Patrons at Inglewood's Open Studios an annual art event

Inglewood has gone through a lot of changes during the few decades since I took my first breath at Daniel Freeman Hospital. Rather than focus on the past, however, I am envisioning what Inglewood will look like in 2022.

What will Market Street, the greater Morningside Park areas, and the Vincent Park area look like in 10 years—or to put it differently, what would I like to see here?
Will the Inglewood Public School system become one of the best in the state? Or will we have a network of competitive charter schools providing an array of high- quality educational options?

Will all of our homes in the LAX flight paths be sound-insulated?

Will we restore the Historical Landmark, Centinela Springs, so that Centinela Creek in Vincent Park flows above ground to Beach Avenue and Centinela Boulevard before going underground?

As the council member for Inglewood's District 1, these are some of the many concerns I am addressing.

One thing I know for certain: as we see an influx of younger families move into Inglewood, and as our elders move into retirement housing, the activist spirit will nevertheless remain high for those who advocate for our neighborhoods; that the city’s volunteer resident-staffed commissions and committees will become stronger and more influential; and that our single-family housing stock will become more sought- after.

Another given is a light rail line down Florence Boulevard, which will bring international tourists into Inglewood’s core.

Thinking LARGE, I envision a vibrant, bustling, multicultural Arts and Entertainment District that will have grown from a few energetic seeds planted just a few years ago, which is set to really take off now. It will surely be a significant tourist draw, one which tourists will access via the light rail from the Market/ Florence station. They’ll be greeted by an open-air art bazaar, markets, theaters, restaurants, lofts and youth hostels in the Market Street area. Intermixed will be cutting-edge, cottage hi-tech firms whose geeky employees are drawn to the funkiness and coolness of a budding popular arts mecca. Buses—or narrow-gauge rail cars designed in the fashion of old trolley cars— will carry passengers from the Florence/Market light rail station to the Forum, and perhaps farther. Most of the buildings on Market Street will be mixed-use, with street-level studios, markets and restaurants topped by artists’ lofts. Various arts schools will have a presence here, and a large one will call Inglewood its home. The scene will be so popular crowds of surrounding areas’ employees will descend on the area for lunch, gawking and shop- ping. To the east, a secondary art mecca will continue to grow and flourish near the West and Redondo light rail stations.

The success of the multicultural Arts and Entertainment Districts will, in turn, help to promote other business districts in the City. With the resulting increase in tax revenue collection the City will have repaired long neglected infrastructure including our City streets and sidewalks and we’ll see much improved maintenance of City owned landscaping.

With this in mind, I urge you to participate in the upcoming Inglewood Open Art Studios tour and see the future for yourself.

If you have any visions of Inglewood’s future you would like to share, I would be happy to hear them.

In the meantime, let’s all continue to enjoy the great City of Inglewood!