The members of the City Council unanimously voted to purchase the property located at 11029 Washington Boulevard, at the City Council meeting which took place on Monday, September 11. The building is home to the Martin B. Retting firearm store.
Action Item 2 called for, “(1) Authorization to Enter into an Agreement with The Daniel A. Retting Separate Property Trust Established under The Daniel and Ellen Retting Family Trust and The Retting Trust dated October 25, 1989 for the Purchase and Sale of the Property Located at 11029 Washington Boulevard in Culver City in the Amount of $6,500,000; (2) Approval of an Amount Not-to-Exceed $250,000 for Closing Costs; (3) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of Related Budget Amendments; and (4) Direction to City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.”
Many members of the public turned out to have their say, with most in favor of the city purchasing the building for $6,500,000 in order to stop the sale of guns in an area so close to a school and places of worship.
A small amount criticized the deal, saying that the money could be better spent elsewhere, that the purchase won’t really do anything to curb gun violence, and that the same people who were so vocal on Monday were silent when the high school was disrupted by multiple fights.
Council Member Göran Eriksson requested that the building be painted immediately after the city takes ownership, while Vice Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin added that the community should be involved in deciding what the building will be used for next.