Ponte Vista Breaks Ground
Steve Magee (left), executive vice president of iStar Financial, addresses the small crowd of dignitaries and residents during the Ponte Vista groundbreaking ceremony. At right is emcee John Stammreich, who first got involved with Ponte Vista by sitting on the land use and planning committee of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council eight years ago. (photo: Joshua Stecker)
It was a morning some thought might never happen, yet when it arrived, everyone felt it was long overdue.
Dozens of community leaders turned out for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ponte Vista housing development on Western Avenue this morning, where Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino did the honor of knocking down the first of hundreds of homes that will be demolished in coming months to make way for the new 676-unit development.
“It’s about time,” Buscaino said to a crowd gathered at the end of one of the deserted streets that was once home to a thriving Navy community.
The 61.5-acre site has sat vacant since the last families moved out in 1997. Spotted in the crowd this morning were many familiar faces who played a role in the past decade getting the project off the ground.
“San Pedro, I think, will be a better place to live when Ponte Vista is here,” said John Stammreich, who first got involved in the project when he sat on the land use and planning committee of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council eight years ago.
The crowd for the Ponte Vista groundbreaking ceremony. (photo: Joshua Stecker)
Two months ago, the Los Angles City Council finally gave developer iStar Financial the green light to move forward with scaled down plans for 676 single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums. The site will also include a 2.5-acre public park on Western Avenue, walking trails, more than 3,000 new trees and a permanent access road to Mary Star of the Sea High School.
Ponte Vista has been a hot button topic for San Pedro residents in the past decade, spanning two Los Angeles City Councilmembers and two developers. It faced backlash from day one from many residents who felt it was too densely populated and would worsen existing traffic congestion. Developers drew up multiple reincarnations, scaling plans down from 2,300, to 1,135, to 830, to now 676 units with no apartments. The proposal finally made it past the Los Angeles Planning Commission last year.
Steve Magee, executive vice president of iStar Financial, told the crowd he wants the new development to embody the same tight-knit sense of community that Navy kids who grew up at the site remember.
“Our vision for this site is really summed up by that image, of families feeling so at home here that their kids can play like we all used to when we were kids,” he said. “We see older people, young couples and kids enjoying the open space, walking and running and throwing a ball here, swimming at the rec center and having a sense of community and togetherness at Ponte Vista that’s literally been drawn into the plans.”
Other speakers included newly appointed San Pedro Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Elise Swanson, who has been working on the project since 2001, members of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council and local labor leaders.
Buscaino then put on a hard hat and got behind the wheel of a bulldozer he maneuvered to bash in the roof of a home — an at times nail biting sight as the bulldozer teetered on a sloped driveway.
“When I first came into office there were a number of projects that had been long delayed for various reasons, but it was important for us to get to yes,” he said. “We’re so grateful for this opportunity of one creating more housing, and two, creating good-paying jobs.”
