Occupy L.A. Offered Office Space, Farmland, Housing Assistance, To Go Away

By Gene Maddaus Tue., Nov. 22 2011 at 11:10 AM

Photo by Ed Carrasco

After 52 days of Occupy L.A., City Hall is ready to make a deal. According to Jim Lafferty, an attorney working with the Occupy movement, the city has offered to lease space in the L.A. Mall for $1 a year to the Occupy movement.

The city -- which won't confirm any of this -- apparently offered the old B. Dalton Bookstore, now vacant, to the Occupy L.A. group. Because that space worked so well for B. Dalton...

So: temperature check?

From the looks of last night's G.A., the Occupiers are pretty frosty toward the idea. There were allegations that the "city liaisons" were negotiating behind the backs of the Occupy movement.

There was also resistance to the idea of leaving the City Hall encampment behind. The City Hall site is much more visible than the underground mall. Also, "Occupy B. Dalton!" just doesn't have the same ring to it. On the plus side, however, the Occupiers would have a roof over their heads, and a sustainable home base from which to conduct their operations.

If it were accepted, the city's offer would represent a substantial public subsidy to the Occupy movement. Other merchants in the L.A. Mall rent their space for $1.50 per square foot per month. The B. Dalton space, by that math, would be worth $180,000 a year. (Though it's obviously worth nothing as long as it's empty.)

According to Lafferty, the city has also offered a plot of land for farming, and some housing assistance for the homeless Occupiers.

At this point, though, it seems unlikely that Occupy L.A. will reach a consensus. Too many hard blocks.

Update: Jared Iorio, who was moderating the discussion last night, on the chances that Occupy L.A. will accept the city's offer: "I don't think that's a real possibility based on what I saw last night."

"An offer to appease us as a group of protesters only is a lowball offer that doesn't address the concerns that brought us to City Hall in the first place," Iorio continued. "It's a bit offensive to me personally that City Hall would think we would go away without serious change coming to those who are oppressed in the system."

Tags:

B. Dalton, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Occupy L.A.

We Recommend

learnhowto

Investing a good office is very important but ifyou are starter and new in the business, you can rent a space, but be sure youwill save more and it’s not so expensive for your business. | Manchester office space | renting offices in Manchester | service offices Manchester | Manchester offices | Let offices | offices in Manchester

Albion Colt

Sharing office space with other businesses is not new, but the tankingeconomy has prompted many small-business owners to consider it as they look forany practical way to lower overhead costs. Some providers of co-working spaceare also offering reduced rates and even giving entrepreneurs opportunities tobarter their services in return for paying no rent at all. "It's wonderfulso far," being said, "There's an extra layer of credibility whenthere's someone picking up the phone for you."Melbourne Meeting Rooms

Guest

I'd like to see several hundred neo-nazi's go to LA City Hall to camp out for a protest. Then a thousand or so Hell's Angels show up for their camp out and protest. Freedom of Assembly is for everybody, right?

As a taxpayer I do not approve of paying $180,000 annually to give these union thugs a building when really they should be reimbursing the city for the damage and police costs. I do not approve of City Council "negotiating" with these communists. I thought US policy was to NOT negotiate with terrorists?

Nomad

Archie Bunker redux.It's tough living in a country where those "other people" have the right to express opposition to your ideas. It's terrible, isn't it? You have to listen to so many people you don't like! Oh well, get used to it, it's called democracy.

And um.. Which US policy was that. Oh yeah Reagan's non negotiation policy- the policy of Iran-Contra. Believe your own myths but don't expect other accept them as history.

Guest

Yes, you are correct. I am not disagreeing with you. Communists are allowed to express their ideas at city hall. So are bikers and neo-nazis.

Union thugs should be allowed to perform their "astroturfing" at a cost of $13 million to us taxpayers. Instead of paying the bill they should be offered free office space.

Oh, NomadicView, if only we could have someone with your knowledge in office we would be much better off because you make it clear to us that YOU are not easily fooled by history. You know the truth.

Thank God our Occupy LA leaders have been making these arrangements for us. City Council is on the verge of resigning. Us occupiers will be running the city by next week for sure. NomadicView, you will be working for us. Prepare to submit.

Because WE

ARE

the 99%

!!!

Guest

Exactly. You said basically what I said but used different words. Ummm.... When we take over city council we will be taking over the LA Weekly also, by the way...

Nomad

Ok then. I am glad that's straightened out. I knew we could work together and solve all the world's problems. . right here on the Internet! :) Have a great thanksgiving!

KatieAnnieOakley

But if they were Tea Partiers... that'd be OK - right?

Five

Is the Photo-op Mayor's legal counsel is blind to the implications of this? Among them being "Hey! If he did that, what else will he offer?" and "of course you must: you let them do it!"

While I am at it:

Q: Is the city responsible for policing the leased space?

Q: Will the city be liable if it does not?

Q: Who pays the legal fees and damages in a lawsuit by a current tenant against the city for breach of their lease (which I asume guarantees quiet enjoyment of the demised premises--i.e., "City won't rent to a bunch of riotious malcontents that will ruin my ability to operate):

Q: who pays for an injury when a OLA member smashes a window of another store? Or attacks a shopper?

Q: What does city do when sued by skinheads who want to camp out there next?

Q: Does the mayor think this is good for attracting busiess to LA?

Q: Is this really the best way to invigorate the downtown business area in and near the Mall?

Q: If you are a law firm, accounting form or whatnot, are you more likely to move downtown now? Or go to Century City/Warner Center etc?

Donde2k

Thank you for exposing the "stage one thinking" of the city. Incredible that City Hall is, in effect, negotiating with terrorists - yes, that's right, terrorists. "Meet our demands or we'll continue our program of intimidation, vandalism, larceny, and assault" - what else do you call this ?

Nomad

Oh yeah.. those OWs protesters were so intimidating. Those drums are so scary! I was really frightened when they insisted on bringing loaded weapons to rallies in order to express the belief in the "Second Amendment solution" ... erm.. oh wait, that wasn't THOSE terrorists.. that was the Right Wing patriots type terrorist.