Draft Environmental Impact Report
Draft Environmental Impact Report - Recirculated
Project Description: The Proposed Project (“The City Market of Los Angeles”) seeks to redevelop an approximately 10-acre project site across portions of four blocks in Downtown Los Angeles. The Project Site is currently developed with approximately 115,249 square feet (sf) of improved structural floor area, of which only 59,000 sf is currently occupied and operational with warehouse, wholesale, office, bank, and storage land uses, and associated surface parking lots. The Proposed Project seeks to demolish up to approximately 91,729 sf of the existing structures on the Project Site and redevelop the Project Site with a mixed-use project with a maximum of approximately 1,719,658 sf of total developed floor area. The Proposed Project is anticipated to be built out over a proposed 25-year period and would include the construction of approximately 945 multiple residential dwelling units, approximately 210 hotel rooms, approximately 294,641 sf of commercial (including medical and general office) and manufacturing uses, approximately 224,862 sf of retail floor area (including restaurants, bars, event space, wholesale uses, and a cinema with approximately 744 seats), and approximately 312,112 sf of corporate/educational campus floor area. The Project would include approximately 3,670 parking spaces in above and below grade parking structures. Proposed building heights would range from three stories to 38 stories (max. 435 feet above grade). The total project net square footage of development would not exceed an FAR of 4.10:1 or 1,719,658 sf.
Permits and Approvals: The Proposed Project would require the following discretionary actions: (1) Development Agreement in exchange for community benefits; (2) General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation from Light Manufacturing (“LM”) to Regional Commercial (“RC”) and apply the existing General Plan footnote No. 4 to the Project Site which will create consistency with the Project scope and the proposed Vesting Zone Change to C2; (3) Vesting Zone Change from the M2-2D Zone to the “[Q] C2-2” to permit the construction of the Project described herein, including provisions for the application of the Land Use Equivalency Program; (4) Height District Change to apply a new ‘D’ limitation to modify the allowable FAR from 3:1 to 4.1:1; (5) a Supplemental Use District (SUD) for advertising signage; (6) A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Floor Area Averaging in a unified mixed-use development not to exceed 4.10:1 FAR, however, a maximum FAR of 4.43:1 will be permitted on Block 1, 3.40:1 FAR on Block 2, 2.43:1 FAR on Block 3 and 7.19:1 of Block 4; (7) Site Plan Review findings be made for a major unified development and a project that results in an increase of 50,000 gross square feet or more of nonresidential floor areas and/or 50 or more dwelling units or guest rooms, (8) Master CUP for the on-site and off-site sales of alcoholic beverages in retail establishments, bars, and restaurants; (9) a Vesting Airspace Tentative Tract Map to permit the merger and re-subdivision of the land and the creation of four ground lots containing 14 air space lots, including (a) the vacation of the alley located within Block 2 which is surrounded by San Pedro Street, San Julian Street, 12th Street, and 11th Street, (b) merge that portion of San Julian Street (approx. 2 feet) which is over dedicated, (c) a reduction from the Advisory Agency’s Parking Policy to allow parking to be calculated based on the LAMC and other discretionary approvals including but not limited to demolition, grading, excavation, and foundation permits; and (13) haul route approval.
Anticipated Significant Environmental Effects: Based on the analysis contained in this Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), the Project would result in significant and unavoidable environmental impacts with regard to construction and operational air quality emissions, operational land use/noise compatibility, and traffic impacts at three study intersections during the a.m. peak hour and seven study intersections during the p.m. peak hour. All other potential impacts identified would either be less than significant or can be mitigated to less-than-significant levels with the incorporation of mitigation measures.
Document Review and Comment: If you wish to review a copy of the DEIR or the documents referenced in the DEIR, you may do so at the City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning, at 200 N. Spring Street, City Hall, Los Angeles, CA, Room 750. Digital versions of the DEIR are also available at the following Library Branches:
1. Los Angeles Central Library, 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
2. Chinatown Branch Library at 639 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA
The DEIR is also available online at the Department of City Planning’s website [(http://cityplanning.lacity.gov (click on “Environmental” and then “Draft EIR”)]. The DEIRs can be purchased on CD-rom for $7.50 per copy. Contact Christina Toy Lee of the City of Los Angeles at (213) 473-9723 to purchase one. If you wish to submit comments following review of the RDEIR, please reference the file number above, and submit them in writing or email by September 12, 2016 no later than 4:00 PM.
Please direct your comments to:
Christina Toy Lee, City Planner
Los Angeles Department of City Planning
200 North Spring Street, Room 750
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax: 213 978-1343 E-mail: christina.toy-lee@lacity.org
Circulation Period: July 28, 2016 - September 12, 2016
