2024 Winter Issue of Urban Land - 36

JOHN KING, ANGELICA URQUIDEZ
Inside the Redevelopment Transforming Watts
The Jordan Downs affordable housing project is the centerpiece of several
community-serving revitalization projects emerging in this Los Angeles enclave
KELSI DIAZ
community rEvitalization is
an undeniably long and complex
process. With so many challenges,
such restortative projects often fail
to gain momentum in underinvested
communities-but the Jordan Downs
Redevelopment plan in Watts, an
enclave of Los Angeles, California, is
a model for how to get it right. The
decades-long project is now taking
shape, and it could serve as a model
for how other cities could pursue largescale
redevelopments.
The Housing Authority of the City of
Los Angeles (HACLA) led the initiative
to redevelop Jordan Downs into more
than 1,500 units of affordable housing,
115,000 square feet (10,680 sq m) of
retail, and 45,000 square feet (4,180 sq
m) of ground-floor commercial space.
At the Urban Land Institute's Building
Healthy Places Forum during the 2023
Fall Meeting, community leaders and
project stakeholders discussed the
success at Jordan Downs and other
projects transforming that community.
Maximizing affordable housing
supply
The Jordan Downs site made
Watts a primary candidate to win
redevelopment dollars from HACLA.
The site provided a 21-acre (8.5 ha)
redevelopment opportunity adjacent to
an existing public housing project. As
a result, HACLA was able to demolish
and rebuild dated and failing buildings,
and to maximize the affordable housing
supply on the site. Construction on the
project started in 2017 and is estimated
to deliver circa 2027-2029. Once
complete, the project will increase the
affordable housing supply on the site
from 700 units to more than 1,500
units.
HACLA had a strict one-for-one
replacement policy, meaning that no
existing residents would be displaced
from their homes. The project has been
carefully planned and mapped to move
residents into the new housing units
before their homes are demolished.
The sheer size of the development
site allowed HACLA to take such an
approach. According to John King,
director of community engagement
at HACLA, the project in total has
represented a $1.5 billion investment in
the community of Watts.
Earning community trust
The residents of underserved
communities are often hesitant to trust
elected officials and their promises. To
gain community trust, HACLA worked
closely with community leaders and
encouraged community input in the
project. HACLA created the Jordan
Downs Resident Advisory Council, a
group of community stakeholders that
had a seat at the table, to determine
the redevelopment plan. " It is hugely
important that, as we invest in the
property, we also invest in the people, "
says King. " We are in this together, and
we want to transform the community. "
Outside of the council, there was
tremendous community outreach and
engagement, not only to gain input
but also to educate people about
the project, answer questions, and
quell concerns. The master plan was
created with tremendous community
involvement, which King says, " can't be
minimized in any way. "
More than just rooftops
Although affordable housing is HACLA's
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) led the initiative to
redevelop Jordan Downs into more than 1,500 units of affordable housing, 115,000
square feet (10,680 sq m) of retail, and 45,000 square feet (4,180 sq m) of groundfloor
commercial space.
36
URBAN LAND WINTER 202 4
primary mission, there is more to
community revitalization than simply
providing housing. That's one reason
the Jordan Downs project also included
retail, park, and commercial space.
Beyond Jordan Downs, other
important community-serving
projects and programs are emerging.
Representatives of MudTown Farms
and of Watts Rising-the latter a group
of more than 40 local organizations-
spoke at the forum about the
revitalization happening throughout
the community and the importance of
community engagement for success.
" It is vital for the community to get
involved, " said Angelica Urquidez, a
member of Watts Rising and a native
of the community, during her discussion
of the Watts revitalization. " There is a
sense of pride in growing up here. "
KELSI DIAZ is a is a freelance journalist and magazine
writer based in Los Angeles. She reports extensively on all
aspects of the commercial real estate industry.
KELSI BORLAND/ULI
2024 Winter Issue of Urban Land

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