Massive redevelopment in South LA continues with 135-unit resi complex

The second phase of a massive redevelopment of the Jordan Downs public housing community in Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles has begun.

Construction has begun on 135 apartments spread over a six-block area, according to Urbanize. The $73 million project is part of a larger $1 billion, 1,400-unit redevelopment of the neighborhood, which will include a retail component , a community center, and nine acres of green space.

The larger redevelopment would double the number of existing units in Jordan Downs, a planned semi-permanent community built during World War II, and which fell into neglect over the following decades. The project is meant to attract a mix of tenants at varying income levels.

The Michaels Organization and BRIDGE Housing are leading the latest development phase. SVA Architects is designing the larger redevelopment.

South L.A. has seen a handful of smaller affordable construction over the last several months, but the Jordan Downs project is by far the largest.

All of the 135 units — which are one to five bedrooms — will be priced for tenants making below 60 percent of area median income, meaning rents will be between $507 and $1,307 per month. All units will be subsidized with Section 8 federal funds.

Renters and buyers in Los Angeles are struggling in one of the least affordable markets in history.

The first phase of the Jordan Downs project included construction 115 units and extending Century Boulevard. The redevelopment was approved in 2016 after being held up over concerns about ground contamination. 

The project received some state funds in January, but is also funded with $25 million in private equity and $32 million in bonds. [Urbanize] — Dennis Lynch