The University of Southern California and developer Hamid Razipour have settled a years-long battle over a five-story development that would have obstructed the iconic L.A. Memorial Coliseum sign.
The school bought the triangular parcel at 3851 South Grand Avenue, putting the kibosh on any development that could block the historic sign, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.
The deal, made for an undisclosed price, was announced at last week’s Los Angeles City Planning Commission meeting.
Razipour’s plan called for a five-story building with 12 live-work apartments above 723 square feet of ground-floor shops, plus a six-car garage.
USC’s hard-fought victory comes after appealing the city of Los Angeles’ approval of the proposal in late 2023. The school argued that the project hadn’t undergone sufficient environmental review.
The building would have risen higher than zoning rules allow by employing Transit Oriented Communities incentives in exchange for one affordable unit. Renderings for the project show the building clearly blocking the sign that has become a symbol of USC and L.A. sports for a century.
It’s not the first time Razipour has faced pushback about building near the sign.
Los Angeles Football Club, which plays at BMO Stadium across the 110 Freeway, confronted the city in 2023 when the developer sought a seven-story complex at 3801 South Grand Avenue. The City Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee has yet to take up the plan.
The Coliseum sign, located at 3843 South Grand Avenue, is eligible for local historic designation because of its association with the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, built in 1923, was also designated a National Historic Landmark.
In 2013, USC took over management and operation of the Coliseum under a 98-year lease. The venue will make history in 2028 as the only stadium in the world to host events for three separate Olympics.
— Chris Malone Méndez
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