The idle downtown Los Angeles development that’s earned the name “graffiti towers” for visibly obvious reasons is getting cleaned up, with officials celebrating the “milestone” moment in a project that began more than a decade ago.
The cleanup for Oceanwide Plaza — the stalled project promising a hotel and residential living near the city’s major entertainment venues and later the subject of significant graffiti on its exterior — comes as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics creeps into view.
KTLA reported that graffiti abatement crews were seen at Oceanwide Plaza on Wednesday, July 22, and the Los Angeles Times reported a “test to see how much graffiti could be removed in a day” occurred on July 22. The reported action followed Mayor Karen Bass’ announcement
two days prior: That the graffiti removal and blight abatement was set to begin, with remediation work to be completed within three months, according to her office.
The cleanup is part of a plan of liquidation confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, with the court’s ruling “clearing the path for the over $470 million sale” of this development to KPC Square, according to Hilco Global, which served as a broker, on Tuesday, July 21.
KPC Square is a joint venture between KPC Group and Lendlease, according to Hilco Global. The sale is expected to close in the coming months, according to a news release.
The Oceanwide Plaza project began more than a decade ago, located within walking distance of major venues like the Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
In a statement, the mayor said Oceanwide Plaza is located at the center of one of downtown’s “most important economic corridors” that links the arena, the convention center, L.A. Live — the sports and entertainment district — and the broader South Park district.
“Completing this project is about far more than finishing a building — it’s about restoring confidence, reconnecting a vital commercial corridor, and unlocking the economic potential of one of the city’s most strategic destinations ahead of a transformative decade for Los Angeles,” Bass said.
Court filings described the mixed-use property as 60% complete, with its external construction “largely complete” and portions of it internally “unfinished.” The property, comprising three towers that included a planned Park Hyatt hotel and residential space, also promised retail and dining space. In 2016, Oceanwide Holdings said that Oceanwide Plaza would bring “a new level of sophistication to L.A.’s sports and entertainment district.” It was scheduled to be completed in early 2019, Oceanwide Holdings said.
Instead, financial challenges struck the project. As the project stalled, trouble followed, including the infamous graffiti marking floor after floor that led to it being referred to as “graffiti towers” and a reported video of a person parachuting from the towers.
“Once completed, the project is expected to deliver new housing, a hotel, retail shops, restaurants, and spur significant economic activity in the heart of Downtown,” Bass’ office said on July 20.
During a mayoral debate in May, Bass and fellow candidates were asked about their plans for downtown Los Angeles, which one moderator described as seemingly in a “state of crisis.” She said it's “an economic engine” that needs attending to.
Debra Shrout, board chair of the South Park Neighborhood Association, said in a statement that the graffiti at Oceanwide Plaza was a “constant reminder of what was holding” downtown Los Angeles “back.”
“This is an important step forward to revitalize the economic heartbeat of Los Angeles,” Shrout said. “With the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games right around the corner, we look forward to seeing DTLA demonstrate the best of Los Angeles on the world stage.”
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: End of era for LA’s infamous ‘graffiti towers.’ Where project stands
