Flores Intervenes to Keep Todd Assets Intact

In an eleventh-hour attempt to return the Todd Shipyards to shipbuilding, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores has urged colleagues to temporarily intervene in the Harbor Commission’s plan to sell off the assets of the San Pedro site.

Declaring that the commission’s plan would render the property useless for shipbuilding and repair, Flores asked the council Friday to consider invoking a City Charter section that would enable it to supersede the commission’s authority over the shipyard.

Two weeks ago, the commission approved a contract for the sale of the shipyard’s assets, saying that its long search to find a new operator for the yard has been unsuccessful. The commission’s action was opposed by representatives of two start-up companies seeking the Todd site on grounds that sale of the assets would all but kill any chance of returning the property to shipbuilding or repair.

Flores’ motion noted that the port and prospective tenants of the site have been in talks about leasing the property since Todd closed its doors three years ago.

“Representatives of companies proposing to use the Todd property and equipment believe that the equipment and site can be used to build and repair ships, and in doing so, employ thousands of workers,” Flores said.

“However, the sale of this equipment will render the property useless for shipbuilding and repairing operations,” Flores said, urging colleagues to take jurisdiction of the matter to review all proposals for reopening the shipyard.

Flores’ measure will return to the council for a vote this week.