The Wrigley Greenbelt—a project plagued by years of failed bids and, more recently, expired permits and expiring County funding—is moving forward after a flurry of permit approvals and grant extensions from Los Angeles County.
The greenbelt faced an uncertain future earlier this year when work at the project site was halted when the City realized its flood control permit had “unknowingly” expired, Director of Public Works Eric Lopez said earlier this year.
Rather than request a permit extension, L.A. County directed Public Works to resubmit its plans. Requirements changed since the permits were first issued and the department needed three permits to move forward.
Earlier this week, Public Works received confirmation that the third and final permit was approved. It will be issued shortly, according to Public Works Community Relations Officer Joy Contreras.
“We want to thank the community for their patience and understanding,” Contreras said, noting that the project has been a positive learning lesson.
Along with the permits, the City also requested an extension for $1.625 million in grants from L.A. County—a critical funding source for the project. The funding was set to expire in July of this year.
The County approved an extension on the grants, which were first issued in 2008. The City has until May 31, 2022 to spend the funds and complete the greenbelt.
“That was previously unexpected. We have been told in the past that they weren’t going to be able to extend it since they were originating from old programs from the last decade or so,” Project Manager Adrian Puyolt said.
The City had already taken steps towards preparing the land, as well as filling a longstanding funding gap in the project through a collaboration with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB).
CCLB was able to leverage their own grants for the greenbelt—including $250,000 in Prop 68 funds, $50,000 in Active Transportation funding and an existing CalFire grant.
“I think that was a really positive sign to L.A. County,” Puyolt said. “Seeing the project get started, that this was actually happening.”
Though Public Works hasn’t ironed out its construction schedule with the Conservation Corps, Puyolt said the department is tentatively planning to begin work in October.
Before they begin, Public Works plans to hold a community meeting to update residents on the progress of the greenbelt. The department has planned, tentatively, to hold the meeting later this month.
“That’s really going to help us out so folks can anticipate what to see, what to hear in the surrounding area, and to also answer any of their concerns or questions,” Contreras said. “We’re getting a lot of requests.”
Plans for the LA River-adjacent open space include native plant landscaping, additional trees, a walking path and picnic areas.
Master plans for the greenbelt date back to 1993. In one document, the project completion date was estimated at December 2009. In another document, a trial completion date was set for December 2015. Earlier this year, a sign at the project site showed a completion date of winter 2021.
This time, Public Works is confident that the greenbelt will come to fruition.
“We’ll definitely have no issue meeting that new grant deadline of May 31, [2022],” Puyolt said. “That’s a really good timeline.”
See Related:
