Century City Rally: Constellation Station Needed 'Right Here, Right Now'

A crowd of construction workers and members of the Westwood and Century City business and residential communities clapped and blew wooden train whistles as local officials and advocacy groups called for a subway station at Constellation Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars.

The rally took place at the location of the proposed Purple Line stop on Thursday, will go before Metro's Board of Directors.

"Century City employs more than 40,000 people and 28,000 of those employees work within a quarter mile radius of where we're standing," said Susan Bursk, president and CEO of the Century City Chamber of Commerce.

"Let's build the subway without any more delays, and let's build the station where it belongs -- right here in the heart of Century City," Bursk said.

To watch video of the speakers at the rally, click the images above this sentence.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz said putting the subway station at Constellation Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars is the right decision, despite arguments against Metro's recommendation from Beverly Hills.

"We have an economy that's struggling. We have huge unemployment among construction workers. This is a subway system that needs to be built now and it needs to be built in the right place, and this is the right place," Koretz said.

Koretz also addressed the safety concerns brought up by the city of Beverly Hills and its school district. Earlier this week, of Metro's Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report during a special city council session. The Metro Board of Directors .

"I've represented Beverly Hills and I've represented areas surrounding Beverly Hills, and I care about Beverly Hills residents," Koretz said. "If I thought there was the slightest chance that this wasn't something safe for Beverly Hills, I wouldn't be supporting it. And I am here supporting it now. I think this will be great for everyone in this region, and let's make this happen -- right here, right now.

Tina Yaghoubi, a Beverly Hills High School alumna and UCLA student, said there are many people in Beverly Hills who are not opposed to tunneling under the high school. She expressed trust in Metro's safety analysis of the Constellation station.

"My voice represents the countless Beverly Hills residents who deplore the virulent minority who misrepresent and tarnish our community. My voice represents the new generation that is unsatisfied and disillusioned with the status quo. We are the generation who refuses to accept and engage in baseless rhetoric and fearmongering," said Yaghoubi, who currently lives in Beverly Hills. "We are those who embrace science and reason to reach our conclusions."

Earlier:

Jan Reichmann, president of the Comstock Hills Homeowners Association, identified herself as the "girl next door" who is ready to see people "stop blocking [the subway] and start building."

"Let Metro hear us loud and clear tomorrow and tell them to have the courage to finally just say 'no' to Beverly Hills," Reichmann said. "If tunneling is okay under the Pentagon, it's okay under a high school."