FOURTH AND CENTRAL — The Return of Leif the Viking (apparently a shofar is involved) — — Part One
Excerpts from August 29th Los Angeles Times article:
Mega-developments like Fourth & Central are L.A.’s future, some say
“When the Los Angeles City Council approved a new community plan for its historic core last year, the unanimous vote set into motion a radical change for the city. Downtown, primarily known for its office buildings and industry, could now be key in solving the region’s housing crisis.
DTLA 2040 — as the community plan is known — will nearly double the area where housing can be built, with the goal of enticing developers to enter the market and build nearly 100,000 new residences downtown over the next 20 years. It will go into effect early next year, pending committee approvals and another council vote.
Even though the mega-development Fourth & Central was well in its planning stages before DTLA 2040 was approved, it offers a preview of how downtown Los Angeles will probably change in the coming decades.
Critics may oppose its size and scale, but some urbanists believe this type of development is unavoidable if Los Angeles is to meet the goals of DTLA 2040 and create more housing in a region where buildable land is both scarce and expensive.
Even though the downtown area represents just 1% of Los Angeles’ acreage, planners expect it to accommodate 20% of the city’s housing growth over the next two decades. Construction cranes hover over a number of new developments throughout downtown, but few will contain more than 700 residences.
Covering a block and a half of industrial land, Fourth & Central represents a shift in how downtown has historically been zoned. Currently a cold storage facility with three large warehouses for storing frozen food, the property is in an area that was once the city’s logistical hub for rail transportation.
But as downtown has evolved — rail lines relocated to Union Station, and decades later, more residential space is opening up — the cold storage facility has become more anachronistic than practical. Eighteen-wheelers frequently impede traffic on Central Avenue for commuters navigating already congested streets.
A hallmark of the design is a residential tower, built on the back side of the Little Tokyo Mall and designed by renowned Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye. Originally planned for 44 stories, the tower has been scaled back to 30 stories “in response to community concerns,” according to Continuum. Once planned for 449 residential units, it will now have 335.
To make up for that loss, a proposed 68-room hotel and an equal number of extended-stay apartments have been replaced by a 26-story tower with 250 residential units on the south side of Fourth Street.
Even with the changes, the main tower “is still twice the size of the tallest building in Little Tokyo,” said Grant Sunoo, director of community building and engagement at the Little Tokyo Service Center.
In an Aug. 19 letter to the city planning department, the Little Tokyo Community Council cited concerns related to gentrification, traffic and pollution that it contended were not adequately addressed in the project’s environmental impact report.
Sunoo concedes that the cold storage site needs redevelopment but argues that the scale of Fourth & Central will irreparably damage the character of downtown neighborhoods.
“If you’re building a project of this scale, it should be done in partnership with the communities that are affected by it,” Sunoo said. “Little Tokyo and Skid Row have historically been affected by inequities in planning, land use and development, so we have different expectations for those who develop in these neighborhoods.”
Construction is expected to last between five to seven years, with an estimated cost of $2 billion.”
Ysabel Jurado declared victory on November 8th over incumbent Kevin De Leon to join Los Angeles City Council representing Council District 14 (CD-14). CD-14 includes Skid Row.
Here is newly elected Counclmember Jurado’s original Candidate Statement:
“Hi! My name is Ysabel Jurado and I’m running for Los Angeles City Council District 14. I’m a tenants rights attorney, single mom, housing justice advocate, and a lifelong resident of District 14. I was born and raised in Highland Park, and I’ve watched as my neighbors and historic, legacy businesses have been priced out because of luxury real estate developers who build fancy condominiums only the very rich can afford. That’s exactly why I became a housing rights attorney, focused on combating gentrification-driven displacement. I spend my days protecting our neighborhoods from corrupt developers and politicians and creating innovative housing models, like Community Land Trusts and housing cooperatives. Since the 1960s, this district has been run by men who have resigned in disgrace, served single terms, been indicted for corruption, and called to step down over shady backroom deals. At some point we have to ask ourselves: why do we keep electing the same career politicians and expecting different results? It’s time to try something different. I’m the daughter of undocumented immigrants, a public transit rider, a former teen mom, and a working class Angeleno who has navigated the challenges of poverty. I have held the line on countless strikes and defended truck drivers against the same wage theft my father faced. And I’m running to be the first woman and first Filipina to ever represent CD-14. More importantly, I’m running to defend the working families of this community from corporate greed and City Hall corruption. I know that together, we can tackle the homelessness crisis, we can guarantee dignified housing for all, we can fight for climate action, we can create safe streets, and we can deliver economic justice that uplifts small businesses and ensure that prosperity is shared by all of us. But the only way to get there is by electing Councilmembers who will not be swayed by special interests or personal gain, and who will unapologetically fight for the constituents they serve. That’s why I’m running. I will bring the institutional knowledge of a legal housing expert and the lived experience of a queer, immigrant-raised, working class, woman of color — a battle-tested representative for and from the community.”
On the same day she declared victory, November 8th, a detailed letter was sent to her by the Little Tokyo Community Council to inform her of their decision of official opposition to Fourth and Central.
From that letter:
“Despite a commitment by the developer to “do better” and provide us updates on the project, they cancelled an important presentation to LTCC and provided no follow-up, nor sent any items promised such as the model for community-owned retail for the project. The unexpected scheduling by the City of the Project’s first public hearing for Nov. 20, 2024, and recent release of the Final Environmental Impact Report, along with Continuum’s failure to follow-through on its commitments, demonstrate a lack of genuine interest in meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the community to address our concerns and needs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Little Tokyo Community Council opposes the Fourth and Central development as proposed and requests that the Los Angeles City Council, the Planning and Land Use Committee, the City Planning Commission, and all related agencies and hearing officers deny all necessary permits and requested entitlement approvals for the Fourth and Central development as proposed.”