Flying over the Port of Los Angeles, Adaptive reuse for DTLA trophy towers, and more

This week, Governor Newsom signed a signed a $2.5 billion relief bill for Southern California communities devastated by wildfires. Most of that money will go toward shelter for survivors, cleanup, hazard assessment, and other emergency responses, while some is also set aside to help governments expedite the rebuilding process and repair damaged schools in the Los Angeles and Pasadena school districts.

“Thanks to our partners in the legislature, we’re providing over $2.5 billion in immediate relief – expediting initial firestorm response and recovery efforts," said Newsom in a statement. "We’re also directing millions of dollars to help local governments speed up building approvals – so folks can rebuild their homes faster."

Wildfire in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, January 8, 2025, towards Getty Center and BrentwoodShutterstock

After the original event was delayed on account of those fires, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has announced new dates for the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count in February. They include:

Tuesday, February 18: San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys (SPA 2) and Metro Los Angeles (SPA 4)

Wednesday, February 19: San Gabriel Valley (SPA 3) and East Los Angeles (SPA 7)

Thursday, February 20: Antelope Valley (SPA 1), West Los Angeles (SPA 5), South Los Angeles (SPA 6), and South Bay/Harbor (SPA 8)

Here's what we're reading this week:

Metro Board Approves Wildfire Response Initiative, Including Free Rides for Fire Victims "Metro is providing free rides for people displaced by recent fires. Fare collection is set to resume next Monday January 27" (Streetsblog LA)

Aerial view of 1055 7th StreetJamison Services, Inc.

With Los Angeles in need of housing, downtown’s empty office towers have appeal "Some owners hope leases are on the upswing, but one developer believes there’s a better option than trying to convince tenants to return: converting offices into apartments." (LA Times)

Clearing the air "A hearty welcome to all the new AQI obsessives!" (Torched)

Some price-gouging rules could be keeping high-end homes off L.A.’s rental market "Property owners are making fewer properties available for rent because of a state law barring new listings from charging more than $10,000 a month during the state of emergency, real estate agents and brokers say....The price cap is below what L.A.’s pre-wildfire market would bear in many expensive neighborhoods where wealthy displaced residents may be looking to relocate." (LA Times)

With rain on the way, dread grows in fire-ravaged Palisades, Altadena and landslide-prone Rancho Palos Verdes "Such is the paradox of Los Angeles County this winter: It is dangerously dry. But recent disasters — the Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires and the peninsula landslides — have made people fear the effects of rain they know they desperately need....If the rain doesn’t come, the fire danger will increase. If it comes too fast, it could trigger mudslides and toxic runoff in the burn scars, and it could accelerate movement on the Palos Verdes Peninsula." (LA Times)

Southeast Gateway Line mapMetro

Hahn celebrates federal support for Southeast Gateway Line "The Letter of No Prejudice was approved in a letter to Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins from FTA Regional Administrator Ray Tellis dated January 17, 2025. Early critical construction activities eligible for possible federal reimbursement with this approval includes hazardous materials abatement, railroad relocation, and grade crossings for the Southeast Gateway Line project among other early construction work." (Downey Patriot)

Fires and windstorms caused at least $350 million in damage to L.A. public facilities, report says "The initial cost estimate, which examined damage from the first four days of the fires, was presented Wednesday to the City Council as part of a larger discussion on the impact of the emergency on the city budget." (LA Times)

A vision for a Cypress Park crossroads remains incomplete "Confluence Plaza -- named for the nearby joining of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco -- and its fountain opened in 2011, followed by nine sculptures in the roundabout. More was planned, including greening corners of the intersection and adding a kids’ play area....Instead of becoming a popular gathering place, a car rammed the statues, a truck broke the fountains, and the $4.7 million plaza was fenced off for years." (Eastsider)

Rendering of the Colorado Lagoon and new canal through Marina Vista ParkCity of Long Beach