Koreatown Opposition

The Los Angeles Business Journal reports on some early opposition to the Olympico Plan from businesses. Some merchants in Koreatown and elsewhere are concerned that turning Olympic one-way will harm their customers' access.

Two interesting notes from the piece: L.A. City Council members Tom LaBonge and Herb Wesson "have voiced opposition." Also, it seems the perception on the eastern side of the Olympico zone is that this whole idea is mainly intended to allow Westsiders to get to downtown entertainment venues more easily. From the LABJ piece:

The opposition is most intense in Koreatown, where business owners fear the community’s retail center along Olympic Boulevard will be harmed.

“Olympic has all the main stores in Koreatown. If we tinker with this, there’s concern that all of Koreatown may collapse,” said Kee-whan Ha, president of the Hannam supermarket chain and also president of the recently-formed Anti Olympic-Pico One-Way Task Force that includes about 500 businesses in and around Koreatown.

(snip)

[Pico Blvd. restaurant owner Demetrios] Pantazis said he believed that the plan was crafted for the benefit of wealthy Westsiders who want quicker access to the Staples Center and not for the neighborhoods and business districts in the middle.