III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
This Section provides a brief overview of the Project Site’s regional and local setting. Additional descriptions of the environmental setting as it relates to each of the environmental issues analyzed in this EIR are included in the environmental setting discussions contained within Sections IV.A through IV.N of this EIR. A list of related projects, which is used as the basis for the discussion of cumulative impacts in each section is also provided.
1. OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
a. Regional Setting
b. Local Setting and Land Uses
c. Surrounding Land Uses
2. RELATED PROJECTS
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-1 City of Los Angeles July 2010
1. OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
a. Regional Setting
The Project Site is located in Los Angeles County, in the Central City (downtown) area of the City of Los Angeles (the “City”) (see Section II [Project Description], Figure II-1 [Regional and Project Vicinity Map]). The Project Site is also located in the Financial Core district of downtown Los Angeles, which is bordered by South Park to the south and southwest, the Historic Core to the east and southeast, Bunker Hill to the north and northeast, and City West to the west and northwest across the US/Interstate 110 (the “Harbor Freeway”) (see Figure II-3 [Downtown Context Map] in Section II [Project Description]).
Regional access to the Project Site is provided via the Harbor Freeway approximately 0.04 mile west of the Project Site. Wilshire Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and Olympic Boulevard serve as the primary arterial roadways providing access to the area surrounding the Project Site. The Project Site is bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Francisco Street to the west, 7th Street to the south, and Figueroa Street to the east. Because the Project Site does not lie on a due-north grid, Figure III-1 has been prepared to illustrate which “quadrants” are considered north, south, east, and west. The Project Site is located adjacent to the 7th Street/Metro Center/Julian Dixon station (“the 7th Street/Metro Center station”), which provides access to the Red, Purple, and Blue light rail transit lines operated by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“Metro”) and to other hubs of the regional transit system via Los Angeles Union Station. The Metro subway runs in a tunnel beneath 7th Street adjacent to the Project Site.
b. Local Setting and Land Uses
The Project Site, located in the Central City Community Plan Area, encompasses approximately 3.2 acres, or approximately 140,165 square feet of land area on three irregularly shaped rectangular parcels, inclusive of the 0.51 acres of Francisco Street proposed to be vacated. The majority of the Project Site has a corresponding existing zoning classification of C2-4D. After the vacation of Francisco Street, which does not currently have a zoning designation, the western half of the street would have a zoning classification of C4-4D and the eastern half would have a zoning designation of C2-4D.
The Project Site is currently developed with the 16-story Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre, which consists of 896 hotel rooms, approximately 215,000 square feet of office uses, approximately 206,600 square feet of hotel amenity, accessory retail and restaurant uses, and subterranean parking with 286 parking spaces. The amenities for the hotel include conference space and meeting rooms, ballroom, pool and spa, and fitness facilities. Views of the existing Project Site are shown in Figures III-2 (Views of the Project Site, Views 1, 2, and 3) and III-3 (Views of the Project Site, Views 4, 5, and 6).
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-2 NORTH QUADRANT
Garland Ave Project EAST WEST Site QUADRANT QUADRANT
SOUTH QUADRANT
Not to Scale Source: Google Maps and Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2010.
Figure III-1 Directional Quadrants of the Project Area View 1: View looking southwest across the intersection View 2: View looking northwest across the intersection of of Figueroa Street and Wilshire Boulevard toward the Figueroa Street and 7th Street toward the Project Site. Project Site.
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FIGUEROA STREET LEGEND 3 # Photo Location LEBANON STREET Project Site 2
PHOTO LOCATION MAP View 3: View looking northwest across the intersection of Figueroa Street and 7th Street toward the Project Site.
Source: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009.
Figure III-2 Views of the Project Site Views 1, 2, and 3 View 4: View looking northeast across the intersection of View 5: View looking northeast across Francisco Street Francisco Street and 7th Street toward the Project Site. toward the Project Site at approximately mid-block.
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# Photo Location LEBANON STREET Project Site
PHOTO LOCATION MAP View 6: View looking west along Wilshire Boulevard toward the Project Site.
Source: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009.
Figure III-3 Views of the Project Site Views 4, 5, and 6 City of Los Angeles July 2010
c. Surrounding Land Uses
The Project Site is located in a highly developed urban area. General land uses in the vicinity of the Project Site include a mix of high-density commercial/retail and office uses, as well as limited residential uses, contained in structures ranging from small buildings to skyscrapers, which are physically separated from the Project Site by arterial and non-arterial roadways. The following paragraphs describe the specific land uses in the Project Site vicinity.
The structures that immediately surround the Project Site include the 21-story, 350-foot tall 1000 Wilshire Boulevard building across Francisco Street to the west, the 23-story, 288-foot tall 911 Wilshire building across Wilshire Boulevard to the north, and the 52-story, 717-foot tall Figueroa at Wilshire building across Wilshire Boulevard to the northeast.
To the east of the Project Site, across the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street are the six-story building at 835 Wilshire Boulevard, the 15-story Northwestern Mutual Life Building at 888 6th Street, and a five-story, above-ground parking structure fronting Figueroa Street. Views of the surrounding uses to the east are shown in Figure III-4 (Views of Surrounding Land Uses, Views 1, 2, and 3).
To the southeast of the Project Site across Figueroa Street are a one-story building at the southern corner of the Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street intersection, the approximately three-story Mullen Building/Historic Fire Station No. 28, and the 24-story, 356-foot Figueroa Tower. To the south of the Project Site across the 7th Street and Figueroa Street intersection are the 12-story, 174-foot 818 Plaza building with adjacent surface parking lot as well as two parking structures, one six-story and one seven- story, which also occupy the block. Views of the surrounding uses to the south are shown in Figure III-4 (Views of Surrounding Uses, Views 1, 2, and 3) and Figure III-5 (Views of Surrounding Uses, Views 4, 5, and 6).
To the west and southwest of the Project Site across 7th Street are the 42-story, 534-foot Ernst & Young Plaza building and 7 + Fig Center; the 53-story, 725-foot 777 Tower; and an approximately 13-story parking structure which serves the Ernst & Young Plaza building, 7 + Fig Center, and the 777 Tower. Views of the surrounding uses to the west and north are shown in Figure III-6 (Views of the Surrounding Uses, Views 7, 8, and 9).
The surrounding structures generally consist of office uses and ground floor retail uses with the exception of the 1000 Wilshire Boulevard building and the 777 Tower, which contain only office uses, and the Mullen Building/Historic Fire Station No. 28, which contains a restaurant. The nearest multi-family residential uses, which include The Pegasus apartments, Roosevelt Lofts, The Piero apartments, and 1010 Wilshire apartments, are each located approximately 500 feet or more from the Project Site to the east, southeast, north, and northwest, respectively. A portion of the Figueroa Tower ground floor at the corner of 7th Street and Figueroa Street, immediately southeast of the Project Site, provides access to the 7th Street/Metro Center station which serves the Red, Purple, and Blue light rail transit lines operated by
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-6 View 1: View looking east across the intersection of View 2: View looking south across Figueroa Street Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street toward the toward the three-story Mullen Building and 24-story 15-story Northwest Mutual Life building, five-story parking Figueroa Tower. structure, and various Wilshire Boulevard office buildings.
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FIGUEROA STREET LEGEND 3 # Photo Location LEBANON STREET Project Site
PHOTO LOCATION MAP View 3: View looking southwest across the intersection of 7th Street and Figueroa Street toward the 12-story 818 Plaza.
Source: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009.
Figure III-4 Views of Surrounding Uses Views 1, 2, and 3 View 4: View looking southwest across 7th Street from the Project Site toward the 13-story parking structure. View 5: View looking east along 7th Street toward the 24-story Figueroa Tower.
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6 LEGEND 8TH STREET # Photo Location Project Site FIGUEROA STREET
PHOTO LOCATION MAP View 6: View looking north from 8th Street toward the Project Site and the 21-story 1000 Wilshire.
Source: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009.
Figure III-5 Views of Surrounding Uses Views 4, 5, and 6 View 8: View looking northwest across Francisco Street toward the 1100 Wilshire (left) and the 18-story 1010 Wilshire multi-family residential tower (right). View 7: View looking north across 7th Street and Francisco Street toward the 21-story 1000 Wilshire building.
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# Photo Location LEBANON STREET Project Site
PHOTO LOCATION MAP
View 9: View looking northeast across Wilshire Boulevard toward the 23-story 911 Wilshire building.
Source: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009.
Figure III-6 Views of Surrounding Uses Views 7, 8, and 9 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Metro. There are several hotels and private clubs within the immediate vicinity of the Project Site including the Standard Hotel, the California Club, the Jonathan Club, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the Checkers Hilton Hotel, and the Sheraton Hotel. The Los Angeles Central Library and the associated Maguire Gardens are located at 630 5th Street.
2. RELATED PROJECTS
Sections 15126 and 15130 of the State CEQA Guidelines provide that EIRs consider the significant environmental effects of a project as well as “cumulative impacts.” Cumulative impacts refer to two or more individual effects which, when considered together, are considerable or which compound or increase other environmental impacts (CEQA Guidelines Section 15355). Cumulative impacts may be analyzed by considering a list of past, present, and probable future projects producing related or cumulative impacts (CEQA Guidelines Section 15130 [b][1][A]).
All proposed (those with pending applications), recently approved, under construction, or reasonably foreseeable projects that could produce a related or cumulative impact on the local environment when considered in conjunction with the Project are included in this EIR. For an analysis of the cumulative impacts associated with these related projects and the Project, cumulative impact discussions are provided under each individual environmental impact category in Section IV (Environmental Impact Analysis) of this EIR.
The list of 92 projects (see Table III-1 [List of Related Projects]) includes all approved, under construction, proposed, or reasonably foreseeable projects within the Study Area that are expected to be completed by the anticipated Project buildout and occupancy in 2020. Section IV.B (Transportation) defines the Study Area as the approximately 10 square miles bounded by Cesar E. Chavez Avenue/Temple Street on the north, Soto Street on the east, Washington Boulevard on the south, and Hoover Street/Alvarado Street on the west.
The list of related projects is not intended to be the exclusive list of projects that may occur during the buildout period, which cannot be known in an absolute or exhaustive way. Instead, the list is intended to demonstrate the anticipated magnitude of development that may occur in downtown Los Angeles during this period based on projects currently on file with the City. Furthermore, the related projects list provides a conservative analysis because it is unlikely that all of the projects on the list will be developed due to various circumstances that could arise during the typical planning process. The related projects are shown on Figure III-7 (Location of Related Projects).
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-10 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Table III-1 List of Related Projects
Map No. Project Name Location Description Sizea Hotel 1,200 rooms Cinema 3,600 seats Theatre 7,000 seats 1 Staples Entertainment District Figueroa St./11th St. Restaurant 345,000 sf Retail 498,000 sf Office 165,000 sf Apartments 800 du 400 Washington 2 LA Trade Tech College Master Plan n/a Blvd. 2000 S. Central Retail 51,189 sf 3 Central Avenue Mixed-Use Ave. Apartments 93 du 4 LAUSD ELA High School #1 1201 E. 1st St. High School 1,206 students Quality Restaurant 8,891 sf 5 Quality Restaurant & Bar 515 7th St. Bar 7,668 sf Government Building 1,600 employees 6 Hall of Justice 211 W. Temple St. Parking Structure 1,000 spaces Apartments 204 du 7 Mixed-Use Development Project 1030 Mignonette St. Retail 5,000 sf Gratts Primary Center & Early 8 477 S. Lucas Ave. Elementary School 380 Students Education Center Condominiums 87 du 9 Condominiums and Retail 2323 Olympic Blvd. Retail 70,231 sf Piero II (Lorenzo Residential Condominiums 600 du 10 1076 W. 6th St. Development) Retail 20,000 sf Jail 179,000 sf Prop Q & F Public Safety Civic Los Angeles 11 Government Building 30,000 sf Center Facility Plan St./Temple St. Parking Structure 210 spaces 110 N. Beaudry Apartments 200 du 12 Mixed-Use Development Project Ave. Retail 5,000 sf 13 Condominiums 662 Lucas Ave. Condominiums 311 du 14 Apartments 425 E. 20th St. Apartments 143 du Apartments 156 du 15 Mixed-Use Development Project 948 S. Figueroa St. Retail 7,500 sf LAUSD Central LA High School 16 1201 W Miramar St. High School 500 students # 12 17 Bar/Lounge 701 E. 3rd St. Bar 8,770 sf Condominium 105 du 18 Mixed-Use Development Project 1301 S. Olive St. Retail 4,500 sf Research/Medical 19 Medical Office Addition 2100 W. 3rd St. Office 19,292 sf Outpatient Clinic 4,783 sf 500 N. Bunker Hill Supermarket 17,000 sf 20 Supermarket & Retail Ave. Retail 4,200 sf
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-11 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Table III-1 List of Related Projects
Map No. Project Name Location Description Sizea Condominiums 570 du 200 S. Los Angeles 21 Mixed-Use Development Project Apartments 280 du St. Retail 50,000 sf Condominiums 629 du 22 Mixed-Use Development Project 900 S. Figueroa St. Retail 27,000 sf LAUSD Central Reg. Middle Compton 23 Middle School 1,350 students School #7 Ave./Adams Blvd. Condominiums 836 du Metropolis Mixed-Use Office 988,255 sf 24 851 S. Francisco St. Development Project Hotel 480 rooms Retail 46,000 sf Auditorium 350 seats 25 Police Headquarters Facility Plan 1st St./Main St. Restaurant 5,340 sf Parking Structure 1,640 spaces Cesar Chavez St./N. Apartments 280 du 26 Chinatown Gateway Project Broadway Retail 22,000 sf Condominiums 182 du 27 Mixed-Use Development Project 2051 E. 7th St. Retail 3,000 sf Condominiums 565 du Mixed-Use (Herald Examiner) Apartments 20 du 28 146 W. 11th St. Development Project Office 32,670 sf Retail 37,600 sf Condominiums 875 du 8th & Grand Mixed-Use W. 8th St./Grand 29 Retail 34,061 sf Development Project Ave. Restaurant 10,000 sf Restaurant 11,018 sf Restaurant, Retail, and Health 30 101 E. 6th St. Retail 8,927 sf Club Health Club 5,066 sf Apartments 363 du 31 Mixed-Use Development Project 1234 W. 3rd St. Retail 7,740 sf Restaurant 13,921 sf 32 Mixed-Use Development Project 610 S. Main St. Retail 726 sf Event Center 726 sf 2525 W. Wilshire Condominiums 118 du 33 Mixed-Use Development Project Blvd. Retail 3,000 sf Bus Maintenance & Inspection 454 E. Commercial 34 Bus Facility 2 acres Facility St. 902 W. Washington 35 Condominiums Condominiums 160 du Blvd. 1027 W. Wilshire Condominiums 402 du 36 Mixed-Use Development Project Blvd. Retail 4,728 sf Condominiums 130 du 37 Mixed-Use Development Project 1135 W. 7th St. Retail 7,037 sf 38 Apartments 1311 W. 5th St. Apartments 80 du
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-12 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Table III-1 List of Related Projects
Map No. Project Name Location Description Sizea Condominiums 1,648 du Apartments 412 du Grand Avenue Implementation 39 102 S. Grand Ave. Hotel 275 rooms Plan (Mixed-Use) Retail 449 sf Government Building 68,000 sf College 95,700 sf 40 FIDM Campus Expansion 939 S. Flower St. Apartments 112 du 327 N. Fremont Apartments 600 du 41 Mixed-Use Development Project Ave. Retail 30,000 sf 221 S. Los Angeles Condominiums 300 du 42 Condominiums St. Retail 3,400 sf 43 Wholesale Mart 1015 S. Towne Ave. Wholesale Market 78,972 sf 1111 W. Wilshire Condominiums 420 du 44 Mixed-Use Development Project Blvd. Retail 40,000 sf Condominiums 210 du 45 Mixed-Use Development Project 315 W. 9th St. Retail 9,000 sf 46 Condominiums 456 S. Witmer St. Condominiums 39 du Condominiums 272 du Bunker Hill Mixed-Use 720 W. Cesar 47 Retail 6,431 sf Development Project Chavez Ave. Restaurant 8,000 sf 2 High-Rise Condominium 1360-1500 S. 48 Condominiums 622 du Buildings Figueroa St. Flower/23rd Mixed-Use Apartments 1,500 du 49 2300 S. Flower St. Development Project Retail 40,000 sf Condominiums 186 du 50 Witmer Project 1247 W. 7th St. Retail 6,200 sf Condominiums 96 du 51 Condominiums & Retail 819 S. Santee St. Retail 7,800 sf Condominiums 159 du 52 Mixed-Use Development Project 1133 S Hope St. Restaurant 6,827 sf Condominiums 247 du 53 Mixed-Use Development Project 745 S. Spring St. Retail 10,675 sf Apartments 442 du One Santa Fe Project (Mixed- 300 S. Santa Fe 54 Live/Work Units 17 du Use Development Project) Ave. Retail 25,000 sf Condominiums 351 du Mixed-Use Residential, Retail, 55 1150 S. Grand Ave. Retail 12,500 sf and Restaurant Project Restaurant 12,500 sf Mixed-Use Residential and Condominiums 172 du 56 1115 S. Hill St. Retail Project Retail 6,850 sf Mixed-Use Residential and 1011 E. Adams Apartments 80 du 57 Retail Project Blvd. Retail 17,372 sf
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-13 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Table III-1 List of Related Projects
Map No. Project Name Location Description Sizea Condominiums 320 du 58 Mixed-Use Development Project 905 E. 2nd St. Retail 18,716 sf Condominiums 900 du 59 Park Fifth Project 501 S. Olive St. Retail 19,000 sf Restaurant 19,200 sf MacArthur Park/Alvarado Metro Apartments 172 du 60 1901 W. 7th St. Project Retail 32,800 sf Condominiums 374 du 61 Mixed-Use Development Project 1155 S. Grand Ave. Retail 17,500 sf 62 Condominiums 800 E. Pico Blvd. Condominiums 131 du 3200 W. Beverly Apartments 32 du 63 Mixed-Use Development Project Blvd. Retail 5,870 sf 64 Industrial Park 1005 S. Mateo St. Industrial Park 94,849 sf Warehouse 295,000 sf 65 Warehouse/Office/Manufacturing 1115 S. Boyle Ave. Office 77,000 sf Manufacturing 66,000 sf 66 East 27th St. Charter School 1655 E. 27th St. High School 1,120 students High-Rise 96 du Condominiums 122 rooms Hotel 67 Center Land 418 S. Spring St. 10,000 sf Retail 2,000 sf Health Club 3,500 sf Bar 68 Affordable Apartments 431 S. Lucas Ave. Apartments 75 du Apartments 92 du 233 W. Washington 69 Mixed-Use Development Project Office 24,250 sf Blvd. Retail 24,250 sf 70 Apartments 715 N. Yale St. Apartments 65 du 1600 W. Olympic Gas Station with Mini- 71 Gas Station with Mini-Mart 8 fuel pumps Blvd. Mart Good Samaritan Mixed-Use Apartments 725 du 72 1136 W. 6th St. Development Project Retail 39,999 sf Office 25,500 sf 73 LAUSD CLAHS #11 HRD/PDC 1200 W. Colton St. Conference Center 350 seats Condominiums 255 du 9th/Olive Mixed-Use Live/Work Units 98 du 74 860 S. Olive St. Development Project Retail 19,900 sf Restaurant 6,000 sf 75 Apartments 2455 S. Figueroa St. Apartments 145 du Condominiums 225 du Mixed-Use Residential, Hotel, Hotel 200 rooms 76 609 W. 8th St. Retail, and Restaurant Retail 30,000 sf Restaurant 32,000 sf
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-14 City of Los Angeles June 2010
Table III-1 List of Related Projects
Map No. Project Name Location Description Sizea Condominiums 32 du 77 Condominiums & Retail 820 S. Hoover St. Retail 4,500 sf 78 Condominiums 1340 S. Olive St. Condominiums 150 du High-Rise 132 du Condominiums 73 du 79 Mixed-Use Development Project 1924 W. Temple St. Condominiums 46 du Apartments 19,103 sf Retail LAUSD Central Region 80 MacArthur Park Elementary 2300 W. 7th St. Elementary School 400 students School 81 Commercial Condominiums 800 E. 12th St. Manufacturing 320,497 sf High-Rise 777 du 82 6th & Main Residential Project 601 S. Main St. Condominiums 25,000 sf Retail 83 Medical Office 1525 S. Grand Ave. Medical Office 64,734 sf Condominiums 237 du 84 Mixed-Use Development Project 1340 S. Figueroa St. Health Club 10,000 sf Restaurant 9,000 sf 1130 W. Wilshire 85 Office Office 86,844 sf Blvd. 86 MTA Bus Facility 920 N. Vignes St. Bus Facility 647 Employees Condominiums 151 du 87 Mixed-Use Development Project 1050 S. Grand Ave. Retail 3,472 sf Restaurant 2,200 sf High-Rise 420 du 88 Embassy Tower 848 S. Grand Ave. Condominiums 38,500 sf Retail Condominiums 330 du 89 Kawada Tower 240 S. Hill St. Retail 12,000 sf 1430 W. Beverly 90 Beverly & Lucas Project Apartments 157 du Blvd. Master Plan: Wyvernwood/Boyle Heights Soto St./Olympic Apartments 1,200 du 91 Mixed-Use Development Project Blvd. Condominiums 3,200 du Retail and Office 325,000 sf 92 City Corp Plaza Phase III 755 S. Figueroa St. Office 792,000 sf Note: sf = square feet; du = dwelling units; n/a = information not available at the time of this report. a Related Project size reflects information on file with the City and does not deduct for projects or portions of projects that may already be constructed, e.g., Related Project No. 25 Police Headquarters Facility Plan. Source: Los Angeles Department of City Planning & City Department of Transportation, May 2009.
Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project III. Environmental Setting Draft Environmental Impact Report Page III-15 SANTA ANA FRWY
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Source: GTC, 2009.
Figure III-7 Location of Related Projects