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floor of the building: A women’s dress shop, a refrigeration
business, a beauty shop, and Fred’s garment cutting business.
Petitioner had learned from Fred that the property was for
sale. Petitioner knew of the building’s history and the 5-4
Ballroom’s past popularity. Petitioner purchased the 5401-9 S.
Broadway property intending to refurbish the building, equip it
with a restaurant, and reopen the 5-4 Ballroom as a full-service
restaurant and nightclub.
In 1980, petitioner was a professor at California State
University-Domingues Hills in the Los Angeles area, where he
taught political science and related subjects. He also had
experience working as a general contractor, having owned a
construction company that built some apartments and houses and
several gas stations. He also once owned a small fast-food
restaurant.
Petitioner’s Renovation and Use of the 5401-9 S. Broadway
Property
After purchasing the 5401-9 S. Broadway property, petitioner
initially attempted to secure financing to refurbish the building
and reopen its nightclub/ballroom. He soon discovered, however,
that this area of South Central Los Angeles had been redlined by
institutional lenders and that financing would be difficult to
obtain.
Around 1983, the city of Los Angeles passed an earthquake
retrofitting ordinance. Pursuant to this ordinance, the city of
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Last modified: May 25, 2011