Long Beach Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Long Beach Redevelopment Agency

This is an appeal by Long Beach Savings and Loan Association (Association) after the trial court denied its petition for administrative mandamus and other relief against respondents City of Long Beach (City) and its redevelopment agency (Agency). These proceedings followed the execution of a disposition and development agreement between Agency and International Plaza Associates (Developer) for the construction in City’s downtown area of an office, retail and entertainment complex to be known as International Plaza. We affirm.

Association, the lessee of a building which will be demolished to make room for the development, sought a writ of mandate ordering respondents to prepare and certify a site specific environmental impact report (EIR) for the project.

The record reveals that by the 1960’s, City’s downtown area was in a state of physical, social and economic deterioration. In 1970, City commissioned the consulting firfn of Gruen Associates to prepare a general redevelopment plan for its civic center. The Gruen plan, which encompassed 421 acres, proposed that a new business core comprised of high-rise buildings be developed at key locations along Ocean Boulevard and at…