II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The purpose of this Section is to identify the primary objectives and project characteristics of the proposed Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project (the “Project”). As discussed on the following pages, the Project would involve construction and operation of new development on the site currently occupied by the Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre, a hotel and office building with accessory retail and restaurant uses and subterranean parking. The Project is proposed to be developed on an approximately 3.2-acre site (the “Project Site”) (inclusive of the 0.51 acre area of Francisco Street proposed to be vacated) that is located in the Central City (downtown) area of the City of Los Angeles, approximately 0.04 miles east of the US/Interstate 110 (Harbor Freeway), 1.02 miles south of the US 101 (Hollywood Freeway), 1.05 miles north of the Interstate 10 (Santa Monica Freeway), and 2.6 miles west of the Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway). 1. PROJECT LOCATION 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS a. Regional Setting b. Existing Land Use c. Surrounding Land Uses and Neighborhoods 3. PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS a. Proposed Development b. Conceptual Plan c. Land Use Equivalency Program d. Design Flexibility Program e. Access and Parking f. Transit Access g. Loading Dock h. Communication Facilities i. Public Space, Pedestrian Features, and Open Space j. Environmental Design Features Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project II. Project Description Draft Environmental Impact Report Page II-1 City of Los Angeles July 2010 k. Helistop l. Signs and Identity Elements m. Construction Timeline 4. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES a. Alternative 1 – No Project Alternative b. Alternative 2 – Reduced Density Alternative c. Alternative 3 – Phased Construction Alternative d. Alternative 4 – Office-Only Alternative e. Alternative 5 – Residential-Only Alternative f. Alternative 6 – Reduced Height Alternative g. Alternative 7 – Zoning Compliant Alternative h. Alternative 8 – Reduced Signage Alternative i. Alternative 9 – Zoning Compliant Signage Alternative 5. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 6. DISCRETIONARY ACTIONS Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project II. Project Description Draft Environmental Impact Report Page II-2 City of Los Angeles July 2010 1. PROJECT LOCATION The Project is proposed to be developed on an approximately 3.2-acre site that is located in the Central City (downtown) area of the City of Los Angeles. The Project Site is generally bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Francisco Street to the west, 7th Street to the south, and Figueroa Street to the east. The Project region and vicinity area are shown in Figure II-1 (Regional and Project Vicinity Location Map), and an aerial photograph of the Project Site is shown in Figure II-2 (Aerial Photograph). The Project Site is located within the Central City Community Plan Area and the Central Business District Redevelopment Project Area of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). 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, Historic Core to the east and southeast, Bunker Hill to the north and northeast, and City West to the north and northwest across the Harbor Freeway (see Figure II-3, Downtown Context Map). The Project Site consists of two parcels (APN 5144-008-020 and 5144-008-021) and the 0.51-acre portion of Francisco Street to the west. The Project Site encompasses the following addresses: 900 and 930 Wilshire Boulevard; 655, 685, 695, and 699 Figueroa Street; and 916, 925, and 935 7th Street. 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS a. Regional Setting The Project Site is located approximately 0.04 miles east of the Harbor Freeway, 1.02 miles south of the Hollywood Freeway, 1.05 miles north of the Santa Monica Freeway, and 2.6 miles west of the Golden State Freeway. These highways provide regional access to the Project Site. Modified Major Secondary Highways serving the Project area include Wilshire Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and Olympic Boulevard. 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 the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and to other hubs of the regional transit system via Union Station. The subway runs in a tunnel beneath 7th Street adjacent to the Project Site. In addition to the regional highways and rail transit lines that directly serve the Project Site, numerous bus lines and several Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) lines also provide service to the Project Site. b. Existing Land Uses The Project Site is currently developed with the 16-story Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre, which consists of a total of approximately 912,000 square feet including 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 meeting rooms, ballroom, pool and spa, and fitness facilities. Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project II. Project Description Draft Environmental Impact Report Page II-3 T T 118 E 210 Sunland E Northridge R 5 Angeles National Forest ST N 170 Burbank North Altadena LSTO Hollywood Glendale 2 OY 101 B 134 Woodland Hills 210 Silver 101 5 Pasadena 405 Hollywood Lake 110 BIXEL AVENUE PROJECT Baldwin Beverly Park Beverly Hills LOCATION Hills 10 Brentwood Mid City Monterey Pk West Los Angeles 10 60 Covina Culver City Montebello Huntington ST PAUL PLACE 1 605 Santa Monica Park Inglewood Whittier 710 Los Angeles 110 International Airport Downey ST PAUL AVENUE 105 Manhattan Hawthorne Beach 5 Compton 91 Hermosa Beach 107 Lakewood Buena Redondo Torrance 405 Park Beach Anaheim Carson Pacific Ocean S FREMONT AVE Long Beach 22 405 Seal Beach BEAUDRY AVENUE Huntington INGRAHAM STREET Beach 0105 Miles C 110 HARBOR FRWY 6TH STREET HARBOR FRWY WILSHIRE BOULEVARD FRANCISCO STREET 7TH STREET LEBANON STREET Legend 7TH STREET FIGUEROA STREET Project Site 8TH STREET FLOWER STREET 0 1000 2000 Feet HOPE STREET Source: Precision Mapping Streets and Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009. Figure II-1 Regional and Project Vicinity Map E A W R O L G F S S WILSHIRE BOULEVARD BEAUDRY AVENUE 6TH STREET 110 HARBOR FREEWAY FIGUEROA STREET FRANCISCO STREET 7TH STREET WILSHIRE BOULEVARD LEBANON STREET 7TH STREET Legend Project Site FIGUEROA STREET 0 100 200 Feet Source: Google Earth Pro and Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, 2009. FLOWER STREET Figure II-2 Aerial Photograph BUNKER HILL 3RD STREET 6TH STREET CITY WEST HARBOR FREEWAY 4TH STREET WILSHIRE BOULEVARD BIXEL STREET WITMER STREET ST PAUL AVENUE 7TH STREET WESTLAKE LUCAS AVENUE 5TH STREET 110 FINANCIAL HARTFORD AVENUE DISTRICT GARLAND AVENUE 8TH STREET FRANCISCO STREET WILSHIRE BOULEVARD 7TH STREET 6TH STREET 9TH STREET HARBOR FREEWAY FIGUEROA STREET HOPE STREET FLOWER STREET Legend FRANCISCO STREET GRAND AVENUE 8TH STREET Project Site OLIVE STREET JEWELRY DISTRICT HILL STREET 0 200 400600 800 COTTAGE PLACEENTERTAINMENT 9TH STREET DISTRICT BROADWAY Scale (Feet) OLYMPIC BOULEVARD Source: Google Earth Pro, April 2009. Figure II-3 Downtown Neighborhood Context Map City of Los Angeles July 2010 Access to the subterranean parking garage is provided via Francisco Street and valet parking is provided on Wilshire Boulevard and 7th Street. The Project Site is located entirely within the Central City Community Plan Area, subarea no. 1445, with a Regional Center Commercial land use designation.1 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 C2-4D and C4-4D designations indicate that the site may be developed with Commercial uses and is within Height District 4. The “D” designation denotes a development limitation, which, subject to certain provisions, limits the developable floor area to six times the buildable area of the site.2 Provisions to the limitation can be found in Appendix II.1 to this EIR, which contains City Ordinance 164,307. The Project Site is subject to such provisions, and the developable floor area can be increased to 13 times the buildable area of the site with a transfer of floor area request. c. Surrounding Land Uses and Neighborhoods The Project Site is surrounded by a mix of high-density commercial/retail and office uses contained in structures ranging from small buildings to skyscrapers, which are physically separated from the Project Site by arterial and non-arterial roadways (see Figure II-2). 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 Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street intersection 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 amid these two buildings. Located across Figueroa Street to the southeast of the Project Site 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 is 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.