KTLA

Council approves plan for housing at former L.A. Times building in DTLA amid calls for more affordable units

The Los Angeles City Council backed a proposal for a developer to erect two high-rise towers at the site of the old Los Angeles Times building in downtown L.A. (SCB Architects via Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a plan for two high-rise residential towers on a block near City Hall that was formerly known as Times Mirror Square.

The Los Angeles City Council backed a proposal for a developer to erect two high-rise towers at the site of the old Los Angeles Times building in downtown L.A. (SCB Architects via Los Angeles Times)

The council voted 11 to 4 to recommend certification of the project’s environmental report and the denial of an appeal sought by a nonprofit organization whose members are also in a union group.

Developer Onni Group plans to build more than 1,200 apartments and commercial space on the Civic Center property, which once housed The Times. The project will have 24 moderate-income units and 10 low-income units.

Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility filed an appeal of the development, citing the risk of birds hitting the high-rise towers and construction equipment causing poor air quality. The group counts members of Laborers’ International Union of North America among its group.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.