A rendering of a renovated Benjamin Franklin Branch Library.
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Courtesy of the Bureau of Engineering Architectural Division
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Topline:
From long-awaited infrastructure upgrades to improve pedestrian safety, to fresh renovations that will beautify existing landmarks — and even a brand-new park — several projects across Boyle Heights and East LA are set to be completed this year.
Repairs to sidewalks: Boyle Heights residents should expect improvements to sidewalks and streets between Evergreen Cemetery and Brittania Street along Cesar Chavez Avenue this year.
Read on... for more about the developments coming this year.
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Jan. 8, 2025.
Big changes are expected on the Eastside in 2026.
From long-awaited infrastructure upgrades to improve pedestrian safety, to fresh renovations that will beautify existing landmarks — and even a brand-new park — several projects across Boyle Heights and East LA are set to be completed this year.
Here’s a look at some of the projects you can expect to see in 2026.
A park under the 6th Street Bridge
Rendering of Leonard Hill Arts Plaza at the Sixth Street PARC.
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Courtesy of City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering
The Sixth Street PARC (Park, Arts, River & Connectivity) will feature an arts plaza, complete with a performance amphitheater, garden and terrace seating. Other amenities include a café, dog park, fitness equipment and sports courts.
Community members have raised concerns about whether copper wire theft will impact the safety of the park but a representative of the Bureau of Engineering said security cameras and fortifications will be installed to protect park infrastructure.
The representative said substantial completion is anticipated to be in late 2026, with an opening date shortly after.
Long-awaited renovations are transforming Self Help Graphics & Art
A rendering of Self Help Graphics & Art’s central gathering space.
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Courtesy of Self Help Graphics
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Self Help Graphics & Art, an Eastside printmaking and art institution more than 50 years old, is set to complete its nearly $15 million renovation this summer, with a public reopening planned for the fall. Since 2011, the art organization has been housed in a former seafood packing plant on 1st Street in Boyle Heights, after leaving its longtime East LA location.
The 12,000-square-foot building is being transformed into a cultural center that meets museum standards, featuring seismic retrofitting, an expanded printmaking studio, upgraded gallery lighting and a larger multipurpose room for community gatherings.
While renovations continue, exhibitions featuring printmaking, mixed media and photography are on view at satellite locations in Los Angeles County.
You can once again set foot inside the historic Breed Street Shul
Restoration of the Breed Street Shul.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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After years of restoration, plans to transform the historic Breed Street Shul into a vibrant community and cultural hub are nearing reality. Built in 1923, the structure held its last service in 1998 and has long represented a cultural and religious anchor for the Jewish community on the Eastside.
For years, the shul sat in disrepair. The renovation of the shul’s smaller building was completed in 2011, allowing for limited events and tours until the pandemic. Work on the property’s main building began in 2024 and is more than halfway completed.
Planned upgrades include improved accessibility with ramps and an elevator. According to Steve Sass, president of the Breed Street Shul Project, the space will host film screenings, meetings and exhibitions, with reopening expected by the end of 2026.
Repairs to sidewalks along Cesar Chavez Avenue will make walking safer
The repairs will take place on a stretch of Cesar Chavez Ave.
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Courtesy of the Bureau of Engineering – City of Los Angeles
)
Boyle Heights residents should expect improvements to sidewalks and streets between Evergreen Cemetery and Brittania Street along Cesar Chavez Avenue this year. The project is part of the Great Streets Initiative launched by former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.
According to a project update published by the Bureau of Engineering and LADOT in October 2025, the repairs and restoration of walkways along Cesar Chavez Avenue will increase safety, mobility and visibility for pedestrians, bicyclists, particularly at high-volume intersection crossings. Pedestrian lighting and upgraded traffic signals will enhance safety along the corridor.
Bienvenidos, East LA and City Terrace!
Restoration work on four monuments that mark the boundaries of unincorporated East LA is ongoing and will be finished in March.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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If you’ve ever driven to and from East LA on surface streets, you might’ve noticed decorative monuments welcoming drivers to the community on streets like City Terrace Drive or Beverly Boulevard. Those signs have gotten major facelifts since restoration work began in July of 2025.
According to the LA County Department of Public Works, all four monuments that mark the boundaries of unincorporated East LA are slated for completion by March 2026.
The project’s scope includes adding colorful tile mosaics, energy-efficient lighting, as well as landscaping and decking around some of the signs.
The office of LA County District 1 Supervisor Hilda Solis wrote in an email to Boyle Heights Beat that the $2.6 million investment from her office “will preserve cultural identity while creating more engaging public spaces.”
Reopening on the horizon for Benjamin Franklin Library … if all goes to plan
A rendering of a renovated Benjamin Franklin Branch Library.
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Courtesy of the Bureau of Engineering Architectural Division
)
The long-awaited renovation of the Benjamin Franklin Branch Library broke ground in November, launching a project delayed for years by funding and scheduling setbacks.
Interior upgrades include new carpets, self-lighting bookshelves, study rooms, furniture and self-checkout counters, along with ADA-compliant restrooms and energy-efficient LED lighting. The exterior will see parking resurfacing, bike and EV charging stations, new landscaping and a demonstration garden.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published January 8, 2026 4:33 PM
The Original Saugus Cafe's neon sign.
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Konrad Summers
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Creative Commons on Flickr
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Topline:
The Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant since 1886, was supposed to have closed Sunday, with lines around the block. But this week a sign on the door said it was reopening under new ownership. That was news to the Mercado family, who had previously run the business for nearly 30 years. It's turned into a legal dispute between the Mercado family and the owners of the property, who are laying claim to the name.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights the precarious position of small business owners who operate under informal agreements with their landlords. For nearly 30 years, the Mercado family ran the restaurant on a handshake deal with property owner Hank Arklin Sr. After he died, the Mercado family is facing losing not just their location, but potentially the business name and legacy they've built.
Why now: Hank Arklin Sr., a former California assemblyman with multiple properties, died in August at age 97. New management presented the Mercado family with written lease terms they found unfavorable, triggering negotiations to sell the business that ultimately fell apart.
Lines stretched around the block Sunday at the Original Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita. It was supposed to be the restaurant's last day before closing after 139 years — making it the oldest continually operated restaurant in Los Angeles County.
But earlier this week, a sign was posted on the door saying, "Reopening under new ownership soon," although there were few details about who would be running it.
The sign was a surprise to the Mercado family,who have operated the restaurant for nearly 30 years. The family now is in a legal dispute with the Arklin family, who owns the property, about the potential re-opening and who owns the historic name.
The background
Alfredo Mercado worked his way up from bartender to restaurateur, purchasing the business in 1998. Since then Mercado and his daughters have operated the restaurant, leasing from the Arklin family. For most of that time, according to the Mercado side, the two families maintained good terms. Property owner Hank Arklin Sr., a former state assemblyman who owned other properties in the area, kept a verbal month-to-month agreement with the Mercados — no written lease required.
That changed when Arklin died in August at age 97.
New terms, failed negotiations
Larry Goodman, who manages multiple properties for the Arklin family's company, North Valley Construction, took over the landlord relationship. In September, the Mercado family say they were presented with a new written month-to-month lease.
Yecenia Ponce, Alfredo's daughter, said the new terms included various changes to the existing agreement, including a rent increase and charges for equipment.
Months of back and forth negotiations about different options, including selling the business, ultimately fell apart. Their attorney, Steffanie Stelnick, says they are being forced out, without proper legal notice, and has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Goodman saying the family has plans to continue running the business.
LAist reached out to Goodman for comment repeatedly Wednesday and Thursday by phone but did not hear back.
Goodman told The Signal, a Santa Clarita valley news outlet, that Alfredo Mercado had changed his mind several times in recent weeks about keeping the business.
“I said, ‘Fine,’ then I got out and got someone to take it over,” Goodman said.
He said he'd been in contact with Eduardo Reyna, the CEO of Dario's, a local Santa Clarita restaurant, and that the cafe could re-open as soon as Jan. 16.
Who owns what?
The dispute also focuses on who owns the rights to the Original Saugus Cafe name.
Ponce said when her father purchased the restaurant in 1998, it was called The Olde Saugus Cafe, but the name was then changed to The Original Saugus Cafe. State records show that name registered as an LLC under Alfredo Mercado.
After Arklin’s death, however, the Arklin family filed a pending trademark application to lay its own claim to the name.
The Mercado family is resisting.
"As long as they don't buy the name from us, we're not handing it over," Ponce said.
Ponce said the family had no idea the landlord planned to continue operations.
"We truly did think we were closing," she said. "We were not aware that they had plans to continue."
She apologized to customers for the confusion.
Whether the decades-old restaurant name survives — and under whose control — may ultimately be decided in court.
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California. She has a special place in her heart for eagles and other creatures that make this such a fascinating place to live.
Published January 8, 2026 4:22 PM
The roughly 550-pound male black bear has been hiding out under an Altadena home.
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CBS LA
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Ken Jonhson
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Topline:
A large black bear has finally crawled out from under a house in Altadena where he’s been hiding for more than a month.
How we got here: The roughly 550-pound bear, dubbed “Barry” by the neighbors, had been holed up in a crawlspace beneath the home since late November.
Why now: Cort Klopping, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed to LAist Thursday that the bear had left and the access point had been secured.
The backstory: This wasn’t the first time the bear hid out under a house in Altadena. The same bear was lured out from another crawlspace in the area and relocated miles away to the Angeles National Forest after the Eaton Fire last year. Wildlife officials said they believed he'd been back in Altadena for several months.
Why it matters: Officials encourage residents to secure access points around their homes. One suggestion is to cover crawlspaces with something stronger than the wire mesh Barry has broken through, such as metal bars.
What you can do: Bears are extremely food motivated and can smell snacks in trash cans on the curb from 5 miles away, Klopping has said. He suggested putting trash cans out the same day they get picked up and bringing pet food sources inside, including bird feeders. You can find tips on how to handle a bear in your backyard here and resources from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife here.
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Libby Rainey
is a general assignment reporter. She covers the news that shapes Los Angeles and how people change the city in return.
Published January 8, 2026 2:15 PM
A protester displays a poster as tear gas is used in the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.
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Eric Thayer/AP
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FR171986 AP
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Topline:
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
What are some groups saying? Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising. " Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Read on... for how local politicians are reacting.
Community leaders and politicians in Los Angeles are responding in outrage after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota on Wednesday.
The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising.
" Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the shooting, saying Good was trying to run agents over with her car. That account has been disputed by eyewitnesses, the mayor of Minneapolis and other officials. Bystander video also challenges the federal narrative, according to MPR News.
L.A. politicians have joined a chorus demanding justice for Good. Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, saying that ICE agents are waging "a purposeful campaign of fear and intimidation" on American cities.
"The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred," she said in the post.
The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred. And it happened because of the brutal and racist policies of the Trump administration that unleashed these agents in…
Nereida Moreno
is our midday host on LAist 89.3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Published January 8, 2026 2:05 PM
Crystal Hernández is the violinist for the Mariachi Rams and the only woman in the group.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Topline:
As the Rams head to the NFL playoffs this weekend, we’re shining the spotlight on a beloved fan favorite: the Mariachi Rams. Violinist Crystal Hernández, the only woman in the band, tells LAist it’s exciting to see how fans — even those cheering for the opposing team — have embraced their presence at SoFi Stadium. She said it shows how involved and integral Latino culture is to L.A.
“There's no boundary. There's no border,” she said. “It’s all about love and joy and bringing excitement to the game.”
Why it matters: The Rams are the first NFL team to have an official mariachi. The group was formed in 2019 by Hernández' father, the renowned mariachi Jose Hernández. Since then, a handful of teams, including the Houston Texans, have begun incorporating mariachi bands as part of their cultural programming.
Game day: The Mariachi Rams’ musical flare has captivated audiences, blending hip-hop and rock-and-roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout the game, starting with a Mexican classic like “El Rey” and segueing into local favorites like “Low Rider” from the Long Beach band War and Tupac’s “California Love.”
The Mariachi Rams blend hip-hop and rock and roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout each game.
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Courtesy Los Angeles Rams
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Keeping traditions alive: Crystal Hernández also works with L.A. County students at the nonprofit Mariachi Heritage Society. She said it’s important to pass the tradition down to kids — and especially young girls who may not otherwise see themselves represented onstage.
“If you're a mariachi, you're also an educator,” she said. “It's our responsibility to teach the next generation so this beautiful Mexican tradition doesn't die out.”
