Mayor James Butts with First Lady Michelle Obama in Inglewood

Guest:

James Butts, Mayor of Inglewood

James T. Butts, Jr. is the 12th and current Mayor of the City of Inglewood, California. He is the 4th African-American Mayor of the City of Inglewood. Previously he served the City of Inglewood for 19 years where he received several promotions until he was sworn in as Deputy Chief of Police for the City of Inglewood. In September 1991 he was sworn in as Chief of Police for the City of Santa Monica, California serving from 1991 to 2006. In August 2006 he was appointed to the position of Deputy Executive Director for Public Safety for the Los Angeles World Airports.

Mayor Butts is bringing new life into Inglewood with the Madison Square Gardens project, Century Boulevard reconstruction, Hollywood Park Tomorrow Development, by increasing public safety and balancing the city’s budget.

Madison Square Gardens

In a recent front page Los Angeles Sentinel article, it was noted that during Mayor Butts’ first ‘state-of-the city’ address, he noted, ” … in the six weeks I have been your mayor, both the owner and the president of the Madison Square Garden Corporation (a billion-dollar entity), on three occasions, have flown to Inglewood to further negotiations in their quest to purchase, renovate, and operate the Forum as a concert venue once again” he explained to the voters. “If such an acquisition were to occur, it would be a very positive step for the community,” he said.

Well, Inglewood recently approved that deal for MSG Forum, LLC, an entity of the group that owns Madison Square Garden in New York, to buy the Inglewood Forum.

The 1968 building, designed by Charles Luckman, has been owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church since 2000. The City Council approved a Sign Overlay Zone that will allow “signage in the public right-of-way,” a zoning change, and a development agreement between the city and MSG that “provides for vested rights with respect to the use and operation of the Forum in exchange for specified commitments on annual ticket sales for the events at the Forum.” According to a May 8 staff report on the matter, MSG “intends to use the venue primarily for music and concert events” (the company also owns Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, and the Chicago Theatre, but this will be its first West Coast property).

The staff report says that MSG will have to spend at least $50 million rehabbing the Forum and guarantee 300,000 ticket sales per year. MSG is “expected to enter into sponsorship agreements with various commercial enterprises, including most prominently food, beverage and consumer products, in order to finance the Forum’s rehabilitation, restoration and ongoing operation.” That ties in with its petition for extra signage–it’ll be allowed a 100 foot tall sign “with internally illuminated graphics” at the corner of Manchester and Prairie (where there’s already a marquee); light pole banners along Prairie, manchester, and Pincay; building banners between the Forum’s columns; rooftop signs; a sign for a new terrace that MSG will be building; and various parking lot, wayfinding, and entry signs.

Phone: (310) 412-5300
www.cityofinglewood.org

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