinatown Cultural Facility will be maintained and operated by the Community
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) and the City of Los Angeles.
Operations and maintenance funds will be set aside for the project from a variety of sources
including admissions, memberships, sponsorships (Friends of the Chinatown Cultural Center),
classes, souvenirs, books, events, and CRA/LA program income, as well as City funding. A
preliminary estimate of operating revenue, included on the following page, indicate that the
facility can be expected to generate over $1 million in operating revenues.
The operation and maintenance of the facility, based on that of other similar facilities, could
range in cost from $1 million to $1.5 million, depending on a variety of factors, including the
role of volunteers and reliance on contract services in lieu of full-time staff. Operating and
maintenance will be budgeted to match available funds. For example, CRA/LA has a small
maintenance staff which contracts with and supervises private or non-profit landscape
maintenance providers. Similarly, CRA/LA staff will contract with exhibit designers to prepare
the permanent “Introduction to Chinatown” exhibit and on-going temporary exhibits, while
CRA/LA staff will actively seek exhibitors who will share in the cost of exhibit design and
installation.
In addition, the CRA/LA and City of Los Angeles have committed to operating and maintaining
the facilities in the event of a shortfall, as reflected in the attached resolutions.
In the longer term, it is the goal of CRA/LA and the Chinatown community to establish a nonprofit organization to oversee all the cultural facilities in Chinatown that collectively comprise
the Chinatown Cultural Center, including the Blossom Plaza Cultural Facility, Cultural Plaza and
Chinese Garden. That entity, which might be called the Chinatown Cultural Partners, could
facilitate cross-marketing and cross-fertilization of audiences and supporters. An entity such as
Chinese Cultural Partners could share the cost of advertising, street banners, and publications for
the common benefit of increased visibility of cultural facilities in Chinatown. This entity might,
over time, take over the responsibility of operating and maintaining the Cultural Facilities at
Blossom Plaza.
CEQA clearance has already been obtained for the Blossom Plaza project, including the Blossom
Plaza Cultural Facility. The Mitigated Negative Declaration was adopted by the City Council on
September 10, 2004 and by the Board of Commissioners of CRA/LA on September 23, 2004.
CEQA clearance for the Chinese Garden will be obtained by January 20, 2005.
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Chinatown Cultural Facility
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Attachment B
Observations about Chinese Cultural Centers in other cities
The absence, presence, and scale of the Chinese cultural institutions in
a community are a reflection of the community - and a reflection of
the role of ethnic Chinese in the community.
Over the course of the last 40 years, reflecting a growing public
recognition of Chinese culture and maturity on the part of local
Chinese communities, Chinese Cultural Centers have sprung up in
several communities with significant ethnic Chinese populations. A
look at these Cultural Centers raises questions about the situation in
the Los Angeles area and points to some possible answers.
It is very revealing to compare the scale and ambition of the efforts by
the Chinese communities in Canada with the Chinese communities in
the United States.
Also, it is worth noting the high goals and impressive momentum of
the group planning a Chinese Cultural Center in Irvine, which may be
in the position of drawing from some of the same wells of support as a
Chinatown-based project.
A. Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
Perhaps the oldest Chinese Cultural Center in North America is the
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco. The Chinese Culture
Foundation, the center's original sponsor, was formed in 1965, but the
center did not become a reality until 1973 when it opened as part of a
Holiday Inn project which generated some community opposition.
Occupying the third floor of the Holiday Inn adjacent to San Francisco
Chinatown and the Financial District, the Chinese Culture Center is a
20,000 square foot space including a 250-seat auditorium (available
for rent by outside groups), a 2,935 square foot gallery, a gift shop,
classrooms, and offices.
Activities include:
Exhibits such as the current show of ceramic work by
•
contemporary Yixing masters (past exhibits included a
Sichuan Province archeology exhibit which visited seven
other U.S. cities and a show of traditional costumes of
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chinese minorities curated by the Beijing Museum of
Minorities)
Lectures related to exhibit topics
Performances by groups such as the Chinese Folk Dance
Association and concerts by youth orchestras
A question-and-answer session with violinist Cho-liang Lin
Chinatown tours offered for school field trips (reportedly
fully subscribed)
Classes in Tai Chi Chuan, Kung Fu, Mandarin language,
and Peking opera
Family history programs for young people.
B. New York Chinese Cultural Center
Concentrating on the preservation of traditional Chinese dance and
music, the New York Chinese Cultural Center was established in
1973. It runs the NYCCC School of the Arts, the only full-time
professional school of Chinese dance in the U.S., which offers over one
thousand classes and workshops annually. NYCCC also sponsors the
Chinese Folk Dance Company, a resident touring company, which
offers about 750 performances, workshops, master classes, lectures,
and demonstrations each year. A children's summer camp is also
operated by NYCCC. The group also sponsors an annual Lunar New
Year Festival which it describes as the largest lunar new year festival
on the East Coast.
C. Chinese Cultural Centre of Vancouver
After representatives of the three levels of government in Canada
attending a Wong Family Benevolent Association banquet in 1972
pledged their support, a broad community effort to create a Chinese
Cultural Center in Vancouver was launched. Officially established in
1973, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Vancouver fills a whole city block
in the heart of Vancouver Chinatown. The Centre's administrative and
educational complex (with seven classrooms) was completed in 1980,
while an adjacent commercial rental complex was completed in 1981.
Five years later, the Dr. David Lam Multipurpose Hall (540 seats in a
6400 square foot space) and the Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese
Garden were completed.
A few years later, the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives
were opened, including a library, a conference hall, and two exhibition
2
rooms with 1500 square feet of space for temporary and permanent
exhibitions. The museum includes a permanent exhibition entitled
"From Generation to Generation" and the Chinese Canadian Military
Museum.
It is not certain how frequently the Vancouver Centre's performance
space is being used. The schedule of 2003 performances lists a fairly
light calendar of events, including a Chinese New Year music concert in
February supporting the Vancouver Olympics bid, open rehearsals by a
resident theatre company in July and August, a Mid-Autumn Festival in
September, a 30th annual dance gala for the Centre in October, and a
violin recital in November.
The Centre's educational programs seem to be heavily used, with 3200
students enrolled in the Chinese school, and classes offered in Chinese
literature and arts and crafts.
D. Calgary Chinese Cultural Center
The Chinese community in Calgary has made a mark by creating a
Cultural Center which successfully draws a high volume of visitors
(estimated at 250,000 annually). Perhaps the main drawing card of
the Center is the Dr. Henry Fok Cultural Hall highlighted by a 70 foot
high ceiling modeled after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The
Beijing original was built in 1420 as a sacred space for Emperors to
communicate with Heaven; the Calgary copy was completed in 1992
with the labor of 22 artisans from China who laid 32,000 blue-glazed
ceramic tiles in the ceiling, creating the images of 561 dragons and 40
phoenixes.
In addition to the cultural hall, the three-story building housing the
Cultural Center includes:
A museum which includes life-sized replicas of terra cotta
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soldiers and an exhibition of Chinese costumes
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A Chinese seafood restaurant
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An auditorium with concert seating for 700, banquet
seating for 590, or the option of being converted into a
gymnasium for badminton, table tennis, tai chi, or martial
arts classes
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A Chinese arts and crafts store
A traditional Chinese medicine center
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A travel agent
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A candy store
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Permanent exhibition space
A library with 40,000 volumes
A school for Chinese language, painting, and martial arts
classes (12 classrooms).
E. Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Toronto
After a long and deliberate process starting in 1988, when a steering
committee was formed, the Toronto Chinese community has
demonstrated impressive resolve and strategic leadership in
assembling support for a very impressive Cultural Center.
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A feasibility study for Phase I of a Cultural Center was
completed in 1989.
A board of directors was formed in 1991.
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An architectural design competition was held in 1991.
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Honorary chairs were named and an advisory board was
appointed in 1992.
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A Request for Proposals was distributed to developers in
1992.
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The first major donations were raised from corporate (Bell
Canada, Canadian Airlines) and individual donors in 1994.
The groundbreaking for Phase I of the center took place
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in 1996.
Reportedly the largest Chinese Cultural Center in North America, the
first phase of the Toronto Chinese Cultural Center opened in 1998 with
a 23,000 square foot building which includes:
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An art gallery
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A computerized resource center
A reading room
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A board room
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Studios
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Classrooms
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A cafeteria
A tea house
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The Asia Business & Cultural Development Centre.
Phase II of Toronto's Chinese Cultural Center will include a 600-seat
theatre, a multipurpose hall for sports, recreation, conventions, and
trade shows, and a Chinese-themed garden. For fundraising purposes,
the center is requesting a $2.5 million (CN) donation for naming rights
for the entire building, $1.5 million (CN) for naming rights for the
theatre alone, $1 million (CN) for naming rights for the multipurpose
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hall, and $1000 (CN) for placing a donor's name on a bronze plaque on
a seat in the theatre.
F. Chinese Culture Centers operated by Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office (TECO) and sponsored by Taiwan Overseas Chinese Affairs
Commission
As part of the Taiwan government's efforts to reach out to ethnic
Chinese and Taiwanese communities in North America, TECO operates
a network of Chinese Culture Centers in cities and suburbs where
there are concentrations of immigrants from Taiwan or others who
would be interested in their programming.
In El Monte, TECO runs a 60,000 square foot facility which offers a
wide range of services, including:
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A Chinese garden
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A newspaper and magazine stand
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A library
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A ballroom (which recently offered a show by the FlyingHigh Folk Dance Troupe from Tainan, Taiwan)
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A presentation room
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A conference room
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An exhibition space
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A VIP Room
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An audio room
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A computer classroom
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A Chinese folk arts room (which recently attracted 200
visitors to a one-day show of traditional Taiwanese folk
art).
Recent events scheduled at the El Monte facility include meetings of
the Overseas Chinese PTA, the Chong Zhong College Alumni, the Jade
Mountain Science Association's meeting to recruit technology workers
for jobs in Taiwan, a seminar for investors put on by the Nicaraguan
Embassy, and a seminar for local bankers on an overseas Chinese loan
fund.
TECO operates other Chinese Culture Centers in San Francisco
Chinatown; Houston; Sunnyvale, California; Seattle; Los Angeles
Chinatown; Atlanta; Washington, DC; Boston; Flushing, New York; and
Westmont, Illinois.
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G. COFCO Chinese Cultural Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
This Cultural Center appears to be a for-profit shopping center with a
Chinese motif. Affiliated with COFCO Credit Co. LLC and COFCO
Executive Suites, this shopping center located near Phoenix Sky
Harbor Airport opened in 2000. It includes:
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A 99 Ranch Market as the anchor tenant
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Chinese gardens featuring replicas from five ancient
Chinese cities
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A "Wall of Honor" offering names etched on the wall for
donations of $1000, $500, or $300
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Five restaurants, including three Chinese, one Japanese,
and one Quizno's Subs
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Seven retail shops
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A three-story office building with 166,000 square feet for
lease.
H. Chinese Cultural Center (Albuquerque, NM)
This Cultural Center, subtitled "New Mexico's home of traditional
Chinese martial arts," appears to be the same entity as Lin's Martial
Arts Academy which was established in 1974.
I. Chinese Cultural Center of the Southwest (Tucson, AZ)
Using land donated by Larry and Nancy Leung and their family, the
Tucson Chinese Association is spearheading an effort to raise $1.5
million for a one-story, 15,000 square foot building which will include
cultural displays, senior programs, and classrooms. Ground was
broken for the project in April 2004. The sponsors have announced
that they have already raised most of the $1.5 million needed for the
project. They plan to conduct a national search for an executive
director, a program director, and three other staff members.
J. Proposed Chinese Cultural Center in Irvine, California
In Irvine, where the ethnic Chinese population of 15,000 comprises
one-third of the city's population, the South Coast Chinese Cultural
Foundation was established in 2001 to start the process of raising
funds for a Cultural Center complex. The original fundraising goal of
$6 million doubled to $12 million; $6.2 million has already been
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raised. Founders originally envisioned a campus, open daily, which
would include:
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Classrooms for classes in Chinese language and business
etiquette and for mah jong (replacing the use of
University High School for Sunday morning Chinese School
classes attended by 1000 students from kindergarten to
12th grade)
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A gymnasium for chorus, dance, badminton, basketball,
and tai chi
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A performing arts center (to replace the occasional use of
the Irvine Barclay Theatre for Chinese cultural
performances)
A 3.9 acre site at the corner of Truman and Roosevelt, next to a
shopping center in the Northwood section of Irvine with an Albertson's
and Kohl's store as anchor tenants, has been purchased from the
Irvine Company. The Cultural Center project currently is planned in
three phases:
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First, a two-story education building with a total of 33,
223 square feet with a 300-seat auditorium , and 20
classrooms
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Second, a gymnasium (1,075 square feet) attached to the
education building
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Third, a performing arts center (540 seats in a 12,597
square foot space).
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