There were debates about how it would get there—at grade, above grade—but in the end, the Crenshaw Line is really coming to Leimert Park. But even before the line broke ground last week, there were reports that property owners weren’t renewing leases for some black-owned businesses around the future station. Perhaps in the interest of hedging more double-edged-sword developments, community leaders and stakeholders are collaborating on theLeimert Park Village 20|20 Vision Initiative, which will guide a vision for the community’s future that’s geared toward taking advantage of the economic benefits that light rail will bring while preserving the community’s character (e.g., preventing black-owned businesses from getting the boot in the future), reports the Leimert Park Beat. Looking to examples like Old Town Pasadena and Downtown’s South Park, goals include creating guidelines for a cultural district, building pedestrian-focused infrastructure, and courting transit-oriented development for the central “village” area of LP.
SouthLA 