Inglewood Forward was a community initiative spearheaded by an Inglewood based consultant that was paid for by Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The mission was clear – to gather community support for the incoming Intuit Dome which featured hand-selected community members to spread the good news.
Christine Robert, with the Robert Group, was tasked with outreach activities to drum up support for the $1.2 billion state-of-the-art home for the Clippers with many of the supporters being local business owners, city commissioners, city employees and the entire city council.
Robert coordinated a bus trip to Sacramento where one-by-one the spoke to legislators all but begging them to approve fast-tracking the Clippers Arena because the city “needed” it.
(Photo: Inglewood Forward)
Many of the business owners believed it was a no-brainer to leverage their support to Ballmer’s project as they would reap the “benefits” of gaining new business as a direct result.
Five years later, many of those supporters are being kicked out of their businesses, at the intersection of Florence and Market Street where Inglewood Forward staged photo ops for the mayor and council to partake in. Unbeknownst to the businesses they were supporting their own demise.
Their visit worked as Gov. Gavin Newsom approved fast-tracking the arena in 2019.
Initially, it was a secret that Ballmer was funding the group until it was brought to 2UrbanGirls attention that the now-defunct website inglewoodforward.com was in fact sponsored by Ballmer. The photo above shows the changes made to the site which was updated to include funding came from Murphy’s Bowl LLC.
2UrbanGirls contacted Christine Robert, the owner of TRG, on March 8, 2018, to inquire if she was being paid to provide the study or outreach to get the projects passed for the NBA and NFL.
TRG: So here’s the deal, this effort is not a political campaign and therefore would not require a campaign ID. The purpose of our effort is to support and recognize the many positive accomplishment and attributes of the community. It is to be a vehicle for Inglewood resident and business people to tell their own positive story of life in Inglewood thereby promoting civic pride. This is in response to what is often seen or described by the press which are negative story’s and connotations about the City. Inglewood is a wonderful community to raise a family, open a business and just to live and we think that story has to be told. Hope this is helpful. Continued best.
2UG: Is the city paying for the mailers or is it part of your contract? I’ve called several folks in the mailer who explicitly state they were approached by a member of your staff for inclusion, free of charge. Which means either TRG has a charity arm or this came out of the $300k you got for that study.
TRG: You have just accused me of something illegal.
Now that the business owners realize they were used as a pawn to benefit the mayor, council, and consultants, they are fighting back and sharing their story with local news reporter Ashley Mackey, who is believed to be related to an Inglewood realtor and insurance agent.
The business owners that are the most vocal are from the Martin family who will have multiple businesses affected by the Inglewood Transit Connector which is needed to alleviate traffic concerns that will derive from the Clippers Arena.
Related: Traffic, noise from new LA Clippers arena would be ‘significant’ and ‘unavoidable,’ report says
“We’re very concerned because the progress should be for the ones that we’ve been hanging in here for the city of Inglewood, not what’s happening now for other businesses that are coming to the city with big names,” said Gloria Martin.
Martin’s family owns several businesses in Inglewood, including Fiesta Martin Bar & Grill. Two of her family’s businesses would be forced to close because of this project.
“For them to say, ‘Hey we’re going to displace you. We’re going to put you somewhere else.’ How do we know that’s going to work? How do we know that people are going to continue to follow us even if it’s just a mile away or a block away?” said Esaul Martin Jr., another co-owner of Fiesta Martin Bar & Grill.
The Martins have purchased four properties since 2018 to relocate their businesses. They purchased the former Los Poncho’s restaurant, a shuttered flower shop across from Parks Meat Market, the former Big Red Fish market on Van Ness and Ike Turner’s former studio on 64th & LaBrea.
Other businesses aren’t that fortunate.
According to Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. the City has a Business Interruption Fund to assist displaced businesses with the goal of keeping them in the city but where?
How will the City accomplish relocating over 40 businesses in other areas of the City?
