Garcetti comes out against proposed Hollywood skyscrapers
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti, who has championed dozens of new development projects in Hollywood in recent years, came out Thursday against a controversial $664-million plan to build two towering skyscrapers on either side of the iconic Capitol Records Building.
In a statement released during a Planning Commission hearing on the project, Garcetti said the proposed towers were “out of scale with the Hollywood landscape” and that the plan does not have enough support from the community. The towers could be more than twice as tall as the tallest building in Hollywood.
Garcetti, who represents Hollywood on the City Council, has been an advocate for growth in the neighborhood and in other parts of the city with strong transportation networks. He championed a plan last year to relax zoning guidelines to allow taller and bigger buildings in parts of Hollywood near subway and bus stops.
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But Garcetti now joins Councilman Tom LaBonge, who also represents parts of Hollywood, in opposing the proposed towers. Both say they are willing to work with the developers on a compromise. Brian Lewis, a spokesman for the developer, New York-based Millenium Partners, said the company may be willing to discuss alternative plans.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa supports the project, which a representative from his office said would bring much-needed jobs and tax revenue to the city. So do the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building & Construction Trades Council and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which has endorsed Wendy Greuel, Garcetti’s opponent in the May 21 mayoral runoff. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is also backing the plan, has endorsed Garcetti.
If the project wins approval from the Planning Commission, it will then be heard by the city council.
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Twitter: @katelinthicum
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