An Idea to Help Spur L.A.’s Cleantech Revolution

City officials and leaders are considering an adaptive reuse ordinance for industrial buildings, modeled on the one that helped spark downtown L.A.’s residential boom, to help push forward the sputtering vision of a "CleanTech Corridor."

2 minute read

October 19, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jessica Hsu


For years, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles business leaders, along with the city's now defunct redevelopment agency, have been pushing to "transform the eastern edge of Downtown into a hub for green jobs and clean technology companies." The area has "a significant stock of old warehouses and factory buildings that haven't seen heavy manufacturing operations in decades," which have leaders salivating at the thought of the city's next manufacturing revolution. One small problem stands in the way, reports Ryan Vallaincourt: "[b]ringing those century-old industrial edifices up to current codes, however, looms over property owners like a dollar sign-shaped storm cloud."

"The sheer labor and cost it would take to go ahead and repurpose those buildings, to bring them up to current codes and adaptability to the type of machinery we were looking at, didn't make sense," said Erick Johnson, president and CEO of Greneker Solutions, who were looking to invest $1 million in creating a facility to manufacture countertops out of recycled materials. This challenge has prompted local leaders to consider an adaptive reuse ordinance, similar to the one that spurred downtown's wave of condo conversions, that "would in theory reduce red tape, ease strict code regulations and lower costs" and kick start the vision of the CleanTech Corridor.

Vallaincourt warns that adaptive reuse will not be an easy solution. "A new ordinance would have to minimize parking requirements, and it might have to coincide with a separate push for more mass transit infrastructure in the area," suggests Brad Cox, senior managing director of Trammell Crow. However, "the land use challenges facing the Cleantech Corridor are likely to get attention at City Hall in the future," notes Vallaincourt, "if only because they city has already invested in the cleantech vision, though not always with success."

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 in Los Angeles Downtown News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square