Health & Fitness
Patch Blog, Part 2: Dodger Stadium's Conditional Use Permit Expansion
L.A. Real Estate LLC applied for expansions to its conditional use permit for Dodger Stadium. It made some of those changes without going through CEQA. More changes may be ahead.
This is the second of a two part piece on land use issues at Dodger Stadium. ran Wednesday on the site.
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During his divorce trial in September, McCourt said that he had split the baseball team and the land into separate businesses when he purchased the Dodgers.
"And the purpose of that was to be sure that you had the land separate in case the team did not work out, correct?" asked David Boies, the attorney for Jamie McCourt.
"Amongst other reasons, yes," Frank McCourt testified. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0508-dodgers-mccourt-sale-20110508,0,6837676,full.story
In 2008, a McCourt subsidiary-- L.A. Real Estate, LLC -- petitioned the City to expand the uses allowed under the stadium's conditional use permit (“Dodger Stadium: The Next 50 Years” project, case no. ENV-2008-1659-EIR). McCourt asked to sell off a portion of the stadium and to build double the number of concession stands, new clubs for Baseline Box seat holders, expanded walkways, and to add new signage. McCourt did not rule out residential development in the stadium area. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=715496.
The city’s planning department held a public hearing and asked for “scoping” letters. The next step was to be a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). There is still no DEIR. (Email messages to LA City planner Henry Chu 7/2/10 and 5/4/11). The Dodgers need City approval and financing to proceed with the two to three years of work McCourt hoped to do.
According to the Dodger website, however, at least part of the project went ahead. There is now a full service bar.
New concession stands on the renovated concourse are: Canter's Deli, Mrs. Beasley's, Ruby's Diner, the Dodger Blue Bar, and Camacho's Cantina, Panda Express, Gordon Biersch and California Pizza Kitchen. http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=history
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Ryan Caprio, Eric Garcetti’s aide, did not respond to a message asking if Councilman Garcetti knew about the Dodgers’ off-season expansion. (Message to Ryan Caprio 5/5/11)
Dodgers vice chairman Steve Soboroff -- who shepherded a major retail and residential development at Playa Vista -- said the Dodger Stadium property might be used for residences around the perimeter but only after meetings with the neighborhood. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0508-dodgers-mccourt-sale-20110508,0,6837676,full.story
Mr. Soboroff did not explain what the perimeter of Dodger stadium is or how many residences the City might agree to in land zoned for agriculture.