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Lula Washington Dance Theater asks council for help after long redevelopment dispute
Summary
Representatives and young performers from Lula Washington Dance Theater urged the City Council to intervene in a dispute with the Community Redevelopment Agency and to allow the company to rebuild a studio damaged by the Northridge earthquake.
Members, staff and students of the Lula Washington Dance Theater addressed the Los Angeles City Council during the public comment period on July 14, asking the council to assist the nonprofit company in a long-running dispute with the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) over their Adams Boulevard site.
Lula Washington, the organization’s founder, told the council the group has been in the community for 20 years and said FEMA funds and approved plans were in place to rebuild after damage from the Northridge earthquake, but that the CRA has withheld funds needed to complete reconstruction. "We need to be supported in our relocation," she said, and urged the council to consider the hardship created by redevelopment activity on the company’s ability to rebuild.
Speakers included board members, parents, company dancers and students who testified about scholarships, community outreach, arts education and the difficulty of finding affordable rehearsal and studio space. An associate director, Tamika Washington, said the company provides critical arts training and community services and argued that losing the Adams Boulevard site would be a significant cultural and educational loss for local youth.
Council response: Council Member Holden noted his office had supported the company, and the dais acknowledged the legal dispute and advised the organization and council offices to pursue follow-up under the Brown Act and through the City Attorney and CRA communications. The council did not take action on the dispute during the meeting; public comment entries were recorded in the minutes.
Why it matters: Lula Washington Dance Theater represents a long-standing community arts program with documented youth services and outreach; the group’s appeal puts a spotlight on redevelopment decisions, rehabilitation funds, and how redevelopment agencies coordinate with community nonprofits.
Speakers on the record included Lula Washington (founder/director), Tamika Washington (associate director), board members and company performers; multiple young dancers described the program’s educational and life‑changing effects.
