Model Policy: Los Angeles Adaptive Reuse Ordinance
About the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance
In its heyday, the Orpheum Theatre showcased legends like Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. The theatre is currently used as a live theatre featuring plays, musicals, concerts and award shows. The upper floors have been renovated into 37 exquisite live/work residences.
Credit: City of Los Angeles
In 1999, LA's Central City Association created and sponsored policy that would make it simpler and less costly to convert under-utilized commercial buildings to housing in the city's greater downtown area. The result was the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which has become one of the most significant incentives related to historic preservation in Los Angeles. The ordinance facilitates conversion of underutilized older and historic commercial and industrial structures to residential/hotel units by streamlining permitting processes and providing flexibility in zoning and building code requirements.
How the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance Works
Changing an industrial or commercial building to residential use would normally require compliance with numerous rules and regulations. The Adaptive Reuse Ordinance works by cutting through this red tape.
The program is run by the City of Los Angeles and coordinated by a multi-departmental effort through the Office of the Mayor, the Department of Building and Safety, and the Fire Department. The departments work as a team to move projects through the design, permitting and construction processes.
The program consists of two components: a set of land use ordinances which relaxes typical zoning requirements, and adjustments to fire and life safety measures which provides flexibility in the approval and permitting process.
The land use ordinance includes a waiver in density restrictions and states that dwelling units, joint live/work and guestrooms are not subject to lot area requirements of the zone or setback or height restrictions of the district. Additional parking spaces are not required, but existing parking capacity must be maintained. Loading space is also not required. In addition, new mezzanine loft spaces that are less than one-third the floor area of the room below can be constructed and not counted as floor area.
The review process is expedited through the program in that discretionary review by the Planning Department is not required and flexibility is provided in meeting building code, disabled access, electrical code, fire code, mechanical code and seismic upgrade.
These changes may seem insignificant, but were critical in promoting wide-spread adaptive reuse in Los Angeles. Before the enactment of the program, developers found it cost prohibitive to bring older buildings up to code, and the time required to complete the review process was also undesirable.
The Impact of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance
Encouraged by the success in downtown (pictured above), the City of Los Angeles first expanded the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance to cover the Hollywood, Chinatown, Lincoln Heights and Wilshire before eventually expanding it citywide in 2003.
Credit: City of Los Angeles
This innovative policy has produced dramatic results. Having created over 10,000 apartments and condo units since its inception, the ordinance is credited as the city's most successful method in increasing housing stock in a short period of time. The program has also saved and brought back into productive reuse an estimated 60 buildings that potentially faced the wrecking ball.
Moreover, the positive effects of the program reach beyond the preservation of buildings and the creation of housing. Increased retail development to serve the new residents is sparking a second wave of adaptive reuse development, and an estimated $6 billion in economic investment is a direct result of the program. In addition to creating a "24/7 city," related goals include reduction of vehicle miles traveled and vehicle trips, which will thereby improve air quality – a problem that has plagued Los Angeles for many years.
The initial purpose was to revitalize the greater downtown area by encouraging a live/work residential community, but because of the ordinance's success, the area of eligibility was expanded from the targeted downtown core to citywide in 2003.
"It's been one of the great municipal success stories in urban planning nationwide," boasts Ken Bernstein, head of the city's Office of Historic Preservation and a former Los Angeles Conservancy official. "It has reached such proportions that it should be viewed as a national model in municipal planning" (Los Angeles Business Journal, February 12, 2007).
Nearby communities are already catching on to the success of the program, which has demonstrated that historic preservation can serve as a powerful engine for economic revitalization and the creation of new housing supply. In 2005, Pasadena amended its law to allow for code variances for setbacks and parking density when rehabilitating older buildings.
Commentary & Media Coverage
Talk Green Preservation with the National Trust's Richard Moe
November 10, 2008 | BlogDowntown.com
Adapting Downtown for More Business
October 26, 2008 | NBC Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, Downtown is a Boomtown
April 25, 2006 | Architectural Record
The Office as Home
April 13, 2008 | Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Revival
April 28, 2007 | Toronto Star
Adaptive Reuse of Existing Structures
February 2007 | Structure Magazine
Building on the Past
February 2007 | Los Angeles Business Journal
Landmark May Make History All Over Again
January 30, 2007 | Los Angeles Times
Adaptive Reuse Rules are Reshaping Downtown LA
December 1, 2005 | Building Design and Construction
Using the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance as a Model
A few components were critical to the success of the Adaptive Reuse Program. The ordinance had widespread support of a variety of stakeholders including the preservation and development communities. The ordinance also addressed a key obstacle that had plagued the redevelopment of downtown for years – the necessity to provide additional parking for new residential units.
Financially, the program was appealing to lawmakers in that it did not require any commitment of funds for the program. In addition to the time and money saved by an expedited review process, the program allows for the use of other incentives – such as the federal rehabilitation tax credit or the California Mills Act – which provide property tax relief for the continued preservation of historic properties.
Simplifying the implementation of the program was another key element. The Los Angeles Conservancy produced supporting several documents for the program, including design guidelines and a survey for the existing building stock to assess which could be most easily adapted to residential. Perhaps most crucial to the ease of implementation was the appointment of a dedicated staff person by the city to oversee the program.
Submitted by anonymous at: December 10, 2008
It is my understanding that the champion for the City of LA's Adaptive Reuse Program and the soul behind the implementation of this Ordinance was Mr. Hamid Behdad formerly of the Mayor's Office.