WILMINGTON WATERFRONT PROJECT APPROVED BY THE LOS ANGELES BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSIONERS

Project Concludes a 20+ Year Community Planning Effort and Focuses on Sustainable Practices

• 1987 Wilmington/Port Area Planning Study - proposed commercial development at the waterfront at the top of Slip 5 and north along Avalon Boulevard);             
• 1989 Avalon Boulevard Waterfront Access Study, (RTKL)  - proposed developments at the Slip 5 waterfront, including berthing for historic ships and a water taxi, visitor-serving facilities along Avalon Boulevard, and Banning’s Landing Community Center;
• 2001 the Foot of Avalon Refined Concept Plan (RRM) - included improvements on property owned by the LAHD and immediately available. This area became part of the focus of the Port Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) Subcommittee in December 2002, when the Avalon Corridor, from C Street south to the waterfront, was identified as an area for community-serving development;
• 2003 Planning firm SMWM, LLP (SMWM) - worked with the Wilmington Waterfront Development Subcommittee on planning for the Avalon Boulevard Corridor area and the Wilmington Parkway (later to become the Harry Bridges Buffer Project currently under construction). SMWM and the LAHD conducted several workshops, and the resulting document was the Wilmington Waterfront Development Subcommittee—Final Plan (SMWM 2004). This plan called for commercial development areas around the intersection of Harry Bridges and Avalon Boulevards, a promenade and other visitor-serving development at the waterfront, and an open space connection between the two. This plan was adopted in concept by the Board of Harbor Commissioners in October of 2004 and became the basis for the Wilmington Waterfront Development Project;
• 2006  The LAHD and SMWM undertook a public outreach and collaborative community planning effort which resulted in development of the final plan for the Wilmington Waterfront Project in 2007. Four community workshops were held, with comments solicited relative to community access to the waterfront and commercial development. Over 1,000 people attended the final workshops.

• Green Buildings – new buildings will be LEED™  Certified Silver
• Solar Panels - Approximately 20,000 square feet, with a goal of offsetting the project’s energy usage by up to 12. 5%
• Recycled Water - used in water features, flushing toilets and landscaping
• Recycling – during construction and operations
• Planting - drought-tolerant plants and shade trees
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Access – increases access to the waterfront and within the project area with the California Coastal Trail, Waterfront Red Car Line, Land Bridge, and Waterfront Promenade
• Stormwater management - design system uses bioswales, permeable pavement and other systems to reduce stormwater runoff
• Port Sustainability Policies - Sustainable Construction Guidelines, Green Building Policy, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy, and Sustainable Engineering Guidelines will all be followed

• Creation of a waterfront promenade with multiple viewing piers and public floating docks for visiting recreational vessels
• 7-acre plaza designed for gatherings and events
• 12,000 sq. ft. of waterfront restaurant and visitor-serving retail
• Construction of a landmark 200-foot Observation Tower with a pedestrian ramp
• Creation of a 10-acre Land Bridge with an elevated park and water features
• Construction of a pedestrian “water” bridge that includes an integrated water feature, open space and improved pedestrian access to the waterfront
• Street realignments to improve circulation

• Streetscape, sidewalk and utility-provision improvements to support up to 150,000 sq. ft. of light industrial uses oriented towards green technology business development
• Includes 58,000 sf of commercial development for maritime visitor-serving uses along Harry Bridges Boulevard, between Marine Avenue and Avalon Boulevard
• Sidewalk and pedestrian-related improvements along Island, Marine and Fries Avenues, Harry Bridges and Avalon Boulevards and C Street
• Creation of a one-acre Railroad Green park
• Consideration of adaptive reuse of the historic Bekins Storage property for a Waterfront Red Car Museum