A developer’s plan to build a 419-unit apartment along the Los Angeles River in Glassell Park has encountered stiff opposition, after a pair of community groups announced a coalition to fight the project, according to Curbed LA.
The scuffle brings to the forefront what may become a larger issue in L.A., as the need for more and more residential construction faces off against advocates of preserving the environment and protecting green spaces.
Developers have also begun scooping up large, previously undesirable development plots as that demand for housing grows, and local governments encourage projects to address the housing shortage.
The Friends of the Los Angeles River and the arts organization, Clockshop, said will form a coalition to fight Pan Am Equities’ “Bow Tie Yard Lofts” project, which is set to rise at 2750 West Casitas Avenue.
Friends director Marissa Christiansen told Curbed she expects development along the river to “reach fever pitch in the years to come,” because of revitalization projects popping up along its banks.
Christiansen said that the project’s proximity to Route 2 will expose residents to harmful fumes and that the project is too close to the river floodplain. Opponents of the project also say the development would deter people from using the Bowtie Parcel, a largely vacant 18-acre lot along the river. It is where Clockshop has hosted art projects, performances, and events in partnership with California State Parks, which purchased the land in 2003. [Curbed] – Dennis Lynch