LOS ANGELES, CA — The graffiti that turned a trio of unfinished downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers into a notorious eyesore has largely been removed, marking a major step toward completing the long-stalled Oceanwide Plaza development.
Mayor Karen Bass celebrated the cleanup Thursday, saying the work fulfills commitments made by the prospective buyers of the property overlooking Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Crews removed graffiti from roughly 250 balconies across the three towers, at times working from window-washing platforms 35 stories above the street, according to the mayor's office.
Workers also cleared out roughly 1,000 spray-paint cans and discovered a loaded gun at the property, KTLA reported.
While most of the graffiti has been removed, work on some exterior windows and other areas has continued.
"We are not only cleaning up a building, we are restoring confidence and revitalizing downtown to unlock the economic potential of one of the city's most strategic destinations ahead of a transformative decade for Los Angeles," Bass said in a statement Thursday.
The cleanup began in July after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Deborah Saltzman approved a $517 million agreement for KPC Square LLC to acquire the unfinished development.
The city withdrew its objection to the sale after the buyer agreed to begin removing visible graffiti immediately and complete the work within 90 days.
The purchase has yet to close, and the buyers have said they expect to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more to finish the project.
Oceanwide Plaza was originally envisioned as a $1 billion mixed-use development with housing, hotel space and retail stores. Construction halted in 2019 when Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings ran out of financing.
The unfinished towers subsequently became a destination for graffiti taggers, leaving much of the complex covered in spray paint.
City officials have said completing the project is critical to revitalizing the downtown corridor connecting the Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena, LA Live and the surrounding South Park neighborhood.
Plans for the completed development include residences, restaurants, retail businesses, swimming pools and luxury condominiums, according to the mayor's office.
In July, Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado said downtown residents deserved to see the abandoned property transformed into "a source of housing, jobs, investment and economic opportunity that reflects the energy and promise of downtown Los Angeles."
City officials have not announced a date for construction to resume or for the development to be completed.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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