Posted by Wes Bradford on May 29, 2018
Mike Galvin grew up in Montebello and Pasadena, went to college in San Diego, and then started working for the City of Los Angeles where he is the Director of Waterfront and Commercial Real Estate in the Ports O’ Call area. (His father was a Rotarian.) He reviewed the status and controversies of this ongoing development.
 
Smaller shop owners in the Ports O’ Call area were cleared out by early this year, and the larger restaurants were ordered to be out by March 1. Much of the demolition has been completed, leaving the 2-story Ports O’ Call Restaurant still standing and open for business. At a public meeting March 20 at the Warner Grand Theater, some business owners questioned why they were not offered relocation fees to move into the downtown business district. The popular Ports O’ Call Restaurant fought its eviction and demolition, but lost recently in Los Angeles Superior Court.
 
Mike presented a video of the 3-phase LA Waterfront development process. He showed architectural depictions of the various areas along the waterfront including pedestrian and vehicular traffic and anticipated businesses. The design is intended to attract investors, businesses and visitors. $600 million has been invested, with $400 million more by 2025. Harbor Boulevard is being realigned. Phase 1 will open in 2020.