SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The California State Senate today gave final legislative approval to SB 292 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill will help bring a new stadium and convention center to downtown Los Angeles and create more than 23,000 jobs, including 12,000 jobs during the construction process and another 11,000 permanent jobs when finished. The legislation now goes to the Governor for his signature.
“The building of a new sports arena and convention center is a game changer for the City of Los Angeles and the region. This project represents $1.2 billion in private investment in our city. It will create thousands of jobs and continue the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “I commend the outstanding leadership of Assembly Speaker John Perez who worked diligently to craft and help shepherd this bill through the legislature,” Padilla added.
Senate Bill 292 would elevate and expedite judicial review of the project while establishing ground-breaking environmental protections. Specifically, SB 292 would:
- Require a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Farmers Field Project and allows for an expedited judicial review of the completed EIR at the Court of Appeals, within 175 days of the completed report.
- Require that the project results in air emission neutrality by the end of the first full NFL season played at the stadium, with at least 10% less car trip emissions than any other NFL stadium.
- Require environmental mitigation objectives required by the bill not only be achieved, but also be supplemental to current environmental requirements.
- Clarify that nothing in the bill affects the project’s ongoing obligations pursuant to environmental laws.
- Ensure that any additional court or CEQA approval costs will be paid by the applicant.
The stadium and convention center will be one of the largest construction projects in the United States and is projected to cost a total of $1.3 billion. It will be the first LEED certified stadium and sports district ever built. The City of Los Angeles, which voted to approve the project, has projected that it will generate $410 million in new tax revenues over 30 years.
The project has overwhelming support from many organizations and community groups that include the Natural Resources Defense Council, the California League of Conservation Voters, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the California Labor Federation, the California State Council of Laborers, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers, IBEW 11, Ironworkers Local 300, Teamsters Local 396 and the Greater Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and many more.
Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 850,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.
