Inglewood Transit Connector Project

Read Inglewood Mayor Butts’ OpEd in the Los Angeles Times where he addresses concerns by Rep. Maxine Waters and makes the case for the Inglewood Transit Connector.

Opinion: Inglewood needs the people mover, Rep. Waters The plan to add a three-station connector to the Metro K line has been vetted, and its funding is all but secured. It puts Inglewood on the cusp of transit equity and environmental justice.

Another major milestone for the Inglewood Transit Connector! The City has selected Elevate Inglewood Partners to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the ITC Project. Read Mayor Butts’ statement below and visit www.elevateinglewoodpartners.com to learn more about the winning team. Be sure to join their mailing list so that you can be the first to learn about upcoming job opportunities.

Happy Fourth of July, Inglewood! Be safe and enjoy the long weekend.

To read our latest newsletter, click the link below:
https://mailchi.mp/00c4324ecb87/march2023-itc-project-newsletter-17759258

It was an honor to be at this event, great work City of Inglewood Government!!

Water Main Project Update and lane closures along Prairie between Manchester and Hardy.

For more information or questions about this project, please call us at 310-570-6878 or drop us a line via email at [email protected].

ITC PreConstruction Alert ― Water Main Replacement Project begins April 1. The project will modernize the infrastructure, as most lines have been in service for over 60 years. The upgrade supports the long-term sustainability of the water main for future use.

Read below for details. Questions can be sent to [email protected] or call our Project Hotline at (310) 570-6878. Click below to download Alert.
https://envisioninglewood.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-29-precon-alert-water-main-project.pdf

Have You Heard the good news! The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 Proposes $200 Million Payment Toward $1 Billion for Funding the ITC.
www.envisioninglewood.org

Come join us at the Inglewood Black History Celebration and Family FEst! We'll be between Regent and Queen. See you there!

Sunday, February 4, Metro is offering free rides on their bus, rail and bike system in honor of Transit Equity Day and the birthday of civil rights activist Rosa Parks.

Why we’re offering free rides (and more!) this Transit Equity Day This Sunday, February 4, we’re offering free rides on our bus, rail and bike system in honor of Transit Equity Day and the birthday of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who in 1955 famously refused…

Watch how Mariana and Owen Smith brought back the historic Miracle Theater Inglewood. This husband and wife team have a deep passion for the arts and have contributed greatly to the revitalization of downtown Inglewood and to reenergizing Market Street.

THE MIRACLE FOUNDATION_FINAL.mov Shared with Dropbox

Check out our latest ITC Project newsletter - featuring the Body Butter Lady and it's founder, Marianne Ndiaye. Link below.

https://mailchi.mp/09e9f7d01c13/inglewood-transit-connector-project-17612810

City of Inglewood Government Body Butter Lady

Join us at Councilwoman Gloria Gray's Town Hall meeting with Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Monday, November 27 at 6PM.

The ITC team will be there with a project presentation and information.

See you there!

It was great catching up with many of our industry friends at the Construction Network's Owners' Outlook 2023 at the Long Beach Yacht Club today. It was not only a gorgeous venue, Kelly Asper was again a fantastic event organizer!

Thank you for having us!

Thank you to the Lennox Community Council and their President, Sergio Paz, for having us at last night's meeting. It was a pleasure to update them on the ITC Project and how it will benefit the Lennox community.

👉 If you or your organization would like to request a presentation on the ITC Project, you can make a request by leaving us a comment, sending a DM, or by contacting Marietta Torriente at [email protected].

Thank you!

The ITC Team will be at the annual Construction Network "Owners Outlook" event in Long Beach.

Stop by our table and say hi!

ALL TRICKS AND NO TREATS! Come to our family fun Community Open House on Monday, October 30 between 5PM and 7PM at the Inglewood Senior Center, for food, prizes, and ITC Project updates.

See you there!

See You Tomorrow! Meet the Proposers for the ITC Project | October 25 from 5PM to 7PM

Great piece in The Wave on Inglewood's own Reck'Creations!

https://wavepublication.com/businessman-uses-merchandise-to-promote-his-hometown/

Today is California Clean Air Day!

www.envisioninglewood.com

Councilmember Dionne Faulk is inviting the community to Hollywood Park for an evening of information and resources. Your voice matters, and this is an opportunity to make a real impact in our community! Save the date!

Today we spotlight Sip & Sonder, a beautiful creative space for coffee, friends, art, and that distinctive Inglewood vibe.
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COMMUNITY IS BREWING AT SIP & SONDER
By Darlene Donloe

Seven years ago, Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas, Ivy League-educated lawyers grinding in round-the-clock jobs, sat on a New York City rooftop to discuss what was missing from their lives.

“We were co-workers at a corporate law firm,” Thomas said. “But we knew the law wasn’t the be-all and end-all. It didn’t nourish our souls.”

For both women, moments of understanding often came over a cup of coffee, and soon they realized it was a common denominator in their lives – not just the drink, but its role in daily rituals that bring people respite and togetherness. And, they realized, it could be a great business.

“Coffee is how I experience the world around me,” Nicholas said. “It’s a keystone in my life.”

Thomas agreed, adding: “It’s hard to think of a commodity that has that same impact.”

Choosing Inglewood as the locale for their first brick-and-mortar coffee shop was intentional. The City is booming, in the middle of an economic and lifestyle renaissance, and its leadership and population are Black and Latino.

“The city reflects who we are. It feels like the home we grew up in,” Nicholas said. “The vibrancy and commitment of the community is palpable. There is an Inglewood pride. It didn't feel like a choice. This is home.”

The new sports and entertainment district has brought new customers to its doors, and the proposed Inglewood Transportation Connector (ITC), an automated people mover, is poised to bring even more.

When Nicholas and Thomas, who both live in Leimert Park, first heard about the ITC project, they decided to keep an open mind, seeing a potential benefit to the downtown business district.

“In theory, a large development has the potential to have a measurable impact,” said Thomas. “What is it going to bring, and will it build up the community? That’s the question.”

“We want an engaged downtown that is focused on Black and brown ownership,” Nicholas said. "If the project is going to help make Inglewood a place for Black and brown people to thrive, I’m for it.”

Sip & Sonder, located on Market Street, is now one of the Black-owned businesses slowly gaining fame for shaping small business culture, in a city bursting with Black entrepreneurship.

For city leaders, the coffeehouse and coffee roastery have become a model of where they hope Inglewood is headed, with the addition of other similarly creative brands.

“Sip & Sonder represents all that Inglewood can and should be,” said Mayor James T. Butts. They bring quality, ingenuity, and community to their enterprise. We’ve been thrilled to see Ms. Nicholas and Ms. Thomas make Inglewood their home base, and we know they will continue to thrive.”

Thomas and Nicholas named their coffeehouse Sip & Sonder because of the latter’s definition. It means: “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own,” according to The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.

And they like alliteration.

“Our coffeehouses are hubs where creatives, entrepreneurs, freelancers, curators, and everyone in between can simply exist, grab a cup of coffee, connect, create, and put sonder into action,” Thomas said.

The cafe was designed to feel like a home away from home, where the baristas serve “out-of-this-world coffee,” as well as teas and pastries to customers who can hunker down and stay as long as they please.

“That’s exactly what we were going for, and it’s exactly what people get when they come through our doors,” said Thomas.

In addition to the shop, the Market Street location houses an event space with regular programming that includes gallery exhibits, meditation events, and A Jazz Night.

“Our goal was never to have a singular space,” Nicholas said. “We have an outpost downtown, in collaboration with the Music Center in front of Walt Disney Concert Hall, and another in the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square Mall. We also provide our signature Sip & Sonder roasted coffee to wholesale accounts including entertainment companies, hospitality, restaurants, and resorts. We also sell our coffee on Target.com. I chuckle at how many hours we put in. It varies day-to-day. It’s hard work, but this is what we wanted.”

Not to mention that every cup of coffee at Sip & Sonder is individually crafted from beans the owners acquired from countries including Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and Colombia, and which are roasted on the premises.

“We travel around the world and actually meet the farmers so we know them personally,” Nicholas said. “The coffee is from Black countries around the world. There are Black hands picking the cherries, so it’s important for us to showcase the countries that the coffee comes from.”

Sip & Sonder’s mission, however, travels far beyond the coffeehouse and coffee roastery.

Even before they opened their doors on Market Street, they formed a 501© (3) nonprofit called Sonder Impact (SI).

Sonder Impact works with nonprofit and corporate partners to develop programs with a dual focus on Black entrepreneurship and well-being.

For budding entrepreneurs, it holds “fireside chats” with speakers
from various industries and intimate workshops that cover topics ranging from entity formation to finances.

In addition, SI’s Brewing for Good program, launched in 2019, began donating coffee and pastries to healthcare workers on the COVID floors at Inglewood’s Centinela Medical Hospital during the pandemic. Their giving to the community continues to this day.

“We were talking about the next steps we were going to take in our lives,” said Nicholas, who holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D./M.B.A. from Columbia Law and Business Schools.

“The first thing we came up with was the Sonder Impact,” said Thomas, who holds a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

But the vision Thomas and Nicholas have for themselves goes beyond a nonprofit and a successful coffeehouse and coffee roastery. They are building a legacy.

“We want it all,” said Nicholas. “We each have joy and passion for what we're doing, but this takes more than passion; it’s about hustle and grit. Having all that and being a household name around the world from a company started in Inglewood by two Black women? That’s what we’re moving toward.”

We extend our deepest condolences to the family of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. She leaves behind a powerful and enduring legacy as a political pioneer, which included serving as the first female Mayor of San Francisco before becoming the first woman to represent the State of California in the United States Senate.

Senator Feinstein’s historic career of public service to the people of California and to all Americans included championing equal rights for the LGBTQ community, enacting stronger weapons bans, protecting California’s valuable resources, and passing legislation to increase the fuel efficiency of cars. As a strong advocate for improving California’s infrastructure, Senator Feinstein also supported efforts to build the Inglewood Transit Connector.

Dianne Feinstein served on the Senate with grace and tenacity, and we are deeply saddened by her loss.

JAMES T. BUTTS, Jr.
Mayor
City of Inglewood Government

Reck’ Creations
Celebrates Inglewood, Inglewood, and more Inglewood!

By Darlene Donloe

When it comes to showing love for his hometown of Inglewood, Bobby Brimmer, the owner of Reck’ Creations Clothing Company, literally wears his heart on his sleeve.

He also wears it on his caps, hoodies, t-shirts, sweats, and everything else he sells in his boutique located on Market Street in downtown Inglewood.

Nearly everything he sells in the store, crowned “The City of Inglewood Official Brand,” bears the name of Inglewood or something connected to the city.

There are various slogans on the merchandise including “Cultivated in Inglewood,” “Make Inglewood Dope Again,” “Camp Woods,” “Inglewood “F*ckin City,” a single “I,” and the popular Doomlife Inglewood logo, which features the word 'Inglewood' upside and backward.

“This is an all-Inglewood brand,” said Brimmer, who ships merchandise around the world. “It’s urban and stylish. I have something for everybody. It's a one million percent homegrown brand.”

If the merchandise doesn’t make his feelings clear, a black-and-white sign on the store wall does: “Inglewood folk neva say I’m from L.A., we always say I’m from INGLEWOOD,”—Reck’ Creations

His enthusiasm comes in part from a sense of gratitude.

“Inglewood gave me everything,” he said. “It gave me my first job. For a few years, I worked in the Parks and Recreation department for Inglewood. The Lakers were here. I would see Magic (Earvin Johnson) regularly. It’s a small city, but there’s a lot in it. For me, what’s not to love about it? People are figuring it out. I’m happy I’m playing a small part in bringing it back.”

Brimmer believes Inglewood helped him dream a bigger dream for himself.

In 2010, he teamed up with a childhood friend to start a t-shirt printing business. Through a connection with someone who worked for the Forum, they were given the opportunity to print the uniforms for the security and housekeeping staff during pop icon Prince’s 21 nights of performances.

“I made a t-shirt for myself for the Prince concert,” he said. “It said, ‘Inglewood Genuine Draft’. It took off. People loved it.”

Brimmer received so many requests for his t-shirt that he started taking orders through Facebook Messenger.

“I wasn’t an official business yet and there was no Instagram yet,” he said. And no PayPal or online payment structure. “It was strictly text messages and Facebook Messenger. I was depending on the people who ordered the t-shirts to keep their word. I would print to order. I would get off work and from 4 to 9 p.m., I was parked in the parking lot of CVS on Market Street and Regent in Inglewood. I would wait in my car for hours with no guarantee that people would come pick up their shirts.”

But they did.

From 2011-2013, he made t-shirts that read, “Inglewood By Nature,” “RUN-ING” which featured Michael Jackson, and “Built Wood Tough”.

In 2013, Brimmer ventured out on his own.

He never had any ambition to become part of the fashion or sports gear world, and even after years in the business, he’s “amazed” that with no formal preparation or prior experience, he now owns a successful clothing line and clothing store.

“I’m not kidding when I say I wasn’t into fashion,” said Brimmer, “I didn’t know anything about fabrics. I just learned as I went.”

His brand became so successful that after a year, Brimmer quit his day job.

“It was killing me,” said Brimmer, a father of two daughters. “I feel better now that I’m working for myself.”

The tall and personable Brimmer, who began selling his signature apparel online in 2013, opened his brick-and-mortar location on July 9, 2022.

The name, Reck’ Creations, came from a friend.

“One of my friends came up with Reck’ Creations,” said Brimmer. “He said I was creating things. It stuck.”

His store got a huge boost when actress, writer, and producer Issa Rae featured one of his sweatshirts on her HBO show, Insecure.

“Issa Rae changed everything with that one episode that aired in August 2018, he said. “That sweatshirt just went crazy.”

Another Insecure-related item that continuously sells out is the ‘The Dunes 709' t-shirt, the name of the apartment complex where Rae’s character lived on the show.

A sidewalk sandwich board outside of Reck’ Creations reading “As seen on “Insecure,” “Black*ish,” “Grown*ish,” and “This Fool,” identifies the shows that have featured Reck’ Creations apparel.

“We’ve been very lucky,” said Brimmer. “It’s great to see my clothes on television. “But I’m more excited when my daughter sees it. Then she thinks I’m cool. I wish my parents were here to see it. My mom and I talked about Market Street a lot. She encouraged me to quit my gig.”

Brimmer, who studied political science and Black history, admits that, at times, being a business owner has been stressful.

“It’s hard doing this on your own,” said Brimmer. “The hardest part is that the revenue fluctuates daily. The hours can be long. I’m here from 12 noon to 7 p.m. daily. Then I pack everything myself and I do all the shipping.”

It’s worth it though, to be a part of Market Street’s revitalization.

“Inglewood is changing, with the sports and entertainment and the Inglewood Transit Connector,” said Brimmer. “I hope these investments can drive more and more interest and foot traffic to downtown Inglewood.”

“I love the fact that we are helping to revive this street,” he said. “It’s been dead since the Lakers left in 1999. It used to be a thriving street with art galleries, the Fox Theater, major department stores, barbershops, and hair salons, but then it became a ghost town. Now everyone here is pretty new. The majority of the street is owned by Black people.”

“I wouldn’t do this anywhere else. I’d never leave Inglewood. This is my city for life. I love it.”

Reck'Creations is located at 124 N. Market St Inglewood Ca 90301 and online at https://www.reckcreations.com/.

Inglewood Transit Connector Project A proposed fully elevated, automated, fixed-guideway transit system with 3 new stations in Inglewood

Swifties! How was your trip to SoFi Stadium? Was it Swift?

Take our quick survey and tell us all about what you experienced getting to and from SoFi Stadium: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB3S8QS


Metro Los Angeles
City of Inglewood Government
Eye on Inglewood

Inglewood Transit Connector Project A proposed fully elevated, automated, fixed-guideway transit system with 3 new stations in Inglewood

Swifties! We want to hear from you. Are you planning to attend one of the Taylor Swift concerts at SoFi Stadium?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLHXWT7

Tell us about it. Take our survey so that we can gain insight from your experience on getting to/from one of the scheduled shows.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLHXWT7




Metro Los Angeles

https://wavepublication.com/the-other-randys-continues-serving-faithful-customers/

The other Randy’s continues serving faithful customers | wavepublication The other Randy’s continues serving faithful customers Inglewood July 13, 2023 FacebookInstagramLinkedinRedditTwitterYoutube [tdn_block_newsletter_subscribe title_text="Subscribe to our Newsletter!" description="VG8lMjBiZSUyMHVwZGF0ZWQlMjB3aXRoJTIwYWxsJTIwdGhlJTIwbGF0ZXN0JTIwbmV3cyUyQyUyMHZpZGVvcy...