Baldwin Park Civic Center Plaza - ULI Los Angeles - Urban Land ...

Panel Members
Panel Chair
Vanessa Delgado
Director of Development, Primestor
Ms. Delgado is responsible for managing Primestor West Coast projects
through the development cycle, community and government relations
and marketing. Prior to joining Primestor, Ms. Delgado consulted
for a number of public and private clients, including the Community
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles. She also worked in
redevelopment for the cities of Anaheim, Downey and Pico Rivera. Ms.
Delgado received her undergraduate education at Stanford University
and completed a masters of Public Administration at the University of
Southern California (USC). She received additional training in Real Estate
Finance and Development at UCLA and through the Ross Program at the
Lusk Center at USC. Ms. Delgado currently serves as a Commissioner for
the Small Craft Harbor (Marina del Rey) representing Los Angeles County
Board of Supervisors Member Gloria Molina and is a Board Member for
Mercy Housing, California.
Panel Members
John Adams
Project Principal, Gensler
Mr. Adams is a principal and leader of Gensler’s Los Angeles design
practice, where he has spent the last 17 years as an architect, real
estate strategist and planner. This experience has instilled in him
a comprehensive understanding of large-scale urban mixed-use,
redevelopment, corporate campus and entertainment projects. His
passion is leading large teams on complex projects that transform
urban environments John leverages his knowledge of urban design,
construction and real estate development to help clients and communities.
John’s recent project experience includes his role as design manager
for the 54-story, 2,000,000-square-foot Hotel & Residences Tower at
L.A. LIVE, and the 800,000-square-foot 2000 Avenue of the Stars office
building, both in Los Angeles.
Vanessa Delgado presents the panel’s recommendations to city and elected officials.
20 City of Baldwin Park Civic Center Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Panel Program
Loren Bloch
President, Community Dynamics
Mr. Block oversees the company’s strategic planning and operations.
Having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in
1976, Loren entered the building industry as a laborer and carpenter’s
apprentice. He worked his way up through the ranks of construction
management at Watt Industries for three years where he helped manage
building and sales for a major housing tract in Antelope Valley. Loren
subsequently directed the construction of infill apartment buildings
and low rise commercial centers for a Los Angeles based developer
until 1986, when he founded Community Dynamics. As the Company’s
President, Loren has presided over the development, build-out and
sale of homes valued at nearly $500 million. And in public-private
partnerships with progressive cities, financial institutions and inspired
design teams, he has pioneered some of the most innovative and uplifting
affordable homeownership communities in the United States. A native of
Los Angeles, Loren resides in Santa Monica with his wife Ping, who runs
a non-profit organization focused on the interplay of healing and the arts.
Their daughter Lian is a graduate student at UC Berkeley. And their son
Jake is a freshman at USC’s Thornton School of Music. Loren currently
serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of
Santa Monica.
Claudia Gutierrez
Associate, Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton, LLP
Ms. Gutierrez is an associate in the Real Estate, Land Use and Natural
Resources practice group in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Ms. Gutierrez’s
legal practice spans over multiple areas of real estate including purchase
and sale, land use and development. Claudia has extensive experience
advising clients on complex, cutting-edge real estate transactions.
Within real estate, Claudia has extensive experience in negotiating
complex Purchase and Sale Agreements, Covenants, Conditions and
Restrictions Agreements and Reciprocal Easement Agreements for
commercial, mixed use and affordable housing projects. Claudia’s
development practice focuses on public/private partnerships, multi-use
projects, redevelopment, relocation, prevailing wage, transit-oriented
projects and public financing. In connection with such projects, Claudia
has successfully negotiated multiple Disposition and Development
Agreements and Owner Participation Agreements with redevelopment
agencies in multiple jurisdictions. In addition, Claudia has substantial
experience advising clients on the California Community Redevelopment
Law, Subdivision Map Act, the California Environmental Quality Act and
the Polanco Redevelopment Act. Claudia also has significant experience
in obtaining and negotiating land use entitlements for complex projects
throughout California. She works closely with clients and consultants
on all aspects of land use due diligence and entitlement, which includes
analysis of local zoning ordinances, general plans, redevelopment agency
plans and related land use restrictions. In addition, Claudia participated
in the Southern California Leadership Network’s Leadership L.A. Class
of 2009 Fellows program, in partnership with the Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce.