FBI Cancels Westwood Plans

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has scrapped controversial plans to build a new Los Angeles headquarters office at the site of the Federal Building in Westwood, the Business Journal has learned.


The FBI informed federal officials Thursday that it was not proceeding with the plan that called for the General Service Administration to tear down the landmark 1970 Federal Building and build nearly 1 million square feet of office space in its place, according to Scott Gerber, communications director for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.


“This is good news. I am very pleased to hear that the FBI decided not to proceed with the building,” said Feinstein in a statement. “There was an insurmountable amount of neighborhood opposition and a corridor of major traffic congestion. I am very happy to help the FBI in any way to find a new location.”


The plan for the GSA-controlled property at 11000 Wilshire Blvd. generated opposition from area residents and elected public officials who voiced concerns about traffic congestion and safety issues that would stem from centralizing the FBI’s office in L.A.


The FBI currently occupies nine floors of the 17-story Federal Building with various other federal agencies taking the rest. Other FBI offices are scattered throughout the city. The FBI has asked the GSA to look at alternate sites, and the project’s final environmental impact statement will not be released, Gerber said.


Laura Lake, co-president of Coalition for Veterans’ Land, an opposition group of local residents, said she was “thrilled” with the news. “This a wonderful victory for our coalition and we have tremendous gratitude for our elected representatives,” she said.


The plan called for the GSA to first build one 470,000-square-foot building near the existing Federal Building, where the FBI would have its headquarters. Then the Federal Building would have been razed and a second twin tower would have been be constructed perhaps by 2017 which also would have served the FBI. The two buildings could have totaled 937,000 square feet of office space.


Lake said her group plans to oppose any other plans the GSA may have for the property. “We don’t want to see the GSA come back and propose a new federal building. This is a wonderful victory, but it’s not the end of the war in terms of our coalition,” she said.


The GSA could not immediately be reached for comment.

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