PROJECT SUMMARY Community The property, located in Los Angeles, California, is owned by the City of Los Angeles. The City selected a developer in November 2017 to determine the best redevelop- ment approach for this key property adjacent to the Los Angeles River. This area of the City of Los Angeles has historically been environmentally overburdened and socially underserved. EPA places a high priority on providing Brownfields technical assistance and other support to such communities. Property information Address 401 North Avenue 19 Los Angeles, CA 90031 County Los Angeles Size 4.8 acres Technical Assistance Recipients Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative lani.org Contacts Rebecca Draper Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (213) 627-1822 ext. 16 rebecca@lani.org Noemi Emeric-Ford U.S. EPA (213) 244-1821 emeric-ford.noemi@epa.gov Property Information The structure in the central portion of the property is a 5-story building (formerly Lin- coln Heights Jail) that is currently unoccupied. There is ample evidence of vandalism and illegal use of the building. The structures on the southern portion of the property are two single-story buildings that have been occupied for the last 20 years by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Both buildings are well-maintained and appear to be in good condition. The property is mainly concrete- and asphalt-paved with minimal landscaping along North Avenue 19. The former Lincoln Heights Jail building was used as storage and office space by various companies since closure of the former jail in 1965. It is unclear when that occupancy ceased; however, it does not appear to have been legally occupied for at least 10 years. Technical Assistance EPA provides technical assistance to research historic property uses, conduct environ- mental sampling and identify cleanup options and costs. An EPA-funded environmen- tal assessment included a geophysical survey, surface and subsurface soil sampling, soil gas sampling and an inspection of former jail building for hazardous materials. Elevated metals, lead and cadmium were detected in soil throughout the property footprint. A select number of elevated volatile organic compounds were detected in property soil gas samples. Lead-based paint and asbestos were detected in the jail building materials. One underground storage tank was located during the geophysi- cal survey. Recommendation: Excavate or cap contaminated soil. Remove hazardous building materials from former jail building and historic underground storage tank on the property. Install a vapor barrier and depressurization system to the bottom floor of the former jail building. Future Use The property is being considered for redevelopment as a public facility offering food services, hospitality, entertainment, a music venue, residency and green space. EPA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program is a technical service to conduct environmental assessments on brownfield sites: www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |