VALLEY SEES GHOST TOWN RESURRECTION; REBUILDS RESTORING QUAKE-RAVAGED SITES.Byline: Phil Davis
In just 30 seconds, the Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6. transformed the neighborhoods around Francisco Chara's and Steve Watenmaker's homes into literal ghost towns The following is a partial list of ghost towns. Australia
But today, as the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 17 quake nears, the ghost town ghost town, term for any once flourishing American community that has been abandoned, generally for economic reasons. While most of the towns have little or no population, they often contain old buildings, which may serve as tourist attractions. around Alabama Avenue and Saticoy Street by Chara's house is now fully rebuilt, and the Canoga Park neighborhood is alive with people in the streets. ``It's pretty good now,'' Chara said. ``We got brand-new buildings right over there. Since the quake, they've fixed things up a lot better - and the neighborhood's a lot nicer, too.'' In sharp contrast, the view from Watenmaker's house has not changed much: The Reseda condominiums next door in the Victory Boulevard-Tampa Avenue ghost town remain in shambles - a Hollywood favorite for filming apocalyptic movies. ``It's an eyesore eye·sore n. Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view. eyesore Noun something very ugly Noun 1. - a constant reminder of what happened on Jan. 17,'' he said. Still, the latter area has become a relative rarity in the five years since the quake. The vast majority of these blighted blocks have been rebuilt in the five years since America's most costly natural disaster. A Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. city housing report released Thursday stated that vacancies in the recovering neighborhoods are now lower than before the quake. Only 134 of the 65,000 seriously damaged housing units remain unrepaired. Where the quake emptied entire blocks of apartment complexes in 17 neighborhoods across Los Angeles, ``Now Renting'' signs and new landscaping have replaced ``No Trespassing'' signs and barbed-wire fences. Young mothers wheel their babies past renovated buildings that had been little more than shattered cover for squatters, drug dealers and prostitutes. ``The ghost towns are pretty much gone,'' said Councilman Hal Bernson Hal Bernson served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 12th district. He was chair of the Transportation Committee. Prior to being on the City Council, he served in the Navy. Preceded by Robert M. , who led the city's earthquake recovery committee. ``I think virtually all of them have been renovated or rebuilt. A lot of places that were in disrepair before the earthquake were replaced with nice, new housing. I think we're pretty much ahead of the game.'' It has been a long road: The 6.7-magnitude earthquake caused roughly $2.2 billion in structural damage to more than 65,000 apartments and single-family houses, city housing officials said. Roughly 11,000 homes were vacated. All but two of the 17 ghost towns are either completely restored or just wrapping up construction. Lingering blight The isolated trouble spots are two boarded-up fourplexes on Corning Street in central Los Angeles. And there are 131 partially renovated condominiums in the Victory-Tampa ghost town, but work cannot continue until a series of lawsuits are settled. City officials and the developer said they are sympathetic to the plight of ghost town neighbors like Watenmaker, but that's little consolation. ``This is the view we've had pretty much since the earthquake,'' Watenmaker said, gesturing toward the stripped lumber walls of the Tampa Manor Condominiums, also known as the Victory-Tampa ghost town. He said it's unfair that he has to pay full taxes when the recovery is far from complete in his neighborhood and when a massive eyesore clearly lowers the value of his home. ``This is unbelievable. I can't get a straight answer from anyone about what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. ,'' Watenmaker said, poking his toe at a weathered sign that proudly proclaims the project is being funded with city and federal disaster loans. ``This just increases my desire to see the Valley secede se·cede intr.v. se·ced·ed, se·ced·ing, se·cedes To withdraw formally from membership in an organization, association, or alliance. [Latin s from the city.'' ``I share his frustration,'' said Councilwoman Laura Chick, whose district includes the Victory-Tampa ghost town. ``Unfortunately, sometimes there are problems with contractors and people suing each other that government can't do anything about. ``We're certainly working on it. It's too bad it's not done, but when it is completed it will be a lot nicer than what was there before.'' Capitalizing on disaster The ruined complex is proof that the final winners and losers of the Northridge Quake still remain to be seen. Reseda developer Bill Miller may be a winner. He scored with the purchase of a sturdy but damaged commercial building that was foreclosed upon after the quake after the quake (神の子どもたちはみな踊る . Miller and his partners took advantage of quake financing deals to renovate the building, which now stands out as one of the best looking buildings in what was the Plummer Street-Reseda Boulevard ghost town. The building is half-full, and renovations on the last damaged suites are wrapping up, Miller said. ``I'm pleased,'' he added. ``It's probably one of the best buildings in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . It's been through two quakes.'' Financial aftershocks In Canoga Park, apartment owners Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. and Marian Wenzel are bracing for a delayed financial aftershock af·ter·shock n. 1. A quake of lesser magnitude, usually one of a series, following a large earthquake in the same area. 2. from the Northridge Quake. Like Miller, the Wenzels took advantage of federal disaster assistance to rebuild their six-unit apartment building in the Roscoe Boulevard-Schoenborn Street ghost town, but five years later their story is not so happy. The combined mortgage and city disaster assistance loan on their building is more than $316,000. The building is valued at only $200,000, which means that even if the Wenzels could sell it, they would still be in debt to the bank or the city. Unlike some property owners who abandoned their buildings - and mortgages - Leo Wenzel did not do so, a decision he said he might regret. ``I did not give it to the bank,'' he said, ``but now I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what's going to happen when the payment to the city comes up in November. I just don't have the money. There's not that kind of income from the building.'' Still, despite isolated cases, city officials say the rebuilding effort was mostly a success thanks to more than $361 million in federal disaster assistance loans coupled with tax credits - money crucial to the quick recovery. Overall, the recovery gets good marks from residents of the former ghost towns. ``They're starting to get it together,'' said Lance Thomas Lance Thomas (born April 241988 in Brooklyn, New York) is a forward on the Duke University's men's basketball team. From Scotch Plains, NJ. , who was relocated to the Alabama-Saticoy ghost town when his Northridge apartment was red-tagged. ``There aren't too many places left around here that are earthquake-damaged,'' Thomas said. ``For five years down the road, it's not too bad, I guess. It's getting better.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos PHOTO (1) A woman leads two children through a maze of tents set up by the National Guard at Lanark Park for displaced earthquake victims. Michael Owen
(2) Steve Watenmaker stands near the fenced-off, quake-damaged apartment units behind his Reseda home. John McCoy/Daily News |
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