Updated 7:07 p.m. July 29, 2026.
Permit applications have been filed to restore the Lineage cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights after the city of Los Angeles ordered the property owner to repair and remove all fire-damaged portions.
Two applications were submitted to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety days before a July 29 compliance deadline outlined in the city’s code enforcement order. The order, addressed to property owner Chill Build Los Angeles, requires ownership to “obtain all required permits prior to reconstructing the damaged portions of the building.” Failure to comply with the order would mean the property owner could face additional financial penalties and possible misdemeanor penalties under the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
LADBS confirmed staff previously met with Lineage and Chill Build representatives to discuss the city’s enforcement order, including “permitting requirements to rebuild.”
One application, filed Monday, seeks to “repair and rebuild fire-damaged portions of the building to original, pre-fire condition” with no change to the building’s “footprint, square footage, height, use, or occupancy.” A second application was filed Tuesday and seeks to “repair the fire damaged electrical installation.”
Both applications were filed by Tina Prater of T&B Planning, which provides consulting services on land use planning and environmental compliance. Prater did not respond to a request for comment.
The permit filings also come as Mayor Bass has taken a firmer stance against rebuilding the warehouse.
On Wednesday, Bass said her office is working on a new executive order to determine what authority the city has to potentially stop the rebuilding of the Lineage cold-storage warehouse.
“In many instances, companies have the ability to rebuild, but in my mind, the egregious impact this has had on this community … I don’t think they have been good stewards,” Bass told Boyle Heights Beat in an interview outside Lineage.
Previously, Bass said she wanted to hear from the community before weighing in on whether the warehouse should be rebuilt. Her tone shifted on Monday when she said, in a video posted on social media, that “Lineage shouldn’t even think about coming back and rebuilding the warehouse.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Bass said the company should focus on cleaning up the site before pursuing construction.
“This corporation has devastated Boyle Heights and East L.A. I can’t believe they would even think about starting the rebuilding process while they haven’t cleaned up the mess they’ve created. That is what Lineage should be solely focused on,” Bass said.
“It’s 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.”
Here is what we know so far:
Does filing a permit mean Lineage can start rebuilding?
No. Filing a permit application begins the city’s review process. City staff will review them to determine what approvals are needed before work on the building can begin. Under the Los Angeles permitting process, some projects can move through the city’s Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) if they meet zoning and building requirements. Others may require additional review from City Planning before permits can be issued.
The applications for the warehouse describe repairing fire-damaged portions of the building “to original, pre-fire condition,” and an electrical system with “like-for-like” replacements, indicating no changes to the building’s size or use. This suggests the applications may follow the city’s standard permit review process, though LADBS has not said whether additional approvals will be required.
Who decides whether the permits are approved?
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the city agency responsible for reviewing building plans, issuing permits and enforcing building codes, oversees the permitting process for properties subject to code enforcement orders.
According to an LADBS information bulletin, owners cannot begin repair work that requires permits until those permits are obtained. Applicants must also obtain zoning information from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the agency responsible for determining whether projects comply with the city’s zoning and land-use rules.
Where does Mayor Bass stand on the rebuild?
Bass on Wednesday said she plans to enact the new executive order in the next 48 hours.
She said lawyers are looking into what authority the city may have in stopping rebuilding efforts “when a company has the ability to rebuild on paper, but yet they’ve been such bad stewards.”
In a July 9 interview with Boyle Heights Beat, Bass could not answer whether rebuilding the warehouse should be allowed. She said she wanted to spend more time talking to residents before coming to a decision.
Now, Bass is speaking against rebuilding efforts because “the conditions have changed,” she said. The situation, she said, has not gotten better. It’s gotten worse, she said, referencing the flies swarming the neighborhood.
