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Rams Football Team to Anchor Major Development in San Fernando Valley
The owner of the Los Angeles Rams is launching a $10-billion, 100-acre development project in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Warner Center that will include a state-of-the-art team headquarters alongside residential, retail and entertainment components. The proposed project includes new apartments, parks, restaurants and two mid-sized venues for concerts and events, with construction potentially starting in 2027. The facility will also feature both indoor and outdoor football fields and serve as a permanent base for the Rams, who previously trained in the suburb of Thousand Oaks. This development mirrors the $5-billion SoFi Stadium project in Inglewood and aims to create a new cultural and economic hub in the San Fernando Valley, a major population center that historically has lacked a "downtown." (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Los Gatos Seeks Court's Clarification on Builders Remedy Applications
The Town of Los Gatos has filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court seeking legal clarity on how builder’s remedy housing applications should be processed. The dispute centers on whether developers have only one 90-day window to fix incomplete applications, as Los Gatos contends, or unlimited successive 90-day periods, as interpreted by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The town is currently reviewing a dozen builder’s remedy applications and wants to avoid indefinite delays that could stall housing projects. Mayor Matthew Hudes emphasized that the lawsuit aims to ensure lawful and efficient application processing—not to stop housing construction. This legal action follows disputes over two incomplete project applications, including a proposed 117-unit mixed-use development on Los Gatos Boulevard. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Trump Orders Could Hinder California's Environmental Protections
President Trump has issued executive orders significantly undermining state-led climate and environmental initiatives, particularly targeting California’s environmental standards. One order directs the attorney general to block state laws that regulate emissions and climate policies, arguing they conflict with federal energy dominance goals and burden fossil fuel companies. Another order mandates a 25% increase in national timber production, opening all 18 of California’s national forests to logging, which critics say bypasses environmental protections and favors industry interests. Environmental advocates argue these moves threaten state sovereignty and public lands, while legal experts question their constitutionality. The administration claims these actions are necessary to lower energy costs, reduce wildfire risks and boost domestic resource production. However, opposition from legal, environmental and scientific communities is mounting, with anticipated lawsuits challenging the federal overreach.
Lawsuit Settlement Leads to Housing Policy Changes in San Diego
San Diego settled a 2019 lawsuit by agreeing to pay $650,000 and revise affordable housing policies to address concerns of housing segregation and economic disparity. Under the agreement, the city will ensure that at least 70% of new affordable housing projects are built in moderate and higher income areas while also incentivizing grocery stores and first time homeowner programs in low-income neighborhoods. Plaintiffs argued the city's past policies limited economic opportunities by concentrating low-income housing in historically underserved areas. City officials denied this but asserted the new policies would increase housing density in wealthier areas and integrate multiple-income residents.
California Cities Slide in Economic Rankings; Inland Empire is Lone Bright Spot
The San Francisco Bay Area experienced a significant decline in the Milken Institute's recently released rankings of nationwide economic growth, with San Francisco dropping to 126th place, largely due to high housing costs and tech industry layoffs. San Jose and Oakland also saw substantial declines, reflecting sluggish job and wage growth, housing unaffordability and an exodus of domestic migrants. Barely outperforming the Bay Area, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale rank 151st, struggling with housing affordability and income inequality. Merced ranks fourth in the economic rankings for greatest gains nationwide among large cities. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario rank the highest on the list of California cities at 53rd, maintaining strong job and wage growth. Experts noted that the rankings do not fully capture the region’s strengths, including its concentration of venture capital and emerging industries like artificial intelligence. Despite current struggles, forecasts predict strong GDP growth for San Francisco through 2028, driven by its tech and financial sectors.
Mayor's Proposal Would Permit Taller Buildings, Greater Density in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled a broad rezoning plan that would permit taller buildings along key transit corridors, aiming to create space for 36,000 new homes and revitalize parts of the city long resistant to change. Dubbed “family zoning,” the proposal targets well-resourced neighborhoods like the Marina, Sunset and Richmond, where new construction has been scarce for decades. The plan includes raising height limits on corridors such as Geary, Taraval and Lombard, with some areas potentially seeing towers up to 350 feet. Supporters praise the initiative as a long-overdue step to address the housing crisis, while critics argue it may spur speculative development and threaten neighborhood stability. Despite pushback, Lurie stresses the changes are essential to avoid a state takeover of the city’s housing policy and to secure a future where more San Franciscans can afford to live.
CP&DR Coverage: Palisades Fire Could Prompt Major Permitting Reform
The Palisades Fire destroyed an estimated 6,000 homes both within and beyond Los Angeles city limits, and estimates are that rebuilding will, in many cases, take multiple years. To speed up the process, the Los Angeles City Council is considering a rare but potentially promising reform: self-certification. Self-certification, also known as professional certification, would enable builders to at least partially avoid the typically tedious process of shuttling plans among relevant city departments — including Planning, Building & Safety, and others — for approval prior to groundbreaking. Self-certification has a short but generally positive track record in a few other cities. Bellflower uses a version of it, as does San Diego County. Potentially more analogous to Los Angeles is Phoenix, Arizona, which introduced a self-certification pilot project in 2011 and has expanded the program to cover a wide range of projects across the megacity of 1.6 million residents and 517 square miles.
Quick Hits & Updates
The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance to allow single-staircase designs in apartment buildings of six stories or fewer, aiming to create larger, more affordable family-sized units by revising building codes. While some support the change for its potential to reduce construction costs and improve apartment layouts, others, including fire safety experts, express concerns about the risks associated with limiting building exits.
Lafayette's 2023-2031 Housing Element was officially certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development after extensive revisions and community input. The plan outlines the city’s strategy for developing 2,114 housing units, including a mix of affordable and market-rate units, although it faces a lawsuit from the Housing Action Coalition over its approval.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has advanced legislation to create five new "entertainment zones" aimed at supporting small businesses by temporarily closing streets to vehicles for public events, boosting foot traffic and sales. Previous entertainment zones have led to significant increases in business sales, with events drawing thousands of attendees and businesses reporting sales increases of up to 1,500%.
The audit of Anaheim’s lease agreement with the Los Angeles Angels revealed that the city's ability to monitor the stadium's condition is limited, as the agreement does not clearly grant Anaheim the right to inspect the stadium regularly, which could conceal significant maintenance needs. Additionally, revenue-sharing terms have generated minimal funds for Anaheim, with a decline in baseball ticket revenue and the city has not consistently verified the accuracy of payments or conducted required audits, despite the lease allowing bi-annual audits.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to create a new county homelessness department, reallocating funds from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), despite concerns from Mayor Karen Bass and city officials about disrupting progress in addressing homelessness. The new agency, which will begin with a budget exceeding $1 billion, aims to improve oversight and accountability but has been criticized for lacking a clear plan and for potentially undermining LAHSA's efforts.
A proposed mixed-use housing project on César Chávez Avenue in Boyle Heights—previously blocked by the East L.A. Area Planning Commission over gentrification concerns—has been ordered to proceed by a judge ruling the city acted in bad faith. The court found that denying the development based on potential cultural and economic displacement did not meet legal standards under California’s Housing Accountability Act.
Los Angeles County will create a new county homelessness department, transferring hundreds of millions of dollars and more than 700 county workers from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The move aims to increase oversight and accountability of homelessness funds, including those from the newly approved Measure A half-cent sales tax.
The Trump administration has halted the $1 billion Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, which was designed to fund energy-efficient renovations at affordable housing units across the U.S. This decision, following the program's approval under the Inflation Reduction Act, may affect tens of thousands of low-income residents nationwide.
Senate Bill 63, the Connect Bay Area Act, would allow Bay Area counties to place a sales tax measure on the 2026 ballot to secure funding for public transit, including BART and Muni, in an effort to prevent significant service cuts. Despite facing skepticism from voters about funding transit, supporters are hopeful the measure can pass by emphasizing the dire consequences of reduced service on daily commutes and overall traffic congestion.
Despite over $3 billion invested in environmental projects, Lake Tahoe’s water clarity has declined by more than a third since 1968, with record lows in 2017, according to CalMatters. A significant portion of recent funding has been directed toward tourism and transit projects rather than directly addressing ecological concerns. While the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency regulates new developments, expanding resorts and increasing wildfire risks continue to pose challenges for balancing economic growth with environmental preservation.
