Council hears $4 million host-committee request for DNC; police oppose Pershing Square demonstration site

Los Angeles City Council members heard a staff report Friday on a roughly $4 million request from the Democratic National Convention host committee and debated whether Pershing Square should be designated as a demonstration site during the convention.

City staff reported that the host committee has a funding gap of about $9 million and sought a $4 million transfer from the city—s reserve fund to the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, which would contract with the host committee. The report said the transfer would reduce the reserve fund to about $12 million and could put the city below its 2% general-fund reserve policy next fiscal year unless additional revenues arrive.

The council was told the $4 million would be used early for site work including reconstruction of the Staples Center staging area identified by the host committee; staff said most other equipment was leased or pledged by donors and that roughly $72,000 of assets might remain to be redistributed or donated after the convention.

Deputy Chief Maurice Mora and Commander Tom Lorenzen of the Los Angeles Police Department told the council they opposed using Pershing Square as a demonstration site. Mora said an existing demonstration site adjacent to Staples Center is better equipped and more secure, and he warned that Pershing Square sits next to hotels that will house delegates and the Jewelry District—s retail and wholesale shops. "There is an existing demonstration site that has been established in the vicinity of the Staples Center, and that site is a very secure location able to accommodate as many or more people than you would see at the Pershing Square site," Mora said. The department also objected to language in a proposed amendment that would give an ad hoc civilian committee authority to review or direct police tactical decisions.

Developers and downtown property owners urged the council not to use Pershing Square. Peklar Pilavjian of LA United Investment Company, representing Saint Vincent Jewelry Center and the Downtown Business Improvement District, said security risks to the Jewelry District make Pershing Square inappropriate for large gatherings. Dan Gifford of Maguire Partners, whose company developed multiple downtown office towers, said the heart of the downtown business district hosts tens of thousands of workers daily and that Pershing Square is not a suitable location for groups with a record of civil disturbance.

Councilmembers discussed amendments that would clarify the ad hoc committee—s role and preserve police authority over tactical crowd-control decisions. Council staff and the police department said questions about delegation of tactical authority and potential city liability merit legal review.

The council voted to hear a report from the police department and to hold a 10-minute public comment period; the meeting record shows the department presented its opposition and several members of the public spoke in the 10-minute public hearing. At the time the transcript ends, no final council vote on the $4 million transfer or on a Pershing Square designation is recorded.

Why it matters: The decision would affect city finances, public safety planning and downtown businesses during a high-profile national event. The council must weigh the host committee—s fundraising shortfall and the city—s reserve policy against public-safety assessments from the LAPD and concerns of downtown property owners.

Looking ahead: Councilmembers asked the city attorney to review legal and liability questions tied to any ad hoc oversight role and signaled they would continue debate at a later meeting before a final vote on city funding or formal designation of demonstration sites.