Hollywood Freeway Cap Park: CRA/LA Commits $2 Million to Fund the Preparation of the Project’s EIR

Last Thursday, December 15, 2011, the CRA/LA Board approved a report (.pdf) authorizing its staff to negotiate and execute a Tri-Party Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Engineering and the Friends of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park for the preparation of a an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hollywood Freeway Central Park project. Additionally, the CRA/LA Board approved the transfer of up to $2 Million in Hollywood Tax Increment Funds to fund the preparation and processing of the EIR and EIS.

The Hollywood Freeway Central Park proposes to develop, in multiple phases, a mile long, 44 acre, street level public park, which would be built on a deck over the US-101 Freeway, from Bronson Avenue in the north to Santa Monica Boulevard in the south.  In 2008, a feasibility study (.pdf) for the project determined that the Hollywood Freeway Central Park could be built for an estimated $950 million. However, per the CRA/LA Report, the “current cost estimate for the development of the entire park is $725 million” and the first phase on the project “could be built as a stand-alone effort costing $439 million”.

The Friends of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park, a non-profit organization, was formed in 2009 to advocate and raise funds for the development and construction of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park. Additionally, it should be noted that the Friends of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park plans to operate the park once it opens.

So, if this non-profit organization exists, why is this Tri-Party Memorandum of Understanding necessary and why are public, CRA/LA, funds being funneled to this project? It is not clear. From the CRA/LA Report (emphasis mine):

“Since the completion of the feasibility study, the Friends of the Hollywood Cap Park (FHCP) has attempted to identify funding for both the environmental analysis, [EIR], design and entitlement predevelopment costs as well as construction costs. Many of the potential funding sources, while expressing interest in the park, have indicated that further consideration would require progress towards the completion of the EIR and the [EIS]. FHCP has requested $2,000,000 in funding to finance the preparation of these documents.

In discussions between CRA/LA, the Council Office, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and the California Department of Transportation, it was concluded that BOE should serve as the lead agency in securing the services and providing the oversight of a consultant to prepare environmental analyses and the EIR and EIS.”

So, while the BOE needed to be involved in the preparation of the EIR / EIS, there really is no reason why CRA/LA funds had to be used to fund the preparation of the EIR and EIS. Interesting. Apparently the CRA/LA could find nothing better to do in Hollywood with its $2 Million in public funds (and no better way to bring about the development of new parks in Hollywood), so it decided to funnel it to this project. Then again, after taking a look at the composition of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Hollywood Freeway Central Park, I shouldn’t be surprised this group was able to shake a measly $2 Million out of CRA/LA.

My personal feelings on the Hollywood Freeway Central Park project remain the same: More neighborhood and community park land and open space is needed in the Hollywood flats but there are better, smaller, and more cost effective ways to do it. It is simply unimaginable, in this economy, that any agency organization will cough up the $439 to $950 Million dollars needed to build out this one park project. The Hollywood Freeway Central Park project, as currently conceived, really seems to be more of a neighborhood redevelopment scheme designed to boost business for existing establishments and encourage real estate speculation and development in a relatively underdeveloped section of Hollywood. The CRA/LA’s increasing financial involvement in the Hollywood Freeway Central Park project (and the City Council’s rushed approval of the CRA/LA’s action – see below) only serves to cement my views that the project is more about real estate redevelopment and less about park and open space development.

Note: FYI, in case you were interested in following/supporting/fighting this action you are too late. On Friday, December 16th, the City Council took this report under consideration, per “Rule 23 of the Rules of the City Council” (which permits the City Council to take immediate action on unagendized actions if an “emergency” exists) and approved the recommendations of the CRA/LA Board (see Council File 11-2115 and Council File 11-2115-S1). The City Council approved the action and the Mayor approved it on December 22nd. Regardless of what justification the City Council (and the City Attorney) gave, there was absolutely no “emergency” that warranted the immediate approval of this item.