City Council approves Century City high-rise without debate

The Los Angeles City Council gave the go-ahead today to a 39-story retail and residential complex in Century City planned by the shopping mall company Westfield U.S. Holdings.

Under the proposal, Westfield plans to reconfigure its shopping and dining areas while adding a high-rise that would house 262 condominiums and up to four stories of shopping – primarily Bloomingdale’s, which will be relocated from another part of the mall.

Westfield also plans to raze two existing office buildings.

Environmental documents prepared by the city’s planning department estimated that the $800 million project, when completed, will generate up to 5,922 additional car trips per day on weekdays and up to 7,466 extra car trips per day on weekends.

To address some of the project’s impacts, Westfield agreed to an array of concessions – upgrading intersections,  encouraging greater use of public transit and creating a “parking ombudsman” to regulate parking by mall employees.

The council approved the project without discussion.

-- David Zahniser

Photo: L.A. Times

Comments

[Steve]

The LA City Council is in bed with 1) Developers and 2) Billboard companies. All they do is green-light anything these lobbyists want - in secret - without public input. Even though the project might be 'good' for the community, it fails the smell-test when projects are ok'd unilaterally. And is upgrading the intersections around Century City a concession?!?!? Have you seen how nice the area already is?! It's waste!

[Jose]

That is good news. Anyways, why don't they built anything in South Los Angeles, Watts? I wonder if they would have a debate if a developer would want to built something in Watts?

[scott]

The name of the game is revenue, money talks and voices are then silent. Sad thing is us residents have to deal with all the headaches. The developers are required to upgrade close intersections around the projects. The problem is the intersections 5 blocks away are already congested and little is done to change them. Think it about this way it not the 262 condominiums they approved it's the 3 other people who live with 262 people who also drive. So double or triple that amount and now you see the congestion. Don't for get all the service trucks who come to the building.
LA lost the war on cars the only thing we won as residents is the slower economy.

[Louweegie272]

When you get paid $400,000 per year including percs like $100,000 cash to use however they want, no questions asked, have staffs of up to 32 people who earn as much as $95,000 per year, 8 of whom get free cars. You want to make sure the people who finance your lifestyle get what they want. I'm surprised they don't call it "an affordable housing initiative". Way to look out for the people!

[lsm]

Mitigating 7,466 additional car trips each weekday by upgrading intersections, encouraging public transit use and creating a parking ombudsman will be about as useful as spitting into the wind. Although these are all commendable endeavors, they will not provide enough benefit. Westfield should kick in funding to help bring the Purple Line through Century City and allow us the option to travel under the progressively gridlocked streets surrounding their newest mega-development. Growth is inevitable in LA. Failing to preserve a livable environment after the inevitable growth, however, is folly.

[Carol]

All excellent comments above mine (5 right now).

Encouraging public transportation? Yeah, right. What city do you think this is? Those with the means to shop in Century City will NOT be lugging their packages home on the bus.

[Tony Fernandez]

Amazing that in a CITY we are actually considering advocating against development. It's insane.

[LA for sale]

We should just get rid of all the elected officials. If the developers and billboarders get their way all the time, the city govt. is just a useless rubber stamp. We would save some tax money and the city couldn't possibly be any worse.

[DMS]

They should be funding the Purple line station before any additional mall space/condo units are built.

[brentwood mom]

I try to avoid patronizing Century City Mall because it is impossible to find a parking space and the time restrictions are unreasonable. I also had a very bad experience having to pay $19 to park because I had not properly validated my parking. I wrote to Westfield and they never responded. Obviously Westfield and the councilmember who assisted Westfield are only interested in their own interests. There really is no hope when ethical leadership is non-existent. P.S. I agree with one of the writers above that if the City and Developer were really interested in improving the enviroment, the would have agreed to provide public transportation support instead of the silly meaningless "consessions". Shame on the city leaders and planners.