BRIDGE Housing Breaks Ground on $1B Revitalization
The firm and Los Angeles' Housing Authority started work on a community that will transform the Jordan Downs housing project in Los Angeles. Phase I will add 115 affordable units.
By Laura Calugar
BRIDGE Housing recently broke ground on the first phase of a $1 billion new construction project that will transform Jordan Downs, a 1950s-era public housing development in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The nonprofit plans for Phase 1A to include 115 affordable apartments spread across 12 buildings on 3 acres. The units will be reserved for those making 50 percent or less of the county’s area median income.
Aerial view of the Jordan Downs in Los Angeles
Located at 9800 Grape St., the property is approximately six miles from the junction between interstates 105 and 110. Designed for LEED Silver certification, the new Jordan Downs project will have an on-site management office, as well as community spaces such as a kitchen, lounge and computer room.
The master plan developed by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) back in 2008 called for the redevelopment of 700 units of old public housing, along with a new community and recreation center, approximately 165,000 square feet of retail and 9 acres of green space. Each phase of the new 1,375-unit community includes four components—social services, new public open space, employment and new homes. A complex phasing plan will allow on-site relocation of all existing residents without displacement. BRIDGE Housing and The Michaels Org. were selected as the master developers of Jordan Downs in 2012.
“The redevelopment will not only provide additional units amid a housing crisis and prevent families from falling into homelessness, but also integrate commercial and public spaces to create a healthy and thriving community,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino.
Financial partners for Phase 1A include HACLA, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, Bank of America (which provided $34 million in financing), JP Morgan Chase, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. Phase 1A was designed by SVA Architects and Mithun. The general contractor is Cannon Constructors South.
Image courtesy of Mithun website
