A building permit application has been filed to re-construct the Lineage Logistics facility where a fire burned for several days followed by weeks of stench and fly infestation in Boyle Heights, NBC Los Angeles learned Tuesday.
A permit application to repair and rebuild the property was filed with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety at 1400 South Los Palos Street at the Lineage warehouse, which is still in the middle of clearing out 40 million pounds of garbage with dozens of complaints about the smell.
While the permit was not approved as of Tuesday, the food waste rotting away inside the burned warehouse has caused many issues for Boyle Heights neighbors. Residents near the warehouse have been complaining about the stench and fly infestation.
NBCLA exclusively reported this month that the green bottle fly was flagged by a pest control company because it can cause infections in wounds.
The permit application, which was filed on Monday, noted intention to “repair and rebuild fire-damaged portions of the building to original, pre-fire condition.”
When NBCLA asked Mayor Karen Bass about the possibility of rebuilding the Lineage warehouse, she declined to “go there at all in terms of whether or not they rebuild.”
“We need to address the problem today. And whether they rebuild or not, the neighbors, the community will be involved in that decision, Mayor Bass told NBCLA last week.
The mayor reiterated her stance in a statement Tuesday, calling it a “slap in the face to the families that are forced to live with the consequences of an irresponsible corporation’s actions every single day.”
“We are in the process of revising our Executive Order to reflect these rebuilding concerns because this situation has become so egregious,” the mayor said.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado whose district includes Boyle Heights said that it’s “outrageous that Lineage is seeking permits to rebuild while the disaster it created has not even been cleaned up.”
“At this time, I have no intention of supporting Lineage rebuilding at this site,” Jurado said. “Given the conditions residents are still enduring and the company’s failure to make this community whole.”
Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, who used to represent Boyle Heights as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said in an interview with Telemundo Los Angeles rebuilding the Lineage facility will be a “grave mistake.”
“(Lineage) has not taken responsibility for looking after the neighbors it harmed. So, before they get that chance to rebuild, in my view, they need to demonstrate that they will be good partners and good neighbors to the people living there — the very people who suffered the harm of witnessing that fire.”
In response to NBCLA’s inquiry, Lineage release a statement, saying its “top priority is completing the cleanup as quickly and safely as possible.”
“The application is for a permit to repair the damage from the fire, which was not caused by the cold storage operations at the facility,” the statement said. “This is normal course in the repair process and will not impact or distract us from the important work of cleanup.”
Lineage also emphasized cold storage facilities like the Boyle Heights one are “critical infrastructure” for the community.