LA County Capital Development Projects

The LA County Department of Economic Opportunity seeks to activate and revitalize LA County property through equity-focused capital development projects that create affordable and permanent supportive housing, job opportunities, contracting for small and diverse businesses and providers, and resources for the community. 

Development is centered around understanding and responding to community needs through public-private partnerships with experienced developers who are able to leverage technical expertise and access to capital and financial tools, in an effort to create win-win scenarios for all stakeholders, and maximize benefits for impacted stakeholders and the surrounding community.  

See full list of DEO’s capital development projects below:

DEO is engaging Centennial Development Partners to reimagine and transform the historical LA County General Hospital & 25 acres of land on the West Campus. 

Following an extensive Feasibility Study and community engagement, the County issued a Request for Proposals in January 2023 for a developer to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain a mixed-use development site to support the local community and provide services to vulnerable populations with affordable housing and community-serving uses – a concept inspired by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis’ “Healthy Village” vision.   

In December 2023 the Board of Supervisors authorized DEO to negotiate and execute an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Centennial Development Partners. During the ENA process, the County will work with Centennial Development Partners to finalize the proposed project description, complete the environmental review and entitlement process, and negotiate development agreements. It is envisioned that the development will include 600 housing units, of which a minimum of 25% will be affordable units.  All activities during this period will be informed by community engagement and input.

Resources and references:

• AB 179 Project Plan (April 2024)
• Cementing LA County’s Commitment to Historic General Hospital Board Motion (July 2022)
• Report Backs Associated to July 2022 Motion
• June 2024 Motion to Authorize ENA Update
• Board Motion, Advancing Revitalization of the Former Old General Hospital and West Campus that Optimizes Community Benefits (December 2023)
• Board Letter to Approve the Execution of the Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Centennial Partners for the Los Angeles County General Hospital Campus: Centennial Development Project (December 2023) 

LA County is seeking to develop a 1.7-acre site located at 725 N. Spring Street in the Chinatown community of the City of Los Angeles. The property, which is currently utilized as a parking lot, is envisioned to be transformed into a mixed-use affordable housing development, with community-serving retail  and open space. 

To execute this vision, DEO issued a Request for Proposals in January 2024 after a series of listening sessions and surveying of the surrounding community and stakeholders. On September 24, 2024, the Board of Supervisors will be asked to authorize DEO to enter into exclusive negotiations with Linc Housing for development of 300 affordable housing units and community-serving uses the site. If approved, DEO would seek to work with Linc Housing and the community to complete environmental clearances and entitlements, and negotiate development agreements.  

Links

• Economic Policy Development Committee Meeting (EDPC)
• Board Letter

Image below is a concept rendering.

The Willowbrook Wellness Campus is a partnership between the County and the Compton Unified School District to reimagine under-utilized County and school district property in unincorporated Willowbrook.  

After a competitive solicitation in 2020, the CDU/MLK Wellness Collaborative, which is comprised of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) and Century Housing Corporation, was selected. The Collaborative envisions creating a new campus that will include 254 affordable housing units (54 units for seniors), 333 units of workforce and student housing, office space, community space, a parking structure and recreational facilities, which will be available for the broader community. The Collaborative is currently completing an environmental analysis and pursuing entitlements for the proposed project. Image below is a concept rendering.

Links

• Willowbrook Motion MOU with CUSD.pdf  
• Willowbrook Development
  Opportunity Motion.pdf  
• Motion to Extend MOU with CUSD.pdf  
• Willowbrook Motion MOU with CUSD.pdf  

On December 5, 2017, the County’s Board of Supervisors (Board) voted unanimously to adopt a Resolution of Necessity authorizing the commencement of an eminent domain action to acquire approximately 4.2 acres of property located on the east side of the 8400 and 8500 blocks of South Vermont Avenue in the City of Los Angeles – a lot that had been left vacant and blighted since the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Uprising. In 2018, the court authorized possession of the property by the County of Los Angeles for the development of Vermont Manchester Transit Priority Project. 

Since 2018, Bridge Housing, Coalition for Responsible Community Development, and Primestor Development, has engaged  with the community to advance a shared vision for the site, including its name: “Evermont.” The name was chosen to honor the evolving legacy of South Los Angeles and celebrate a future of new possibilities.  

Anticipated to open in Fall 2024, Evermont will feature: 

• 180 apartments which will include 118 one-to- three-bedroom apartments reserved for households earning between 30% and 80% of AMI at Luminus@Evermont, and 62 permanent supportive housing apartments for seniors earning up to 30% of AMI at Vista@Evermont.  

• Retail stores and a transit plaza 

• The LA County Launch Pad, a new program by LA County to provide brick-and-mortar space for a community-serving small business to launch and grow, and transition after two years into a new location in the community. https://opportunity.lacounty.gov/la-county-launch-pad/  

• LA County’s Office of Small Business will also occupy an office at the space to assist small businesses in the community and the small business occupying the space.  

Evermont is adjacent to the SEED School of Los Angeles, the County’s first public charter boarding school that prepares students for careers in transportation infrastructure, STEM, and the humanities. 

Links

• Option to Lease and TOD Motion
• ENA with Seed Foundation Board Letter
• Ground Lease with Seed Foundation Board Letter
• Ground Lease for Mix-Use Development Board Letter

Image below is a concept rendering.