A rendering of the newly approved District NoHo project, which will renovate the North Hollywood Metro station, add a new bus transit center, and build nearly 1,500 housing units.
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Trammell Crow Company
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Topline:
Earlier this month, the L.A. City Council approved a nearly 16-acre project with close to 1,500 housing units, a renovated Metro station and a new bus transit center. The development also plans to bring more open space, restaurants, and shops to the area.
What is it? The project, called “District NoHo”, is part of a Metro program where the agency works with private developers to build, maintain, and operate housing and mixed use developments near its transit stations. Metro’s contribution is its public land — it will not pay for any of the project.
What will it look like? The plans will consolidate the bus services that currently run on either side of Lankershim Boulevard into one expanded transit center, making it so bus riders never have to cross the street for transfers and freeing up the parking lots between Lankershim and Fair Avenue for what Metro is calling a “megablock.”
That megablock will include a majority of the new housing, retail and restaurant space as well as two acres of open space. It will be split by a new extension of Klump Avenue (which currently ends at Cumpston Street) and L.A.’s first “shared street”, District Way — modeled after the Dutch “Woonerf,” where cars are guests, and pedestrians and bicyclists can move freely.
How many of the units will be for low income Angelenos? A quarter of the new units will be set aside for affordable housing. Some say that number is not enough, given L.A.’s housing crisis.
What's the timeline? Now, with City Council approval, Metro will finish negotiations with the project’s developer, Trammell Crow Company. Marie Sullivan, the Metro project manager overseeing District NoHo, said they’re expecting to present the final agreement to Metro’s Board of Directors next summer — and that construction on the transit center and some of the affordable housing could start later in the year.
“The entire completion of all of the buildings in the project will take about 10 years from that point,” Sullivan said. The new transit center, however, is projected to be completed by 2027 or 2028.
The area around the North Hollywood Metro station will look very different in about a decade. Earlier this month, the L.A. City Council approved a nearly 16-acre project with close to 1,500 housing units, a renovated Metro station, and a new bus transit center. The development also plans to bring more open space, restaurants, and shops to the area.
The project, called “District NoHo”, is part of a Metro program where the agency works with private developers to build, maintain, and operate housing and mixed use developments near its transit stations. Metro’s contribution is its public land — it will not pay for any of the project.
The housing details
Marie Sullivan, the Metro project manager overseeing District NoHo, said the number of housing units to be constructed as part of the project has nearly doubled since the original proposal — including 100 more units for low income Angelenos than initially planned. In total, a quarter of the new units will now be set aside for affordable housing.
Some say that number is not enough, given L.A.’s housing crisis. But Shane Phillips, the Housing Initiative Manager at UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, said market rate units are needed to balance out the cost of affordable housing units.
“The value of [the affordable housing units] relative to what it’s costing to build them is a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit,” he said. “There is a real risk of, if you say, ‘It has to be 35%, 50%’ — the developer cannot earn a profit at those levels in most cases, or other things would have to be cut that people also want to see.”
What it will look like
A map of the plans for District NoHo, which will surround the North Hollywood Metro Station.
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Trammell Crow Company
)
The project will center around the intersection of Lankershim Boulevard and Chandler Boulevard, spanning from Weddington Street to Cumpston Street and Tujunga Avenue to Fair Avenue. Much of the area is currently taken up by parking lots and vacant land. Sullivan said that there aren’t any plans to displace any of the existing businesses in the project area.
The plans will also consolidate the bus services that currently run on either side of Lankershim Boulevard into one expanded transit center, making it so bus riders never have to cross the street for transfers and freeing up the parking lots between Lankershim and Fair Avenue for what Metro is calling a “megablock.”
That megablock will include a majority of the new housing, retail and restaurant space as well as two acres of open space. It will be split by a new extension of Klump Avenue (which currently ends at Cumpston Street) and L.A.’s first “shared street”, District Way — modeled after the Dutch “Woonerf,” where cars are guests, and pedestrians and bicyclists can move freely.
A rendering of District Way, which will be LA’s first “shared street.”
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Trammell Crow Company
)
The block south of the new transit center will add an office tower, and the block north of it will hold about 40% of the affordable housing units.
How it will affect the housing market
Phillips has been researching who moves into new market rate housing — and generally, in metropolitan areas around the country, he’s found that most of the people moving into new homes already live in the area.
“So they're going to be leaving behind some home somewhere else that is, in most cases, more affordable than the one they're moving into. People will move into those recently vacated homes, and they also are probably moving up into a nicer home when they're doing so, and they're leaving behind a slightly less expensive home, and so forth,” he said. “This migration chain happens every time you build a new market rate unit. By creating these new homes, you're sort of loosening the tightness in the housing market elsewhere.”
Why Metro is building housing
Metro executive Wells Lawson said the agency has been building housing projects like this for more than two decades. In 2021, Metro committed to building 10,000 housing units in L.A. County — half of which would be low income housing — over the following 10 years. The North Hollywood project, despite being in the works prior to that announcement, will contribute to that goal.
Phillips said that this kind of involvement is common for transit agencies in other countries. “If anything, we should be doing that a lot more here in Los Angeles, California, the whole country, really making the most of these investments,” he said.
And the location of a development is important in maximizing its impact. Phillips points to the E (Expo) Line, which stops in a lot of areas concentrated with single-family homes. “We’ve spent, I don't know, $2 billion on that rail line that is very useful for many people, but many of the stations are just surrounded by a few hundred homeowners whose homes are worth millions of dollars and who are very unlikely to take transit.”
A rendering of District NoHo's new bus transit center (right) from the intersection of Tujuna Ave. and North Chandler Boulevard.
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Trammell Crow Company
)
The economic impact
Lawson said the project is estimated to create more than 15,000 jobs during construction and nearly 5,000 permanent jobs.
He also said Metro’s revenue from the project will be reinvested into this and other transit-oriented communities. “And we do expect that number to grow over time with all of our projects. We have four projects under construction right now — all 100% affordable projects. But even those projects deliver some amount of revenue to Metro that we’re able to reinvest.”
The timeline
Metro has been trying to develop this land since 2006, but that project fell through during the 2008 recession. “District NoHo” kicked off in 2015 with focus groups, open houses and surveys of what residents wanted to see in a new development.
Now, with City Council approval, Metro will finish negotiations with the project’s developer, Trammell Crow Company. Sullivan said they’re expecting to present the final agreement to Metro’s Board of Directors next summer — and that construction on the transit center and some of the affordable housing could start later in the year.
“The entire completion of all of the buildings in the project will take about 10 years from that point,” Sullivan said. The new transit center, however, is projected to be completed by 2027 or 2028.
First artifacts installed in LA museum's expansion
Makenna Sievertson
has been covering space shuttle Endeavour's journey at the California Science Center since December 2023.
Published November 18, 2025 4:08 PM
The first of many artifacts have been installed in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, including a space shuttle main engine (right) and a solid rocket booster segment.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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Topline:
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Why it matters: Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet that will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
Why now: The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
The backstory: It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
What's next: Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
Read on ... for a peak inside the expansion coming to Exposition Park.
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Once complete, the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will include multi-level galleries built around a towering centerpiece — the space shuttle Endeavour — displayed in its 20-story vertical launch position.
It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
Museum admission will be free.
Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
“The enthusiasm that people have when they come in and see this stuff and get excited about it will hopefully lead to many more people, young and old, but particularly young people wanting to pursue more education in science,” Rudolph told LAist.
Museum officials expect to announce next year an opening date, according to Rudolph.
A look inside the center
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will feature three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
Guests will be guided through hundreds of exhibits and authentic artifacts focused on the exploration of the universe — including rocket ships that carried humans into space and telescopes used to view stars and galaxies beyond our reach.
A real Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach spans several stories tall in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, told LAist the Electron helped lower the cost of getting to space by sending satellites in smaller, cheaper rockets. The new center is an opportunity to get up close and personal with an Electron for the first time outside of a factory.
Spice said he hopes it’ll show visitors their dreams can become a reality.
“They can be part of something much bigger than probably they ever thought they could,” he said.
The first artifacts installed in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center include a solid rocket booster segment. Kenneth Phillips, aerospace curator, shows the scale of the piece, which has flown into space several times.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The solid rocket booster segment will become a walk-through interactive experience in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A segment of a solid rocket booster that flew into space several times is laid on its side on the second floor of the gallery.
Kenneth Phillips, the California Science Center’s aerospace curator, told LAist it’ll be turned into an interactive exhibit with audio, video and educational graphics.
“It's 12 feet in diameter, so people can actually walk through it and learn about the function of it from the inside out literally,” Phillips said.
Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with a space shuttle main engine.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A detailed model of a space shuttle main engine is set up next to the solid rocket booster. Three of those main engines helped boost space shuttles into orbit by providing about 20% of their power, Phillips said.
What's next
Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center started more than three years ago and is on track to be completed in the coming weeks, according to museum officials.
With construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center weeks away from completion, crews have started to put in landscaping around the outside of the expansion.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
)
The exterior of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center as of Tuesday.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The remaining exhibits and artifacts will then be installed over "many months," Rudolph said. Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
The California Science Center also is looking to raise about $70 million more for the $450 million project before it opens. You can learn more about its “EndeavourLA” fundraising campaign here.
Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published November 18, 2025 3:58 PM
The Westwood Village Theater will be operated and programmed by American Cinematheque when it opens
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George Rose
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The group of directors restoring the Village Theater in Westwood are tapping film nonprofit American Cinematheque to program and run the venue when it opens.
Why it matters: American Cinematheque also programs the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Los Feliz Theater, making it a visible and active film arts nonprofit in the industry.
The backstory: The nearly century-old movie palace went up for sale in 2024 before Village Directors Circle bought it in February. The group is comprised of more than 30 notable filmmakers. They're led by director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) and their ranks include Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Lulu Wang, Chloé Zhao, Christopher Nolan and Ryan Coogler.
What's next: VDC says it's eyeing a 2027 opening for the Village Theater, and is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign to raise $25 million to restore and remodel the Village Theater into a more than 1,000-seat venue.
For January fire survivors looking for fresh start
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.
Published November 18, 2025 3:46 PM
Residents embrace in front of a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 8.
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Etienne Laurent
/
AP
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Topline:
The city of Long Beach has launched a new jobs program to help people affected by January’s fires.
Who is it for? The initiative will provide paid career opportunities and financial assistance to people looking for a fresh start in Long Beach.
To start, 10 people will get up to 300 hours of paid work experience with local employers. Another five people also will get training scholarships of up to $7,500 in high-demand fields like health care and information technology.
Who's paying for it? The initiative is funded by a $130,000 federal act called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
How to apply: Anyone interested in applying can contact Nakawa Shepherd, Career Center manager, Economic Development and Opportunity, at Nakawa.Shepherd@longbeach.gov or visit the LBWIN Adult Career Services Center.
How to participate: Long Beach’s Economic Development and Opportunity office also is looking for local employers to provide on-the-job training for applicants.
Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters.
Published November 18, 2025 2:51 PM
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has been accused of setting a fire that led to the Palisades Fire.
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U.S. Attorney's Office
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Topline:
The man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire in January will remain in custody without bond, U.S. Judge Rozella Oliver decided Tuesday in Los Angeles. Jonathan Rinderknecht has been in custody since his arrest in Florida on Oct. 7.
Where things stand: Rinderknecht was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and is charged with one count of arson, one count of timber set afire and one count of destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in mid-October and faces anywhere from five to 45 years in federal prison if convicted. His trial is set to begin April 21, 2026. His lawyers recently asked the court to allow him out of custody as he awaits trial.
Argument against release: In a filing on Monday, prosecutors said Rinderknecht is a flight risk because of his familial ties to France, as well as a danger to the community. The filing states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home and that he purchased a gun and threatened to kill his brother-in-law. Prosecutors also raised the fact that a judge determined in October that the suspect’s mental health had declined.
The allegations: Authorities allege Rinderknecht set fire to brush near the Skull Rock Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains at around midnight Jan. 1, starting the Lachman Fire. Though the fire was held to just 8 acres and was believed to have been extinguished, authorities say it flared up once again amid strong, dry winds a week later. That fire grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
