A plan to build a gondola to carry fans over Chinatown and into Dodger Stadium won preliminary approval Thursday, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority unanimously passed 11-0 the environmental impact report for the controversial project Thursday.
KTLA reports the project would link Union Station to Chinatown and Dodger Stadium and could carry 5,000 passengers each hour. It is being backed by former Dodger owner Frank McCourt who left the team in bankruptcy in 2012.
“The construction price alone is likely to be $500 million, and even more money will be needed for ongoing maintenance and repairs,” the Stop the Gondola Coalition says on its website. “History has shown that these projects always run past schedule, go way over budget, and leave taxpayers stuck with a huge bill.”
Some in Chinatown also oppose the project.
“It’s a perpetuation of the endless cycle of steamrolling communities,” said Tany Ling to the LA Times. “Any approval is saying it’s still OK to sell out the community.”
Supporters argue the gondola would cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and be a boost to the economy.
As a condition to building the gondola, McCourt has agreed to provide free rides to Chinatown residents and a fund for residents who lose their homes due to rising costs and a requirement that affordable housing be built if the Dodger parking lot were converted to housing.
“These conditions are not negotiable. If any single condition is not satisfied, the project simply can’t be built,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis.
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