Braude Opposes Watt City Center
Citing the possibility of traffic gridlock, City Councilman Marvin Braude expressed opposition Friday to construction of the Watt City Center west of the Harbor Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.
Braude said at a City Hall press conference that there are “too many problems” with the Watt project, which includes 62-story and 27-story towers and an eight-story parking structure between 7th and 8th streets.
The councilman noted that in addition to the proposed 1.69-million-square-foot Watt project, there are currently 63 other major projects--with 35 million square feet of office space--in the downtown area.
“The resulting traffic congestion will spell gridlock for the Harbor Freeway and downtown streets and will create a catastrophe beyond our comprehension,” Braude said.
He called on the Planning Commission to bar construction of the Watt project and to reconsider plans for Central City West, which calls for development of 314 acres west of the Harbor and south of the Hollywood freeways near downtown.
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