In 2018, when former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt first proposed the concept of a gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was “absolutely confident this will happen.” Karen Bass replaced Garcetti as mayor 14 months ago and had said nothing about the gondola project.
Until Saturday, of course.
The mayor and four allies on the Metro board issued a list of 31 conditions they want to impose to proceed with the project, including a plan for a regional bus program that could compete with the gondola for passengers and a restriction on future development of Dodger Stadium parking lots, which could drag the Dodgers themselves into the approval process.
Bass and her allies, including County Supervisor Hilda Solis, account for five votes on the Metro board. They would need two of the other eight votes to impose the conditions, which are expected to be discussed at a board meeting on Thursday.
Nathan Click, spokesman for Zero Emissions Transit (ZET), said gondola project officials “are reviewing” the list of conditions. ZET is the non-profit organization established to oversee the project.
The list addresses several important issues raised by opponents of the project, including: the lack of assurances that taxpayers would not be responsible for what is proposed as a privately funded project; allegedly insufficient consideration of alternatives to improve access to Dodger Stadium; and concerns that a gondola to the Dodger Stadium parking lots would inevitably lead to development of those lots, co-owned by McCourt.
Project proponents say bonds, sponsorships and naming rights could pay for the gondola, with costs estimated at up to $500 million for construction and up to $10 million per year for operation. Bass and his allies want ZET to set aside a reserve of money to ensure “sufficient funds are available to dismantle or operate the project” if necessary.
Bass also wants ZET to pay for any buses Metro may need to get to Dodger Stadium during the 2028 Olympics if the gondola is not operating at that time. The gondola is expected to open in time for the Games.
Former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who is trying to build a gondola to transport fans from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.
(Claude Paris / Associated Press)
The conditions also include “the addition of multiple park and ride locations throughout the region in accordance with the model provided by the Park & Ride Hollywood Bowl transportation program.”
A program that takes passengers directly to Dodger Stadium, without a stop at Union Station to catch the gondola, would be a competitor to the gondola. An alternative could be a program that takes passengers to Union Station, alleviating the need to drive there and find parking before taking the gondola.
While advocates have portrayed the gondola as strictly a transit project and said any future development of the Dodger Stadium parking lots would require city approval, Bass wants a binding commitment that at least 25% of any development be dedicate to affordable housing.
McCourt alone could not accept such a compromise. He and the Dodgers share ownership of the parking lots. Team president Stan Kasten did not return a message asking if anyone had discussed this proposed compromise with the Dodgers.
In a housing-starved state, California's other major league teams have included housing within projects surrounding their stadiums. Although proposals in Anaheim and Oakland collapsed, ballparks in San Diego and San Francisco now include adjacent housing.
In San Francisco, the Giants agreed that their Mission Rock neighborhood would include about 1,200 residences, with 40% reserved for affordable housing.
