The proposed Dodger Stadium Gondola collided with a major obstacle on Thursday when the state court of appeals refused to approve the project’s environmental impact report by the Metro.
The project, proposed in 2018 by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, requires approval from the Metro, Los Angeles City Council, Caltrans and the State Parks Agency. No other approvals have been obtained yet, and the court’s ruling requires “acquire EIR certification” and “put project approval aside” until the revised environmental impact report is completed.
Even if the amendment is approved, this delay could put the gondola at risk the possibility of its operation at the 2028 Olympics.
Nathan Click, a spokesman for Zero Emissions Transit, a nonprofit organization that leads the Gondola project, said the grand opening was “still our goal” in time for the Olympics. However, the 25-month construction timetable cited in the EIR should begin next spring, with the project’s opponents saying Thursday’s decision “may allow another year due to serious reviews.”
“Our community deserves a transparent, thorough process,” said John Christensen, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Parks Alliance, who joined the California donation to file the lawsuit.
“A billionaires like McCourt can’t take public resources, grab taxpayer-funded park spaces and irreparably hurt historic communities like Chinatown and Orbera Street.”
The Court of Appeal held that six of the eight arguments made by the plaintiffs were “condemnational,” and in particular, rejected allegations that Metro violated state law by failing to consider a “reasonably predictable” development of the Dodger Stadium parking lot as an inevitable result of the gondola project.
In the absence of such a proposal as part of the project, considering the dining and entertainment square completed across the Center Field in 2020, the court ruled that the inevitability of large-scale development following the construction of the gondola was “speculative.”
“The evidence shows that the development project at Dodger Stadium has progressed independently from it, not as a result of the project,” the court’s ruling said.
The court is based on agreement with two other arguments. That the metro did not address a viable way to reduce the impact of construction noise and properly consult with land reserves that serve as trustees for the gondolas, which are spiked at Parkland.
“Some issues that the court ordered more jobs are minor technical issues, a common part of the process of critical infrastructure projects,” Crick said. “These can be dealt with quickly.
“Angelenos wants and deserves efficient and sustainable transportation solutions. The general support of the Dodger Stadium Gondola reflects that.”
The gondola runs from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, costing $385 million to $500 million to $500 million in construction and costing $8 million to $10 million in operation and maintenance annually. Although he said these costs could be covered by private bond financing, sponsorship, naming rights and fares, fans are promised a free ride to the Dodgers game.
Metro approved the Environmental Impact Report 15 months ago. The California Fund and the Parks Alliance urged the report to be dumped. The bid was rejected by the Los Angeles Superior Court last August, but the plaintiffs appealed Thursday.
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