Los Angeles, California – Governor Gavin Newsom has taken decisive action to expedite a significant housing development in downtown Los Angeles. The Fourth and Central Project, pending final approval, promises to inject over $2 billion into the California economy, bringing more than 1,500 new homes, office space, and retail opportunities to an area in desperate need of revitalization.
Accelerated Development Through Streamlined Processes
By certifying the Fourth and Central Project under the provisions extended by the historic infrastructure package endorsed by the Legislature last year, Governor Newsom aims to break ground sooner than typically possible. This certification is a strategic move to navigate through the usual bureaucratic delays, ensuring any legal hurdles are resolved swiftly—within 270 days, a significant reduction from the common three to five-year timeline. This marks the first housing project to benefit from such streamlining since the enactment of the infrastructure law.
Located strategically between Little Tokyo, the Arts District, and Skid Row, the project will transform a current cold storage facility into a vibrant mixed-use residential complex. The development plans include 1,521 residential units, with at least 214 earmarked as affordable housing, along with substantial office, retail, and hotel space. Significantly, the project is poised to create up to 10,000 union jobs, offering a much-needed boost to the local economy and supporting downtown Los Angeles’ recovery in the post-pandemic era.
Legislative Backing for Faster Housing Solutions
The project’s fast-tracking is made possible by SB 7 (2021), which allows for the certification of eligible clean energy and green housing projects for judicial streamlining under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Last year’s enactment of SB 149 extended this critical tool, aiming to cut through red tape that has historically hindered such ambitious housing projects. Now, courts are required to decide on CEQA challenges to certified projects within a markedly reduced timeframe, significantly accelerating the development process while still upholding the opportunity for legal scrutiny.
Governor Newsom’s initiative underscores a broader commitment to tackling California’s housing crisis head-on. “For decades, we’ve let red tape stand in the way of these kinds of critical housing projects – and the consequences are in plain view all around us. Now we’re using California’s infrastructure law to build more housing, faster,” Newsom stated, highlighting the urgent need for innovative approaches to urban development and housing accessibility.
