As part of its aggressive Capital Improvement Program to enhance the quality of life for its citizens through public facilities, Rosemead celebrated the completion of its first two phases of the Civic Center parking lot project on Tuesday.
Improvements to the city’s Downtown Plaza included the reconstruction and expansion of the parking lots connecting City Hall, the Rosemead Public Library, and the Rosemead Community Recreation Center.
According to Councilman Steven Ly, who presided in his last ceremonial role as mayor at the ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday, the ceremony marked Rosemead’s most recent successful effort to fund capital improvement projects amid major legislative budget cuts.
“This caps a (fiscal) year of where we wanted to really demonstrate what the City of Rosemead has been able to do with our money – with redevelopment money, with proposition money, and with gas tax money,” said Ly, who was replaced by Councilwoman Sandra Armenta as mayor on Tuesday due to the annual council reorganization.
The contract for the four separate phases of the Rosemead Community Recreation Center and Library Parking Lot Project was awarded to EC Construction, Inc. in July 2011 for $1,173,983, according to a report by City Manager Jeff Allred.
No general fund or redevelopment funds were used in this project, according to a staff report from Allred on July 12, 2011. However, funding for the project was approved by the City Council as part of Rosemead’s Capital Improvement Program budget, providing money through Proposition C transportation funds, lighting district funds, and a County of Los Angeles grant award.
Phases 1 and 2 of the Rosemead Civic Center project gave the 30-year-old parking lot a much-needed makeover by replacing asphalt with concrete, increasing parking spaces from 180 to 200, removing a block wall that separated the three public facilities, and designing a pedestrian-friendly setting with improved access between the buildings.
According to Ly, Phase 3 will continue improving the additional parking space between City Hall and the library, while Phase 4 will include the expansion of the recreational center.
“That is the goal of our projects if we are able to keep our redevelopment bonds proceeds and/or find some grant money for that,” Ly said. “But I leave that to our next mayor, and I will be a champion of the next mayor’s work.”
Aside from the funding needed to complete the remaining construction phases of the Downtown Plaza, Armenta emphasized how the city needs the endorsement of its residents to support the capital improvements being made to the city.
“We do need your help,” Armenta said. “Please speak to your legislators and make them understand that we need that money – we need the bond proceeds. We want to keep moving forward with all our capital improvements.”
About 50 or more residents attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including representatives from the offices of Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), Rep. Judy Chu, (D-El Monte), and Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), each of whom congratulated the City of Rosemead on the progress of its downtown project and presented certificates of recognition.
Photo: Rosemead City Council members, from left, Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Armenta, Bill Alarcon, Mayor Steven Ly, Polly Low and Margaret Clark celebrate the completion of phases 1 and 2 of the Civic Center project – Jim E. Winburn
