Two neglected skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles, often referred to as the “graffiti towers,” are finally undergoing a much-needed revitalization. However, Mayor Karen Bass is facing criticism for allowing the site to become a glaring representation of the city’s urban decay.
Detractors point to these skyscrapers as a clear indication of the city’s decline, highlighting issues such as homeless encampments, pervasive litter, rampant illegal drug use, and a general neglect of public nuisances under her leadership.
One particular news outlet delivered a harsh critique of Mayor Bass, who governs the United States’ second-largest city, only surpassed by New York.
“She let criminals run riot over $1bn skyscraper development for YEARS. Now LA’s mayor has the audacity to hail the clean-up of city’s infamous ‘graffiti towers,’” declared the Daily Mail in their Sunday headline.
The ambitious Oceanwide project began over a decade ago when a Chinese company, Oceanwide Holdings, acquired the plot opposite the Crypto.com Arena for a staggering $1.2 billion.
An aerial view of colorful graffiti spray-painted an abandoned real estate project in downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The company planned luxury condos and a hotel on the site. However, work ceased in 2019 after the Chinese government cut back on overseas investments and Oceanwide ran out of funds.
The city has attempted to solve the matter in bankruptcy court, as the desolate towers remained empty for years while vandals scaled the structure and covered the development with floor after floor of huge tags.
The site also became a destination for thrill seekers who filmed stunts like base jumping and tightrope walking, resulting in dozens of arrests, news outlets have reported.
According to the Mail:
Mayor Karen Bass enhanced a police presence in the area and blocked off access to the towers in 2024, but the development stood as a visual reminder of LA’s economic woes. Signs of hope for an end to the madness came earlier this month when the city withdrew its objections to a modified bankruptcy plan proposed by a new buyer. Although the site was initially bought for $1.2 billion, the new buyer purchased the towers for $470 million.
With the incumbent mayor trying to hold onto her post in November’s general election against upstart city councilwoman Nithya Raman, Bass appears to be focusing on quality of life conditions that have led to the city’s decline for the past two decades.
“Oceanwide Plaza sits at the center of one of Downtown Los Angeles’ most important economic corridors, linking the Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena, LA LIVE, and the broader South Park district,” Bass said in a statement earlier in the week.
She continued, “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.”
Officials have been under pressure to clean up the streets ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city’s widespread street blight the leading issue in Spencer Pratt’s unsuccessful mayoral primary campaign.
KPC Development Co emerged as a potential buyer of the structures earlier this year, with the properties previously developing commercial properties in California and India.
Despite its interest to develop the towers into a hotel and residential structure, the sale had been stalled in bankruptcy court since April as the city struggled to agree on terms, according to the Mail.
“City attorneys withdrew their objections on Monday, conceding that KPC had agreed to ‘meaningful improvements’ that serve the interests of downtown residents,” the Mail reported.
Among the terms of the agreement was the immediate removal of graffiti within 30 days.
– contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.