Colorblind Jobs

Coming to terms over who gets hired on Compton project

Comments (0) By Judith Lewis Wednesday, May 10 2006

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Lately, there are signs that any wall between Prism-IQ and Compton’s residents may be giving way. Two weeks ago, Evans stood up at a Compton City Council meeting to invite community participation in the Gateway Towne Center project and to announce that it was open to contractors’ bids. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a state agency armed with several million dollars in Proposition A money dedicated to restoring tributaries to the Los Angeles River — including Compton Creek — has initiated talks with Prism-IQ that people close to the project describe as both “sensitive” and “positive.” “We are working in a capacity that brings reasonable satisfaction to both the people concerned about the creek and the developers,” Evans told me, adding that those concerns are not mutually exclusive. “I am excited about how we can bring beautification to the community,” he said. “We are dedicated to a plan that incorporates nature and green space.”

Evans and Johnson confirm that they will meet Friday, May 12, to discuss potential contracts for YBCA’s members. Johnson, however, remains suspicious. “He came to the table saying he wanted to do the right thing,” Johnson said of Evans. “Now we just hope he doesn’t try to flip the script on us.”