By Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES—The Watt Companies and its development partner West Angeles Community Development Corporation have announced updated plans for Crenshaw Crossing, a mixed-use development proposed for a site adjacent to stations for the Crenshaw/LAX and Expo light rail lines.
The plans incorporate feedback received from neighbors and area stakeholders after an extensive community outreach process conducted over the last two years and the Crenshaw Crossing project now features a number of refinements from the original proposal.
Most notably, the plans now include a larger number of affordable housing units at a wider range of affordability levels and more community-serving retail tenants that will include a full-service grocery store.
In addition, more time and attention have been focused on the project’s public realm to ensure that it will appeal and be enjoyed by the entire community. But the changes extend beyond the design plans.
Watt and West Angeles CDC are partnering with the Coalition for Responsible Community Development to ensure the project has a robust local hire program for both construction and permanent jobs for community members living within a three-mile radius of the site.
“When Metro and the county selected us a year ago to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement for the property at the Expo/Crenshaw station site, we pledged to work with the community to design a project that best fits in with the area and meets its needs,” said Jennifer McElyea of the Watt Companies. “I believe our plans make it loud and clear that we heard the community’s feedback and as a result our project has evolved to incorporate those elements that they felt were important.”
Crenshaw Crossing will include:
• More than 400 residential units, 81 of which will be set aside as affordable housing at a range of affordability levels.
• Approximately 40,000 square feet of community-serving retail space, including a full-service grocery store.
• Approximately 2,500 square feet of community space available for use by neighborhood organizations.
• Approximately 34,000 square feet of landscaped open space where community residents can sit and relax.
• Bike storage and lockers.
• Access to the Crenshaw/LAX rail line from the eastern portion of the site (anticipated opening 2020).
To help alleviate the city’s ongoing housing shortage, Crenshaw Crossing includes a diverse mix of both market-rate and affordable housing units in a variety of sizes and configurations.
At least 15% of the project will be set aside as affordable housing for “very low income” residents. An additional 5% of the units will be designated as affordable housing for “low-income” residents.
“We take our responsibilities to be a good community member extremely seriously,” said Belinda Allen, executive director of West Angeles CDC, “and we believe our plans reflect that.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Los Angeles County partnered to make their properties adjacent to the Crenshaw/LAX Line available for transit-oriented development. That effort falls under Metro’s Joint Development Program, a real-estate development program through which the transit agency collaborates with local developers to build transit-oriented communities on their properties.
The sites become a gateway to the transit system and hold unique potential to advance community development goals while attracting new riders to the system. With the submittal of a development application to the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Planning and the initiation of the environmental review process, Metro and county officials congratulated the Crenshaw Crossing project team for taking this important step forward.
“The Crenshaw Crossing team has diligently reached out to the community and worked to revise their plan to reflect the feedback they have received,” said Nick Saponara of Metro. “The project site is very important to the Crenshaw District and the Crenshaw Crossing team has taken collaboration with the community seriously.”
Now that this major project milestone has been reached, McElyea stresses that the community outreach will continue as the project moves through the city entitlement process over the next year.
“We appreciate all the community members who have shared their opinions with us,” she said, “and we look forward to continuing to work with them as we move ahead.”
For more information, please visit www.crenshawcrossingla.com.
This article originally appeared In the Wave Newspapers.
