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Council Denies CEQA Appeal, Clears El Corazon Art Park Temporary Activation
Summary
After extensive public comment for and against, the Los Angeles City Council voted 11–0 to deny a CEQA appeal and allow Recreation and Parks’ temporary El Corazon Art Park activation at First and Broadway to proceed under a license through February 2027.
The Los Angeles City Council on June 24 voted to deny a CEQA appeal challenging the Recreation and Parks Department’s decision to authorize a temporary activation of El Corazon Art Park at First and Broadway.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who led the motion to deny the appeal, said city staff had confirmed the project met the requirements for the California Environmental Quality Act’s infill exemption. “After careful review, I urge your support in denying the CEQA appeal for this project,” Jurado said before the vote. The clerk recorded 11 ayes, and the motion carried.
Supporters who spoke during the public-comment period said the park would create desperately needed open space and cultural programming downtown. Dr. Franco, who identified themself as Director of Collaboration for a community group, told the council the project would preserve civic belonging and asked the council to reject the appeal so the park “vision can be driven.” Several neighborhood associations, arts organizations and AltaMed representatives also urged rejection of the appeal, citing the site’s decades-long vacancy and the benefits of arts and recreation access.
Opponents, including downtown activists and a union environmental reviewer, pressed the council for a fuller public-review process and raised concerns about the addition of a 20-foot LED element integrated into proposed art on the site. Speakers argued the LED feature and certain programming changes were not sufficiently disclosed during prior neighborhood outreach.
AltaMed’s counsel, land-use attorney Brian La Roi, said the project team and Recreation and Parks had analyzed the site under the Class 32 (infill) CEQA exemption and that the proposed LED sculpture would be subject to the City’s sign ordinance and RAP sponsorship rules. "All criteria for the Class 32 exemption are satisfied here," La Roi said during his presentation to the council.
Ana Majoni, environmental supervisor for Recreation and Parks, told the council the five statutory criteria for CEQA Section 15332 were satisfied for the site (parcel under five acres; consistent with land-use limitations; no significant effects for noise, traffic, air quality; no habitat for endangered species; and no unusual circumstances). She also said none of the exemption’s exceptions applied.
Because the activation is a licenseed temporary use, Rec and Parks staff explained the license term ends in February 2027 and any future permanent changes to the parcel would require separate Board actions and CEQA review. Councilmember Jurado noted that any subsequent proposals would require a new process and specific environmental consideration.
The council’s action clears the way for the temporary El Corazon Art Park activation and associated programming to move forward under the Rec and Parks license through February 2027. The vote followed several hours of public testimony and an extended record of written comments filed with the clerk.
