Crenshaw Crossing, a landmark community project located next door to Metro’s Expo/Crenshaw Station, took a major step forward after being awarded $49.9 million in funding through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program.
The $50M award will cover the cost of 176 affordable housing units, and amenities such as a fitness center, outdoor spaces, 10 miles of new bike lanes, crosswalk and sidewalk repairs.
A public-private project developed through partnership between West, Angeles Community Development Corporation, Watt Companies, and the Richman Group, Crenshaw Crossing will feature a pair of eight-story buildings with 401 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments.
Designed as a community hub for long time residents of the Crenshaw area, the mixed-use project will include roughly 40,000-square-foot of ground floor commercial space with a grocery store, restaurants and several established Black-owned retail stores. Plans also call for parking for 502 vehicles.
With commercial lending more expensive by the day, it has become increasingly difficult for developers to build quality housing that actually helps address the state’s affordability crisis. The $50M awarded to Crenshaw Crossing will go a long-way towards helping developers deliver on their stated goal to ensure that 100% of the housing is affordable.
According to SVA Architects, the project is on track to break ground in 2024, with construction expected to last roughly two years.
In total, the California Strategic Growth Council announced $757 million in awarded funds for the latest round of its Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program – $187 million are slated for five Los Angeles County developments designed to create more than 850 homes.
In a press statement, Mayor Karen Bass stated that the grants “will help our City continue to deliver affordable housing in communities across Los Angeles while making sure that our communities are safer for people to get where they need to go.”
