On Monday night, the City Council held a special meeting to ensure projects already in the works did not fall back into the hands of the state ahead of the Feb. 1 abolition of redevelopment agencies.
Mayor Micheal O’Leary noted that while residents were used to lengthy processes and ample public input time, the council had no choice but to speed things up before the
Along with the project, the council also moved forward on several others, including selling the property at 4044-4068 Globe Avenue to Habitat for Humanity; approving a commitment letter with Lab Holding LLC to sell the property on the northeast and northwest corners of the Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue to develop a market hall; approving a commitment letter with Lowe Enterprises for the Washington National Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site located adjacent to the Culver City Expo Light Rail line station, and approving sale of to Combined/Hudson Properties.
Globe Avenue property sale to Habitat for Humanity
The proposed project consists of 10 single-family townhomes with 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms. Five of the townhomes will be sold to low-income buyers and the other five will be sold to moderate-income buyers.
Councilmember Andrew Weissman noted that the project had been under consideration for a number of years, but said that by approving the project it would bring to 71 the number of affordable housing units the council had approved and moved forward in the last 12 months.
Commitment letter with LAB Holdings LLC to develop Washington/Centinela site to build a market hall
The project will comprise two designed sites to be built concurrently. Site A will comprise a market hall with high ceiling and/or mezzanine space of approximately 21,250 square feet of building area on a 31,422 square feet parcel with public plaza frontage. The remaining 21,600 sq. ft. will remain City property and the city will build a public parking structure. Site B will contain an additional high ceiling and/or mezzanine market hall or other related retail/restaurant uses comprised of 12,000 square feet of building area on a 19,736 square feet parcel with public plaza frontage.
Commitment letter with Lowe Enterprises to develop TOD site next to Expo line station
Due to the Feb. 1 RDA shutdown, City staff moved forward with a limited RFP process for the project. Staff issued a letter requesting land offers to several developers who had expressed interest. In submitting their offers, Legado and Runyon joined forces, as did Hines and Hackman, while Lowe Enterprises worked solo.
Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld recommended the council choose the Lowe project based on the land price and its willingness to build the city’s preferred project. The council voted unanimously for Lowe's project.
According to the staff report, the City has spent the past five years working on the project, including securing an elevated station and planning for pedestrian and bicycle improvements. The 5.2 acre TOD site was assembled at a cost of $41.5 million; the City initiated a Community Facilities District to fund necessary infrastructure and public improvements; executed a lease agreement with Metro to provide subterranean parking and related development on the MTA right of way; executed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Los Angeles to harmonize zoning and development requirements; expended $3.1 million to improve the Expo station to permit use of the MTA right of way for parking and related development, and fully vetted numerous development scenarios and conceptual plans in order to identify a preferred project that provides revenue returns to the City while promoting a sustainable design that fully comports with parking and building.
Sale of Parcel B to Combined Properties Inc./Hudson Pacific Properties Inc.
The council voted to adopt a resolution approving a Disposition and Development Agreement between the City and Combined/Hudson Pacific to sell and subsequently develop 9300 Culver Blvd, (Parcel B). The agreement includes the construction of the Town Plaza Expansion not to exceed $3,243,000 and construction of extra public parking spaces, estimated at $3,700,000.
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