World-Class "L.A. Waterfront" Proposed!
- From: Ray Goldenberg <ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:36:54 -0800
Hi Everyone,
I received this press release from the Port of Los Angeles and thought
it would be of interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings,
they are available on my web site.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Port of L.A. Proposes a World-Class "L.A. Waterfront" and 21st-Century
Cruise Facilities at Nation's Largest Trade Gateway and #1 West Coast
Cruise Port
December 8, 2008, Is Deadline For Receiving Public Comments On "The
San Pedro Waterfront Project" Draft Environmental Impact
Report/Statement (DEIR/DEIS)
SAN PEDRO, Calif.
One month remains in the public comment period for the San Pedro
Waterfront Project proposed by the Port of Los Angeles. The 400-acre,
five- to seven-year infrastructure and public access improvement
project proposes new downtown-adjacent harbors; entitlements for up to
375,000 square feet of future commercial and conference center
development in the Ports O? Call area; expanded Pacific Electric Red
Car line service to Cabrillo Beach and other points along the
waterfront; and new cruise terminal facilities at Kaiser Point, in the
Outer Harbor.
The addition of a cruise terminal at existing berths in the Outer
Harbor (for decades a super-tanker facility) would allow the Port to
accommodate larger cruise vessels as they are introduced into service
by the cruise industry over the next two decades and also serve the
anticipated continued growth in demand for cruises. Existing cruise
berths in the Inner Harbor at the Port would continue to serve smaller
cruise ships.
Cruise Tourism Economic Benefits
Cruise operations at the Port facilitate more than 2,500 jobs and
generate about $87.5 million a year in regional wages, $281.9 million
in business revenues and $11.2 million in state and local taxes. The
Port wants to retain its position in the West Coast cruise market and
continue to cater to this growing segment of tourism by constructing a
second cruise terminal facility at Kaiser Point, in the Port?s Outer
Harbor (Berths 47-50).
Based on economic modeling, expanded cruise operations and increased
commercial development along the San Pedro Waterfront, as proposed by
the Port, would create a variety of economic benefits that include but
are not limited to:
* 1,083 new jobs (in addition to roughly 2,512 cruise-related jobs
and 300 retail/restaurant jobs identified in 2006). These include 645
new cruise-related jobs, 300 new retail/restaurant-related jobs and
138 Red Car Line-related jobs, bringing the total number of jobs in
these three areas to 3,895.
* $37.9 million in new wages (in addition to $99.6 million in job
income identified in 2006). These include additional wages for direct
and indirect jobs related to cruise and port tenant businesses (based
on an estimate of $35,000 per job, as per the 2006 Martin study),
bringing total wage income generated from cruise and waterfront to
$137.5 million.
* $30.8 million in passenger spending (in addition to $33.6
million in 2006), based on $57 spent per passenger and 541,000 more
passengers than today, bringing overall passenger spending to $64.4
million. (NOTE: These figures exclude crew member spending, which is
$107 per call on average and generated more than $10 million in 2006.)
These economic benefits are based on modeling developed during a
larger report, Economic Impacts of the Port of Los Angeles (August
2007), performed by Martin Associates (www.martinassoc.net). For a
copy of the original report in its entirety, go to:
www.portoflosangeles.org/DOC/REPORT_2007_Economic_Impacts.pdf.
Public Comment Instructions
The entire San Pedro Waterfront Project Draft Environmental Impact
Report/Statement is posted at
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/EIR/SPWaterfront/DEIR/deir_
spwaterfront.asp. A Readers Guide to the project is also available on
the Port?s website. The document is also available in hard copy at
public libraries in San Pedro and Wilmington as well as the main
library in downtown Los Angeles and at the Port?s Administration
Building located at 425 S. Palos Verdes Street in San Pedro.
(Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your
Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one
exists.)
Public comments from community, civic and industry stakeholders can be
submitted via e-mail at ceqacomments@xxxxxxxxxxx Emails must reference
?San Pedro Waterfront Project? in their subject line and must include
a valid mailing address from the person(s) submitting the comment.
Comments can also be submitted in writing to both the Port and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the following addresses:
Dr. Spencer D. MacNeil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District
Regulatory Division, Ventura Field Office
2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 110
Ventura, California 93001
Dr. Ralph G. Appy, Director of Environmental Management
Port of Los Angeles
425 South Palos Verdes Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
For additional information, please contact the Corps? Public Affairs
Office at (213) 452-3920, or Jan Green Rebstock at the Port of Los
Angeles at (310) 732-3675.
About the San Pedro Waterfront Project
The San Pedro Waterfront Project is a proposed seven-year project
focused on connecting the San Pedro community with the waterfront,
enhancing community- and visitor-serving commercial opportunities in
and around the Port, and maintaining the Port?s position as a source
of economic vitality for the region. A proposed Project and seven
alternatives were co-equally analyzed in the environmental review, and
any one of the alternatives could be approved by the Board of Harbor
Commissioners.
Through its proposed Project, the Port would complete eight miles of
waterfront promenade, build three new harbors, and create acres of
public open space through plazas, parks, and landscape and hardscape
areas. As the community has voiced in many forums over recent years,
pedestrian and bicycle access to the San Pedro Waterfront is an
important element, so non-vehicular access principles were
incorporated into the project and project alternatives. As a result,
the project offers a variety of pedestrian and bicycle access,
including a continuous bike path, trail connections, clearly
identified pedestrian crossings, and elimination of barriers such as
fences for freight rail operations. Main components of the proposed
Project include:
Waterfront Promenade ? The proposed Project would feature a continuous
eight-mile long and up to 30-foot wide promenade extending throughout
the entire proposed project area and would serve as a spur of the
California Coastal Trail along the waterfront.
New Harbor Water Cuts and 7th Street Pier ? Three new harbors are
proposed: the North Harbor, Downtown Harbor, and 7th Street Harbor.
The North Harbor would include a 5.0-acre water cut located at Berths
87?90 to accommodate the Crowley and Millennium tugboats and the
historic S.S. Lane Victory naval ship. The Downtown Harbor would
include a 1.5-acre water cut to accommodate the Los Angeles Maritime
Institute?s TopSail Youth Program vessels, Port vessels, and other
visiting ships. The 7th Street Harbor would include a 0.32-acre water
cut for visiting public vessels near the Los Angeles Maritime Museum
including tall ships. The 7th Street Harbor would also feature the 7th
Street Pier, a public dock for short-term berthing of visiting
vessels.
Open Spaces and Parks ? The Town Square, a public plaza located in
front of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum at the foot of 6th Street,
would accommodate approximately 170 people for formal seating
arrangements. The Town Square would include the Downtown Civic
Fountain, a water feature designed to complement the civic setting of
the nearby San Pedro City Hall Building. Approximately 27 acres of new
parks would also be integrated throughout the project including the
Fishermen?s Park in Ports O? Call and San Pedro Park, an 18-acre
?central park? designed to include an informal amphitheatre for harbor
viewing, waterfront events, and concerts with lawn seating for
approximately 3,000 people.
Adjacent to proposed new cruise terminals in the Outer Harbor is the
Outer Harbor Park. The approximately six-acre park would be designed
to maximize harbor views (such as of Angel's Gate lighthouse),
facilitate public access to the water's edge, encourage special
events, and segregate park visitors from secure areas of the cruise
terminals in compliance with the future security plan for the
terminals.
The proposed Project would include new development and/or
redevelopment opportunities for commercial- and maritime-related uses,
development of new cultural attractions, relocation and/or renewing of
existing tenant leases, deindustrialization of Port lands, expansion
of the cruise ship facilities, and provision of associated parking
facilities.
Anticipated Growth in Cruise Operations ? Cruise operations are
projected to increase over time as cruise ships become larger and a
higher demand for cruise vacations in the future is anticipated.
Berths and Terminal Facilities ? In addition, two new Outer Harbor
Cruise Terminals, both 2-story terminals totaling up to 200,000 square
feet, would be constructed in the Outer Harbor. The Outer Harbor
Cruise Terminals would incorporate green building principals designed
to attain LEED-Gold status. Ships would be required to use cleaner
fuels and plug in to shore-side electric power to substantially reduce
smokestack emissions while the ships are at berth. Security measures
would also be implemented as approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Parking for Cruise Ships ? Additional structured parking would be
developed on both sides of Harbor Boulevard to accommodate cruise
passenger parking for both the Inner and Outer Harbor cruise
terminals. Electric or CNG shuttle buses would transport passengers
from the parking structures to the Outer Harbor.
Revitalizing Ports O? Call Village ? The Proposed Project would
provide opportunities for upgrading the existing Ports O? Call through
redevelopment and new commercial development including a conference
center. The Port intends to partner with a master developer to create
a cohesive design throughout the Ports O? Call redevelopment.
Currently containing 150,000 square feet of under-utilized property
comprising commercial, retail, and restaurant uses, Ports O? Call is
proposed to increase by a total of 375,000 square feet of development
including a 75,000 square foot conference center.
Parking would be provided at a number of locations within the Port and
near Ports O? Call. Parking would include approximately 986 surface
spaces and 1,652 spaces in four 4-level structures along the bluffs at
the existing Southern Pacific Railyard. The height of the structures
would be at or near the top of the bluffs with vehicular access to the
top parking levels from Harbor Boulevard.
Deindustrialization of Port Lands ? Some land uses are proposed for
demolition in order to better serve the needs of the community and
visitors to the waterfront. These include demolition of the Southern
Pacific Railyard and Westway Terminal Facilities and decommissioning
of the Jankovich & Son fueling station. A new fueling station is
proposed at Berth 240 on Terminal Island.
The proposed Project would involve a series of transportation
improvements, including expansion of existing roadways; intersection,
landscape, and parking improvements; extension of the Waterfront Red
Car Line; and water taxi berthing opportunities. Key transportation
elements assessed in the project EIR/EIS include:
Expansion and Realignment of Sampson Way - Sampson Way would be
expanded to two lanes in each direction and curve near the Municipal
Fish Market to meet with 22nd Street in its westward alignment east of
Minor Street.
7th Street/Sampson Way Intersection Improvements - Sampson Way would
be accessed by an enhanced four-way intersection at 7th Street. Access
to Sampson Way from Harbor Boulevard via 6th Street would be
eliminated to accommodate the proposed Town Square. Access to the
proposed outer harbor cruise terminal berths would be internal to the
project south of 7th Street.
Harbor Boulevard - Harbor Boulevard would remain in place at its
current capacity with two lanes in each direction. Proposed
enhancements are consistent with design standards for the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Pacific Corridor and the City of Los
Angeles Planning Department Community Design Overlay. Recommendations
under consideration include consistency in street lighting design,
pedestrian crossing pavement treatments, landscaping, signage, and
sidewalks.
Waterfront Red Car Realignment and Extension - The Waterfront Red Car
Line would be extended from its existing terminus to Cabrillo Beach,
the Outer Harbor, and City Dock No. 1.
Water Taxi Connection Opportunities - Access to the proposed Project
area from other waterfront areas within the harbor could be
facilitated by a number of opportunity sites for water taxi service,
providing another transportation option other than automobiles.
About the Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles, also known as ?America?s Port,? has a strong
commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable
operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the
region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental
awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007
Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to
innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading
seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and
cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1
billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of
the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not
receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A
brighter future.
.
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