Dissolving L.A's Community Redevelopment Agency

Richard Close, a partner at the Law Offices of Gilchrist & Rutter, sat down with The Planning Report to discuss his position on the seven-member Oversight Board supervising the dissolution of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. The Oversight Board reviews all legal and financial matters decided by the three-member Governing Body, and, as Close explains, their efforts will become increasingly complicated when the successor agency grapples with the slipperier definitions of ‘enforceable obligations' on certain projects.

The California Legislature repealed redevelopment agencies as part of a budget-saving effort in AB 26. Since then, municipalities across the state have struggled to determine how they might advance planning efforts without previous tax increment financing tools. The law is designed to ensure that former redevelopment agencies stay faithful to existing contracts while disposing of all assets. The story provides perspective on what can happen when a government agency removes support from private development efforts.