South L.A. Gets a New Mini-City Hall

The re-burgenoning historic Central Avenue today will get a boost today when a constituent services center-bassically a satellite L.A. city hall--opens up at East 43rd Street. The Silver LEED-certified, $15-million, 9,000 square-foot building--formally a factory space--will house city departments like the Community Development Department and Building and Safety, field offices for 9th District Councilmember Jan Perry, a 1,500 square foot auditorium style community room and a kitchen that will host farmers market classes.

Part of that LEED status was solar power panels and a green roof--a first for a city building--featuring a garden of native plants. The building is also located in an urban park.

Speaking to the neighborhood, the LA Times earlier this week noted the efforts going into revitalizing the neighborhood. A new supermarket opened last September in a new mixed-use project, along with new schools, church rehabs and more mixed-use developments. Fresh & Easy is scheduled to open a store on February 24th and the famous Dunbar Hotel, now in disrepair as a housing unit, is set to be repaired while preserving its character.