Tax Dollars for Downtown Project?

The developers behind Staples Center, L.A. Arena Land Co., want to build another billion-dollar project in the name of revitalizing downtown Los Angeles. This time it's a 27-acre hotel, housing and retail spread near the L.A. Convention Center. It could bring more conventioneer traffic to L.A.

Should taxpayers subsidize the project proposed next to Staples Center?

Carl F. Enson

Area Manager Parsons Brinekerhoff

I think the city and the taxpayers need to make a decision on what they're willing to give to revitalize downtown, because we are going to have to pay to do it. I live downtown, in the Bunker Hill Towers. We've got great treasures here, great architecture and we don't take advantage of it. The project sounds like a great development, absolutely outstanding. I think it will draw both residents and tourists here. That's a much better use of money than building some stadium that will be obsolete a few years later when an owner decides to move his team.

Dennis Rieger

Senior Vice President of Information Technology Careside

Enough has been spent on downtown without getting results. A project like this either stands on its own, or it doesn't. If they say the community needs to give a major subsidy, that says to me that the project will fail - it will always need to be subsidized. It's more important to make Staples and the Convention Center accessible than it is to build more projects down there. If they want to continue to run large shows at the Convention Center, they need to do something about the parking - it now takes you 45 minutes to find a place to park downtown. Building a hotel will only compound the problem.

Lynwen Hughes-Boatman

Manager Jim Dickson Realtors

If the amount they want taxpayers to contribute is not outrageous, then some participation is probably warranted. I go to the Welsh church downtown right near Staples Center, and the area is in a sorry state indeed. There are some wonderful old houses down there that are very dilapidated. So if the development would help revitalize the area I think people should-help pay, as long as it's not overboard. It may bring more jobs downtown. But it's hard to tell at this point even how successful Staples is with doing that.

Daniel Tibbets

Vice President of Television and Motion Pictures Papazian-Hirsch Entertainment

I don't think the taxpayers should pay for it. There are enough investors and corporations with money to contribute who would benefit enormously from revitalizing downtown. There's a huge class gap here in L.A. and the rich will benefit more from something I like this than small-business owners. I don't think the poor are really going to get a lot from this development and they would have to pay disproportionately. If you make a good amount of money, an increase in sales tax is insignificant, but the money adds up if you're making minimum wage.

Gregg Barson

Director of Creative Services Carsey-Werner

If you're a resident of Los Angeles, then it's a fair price to pay for living in a city that has all of this to offer. We all need to contribute to making L.A. a better place to live again. Look at what Staples Center has done already for downtown. The only drawback is that smaller business may be driven out by a big development, but I'm sure that compromises will be made. It's a matter of community pride and it will benefit us all.