Published by Los Angeles Downtown News on June 13, 2023
By Nella McOsker, President & CEO, CCA
The Los Angeles City Council’s recent adoption of the DTLA 2040 Community Plan Update (DTLA 2040) was a major milestone in a nearly decade-long process to create a long-range land use plan and guiding policy document that will advance Downtown’s vibrancy and growth through the year 2040.
Drafted by city staff with input from many stakeholders, DTLA 2040 doubles the area in Downtown where housing can be built, eliminates parking requirements and implements the city’s new zoning code for the very first time.
Of particular note, DTLA 2040 builds on the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO), a policy driven by the Central City Association (CCA) and aimed at promoting the revitalization of historic buildings. Enacted in 1999, ARO has played a significant role in the transformation of DTLA into a thriving urban center. It facilitated the conversion of older, economically distressed or historically significant buildings, many of which are DTLA’s most beloved icons, to apartments and hotels.
In doing so, the ARO enabled the creation of over 12,000 new housing units in the two decades after its enactment — accounting for more than a third of all the units added in Downtown over that time period. Among the many noteworthy conversions to housing are DTLA’s Eastern Columbia, Farmers and Merchants Bank and Mobil Oil/General Petroleum buildings.
Despite its success, the ARO had limitations that constrained more widespread use. For instance, ARO required buildings that were constructed after 1974 had to undergo a more onerous, lengthy and risky discretionary review and approval process. The ARO also limited flexibility in conversions and presented financial challenges for developers by imposing specific minimum and average unit size requirements.
DTLA 2040 includes updates to the ARO that CCA recommended to make adaptive reuse even more effective in its goal of unlocking greater opportunities for creating housing, promoting sustainable development and preserving historic buildings. DTLA 2040s updates include removing minimum and average unit size requirements and allowing buildings built as recently as 10 years prior to conversion to be eligible for the provisions of ARO.
The updates also allow basements and rooftop features to be used and not count against how much can be built on a site. In addition, the updates provide 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. With these updates, DTLA 2040 offers pathways that can usher in the next generation of adaptive reuse and build off its past successes in the heart of the city.
In tandem with these thoughtful zoning reforms, it is important that the city also consider how building codes and financial tools can be aligned to further support the economic feasibility of adaptive reuse projects. CCA and its members will continue to play a leading role alongside other stakeholders, and we invite others to help re-imagine our neighborhood’s buildings and build on our dynamic city center.
Nella McOsker is the president and CEO of the Central City Association of Los Angeles, the premier advocacy organization in the Los Angeles region and leading visionary on the future of Downtown. For more information, visit ccala.org.