Draft Environmental Impact Report Released for Modelo Project in Commerce

The City of Commerce will hold a virtual public community meeting on August 1st to review the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for a 17.32-acre mixed-use development called the Modelo Project.

The Project proposed by Comstock Realty Partners would consist of 850 residential units, about 165,000 square feet of entertainment retail uses, the revitalization of a Veterans Memorial Park with new recreational uses, and associated on-site parking. The project will be located at 6364 Zindell Avenue and 7316 Gage Avenue, immediately west of the Interstate 5 freeway, and north of the Rio Hondo River and Path.

According to the Draft EIR released by the City’s Planning Department, the project would have significant and unavoidable environmental impacts on air quality, noise, and transportation that cannot be mitigated to below a significant level.

The residential units would be comprised of 25-50 two-story townhomes for sale, and the remaining units would be for-rent apartment and townhouse-style units ranging from three to seven stories in height. The for-sale townhomes would have a private pool facility, and every two for-rent residential structures would have a private access pool.

The entertainment retail portion of the project would include a multi-screen Cineplex, a gaming/bowling/family venue, restaurants, a fitness center, a grocery store/food hall, a pharmacy, general retail uses, and on-site parking to serve all uses. 

The existing Veterans Memorial Park on the project site would be revitalized with new structures, a playground, a soccer and baseball youth sports complex, a library, a grass-stepped amphitheater, and additional outdoor green space. To accommodate these new uses, the land use designation of the Veterans Memorial Park portion would change from Public Facilities to Commercial Manufacturing.

The 45-day public review period of the Draft EIR is open from July 16, 2020 to August 31, 2020.