How Terra-Petra is addressing Covid-19

We are open and operating.

Many of you have heard the announcements from the Governor and local LA county officials regarding “safer at home” mandates. Based on a review of the orders and applicable exemptions, Terra-Petra is continuing to operate under the Essential Business category.

As we continue to operate, however, we will comply with all pertinent requirements of the orders.

As an engineering firm that works with contractors and other engineers on critical projects, we also fall into the “Necessary Services” category, along with the various other disciplines of engineering.

The majority of the work that we take on includes municipality, public works, affordable housing, and critical transportation projects.

Our waterproofing division also falls into this category, as our team is in a position to keep properties safe by resolving issues that could ultimately lead to health concerns such as mold and mildew spores, along with other health irritants impacting a person’s well-being.

We will continue to work diligently with our clients to provide safe working conditions on-site for all of our people. We also want to stress the importance of all of our people practicing proper safeguards that have been published, such as washing hands frequently, keep hands away from the face, using hand sanitizer as frequently as possible, and practicing proper “social distancing” while on-site with other people, if required to attend any meetings (on or off-site).

Please be safe, and feel free to report any concerning issues to management with respect to job site conditions, practices, activities, or anything that you feel is not conforming to health guidelines during these challenging times.  Contact us if you should have questions or a need at hand.

Sincerely,

Kevin Buchanan
Terra-Petra | President

Los Angeles Office:
700 S. Flower Street
Suite #2580
Los Angeles, Ca. 90017
213-458-0494

2018 CALIFORNIA LAND RECYCLING CONFERENCE = Terra-Petra Brownfield Services

Terra-Petra to Sponsor of CA Brownfields Conference | Carson, California

2018 CALIFORNIA LAND RECYCLING CONFERENCE

Presented by Center for Creative Land Recycling, CA Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9

October 24th & 25th, 2018
at the Carson Event Center:   801 East Carson Street, Carson, California
CA Brownfield Conference

CCLR, DTSC and US EPA will present an intensive two-day redevelopment workshop geared towards the unique characteristics of redevelopment in California.

JUST ANNOUNCED!  DTSC will provide an overview of its upcoming Vapor Intrusion (VI) guidance updates at the California Land Recycling Conference.  Be part of the conversation as DTSC VI experts and authors/contributors discuss the guidance publicly for the first time to a brownfields-focused audience.

Learn more at:   https://www.cclr.org/california-land-recycling-conference-2018

Those attending this year may get in touch with us prior to the conference to arrange for a face-to-face meeting time.

Contact us via email here   or call the main Los Angeles office to speak with Justin Conaway:    213.458.0494.

Learn more about Terra-Petra’s Brownfield Services.

Terra-Petra leades Underground Storage Tank removal

Terra-Petra leads another successful underground storage tank (UST) removal

Terra-Petra was recently contracted to consult and remove 5 underground storage tanks (UST) and one hydraulic lift on a site in Lynwood, California.  These tanks have been left dormant for many years on an old gas station that is not currently operating.  Each tank contained a limited amount of liquid, which requires special permitting, special pumping treatment, and special handing and distribution.  The tanks are a variety of sizes, ranging from 100 gallons to 500 gallons, and located a depths ranging from 10 feet below surface to 20 feet below surface.

Underground storage tanks (USTs) are considered abandoned when regulated substances are no longer stored within those USTs and/or when monitoring requirements of the Operating Permit, Title 23 of California Code or Regulations, and California Health and Safety Code 25298 are not being implemented. Various risks can arise from abandoned USTs when they are not properly closed in place such as the possibility of leaked hazardous substances and contamination to the environment. Therefore it is important that sites with (possible) presence of abandoned USTs be addressed in order to avoid the consequences.

The permitting process through LAFD went very smoothly and efficiently (Terra-Petra has a great relationship with the agency).  The process, from start to finish, took approximately 5-working days, including the required onsite soil testing as the tanks are physically removed.

Check out the photos taken on the jobsite here:

Terra-Petra Sponsors Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite®

Terra-Petra’s Executive Team taking in the the beauty of Yosemite

The Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite®, presented and held annually by the State Bar of California, is nationally recognized as the largest and most prestigious gathering in California of leaders in environmental, land use, and natural resources law. Terra-Petra has been proud to sponsor the Yosemite conference for the last five years.

Many of the nation’s top environmental officials, lawyers, and other professionals in the spectacular setting of Yosemite, Thursday-Sunday, October 19-22, 2017  at Tenaya Lodge, Fish Camp, California (“The Gateway to Yosemite”).

As an organization of environmental professionals, this annual event strives to conserve natural resources and to support their sustainable use. Attendees were asked to reduce carbon footprints by forming carpools or driving in energy efficient vehicles upon traveling to Yosemite. In addition, attendees were asked to sign the State Bar Eco Pledge, and review the Model Law Office Sustainability Guidelines.

The 2017 Yosemite Conference Planning Committee Co-Chairs include:

  • Cara Horowitz, Los Angeles
  • Ryan Waterman, San Diego
  • Alisha Winterswyk, Irvine

Active Executive Committee Members on the Yosemite Planning Committee:

  • Eric Adair, Valencia
  • Rebecca Akroyd, Sacramento
  • Ellison Folk, San Francisco
  • Leah Goldberg, San Jose
  • Nicole Gordon, Los Angeles
  • Michael Leslie, Los Angeles
  • Christian Marsh, San Francisco
  • Osha Meserve, Sacramento
  • Jennifer Novak, Rolling Hills
  • Peter Nyquist, Los Angeles
  • Allison Smith, Sacramento
  • Julia Stein, Los Angeles
  • Chelsea Tu, San Francisco
  • Jon Welner, San Francisco

Additional and generous help from Environmental Law Section Advisors.

The State Bar of California is an approved MCLE Providers. 

 

Terra-Petra Assists on Final Phase of Dana Strand Development in Wilmington

Terra-Petra has recently completed its role on Phase 4 of the Dana Strand project in Wilmington, California. Our team of environmental engineering professionals has been involved with this project since its inception, having worked on Phases 1, 2 and 3.

Earlier this week, nonprofit developers Abode Communities and Mercy Housing California convened in Wilmington to celebrate the groundbreaking of Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar, a new collection of 176 affordable homes.

In addition to housing, the $71 million development will offer 35,000 square feet of open and recreational space, as well as features uch as a computer lab, bicycle parking and on-site social services.  The property also is located in close proximity to the Wilmington Waterfront Park.

The projects are considered the fourth and final phase of the Dana Strand Village redevelopment, which has repurposed a 20-acre post-war military housing site.  A full buildout of the New Dana Strand, the culmination of a process that began in 2000, will provide housing for approximately 750 people.

Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar were through both public and private sources, including U.S. Bank, low income housing tax credits and tax exempt bonds from the City of Los Angeles.

Completion is expected in 2018.

Mixed-use project, called Metropolis, is unprecedented for Downtown L.A.

If you travel down through the Downtown LA area on a regular basis, you have probably noticed the every-changing skyline. As an environmental engineering firm, Terra-Petra is taking part with many of these new projects. One of which is called the Metropolis (you can't miss this large mixed-use community steadily growing along the 110 freeway). The Terra-Petra Waterproofing Division is consulting on the building envelope waterproofing system for the Metropolis project and inspecting all of the waterproofing as it gets installed. 

Read more about Metropolis and other projects currently being led by Chinese developers in Downtown Los Angeles.

Screenshot 2016-08-31 at 10.19.27 PM

Terra-Petra Environmental Engineering Helps Developer with Pico Gateway Apartments Project Success

Terra-Petra designed the environmental engineering designs and waterproofing systems for this multifamily property in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood just sold for $22.4M a few years back. As always, Terra-Petra is quite proud to be a part of the revision and revamping of land that was up until today, unusable. The revitalization of the LA Basin continues with environmental engineering being a key component of developers' success stories. So now, in what is becoming to be known as an increasingly popular Westside area, this building is being described as a “very high-quality property in a great location." 

This Week's LA Deal Sheet

The fully occupied Pico Gateway Apartments location offers 48,275 SF of rentable space, including 7,500 SF of ground-floor retail, 39 apartments and more than 135 underground parking spaces. Just two blocks from Beverly Hills, which is also a draw, apartment amenities include double sinks for preparing kosher meals, maple hardwood floors, double-paned windows to block out street noise and appliances. 

There is also an optional Shabbat elevator for residents to use on the Jewish Sabbath. Projected growth in the area is making the neighborhood increasingly popular. A recent study shows the population on the Westside could grow by 3.4% over the next five years. 


Read the full story about this properties sale at: Bisnow.com

Terra-Petra Supports Los Angeles Micropolitan Project General Contractor

Terra-Petra supported Frymer Construction to successfully ensure the environmental integrity of the Micropolitan at Urban Lights Multifamily Community project — located near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the up-and-coming LA Metro Purple Line station in Downtown Los Angeles.

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The Micropolitan is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

The Micropolitan is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

LOS ANGELES — A private 1031 exchange investor has purchased The Micropolitan at Urban Lights, a 45-unit multifamily community in the Miracle Mile submarket of Los Angeles, for $27.1 million. The community is located at 739 S. Ogden Drive.

The Micropolitan was built in 2015. It is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

Ron Harris and Paul Darrow of Institutional Property Advisors represented the seller, Micropolitan, a subsidiary of Psomas, in this transaction.

 

Terra-Petra contributes to new projects transforming Downtown LA

As one of the most well-known environmental engineering and building waterproofing companies in the Los Angeles basin, Terra-Petra is currently working on or has completed some very high-profile projects in the Downtown LA area. Some of the most notable projects, among many others, include:

The Wilshire Grand Tower – the Wilshire Grand skyscraper will one day be the tallest west of Chicago. (Terra-Petra photo of project start to the right.)

The Metropolis, a $1B development is one of the largest mixed-use projects under construction on the West Coast.

Oceanwide Plaza will break ground in spring 2015. This $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms.

South Park Mega-Project (Chinese developer Shenzhen Hazens) is a three towers along Figueroa Street across from L.A. Live. A 30-story hotel tower would rise at the northwest corner of Flower and Eleventh streets. A 30-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Eleventh streets, and a 42-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Olympic.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), the "flurry of activity" in the recent years is defiantly the biggest construction boom they have witnessed since the 1980s.

However, LADBS does say that it is yet to be seen if it's the biggest boom in history or not. 

Stay tuned.

4 DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL TRANSFORM FIGUEROA
Los Angeles Mixed-Use Jan 14, 2016 Jerry Liu, Bisnow, LA

We already told you about some of the mega-projects that will reshape Sunset Boulevard, perhaps one of the most famous thoroughfares in the world. But if you're really following what's hot in LA, it's all about Downtown. So we decided to take a look at some of the developments that will reshape the future of one of Downtown's most notable streets:

1. Circa
Location: 1200 Figueroa Players: Hankey Investment, Jamison Services, Falcon California Investments, Highlands Capital, Harley Ellis Devereaux, LendLease. Completion date: Late 2017. The $500M project will build twin 35-story towers housing 648 luxury condos on top of a seven-story retail podium. There will also be 48k SF of retail and 1,770 parking spaces. This project broke ground in summer 2015 and features a curved glass look that offers a panoramic view of LA, and many other neighboring high-rises, including the Metropolis. Bisnow chatted with Hankey president Scott Dobbins this week to get the latest status update on the development.

2. Oceanwide Plaza
Location: Figueroa and 11th Players: Oceanwide Real Estate Group. Completion date: 2018, condos hit the market in 2017. Breaking ground in spring 2015, this $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms total. Chinese firm Oceanwide had previously acquired the development from New York City-based Moinian Group. This will be the first real estate venture for Oceanwide outside China.

3. Shenzhen Hazens
Location: Entire block bounded by Figueroa, 11th Street, Flower Street and Olympic Boulevard Players: Shenzhen Hazens, Gensler Completion date: After 2020. It's no secret Chinese firms are transforming the LA landscape. Shenzhen Hazens will add to the mix with a $700M redevelopment in the Luxe Hotel area. The project plans to break ground in 2017 and will be split into two phases. Phase 1 would build two 30-story towers, one residential and one hotel. Phase 2 would completely replace the Luxe Hotel with a 42-story residential tower. Expect the finished mega-project to have 650 luxury condos, 250 hotel rooms and 80k SF of retail space. We caught up with Shenzhen Hazens Group executive project director Sonnet Hui recently to get more on the company's plans.

4. MyFigueroa
Location: Four miles of streets from Downtown LA to South LA. Players: LADOT, Troller Mayer Associates, Melendrez, GEHL Architects. Completion date: 2017. Promising to make it easier for transit and bicycle users, this project will start in late spring 2016 and complete in 2017 under a $20M budget. It will link USC and Exposition Park to Downtown LA with better signals, signage, crosswalks, transit platforms, bikeways and trees. There will be on-street, fully separated bike lanes on each side of Figueroa for 27 signalized intersections. There will also be a lot more accommodations for public transit, including for the Silver Line and the upcoming streetcar service.

Terra-Petra Partners with Law Firm Wactor & Wick in Downtown Los Angeles

With an increase in the amount of expert environmental work requested by law firms throughout California in recent months, Oakland, California environmental law attorneys, Wactor & Wick LLP recently hired Terra-Petra to perform a methane soil gas investigation for a Methane Buffer Zone site in downtown Los Angeles.Terra-Petra was selected based on its expertise and knowledge in the field of methane soil gas and upon its prior work on numerous projects throughout the Los Angeles Basin over the last 25 plus years.. 

CEM 75 Drill Rig in action at the project site in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWactor & Wick LLP was founded in 2002 by two former EPA enforcement attorneys. The firm provides cost-effective solutions to reduce environmental risks to clients such as property owners, developers, manufacturers, retailers, lending institutions, mining companies, attorneys and consultants. Wactor & Wick is rated as a Pre-Eminent law firm and both partners have earned the Highest (AV) Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, the Super Lawyer rating (top 5% of all lawyers), the Superb rating from Avvo and have been named in The International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers.

According to Vice President and GM, Justin Conaway, Terra-Petra determined that the use of a CME 75 Drill Rig was imperative in reaching our designed depth of 50 feet below surface grade in the gravel like soils at this specific site (based on the Wactor & Wick's due diligence on the project), Terra-Petra also determined that typical direct push probe drilling equipment would not have been able to reach a depth of even 15 feet given the specific conditions of the site.

"We had a great experience collaborating with Wactor & Wick and are looking for more opportunities to work with other such accomplished law firms in this industry," said Conaway, "Wactor & Wick is extremely knowledgeable about environmental regulations; they are very diligent in their effort to coordinate this investigation. We really appreciate working with a law firm that is dedicated to getting the job done right."

 

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