As chic cafes and boutiques displace working artists from the Arts District Downtown, one developer seems to think they know the next place where creatives will flock: Historic South Central L.A. Plans have been announced to convert a huge industrial building in the once-dodgy neighborhood into a complex of live/work spaces for artists and artisans.
The 32,450-square-foot project will become 33 individual units, according to Urbanize L.A. The building, located at 3761 South Hill Street, just across the 110 Freeway from Exposition Park, was purchased by Hard Property in 2015 for just over $9 million. In April they secured the permits to convert to the live/work units.
Local architecture firm Segal and Rea have been brought in to oversee the redesign. Previously, they’ve managed large commercial projects like Matteo’s industrial campus and a mixed-use condo structure at 824 Hoover Street. So far, no renderings or specs for the new artists’ lofts have been released to the public.
Also yet to be announced is what it might cost to live and work in one of these spaces. For the moment, South L.A. is still considered one of the city’s more affordable neighborhoods. However, rent prices across the city continue to shoot up and areas which were once affordable can become hotbeds of super luxury developments before residents even have time to catch their breath. With new homes and workspaces for the creative class and an expansion of public transit infrastructure serving the area, South Central could be the Arts District of the future.
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