Neither Carmel nor Wesson would confirm whether the lunch took place.įive days after the planned meeting, the campaign for two ballot measures heavily backed by Wesson, which sought to change the city’s election dates, reported receiving $25,000 from a Carmel affiliate. In February 2015, Wesson scheduled a lunch meeting with a high-level Carmel executive at Morton’s Steakhouse, according to emails reviewed by The Times. “Mike, this project is very important to us,” wrote Wesson chief of staff Deron Williams in an email to Michael LoGrande, then the city’s planning director. From the beginning, Wesson and his staff made the project a priority, arranging a meeting between the development team and high-level city officials.īehind the scenes, Wesson’s top deputy repeatedly pushed city agencies to move quickly on the project, according to emails reviewed by The Times. council members typically defer to the wishes of the council member who represents the area where a project is proposed.Ĭarmel Partners filed its first paperwork on the Cumulus project in December 2014. Getting Wesson on board was crucial, since L.A. To make Cumulus a reality, Carmel needed the council to change the property’s zoning from manufacturing to one that could accommodate 1.9 million square feet of commercial development, including housing. LA Radio LLC, the Cumulus subsidiary that owned the site, authorized Carmel to handle the project’s application at City Hall, according to planning records. Earlier this year, Carmel Partners said the Huizar case featured “numerous” false or misleading conclusions, saying campaign donations were not the reason its downtown project was approved.Ĭarmel Partners entered into a purchase agreement with Cumulus Media in mid-2014, starting a two-year escrow period, according to a Carmel spokeswoman. Huizar has pleaded not guilty in the case. Prosecutors have accused Huizar of securing financial benefits from Carmel while reducing the amount of affordable housing required in its project. Instead, the bribery investigation has focused largely on real estate projects in Councilman Jose Huizar‘s downtown district, including a 35-story Carmel Partners tower. However, prosecutors have made no mention of the Cumulus development and have not publicly accused Wesson of any wrongdoing. Since the council approved the project, Carmel Partners has come under scrutiny in a federal corruption probe that has led to the arrest of two council members. Those prices, tenant advocates say, will still be out of reach for most residents of West Adams and nearby L.A. While Carmel has not revealed how much those rents will be, city officials say workforce housing can rent for up to $2,959 for a single, $3,379 for a one-bedroom and $3,803 for a two-bedroom. Those units constitute affordable housing, the company said in a statement. But the company said it plans to voluntarily charge “workforce” rents in at least 180 units of the project’s 900-unit second phase, now under construction. Wesson pushed for the site to be rezoned, eliminating the property’s 45-foot height limit, and voted to remove language aimed at ensuring the project would offer city-regulated affordable housing.Ĭarmel Partners, the project’s developer, acknowledged the 300-unit Arq tower is catering to higher-income renters. No one at City Hall was more essential to getting the project approved than Councilman Herb Wesson, who represents the area and is now running for county supervisor. In L.A.’s West Adams neighborhood, which has struggled for decades to attract grocers and retailers, the project is viewed as transformational. It’s part of the Cumulus District, a development slated to house restaurants, a Whole Foods supermarket and more than 1,200 apartments.Ĭumulus is the type of massive high-end development that’s typical for downtown, Hollywood or Century City. Located at the edge of South Los Angeles, the 30-story high-rise is unlike any other residential building in that part of the city, looming over its neighbors. The sleek new residential tower called Arq is billed as luxury living for L.A.'s creative set, with commanding views and studio apartments for $3,121 per month.
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