Proposed Dodger Stadium gondola project hits roadblock with California's court of appeals

Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times on May 1, 2025

Published in Baseball

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LOS ANGELES — The proposed Dodger Stadium gondola hit a major roadblock Thursday, when a state appeals court rejected Metro's approval of the environmental impact report for the project.

The project, proposed in 2018 by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, requires approval from Metro, the Los Angeles City Council, Caltrans and the state parks agency.

None of the other approvals have been obtained, and the court decision Thursday requires Metro to "set aside its certification of the EIR" and "set aside its approval of the project" until a revised environmental impact report can be completed.

The gondola would run from Union Station to Dodger Stadium and would cost $385 million to $500 million to build and another $8 million to $10 million per year to operate and maintain, according to the report. Those costs, it said, could be covered by private bond financing, sponsorships, naming rights and fares — although fans have been promised free rides to Dodger games.

Metro approved the environmental impact report 15 months ago. The California Endowment and the Los Angeles Parks Alliance sued to throw out the report, on the basis Metro had not properly followed state environmental laws in approving it. The bid was denied by the Los Angeles Superior Court last August, but the plaintiffs won their appeal Thursday.