Council committee approves TFAR sale for 51‑story downtown project; Blumenfield directs half of payment to convention‑center planning

The Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted to approve the City Planning Commission's recommendation for a 51‑story mixed‑use development that would utilize transfer of floor area rights above the Los Angeles Convention Center. The committee also approved the Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment and related findings and mitigation measures.

Under the commission recommendation, the project’s TFAR transactions would generate a total public benefits payment of $11,462,471.39, with 50% — $5,731,235.70 — designated to the Public Benefit Trust Fund and the remaining 50% to be provided directly as public benefits to the Los Angeles Housing Department and Affordable Housing Trust Fund pursuant to the municipal code provisions cited by staff. City Planning staff explained the payments are prescribed by an ordinance governing TFAR transfers and that donor square footage above the convention center has been sold on previous projects.

The committee heard questions about where the money may be spent and the timing of payments. Jane Choi of City Planning told the committee that “the money has to be spent within a mile of, where that money came from” when referring to the 50% that goes to the 1‑mile radius public benefits fund, and that the “direct provision has no locational requirements,” meaning the other 50% is not restricted to a radius.

Committee Chair Bob Blumenfield urged a different allocation for the second half of the payment, arguing the convention center is a citywide asset and that proceeds from the sale of convention airspace could help offset costly city general‑fund investments in the convention center project. Blumenfield recommended that the council approve the commission report but redirect the 50% direct provision to “the convention center expansion and modernization project” for planning purposes. Planning staff and the applicant’s representatives confirmed staff could advance that recommendation to the full council.

Committee members voted 4‑0 (Councilmembers Blumenfield, Hutt, Nazarian and Raman; Councilmember Lee absent) to adopt the commission recommendation and the environmental clearance and to adopt the chair’s course of action directing the second 50% to convention‑center planning. City staff noted the payment timing is governed by the municipal code: the payment is due either within 24 months or before the first building permit is pulled, so the city may not receive funds immediately.

The committee also accepted technical corrections to the commission’s TFAR figures and conditions, including the corrected public benefits payment amounts for record keeping.

The item will go to the full City Council with the committee’s recommendation that the TFAR transaction be approved and that one half of the direct provision be applied to convention‑center planning and the other half be disbursed through the one‑mile radius public benefits process and the Public Benefit Trust Fund as required by ordinance.