I will be the first one to say that I would love to see Broadway cleaned up and restored, just as the Bringing Back Broadway efforts suggest it will. But I will also be the first to say, I don't want to loose the history that remains there. Los Angeles Downtown News broke a story about this very thing, specifically focusing on Clifton's Cafe's signage. This sign has been on their window since 1960, the restaurant has been there since 1939 and now the owner is looking at $30,000 to $40,000 to make all the required changes that the Bringing Back Broadway initiative is forcing. Basically, some of these city ordinances have existed a very long time but were not enforced, others are new to back the initiative. The whole point of Bringing Back Broadway is to create a more uniformed look on Broadway and activate the faded theaters.
It worries me that a movement such as this seems to be exactly what we need to spruce up Broadway, but if it is going to hurt our local businesses to do it, is it worth it? Surely there is another way to get the same result without requiring the businesses (many that are barely able to make payroll) to pay tens of thousands of dollars. Please read this entire article, it is informative and you really get the feel of what Bringing Back Broadway is about and how a few of the local business owners feel about it and what it is costing them in time and money.
