CRENSHAW : Building Raises Economic Hopes

An office building is going up on Crenshaw Boulevard, raising hopes among area residents and business owners that the economic tide in the Crenshaw District is turning for the better.

The Social Security Administration began construction last week on a site in Crenshaw Square, a retail and business center at Crenshaw and 39th Street. The 12,500-square-foot building is scheduled for completion in June, said Social Security Assistant District Manager Jeff Brown.

Officials settled on Crenshaw Square after deciding to move from its present location on Crenshaw at Rodeo Road. Although Crenshaw Square is only about a mile south of the old location, Brown said officials felt that the new site, which is adjacent to Leimert Park, is in a more customer-friendly environment.

The sprawling Crenshaw Square center lost half of its structures to fires that erupted during the 1992 riots. Since then, like many other properties that sustained similar damage, the center’s damaged portion has sat untouched, hard-pressed to attract new tenants.

Architect and longtime Ladera Heights resident Michael Anderson said the construction is a step in the right direction.

“I’m glad to see that the General Services Administration is willing to rebuild sites and locate federal employees along Crenshaw Boulevard,” said Anderson. “It’s always been my focus to do that.”

Rebuild L.A. President Linda Griego, a 20-year resident of Baldwin Hills, said it is encouraging to see organizations like Social Security “putting their money where their mouth is.”