As a construction superintendent, Fagan brings not only a wealth of experience to the project – having worked on the construction of the Intercontinental Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles and the USC Village – but is testament to the commitment that Destination Crenshaw made to provide real uplift to the local community through sustainable development.
At first, there was utter silence. Then, ron Finiley, South LA’s own guerilla gardener, Ted Talk expert and leader of an urban greening movement broke the hush. “That is some dope sh*t!” Finley shouted. And with those words, the room exploded into applause and listeners rose to give architects Zena Howard, Gabrielle Bullock, Kenneth Luker and the Perkins + Will design team a standing ovation.
Make no mistake: the idea that an inner-city Black community should be safe, prosperous, rich with cultural assets, green with nature and aesthetically beautiful, remains almost unimaginable. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t have to struggle for equitable investment. But equitable investment in Black communities is more than financial, it’s also showing what we have known all along. Black is beautiful.
Ms. Cathie Nicholas is the owner and operator of The Nicholas Dance Studio located at 4273 Crenshaw Boulevard. An award-winning expert of the art of dance, she has performed at Carnegie Hall and taught Master Classes at Stanford and Duke Universities. Ms. Cathie also happens to be the granddaughter of Fayrad Nicholas of the iconic and legendary Nicholas Brothers Black dance duo.
