The Los Angeles City Planning Commission gave its approval to a proposed project on Thursday, which involves replacing USC’s McAlister Field with a new stadium for women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the commission approved the project, with commissioners Samantha Millman, Caroline Choe, Maria Cabildo, and Karen Mack being absent during the vote.
Commissioner Jacob Noonan described the proposed stadium as a “very thoughtful project” and expressed his excitement for USC’s development of it.
“I believe that L.A. greatly needs more recreational facilities from schools and across the board,” said Noonan before the vote. “I think the project presents a well-thought-out approach to address this need, and there has been strong community engagement.”
USC plans to build a three-story stadium with 27,714 square feet of floor area, accommodating a total of 2,458 people, according to the project summary. The stadium’s east side will feature a two-story pavilion level, reaching a height of 15 feet.
A six-foot-tall fence will be installed on the east, north, and west sides of the stadium. USC is also seeking a conditional-use permit that would allow the sale of beer and wine for on-site consumption during events.
The project, named Rawlinson Stadium, will also include various amenities such as locker rooms, training areas, a medical center, an audio/visual room, and television and radio broadcast areas.
Rawlinson Stadium will replace the current McAlister Field, located at the corner of 30th and Hoover streets in South L.A. The project is estimated to cost USC around $38 million.
USC initially opened McAlister Field to commemorate Title IX, the federal law mandating equal gender opportunity in education programs and activities. Now, in honor of the “50th anniversary of Title IX,” USC plans to transform the field into a stadium for its women’s soccer and lacrosse teams, according to a report from the Department of City Planning.
During the public comment section of Thursday’s meeting, a large group of USC athletes and staff expressed their support for the project and urged the commission to approve it.
Kate Gerrity, a sophomore on the women’s lacrosse team, stated that the stadium will be a “game changer” for lacrosse in L.A. County and Southern California as a whole.
Brian Gomez, a self-described third-generation member of the local community and a neighbor of the stadium, emphasized the importance of investing in successes that can benefit the entire neighborhood, especially with the World Cup and Olympics coming to L.A.
“Both the women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams compete at the highest levels, and this facility will provide a world-class experience for athletes and their spectators,” stated Lindsey Munday, head coach of women’s lacrosse, during the commissioners’ meeting. “The stadium also demonstrates USC athletics’ commitment to women’s sports and the female student-athletes who deserve this opportunity.”
While there was significant support for the stadium, some members of the public expressed their opposition, including Philip Augustus, a representative of SEIU Local 721, which represents over 10,000 public sector workers in Los Angeles, including more than 100 USC employees.
Augustus cited concerns about issues such as the outdated environmental impact review, which is over 10 years old, and the potential impact of the stadium on USC’s student enrollment while the university already faces a shortage of student housing.
“The community has consistently witnessed USC’s expansion and construction of luxury student housing, as well as luxury developments around its campus,” Augustus said. “This has displaced both our members and the community. We request a community impact report and ongoing dialogue with USC regarding its expansion and lack of community engagement.”
A USC representative stated that the project would not affect student enrollment and would not be developed on housing-zoned land.
City Planning member Stephanie Escobar stressed that the project was solely for “modernization.”
The project will now proceed to the L.A. City Council Planning and Land Use Management Committee for further review at a later date.
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