In walking tour, L.A. mayor and recovery czar pledge a revived Pacific Palisades
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The city of Los Angeles is planning to hire an outside consultant to handle a significant rebuilding contract for areas devastated by this month’s Palisades fire, Mayor Karen Bass said Monday.
The firm will represent the city’s interests in the wildfire recovery process, including performing damage assessments, monitoring air and water quality, interacting with various federal agencies and ensuring that the city gets as much federal reimbursement as possible, said Steve Soboroff, who was named by Bass as the city’s chief recovery officer.
The announcement came during a freewheeling half-hour walking tour in Pacific Palisades that Bass and Soboroff held for reporters and some residents Monday afternoon. The walk-and-talk was the first time Soboroff and Bass took questions together since she announced his role Jan. 17 in leading the first phase of the city’s recovery on Jan. 17.
Details about the scope of the forthcoming contract remain scant, but Bass said Monday that the city was in the midst of reviewing proposals from “major firms” and pledged to make a decision this week.
“They’re going to represent you and make sure that everybody does exactly what they say they’re going to do,” Soboroff said, nodding to the Palisades community members at the edge of the news conference.
Mayor Karen Bass selected developer and civic leader Steve Soboroff to lead Los Angeles’ recovery and rebuilding efforts in the wake of the Palisades fire.
Bass and Soboroff spoke outside a neighborhood recreation center in front of a plaque installed in 1986 marking the dedication of a children’s play area.
Soboroff’s name was at the top of the plaque, just above that of actor Chevy Chase, as the driving force behind rebuilding the playground nearly 40 years ago. It was a fix that Soboroff said he organized in just a few months by leaning on both the city and the neighborhood for support. The civic leader and real estate developer, whose public service included a long stint on the city’s police commission, raised his family in the area and has deep ties to the community.
More than 5,500 homes have been destroyed in the Palisades fire, including the house where Soboroff raised his children.
With reporters and camera operators scrambling to keep up, Bass and Soboroff, 76, made their way toward Sunset Boulevard after the short news conference.
They strolled past the ruins of the public library and ended less than a half-mile away at a town shopping center described as the heart of the community. An acrid, woodsy stench emanated from the wreckage, even though the skies were a smokeless blue after the weekend’s rains.
Along the way, Bass and Soboroff shared an initial vision for rebuilding the Palisades and addressed questions about debris clearing and other issues that have persisted in the three weeks since the fire began.
Soboroff and Bass pledged multiple initiatives in the coming weeks and months to revive the community. Soon, the city will unveil a mobile app to enable homeowners to receive status updates about environmental cleanup and permitting at their properties in real time, Soboroff said.
A burnt-out Ralphs supermarket anchored the shopping center, with an empty storefront standing intact next door. Soboroff said he was planning to call Ralphs to ask about installing a “pop up” supermarket at the location.
“We have a whole bunch of ideas,” Soboroff said.
Progress should advance quickly enough to have a July 4 Independence Day parade in the community, Soboroff said.
“Oh my God, you make me cry,” responded Haldis Toppel, a Palisades resident who lost her home and was trailing the duo alongside reporters.
When appointing Soboroff, Bass touted him as best qualified to work inside and outside the city bureaucracy to speed the recovery. The joint appearance came amid frustrations from residents about rebuilding timelines and questions about Soboroff’s responsibilities. At a community event Sunday evening, multiple Palisades residents asked why Soboroff wasn’t in attendance and questioned whether the mayor was following his advice.
On Monday, Bass and Soboroff presented a unified front, with the mayor praising Soboroff’s dedication to the Palisades and Soboroff championing the mayor’s commitment to a fast response.
More than 200 people attended a forum on recovering from the Pacific Palisades fire on Sunday, where they pressed officials on an array of issues.
Bass has faced added pressure since a Friday meeting where President Trump suggested that residents should be able to return to their properties immediately to clear debris. A representative from the Army Corps of Engineers estimated that removing hazardous waste from burned neighborhoods could take 18 months, a timeline that has caused widespread angst.
The mayor pledged Monday that the process would be finished as quickly as possible but noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is in charge of the first phase of debris removal, has been unable to provide a specific date for completion.
“What is so difficult for people to understand right now, especially if their place was destroyed, is it’s really toxic, it’s dangerous for them to be there,” Bass said.
Soboroff and Bass emphasized that they were in close contact with the Trump administration, with Soboroff saying he is seeking advice from a wide range of individuals, including those critical of Bass’ response.
Developer Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election and whose Palisades Village shopping center survived with the help of private firefighters, has challenged the city’s preparedness for the blaze. Soboroff said he has solicited Caruso for contacts of those who could help.
“We’re going to make friends,” Soboroff said. “We ain’t going to do this without a whole bunch of friends.”
Soboroff confirmed that he will be paid for his role as chief recovery officer, saying the funding will come from private philanthropy, not public dollars.
He said he thought that nonprofits California Community Foundation and SoCal Grantmakers were involved in fundraising for his salary, with the amount still to be determined.
Connie Llanos, a spokesperson for the California Community Foundation, said the organization has so far provided more than $15 million for recovery measures, and future awards could support government efforts.
“While our grants may cover operating expenses, decisions about specifics like compensation would remain with our grantee partner,” Llanos said.
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.
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