[chris08876]

Construction halts on $1-billion mixed-use complex in downtown L.A.

Construction on Oceanwide Plaza, one of the biggest real estate development projects in downtown Los Angeles, has stalled in what may be a shortfall in financing from the project’s Chinese owner.

The condominium, hotel and retail complex across the street from Staples Center is expected to cost more than $1 billion and be a key part of the flashy entertainment, hotel and residential district emerging along Figueroa Street.

The plaza is being built by Oceanwide Holdings, a Beijing-based publicly traded conglomerate that reported revenue of $2.37 billion in 2017. The company said in a statement Thursday that the hold-up is due to a recapitalization of the project and that work will resume by the middle of next month.

Any halt of a Chinese-backed real estate project, however, is bound to raise concerns that it may be related to Chinese government policies restricting the flow of money out of the country. The policies, put in place in 2016, sent shock waves through real estate circles because China has become a major investor and developer in the U.S.

The shutdown also comes at a time when the FBI is conducting a corruption probe at City Hall that is investigating possible kickbacks and other crimes that might involve foreign real estate developers with downtown building projects.

=============================
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oceanwide-plaza-stalled-20190125-story.html