Crenshaw : Shopping Mall Study OKd
The Community Redevelopment Agency has approved the final report of a study to revitalize Santa Barbara Plaza and adjoining retail areas in the Crenshaw District.
The Crenshaw Market Analysis, which took two years to complete at a cost of $80,000, will be forwarded to the City Council for approval.
The 20-acre Santa Barbara Plaza shopping strip, which holds the largest concentration of black-owned businesses in the city, is a collection of retail stores, social service centers, a church and other facilities. Deterioration and concern over safety prompted Santa Barbara Plaza merchants to ask the redevelopment agency to step in to revitalize the 35-year-old center.
The study recommends that the Santa Barbara Plaza be added to the Crenshaw Redevelopment Project, which includes the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, a regional shopping mall.
The study urges that the 40 property owners help set up a community-based development corporation to come up with a revitalization plan and oversee the plaza. It also identifies options to spur redevelopment, including the addition of government and professional offices and a hotel.
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