Al Taira, 71; Developed Property Within Little Tokyo Neighborhood
By Jordan Ikeda
Rafu Staff Writer
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008

The goal of his projects was to bring Japanese Americans back to J-Town.

Courtesy of the Taira family
Little Tokyo real estate developer Albert Taira with his wife, Cynthia.

Albert Hiroshi Taira, who purchased and helped develop a great deal of what is Little Tokyo today, passed away on Jan. 1 at the St. Vincent’s Medical Cen­ter. He was 71.

Funeral services were held yesterday at Centenary United Methodist Church in Little Tokyo a fitting setting for a man who helped develop so much of the surrounding area. The church was filled to capacity with family, friends and associates.

It was Taira’s dream to redevelop Little Tokyo in an effort to bring the community back. In 1976, Taira and his father, Tom, formed Investment Corporation (TIC) and over the next eight years purchased the Nisei Trad­ing Building, Krown Transportation and several other properties eventually taking over most of the city block. The property now is made up of residential complexes serving the community.

In 1980, Taira partnered with Obayashi USA, he acquired land on Alameda between Fifth and Sixth streets, and after four years of planning, began constructing what is now Mitsuwa Plaza. Little Tokyo Square, as it was called then, opened in 1985 and for four years under TIC management, thrived.

During the same time, Taira teamed with Joseph Ito and Narumi and acquired the Mitsui Manufacturer’s Bank (MMB) building on the corner of Second and San Pedro. Taira and Obayashi USA dedicated the statue of Japanese folk hero Ninomiya Kin­jiro that stands in front of the MMB as a testament of the hard work and sacrifices made by the Japanese American Community. In 1998, TIC acquired 7.5 acres of land just south of Union Station with the plan of build­ing a 1 million square-foot mixed-use development. Unfortunately, the task of approval took nearly ten years and over $1 million in expenses. Taira sold the properties to Trammell Crow who have since developed affordable residential communities.

Taira, a Brawley-born Nisei and resident of Los Angeles is survived by his wife, Cynthia; children, Tom Hiroshi (fiancée Stephanie) Taira, Candace Hi­romi (Paolo Merli) Taira, Tracy (Norbert Tan) Takahashi and Kirk Takahashi; granddaughter, Ceora Tan; sister, Mar­garet (Zeke) Taira Mataga; and nephew, David (Linda) Ikegami.

For a more in depth look at Taira’s life, a memorial website has been set up by his family at www.alberttaira.com.