Rexford Industrial Realty faces a legal challenge over its warehouse project in Torrance, with residents claiming the city failed to perform the proper environmental analysis on the property for the development.
A group of residents in Torrance filed a lawsuit against the city earlier this month, alleging the city was wrong in ruling the project was exempt from a California Environmental Quality Act review, according to the Daily Breeze.
Rexford plans to build an 84,100-square-foot warehouse with office space at 21515 Western Avenue, to replace a Mitsuwa Marketplace store.
In March, the Torrance Planning Commission unanimously approved the project, finding that it met development standards in the city.
However, in their complaint, residents claim the city “failed to demonstrate that the proposed project would not result in any significant effects relating to construction, air quality, noise and traffic, and therefore the requirements of CEQA.”
The residents are asking a judge to vacate the project’s approvals, according to the complaint.
Rexford bought the property for $19 million in October 2021, and construction was originally slated to be completed this year.
Rexford, a real estate investment trust based in Los Angeles, is one of the most active acquirers and developers of industrial real estate in Southern California. In 2022, the firm spent $2.4 billion on land and warehouse purchases, most of which were made with cash or through the tax-beneficial 1031 exchange program.
— Isabella Far
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