The LA City Council’s adoption of the DTLA 2040 Community Plan Update (DTLA 2040) on May 3 was a major milestone; it brings the plan to the cusp of enactment after a nearly decade-long process and makes several important changes that will support DTLA’s future growth. This includes doubling the area in Downtown where housing can be built without a general plan amendment, eliminating parking requirements and implementing the City’s new zoning code for the very first time. One particularly exciting and timely update is the plan’s new provisions to jumpstart adaptive reuse development so that Downtown’s eclectic neighborhoods can build on their legacy of transformation and meet our communities’ needs.

The Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO), a policy driven by CCA and aimed at promoting the revitalization of historic buildings, was enacted in 1999 and has since played a significant role in the transformation of DTLA into a thriving urban center. As highlighted in our 2021 white paper, the ARO enabled the creation of over 12,000 new housing units in two decades accounting for more than 30 percent of the total 37,000 units added in Downtown LA over that time.

The ARO's Current Limitations
Despite its success, there are several limitations in the ARO that have constrained more widespread use, primarily that buildings constructed after 1974 must undergo a more onerous, lengthy and risky discretionary review and approval process and that new residential units resulting from conversion must be an average of 750 square feet for an entire building and individual units must be a minimum of 450 square feet, which limits flexibility and presents challenges for financial feasibility.

Adaptive Reuse Potential
With the new changes under DTLA 2040, adaptive reuse is set to become even more effective in its goal of unlocking more opportunities for housing, promoting sustainable development and preserving historic buildings. Major updates include removing minimum and average unit size requirements, allowing buildings built as recently as 10 years ago on a rolling basis to convert, allowing basements and rooftop features to be utilized and not count toward a building’s floor area, and providing for a greater range of uses like enabling parking structures to convert to any new uses permitted by the new zoning code, such as housing, office or retail.

These expanded and more flexible options for converting buildings come at an important time as there is uncertainty over the future of the office market. They can provide the tools and pathways to usher in the next generation of adaptive reuse and build off past successes.

We are pleased to see the recommendations of our white paper reflected in real policy changes and are excited to see their implementation and future positive impacts on DTLA. This progress is a testament to CCA’s broad and committed coalition and our members’ work.

Get Involved in CCA's Adaptive Reuse Advocacy
While we wait for the DTLA 2040 plan to be formally enacted in the next six months to a year, CCA continues to be deeply engaged on adaptive reuse and welcomes the continued collaboration and participation of our members. CCA CEO Nella McOsker will join the Southern California Development Forum on May 23 for a discussion about adaptive reuse and we will also receive a presentation about a citywide ordinance from the City Planning Department at our policy committee meeting on May 24. We hope you will join us for these events and reflect on the progress that we made while we build on DTLA's legacy of transformation together.