Along with writing advertising, I am currently the chair of the Old Pasadena Management District. As a matter of fact, I have been a part of this district since before there even was a district. Back in the late 80’s, a core group of merchants and building owners met in our freshly renovated Chamber building to figure out how to make our dream of “Old Pasadena” actually come alive. Of course, first we had to chase out the burglars and addicts hiding in the stairwells. At that time, the district was still rife with boarded up buildings and popularly referred to as Pasadena’s slum.
Through extraordinary efforts, we managed to turn the tide, building by building and block by block. In 2000, we voted to tax ourselves to clean up our streets and sidewalks, and improve the safety and security in our part of town. We formed the Old Pasadena Management District (OPMD).
In 2003, we partnered with the City to bring the district's three garages up to the same clean and safe standards that we demanded of the rest of our district. Before we took over, the districts parking structures, Schoolhouse, DeLacey and Marriott, were unsightly, unsafe, and unprofitable – not to mention the overpowering smell of vagrant excrement.
The look and smell of today’s city garages are unchanged since 2003.
Today the story of our accomplishments has brought recognition and representatives from cities and Business Improvement Districts nationwide to Pasadena to find ways to learn from our success. The story of the garage management in particular has inspired changes across the country. Yet suddenly and inexplicably, Fred Dock, the City’s Director of Transportation, recently announced they are going to take away management of the garages that have played such a vital role in our success. A management that has profited the city enormously.
OPMD Schoolhouse parking structure, Raymond Ave. entrance.
When OPMD took over management of the garages in 2003, their average net income (in the economic good times of 1996 – 2003) was $5,001. In 2003, the net revenue was an embarrassing $135,675 loss. City staff warned OPMD that the existing rates had to increase, and our 90-minute free parking program had to be eliminated. But we value our customers, so instead, we maintained the rates, and continued the free parking. Then we cleaned, painted, installed extra security, replaced worn and dangerous stair safety strips, and fully renovated the shabby facilities. Since 2005, the garages’ average annual net income has been over a hundred times theirs. After all expenses and debt service, our average net income has been over $500,000. For 2009, not a banner year for the economy, it was $1.8 million! Where did we go right?
City garage landscaping vs landscaping maintained by OPMD
It's simple really. Garages are a business, and OPMD is run by business people. The difference is evident to anyone who cares to look (or smell). In the two years that Mr. Dock has overseen city’s other parking structures, the sad and shabby condition he inherited has remained largely unchanged. Complaints about the city structures outside of our district pour into OPMD every month. Why? Because the Department of Transportation has given them our phone number, to answer complaints about their structures, even though they are clearly not our responsibility. Yet inexplicably, when OPMD President Steve Mulheim went to the department to get the answers those people were demanding, he was rudely informed that that information was NONE of his BUSINESS!
On the contrary, when it comes to the garages, it seems we are the only ones who do know the business. In addition to garage revenue, our 22 blocks are consistently one of the top providers tax revenue to the City. OPMD’s management of these garages has been a key component in the success and viability of this area. Yet the City of Pasadena is seriously considering allow others with an incredibly consistent, demonstrated lack of competence, cooperation and commitment to threaten the welfare of our entire district, not to mention the financial well being of the City as a whole.
City garage interiors vs OPMD's maintained with regular washing and painting.
UPDATE: At a City Council meeting last night, Monday, September 13, we learned that even members of the City Council were unaware of the ill-conceived plans of their Department of Transportation. The representative they sent in place of Fred Dock, who was conspicuous by his absence, didn’t even know how many garages the city had or how many of them were in Old Pasadena. At that meeting, City Council Members decided to examine the issue more thoroughly in two separate committees, make recommendations, and invite the entire city to comment.
Should be an interesting evening. One thing for sure, any attempt to steamroll this *numbskullduggery through the city without anyone being the wiser has run out of gas. There might actually be a possibility that we might be able to help reverse the sorry state of the rest of the garages city-wide.
Weeeeeelll seeeee.
*Yes. That is Numbskull Skullduggery =)
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