Economy

By Alex Padilla

WORKING WITH LOCAL EMPLOYERS TO CREATE MORE JOBS

Working to support local employers, Alex Padilla helped Pacoima-based Gold Graphics win an economic development loan that allows the company to expand and create more than 80 new jobs in the Northeast San Fernando Valley.

Alex worked with city departments to help St. Jude's expand its medical research facility in Sylmar, bringing more than 500 new jobs to the area.

Alex worked to secure federal grant funding to help relocate Industrial Metal Supply Company from Burbank to Sun Valley. In its new location, the company was able to expand and create more jobs.

Addressing regional traffic issues, Alex Padilla negotiated the terms of the "3 Freeways Commerce Center", a 34-acre commercial development located at the site of the Department of Water and Power's former Sylmar Converter Station. The new center will include a 5,000 square foot LAX Airport Fly-Away transit site and a new site for the 285-employee firm Allied Beverage.

PREPARING OUR WORKFORCE

Alex worked to help locate a California State Employment Development Department office in Pacoima, which provides comprehensive job training and placement services to local residents.

To help prepare our young people for the jobs of the future, Alex secured funding for a Youth Opportunities (YO!) Movement program in the Valley. YO! Valley is now one of only 36 sites in the country and provides job skills training and career preparation programs to local middle school and high school students. Students and their families can also receive college and financial aid counseling through the program. The program is funded as part of a $44 million five-year federal grant and the U.S. Department of Labor has rated the Los Angeles program as "exemplary."

FIGHTING FOR THE VALLEY'S FAIR SHARE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING

Councilmember Alex Padilla helped lead efforts to increase the Valley's share of federal grants available for economic development projects in low income neighborhoods, including funding for job training, small business assistance, and youth programs.

BRINGING NEW FINANCIAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY

Delivering more financial services to Pacoima, Alex Padilla convinced Wells Fargo to open a bank branch and provide professional banking services making it only the second bank branch office in Pacoima. He also worked with the Valley Economic Development Center to establish the Pacoima Development Federal Credit Union to provide local residents an additional alternative for financial services.

DELIVERED THE PASEO SEPULVEDA SHOPPING CENTER IN NORTH HILLS

Alex Padilla worked with the North Hills community to bring the "Paseo Sepulveda" shopping center to the neighborhood. Paseo Sepulveda, which opened in 2005, is a popular destination with its variety of retailers including Walgreens, Coldstone Creamery, Starbucks, EB Games, Wendy's, Subway Sandwiches, Panda Express, and an A.J. Wright clothing store. It has revitalized the area by creating jobs, attracting business, and providing much needed retail services.

CLEANING UP PRICE PFISTER TO CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

With the vision of providing new economic opportunity and job creation, Alex Padilla is working to help Price Pfister, regulatory agencies and the community to clean up this large industrial site so that it can redeveloped from an abandoned contaminated factory into a clean economic asset for the community.

BRINGING NEW HOUSING TO REGION TO IMPROVE BUSINESS CLIMATE

To help address the housing stock and housing affordability crisis, Alex Padilla has worked with local neighborhoods to bring over 1,000 new units of housing to the Northeast Valley. Quality housing for the workforce is important for employers looking to locate or expand business operations. By creating more housing options, Alex hopes to make housing affordable for working families once again. The new housing includes single family homes, condominiums, senior housing, and apartments in Lake View Terrace, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, Pacoima, North Hills, Mission Hills, and Sun Valley.

INITIATING EFFORTS TO REDUCE TAXES ON SMALL BUSINESSES

As Council President, Alex Padilla created the Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform which found ways to simplify the city's tax structure and reduce taxes on small and startup businesses. The committee's efforts are helping to make the City of Los Angeles a more attractive city for businesses.

BROUGHT LOCAL BUSINESSES TOGETHER TO CREATE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Councilmember Padilla brought local business owners together and secured funding to develop Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) along the San Fernando Road corridor in Sylmar and Pacoima. These BIDs will help revitalize the local economy through beautification and safety efforts and provide a better environment for the small and family-owned businesses along that corridor.

RAPIDLY RESPONDING TO BUSINESS EMERGENCIES

Alex Padilla has consistently responded to business emergencies such as fires and floods so that employees could quickly return to work and businesses can continue to serve the community.

After a fire closed the Sav-On pharmacy in Arleta, Alex Padilla worked with city departments to expedite the re-opening of the facility so that customers could continue to receive their medical prescriptions.

After the Osborne Bridge in Lakeview Terrace was undermined in the 2005 storms, Alex mobilized city departments and worked with other local government agencies to channel funding and personnel to build a temporary bridge until the permanent one could be repaired.

When a fire struck the Fantasy Cookie Company in Sylmar, Alex worked with city departments to provide assistance so that the business and its more than 100 employees could get back to work.

PROMOTING LOCAL FILM PRODUCTION

To help keep film production and jobs in Los Angeles, Councilmember Padilla who serves on the California Film Commission, joined Councilmember Wendy Greuel in introducing a motion supporting the Film California First, a state program that provides financial incentives to help keep film productions in California. Feature movies which filmed in the San Fernando Valley include The Italian Job and Charlie's Angels 2.