Thanks in part to the tireless lobbying efforts of Mayor Eric Garcetti and his aggressive campaigning for the plan known as Alternative 20, the proposed $1 billion plan to revitalize the Los Angeles River and develop areas around it for recreation and new housing and commercial development, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday expressed support for the plan, providing a huge boost for the proposal that still requires Congressional approval to move forward. The ambitious proposal would restore habitat, widen the river, create wetlands and provide access points and bike trails along an 11-mile stretch north of downtown through Elysian Park. The decision, made by Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, opens the way for Congress to give its approval and work to begin to transform the unsightly concrete corridor into something resembling the river’s natural state and provide recreational opportunities for the public.
“It’s a big win for the city,” beamed Mayor Garcetti. “It’s the right thing for the ecology, it’s the right thing for the economy and for kids growing up being separated from downtown by a concrete flood control channel.” He also praised the thousands of Angelenos who signed a petition in favor of Alternative 20, saying that because of their support we now have the potential to leave future generations with “a river worthy of a great city.” He asks LA residents to continue adding to the petition supporting the plan as Congress considers the next steps.
If approved by Congress, the plan would restore 719 acres, tear out three miles of concrete, and widen the river to provide terracing along its eastern banks. It would also connect the river to Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown and restore its confluence with the Verdugo Wash, near the junction of the 5 and 134 freeways. The cost of the project would be shared equally by the federal government and city and state sources.
According to Senator Barbara Boxer, the revitalization efforts could bring the river “back to life and [provide] much greater opportunity for economic and recreational development, providing thousands of additional jobs and billions of dollars of increased investment in the local economy.”
Environmental and community groups have voiced concerns over the influence of development interests in the process and the displacement of local residents and businesses as the riverfront property increases in value. The Mayor insists that the city is considering these issues as potential impacts, noting that “everyone wants the good gentrification and not the bad.” It remains to be seen how the potential revitalization efforts will affect local communities, but median home prices in the Elysian Valley have already risen 21% since last year, a higher rate than the city’s overall rise of 16%.
If the plan moves forward, it has the potential to attract more than $5 billion in investment over the next 10 to 15 years, generating up to 18,000 jobs in the area, and provide ample outdoor recreation opportunities for Angelenos such as kayaking, fishing, and biking.