Gov. Newsom Accelerates 7.6-Acre Mixed-Use Housing Project in Downtown LA

An aerial view of vehicles driving near downtown in Los Angeles, California, on April 4, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A planned housing project in Los Angeles is one step closer to construction as Gov. Gavin Newsom certified it March 7 under an infrastructure law passed last year, the governor’s office said in a press release.

The Fourth and Central Project downtown will consist of 10 buildings offering 1,500 new homes, office space, and retail outlets, all near public transit.

Mr. Newsom’s certification “streamlines” the project, meaning any legal challenges must be heard within 270 days, down from the usual three to five years, the press release said.

Construction will create up to 10,000 union jobs, the governor’s office said.

Fourth and Central will be located between Little Tokyo, the Arts District, and Skid Row, and will replace a cold storage facility. The new homes will include at least 214 affordable units. Restaurants and retail space will total more than 100,000 square feet, and 68 hotel rooms are also in the mix.

According to the L.A. City Planning website, the buildings would range in height from two to 44 stories, with a maximum height of about 500 feet, and cover around 7.6 acres of land.

Fourth and Central is the third project to be streamlined under the infrastructure law, which Mr. Newsom signed in July 2023. The law aims to accelerate construction by “cutting red tape” on projects “necessary to achieving the state’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals,” the governor’s office said in a news release.

The project is part of the state’s 10-year, $180 billion investment in infrastructure that will use clean energy and benefit communities “disadvantaged by pollution, discrimination, [and] lack of services.”

The project still requires approval from the Los Angeles City Council, according to the Los Angeles Times, which adds that construction would start next year and take five to seven years.