CIM Group announced that the company has acquired the former home for the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, with plans to build a 168-unit mixed use development in the heart of the Crenshaw corridor.
Located at 3045 Crenshaw Blvd, the property had been owned by the West Angeles Church for 43 years. However, with services consolidated into its cathedral, one block south at Crenshaw and Exposition Boulevards, the church began working to sell the north campus location as part of its long-planned strategy to bring new ‘community serving’ developments to the neighborhood.
According to reporting by Costar, the 1.3-acre site was sold for $13.5 million to CIM Group – a developer that has come under tremendous scrutiny from long-time residents for its perceived role in driving hyper-gentrification in West Adams.
While no timeline has been announced, CIM plans to transform the vacant house of worship into a 6-story, mixed-use development with 168 studio, one- and two-bedroom units and 40,000 square feet of ground floor retail above subterranean parking.
While the residential portion will include a 6,500 square foot indoor amenity space complete with two elevated courtyards and a pool deck, the project just meets the minimum requirements for transit-oriented density (TOD) bonuses – with 10% of the residential set aside for extremely low income, affordable housing units.
The latest in the planned property dispositions that the church announced in 2019, proceeds will go to support the construction of The Family Life Center. The Family Life Center is a community-serving, multi-use building, which includes a chapel, banquet/fellowship hall, classrooms, media center, counseling center, floor for youth and kids and administrative offices, which will open by the end of the year.
The sale also represents a continuation of an ongoing partnership between West Angeles and the CIM Group that dates back nearly two decades. According to a statement, CIM Group Principal Shaul Kuba and Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. began their relationship with the intention to bring positive change and new development to a portion of Crenshaw Boulevard, between Jefferson and West Adams Boulevards.
Since then, CIM Group has acquired several church-owned properties that the company states have “created good jobs and attracted businesses to South Los Angeles that have improved the quality of life in the area.”
About CIM Group
CIM is a community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer. Since 1994, CIM has sought to create value in projects and positively impact the lives of people in communities across the Americas by delivering more than $60 billion of essential real estate and infrastructure projects. CIM’s diverse team of experts applies its broad knowledge and disciplined approach through hands-on management of real assets from due diligence to operations through disposition. CIM strives to make a meaningful difference in the world by executing key environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and enhancing each community in which it invests. For more information, visit www.cimgroup.com.
About West Angeles Church
West Angeles is led by recently appointed Pastor Charles Blake II. Under the leadership of his predecessor Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., the church was grown from an initial 50 members to over 24,000. Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., former Presiding Bishop of the worldwide Church of God In Christ organization – served as Head Pastor of West Angeles Church of God In Christ from 1975 through 2023.
