KTLA

Graffiti-covered skyscraper developer may be forced to clean it up

The Los Angeles City Council will meet Friday to vote on a proposal requiring the developer of a graffiti-covered skyscraper complex downtown to clean up and secure the property. 

The motion, which Councilmember Kevin de León introduced on Feb. 2, would give China Oceanwide until Feb. 17 to comply or face further discipline.

Taggers have graffitied what appears to be more than 25 stories of a downtown Los Angeles skyscraper that’s been sitting dormant for several years. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Oceanwide Plaza development, which has sat incomplete since January 2019, gained national attention after being heavily tagged with graffiti appearing on more than 25 floors.

The complex has become such a hot spot for taggers that police had to step up security even after making several arrests.

Video recorded Friday morning showed Los Angeles Police Department officers patrolling the perimeter of the skyscraper.

An LAPD unit patrols a graffiti-covered skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2024. (KeyNews.TV)

The City Council meets at 10 a.m. and is expected to vote on the motion, which also requires the developer to remove the graffiti.

If the plan is approved and China Oceanwide does not comply, the city could clean up the property and charge the developer for the cost, according to de León’s motion.

Construction on Oceanwide Plaza stalled in 2019 because the developer ran out of money, the Los Angeles Times reported.

If the city is forced to do the cleanup and payment is not made, then a lien could be placed against the property allowing for the possibility of foreclosure, according to a report by CoStar News.