Good or bad provenance? The casual observer must be impressed by the dynamic and prestigious architecture around 770 Wilshire. Is this $20 million purchase authorized by the Ballot initiatives "A" and "AA"? Was this money stipulated only for students? Too bad parking is inadequate. Too bad LACCD must rent 125 parking spaces from a nearby department store, at about $250K per year.

This dramatic 7-story structure will be the official Headquarters to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. The previous "headquarters" at 4050 Wilshire was sold for a $6 million loss.

This is the entrance to the LACCD Boardroom at 770 Wilshire. The $20 million purchase price does not include an additional $5 million in refurbishments. Will this money come from Bond measure A passed by voters in 2001? Or Bond AA, passed in 2003? Is the purchase of an administration building stipulated in either bond measure? (These two bond measures total over $2.0 billion in public debt to be spent on the infrastructure of the community college buildings, to improve the health, safety and security of students. Purchase of, or improvements to, administration buildings are not mentioned in the ballot measures.)

The deal to purchase this handsome piece of real estate at 770 Wilshire is to be completed on March 31st, 2005 three weeks after the March 8th trustee elections. Cynics would call this timing "convenient", as if the board did not want excess scrutiny so proximate to the election.