The City Council has approved a motion to redevelop the former Lincoln Heights Jail, with the possibility of creating a mixed-use facility that includes housing. The council voted 11-0 in support of the motion, with council members Heather Hutt, John Lee, Curren Price, and Monica Rodriguez absent during the vote.
Prior to the vote, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez stated, “We hope to pilot new ideas at this site that will lay a foundation for sustainable and affordable social housing, economic and workforce opportunities. We also aim to streamline city processes that can serve as models for kickstarting the type of development needed on city-owned sites.”
Councilwoman Hernandez, who represents the 1st District including Lincoln Heights, introduced the motion in May after a prior proposal for the property fell through. The motion directs relevant city departments to report back within 120 days and move forward with plans for the 147,000 square-foot property along the L.A. River. It also calls for identifying possible funding sources for the project.
Hernandez also emphasizes the importance of community input in forming the plans.
The former jail, built in 1931, was decommissioned in 1965 due to overcrowding issues and maintenance costs. Until 2014, it was used to house city departments and the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts. An L.A. Department of Transportation yard on the property has since vacated the premises.
The current state of the property is described as an environmental hazard, requiring immediate remediation efforts. It contains lead in the ground, underground tanks with petroleum, and asbestos within the building.
Over the past five years, the city has conducted environmental assessments and other work to remediate and assess the land. Councilwoman Hernandez’s office believes the city has a unique opportunity to redevelop the property with more community engagement and a focus on healing the environment and social harm caused to the Lincoln Heights community.
The motion was recommended for approval by the council’s Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee during its Oct. 3 meeting.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
