By: Yolanda Davidson
The Astra is located at 215 E. Regent Street, Inglewood. The luxury apartment community is set to start tours for potential residents in March 2023. The major construction project has been built on a site that was formerly vacant for over two decades. I can remember when brand new Cadillacs were on that very lot. Now the quick detour from Manchester Blvd. traffic is no longer available.
Men working on Regent Street and on the huge brick-like structure is daunting when recalling being able to see CVS from La Brea Avenue for so many years. It is great to see all the new construction. Inglewood, like the rest of Los Angeles County, is facing a serious affordable housing crisis. Astra is not the answer to this crisis.
The planning commission and the city council have continued to inform residents Inglewood has the most affordable housing units in the South Bay. Despite their efforts, Inglewood continues to face a crisis with aging residents, as well as low to moderate-income households, many of which are renters not able to afford skyrocketing rents in the city.
The Astra, like all new housing developments built in Inglewood, will not have any rental protections for residents. The Astra has units starting at a whopping $2500 monthly rate for a studio apartment, and up to $4000 monthly for a 3-bedroom unit. The complex boasts the city’s first dog park, fireside lounging, an 8-seat theater, EV charging stations, Target, 24/7 noise, construction from the upcoming Inglewood Transit connector project, the flashing jumbotron on Florence, and the K-line. This will be the jewel of La Brea and Market Street.
How will current residents be able to fork over $4000 per month, when the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey states the average Inglewood household earns $68,135 is a question time will answer.
How many household members would it take to live in Inglewood luxury? Not to mention, the fact that over 40% of Inglewood households earn less than $50,000 annually according to the same survey.
There is another new 32-unit apartment complex opening soon at Hollywood Park. This one is dubbed the Wesley. This beauty is hidden at 3988 Hardy Ave., Inglewood. Yes, hidden. You cannot see what’s going on inside the fortress. We do know that the city wants to make access very convenient for our new residents, rounding up $1.6 billion to build a people mover to drop them at their door (I think they still need $400mil). The people mover (ITC) will displace some of your favorite local businesses including Lily’s nails, Lee’s Caribbean, and Sweet Red Peach bakery.
The Welsey will be renting units for $3000 monthly and up and has some great amenities. There will be a lounge, a pet spa, a clubroom, fitness center, an outdoor theater, and bar.
This housing complex is located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Inglewood, it should be interesting to see who this luxury apartment complex will be serving. Inglewood has had affordability issues in housing for years. Although the city has attempted to stop the hemorrhaging, it is clear Inglewood and surrounding areas are no longer a place where working-class renters can afford to live. The Planning Commission recently approved a new development for a 20-unit building on Imperial Hwy which will have one affordable unit. Yes, One!
The interesting thing about the growth in Inglewood is that we continue to see investment in residential units but the quality of life for new neighbors as well as long-term residents has not improved. Inglewood still has only a few decent grocery stores, no dog parks, the local hospital is still subpar for residents, recently a young woman died during childbirth, Inglewood Unified School district remains in the care of Los Angeles County Office of Education, trees remain overgrown, streets in disrepair, a policy for Short-term rentals which many residents are not happy with which includes the highest taxes around I am told, City Hall remains closed to the public (by appointment only), a growing unhoused population without any city-sponsored assistance, our police department is in need of new officers and equipment, and no one in city government is publicly acknowledging the ongoing violent crime which has plagued the city for decades.
A young man was murdered in cold blood in front of Superior grocery store on Crenshaw and Imperial less than a month ago and there have been no public comments about arrests (if any) in the case of the four young people who were murdered on Park Ave. January 2022. Assuming our new well-to-do neighbors will be voting age, will they see the value in paying upwards of $40,000 annually for rent to live in the city of construction? Or will they vote in new leadership to clean up the City of Champions once and for all?
Inglewood welcomes growth. It is amazing to see investment in a city that has been redlined for over 40 years. It is also sad to see businesses that waited for years to see the “gold rush” now be closed and forced out of our neighborhood. In the near future, you won’t recognize this city, and is that a good thing?
Yolanda Davidson is a long-time Inglewood resident and community advocate. She can be reached at yolanda@pressforjustice.org.
2 Comments
Yolanda makes a great point about the lack of investing, but before we start throwing stones at the wrong people ….let us take a walk down that yesteryear path to find out how/why that became our reality.
Here is the scary word REDEVELOPMENT-AREAS
Yes that was a California idea that went amock in Inglewood.
Early on the “Redevelopment Area” that actually did work came with a plan (I know, strange concept isn’t it). Yes a plan which included are you ready the new proposed 9 story City Hall, the Main Library, the Police Station and yes an above grade walkway to the Courthouse.!!! And oh wait there is more hold your hats A PARKING LOT. Yes the CIVIC CENTER was planned – and in another world the idea took place that community meetings were important, were advertised and held to get the ideas for what else to include, what we thought would need to be replaced and how long the temporary Igloo building for the library would be needed. Yes Then Mayor Goedike and the council members included PTA, Service Club and Women’s Club meetings to solicit input suggestions and recommendations! (Yes it was a different world when elected believed the residents mattered ). The Civic Center was built. There was meeting space, adequate offices for police and a Library ready to be filled with education building books ! (Yes advancement and availability of acquiring knowledge was important then.). Yes! a plan to help the young and the not so young people to discover things then never thought about just by spending a day looking through the library shelves. (Oops that is a different soapbox).
Soon the idea that the elected could eminent domain people out of their property became an idea that was embraced in large scale. Ever wonder about the footbridge over the freeway near Oak Street Elementary? Yep built while the freeway was going in for the children living in the many hundreds of apartments ( which were in what became the industrial complexes) west of the freeway, In order that kids could safely and easily walk to school..
So while at first REDEVELOPMENT worked (clap clap clap!!!!! ) like so many things when the community is excluded greed becomes the elephant in our midst.
The new city council member’s decided that they “didn’t like” certain neighborhoods and the Ed Vincent Council declared that the “dwelling units” along Century were not what “he liked to see”. And the great move’em out plan was set in motion under the excuse of “Airport incapabliliy” . Hmm ever notice select neighborhoods recieved sound insulation while other neighborhoods were eliminated? Yes, eminent domain was declared and the plan to send those hundreds of tenets packing out of our community was put in place. Yep the City contracted Relocation expert told tenants not to pay rent leaving property owners without income and taxes due. For years and years . Yep apartment buildings became empty shells perfect for crime, with the “added benefit” that when the city appraiser came up with offering price to the nearly bankrupt property owners the city offered insulting prices with the eminent domain papers. Then years and years later the council planned what became the Hagen shopping Center after making so many bad decisions one of the lawsuits became a popular case law of how-not- to example to future redevelopment attorneys. (Look it up yourself AKLILU).
Yes Yolanda, and others who may not have been here, for a real are you blanking kidding me Take a stroll thru the years of the Merged Redevelopment Zones which put large areas of Downtown and Manchester under the redevelopment shadow. Basically if the city zones properties in an area for potential eminent domain at a later date by a simple vote of the Council the banks will not lend money for that much needed roof or carpet or plumbing upgrade.
So Please do not blame the councils of the olden days these crazy blight causing zones were put in place by the Dorn and Butts Administrations and oh yes by the way — about those parking lots that were built during the 70’s which generated income….surprise the current brain trust sold them when the often abused California redevelopment years were coming.to an end.. What was early on intended to help communities had morphed into the destroying of communities by essentially eliminating low-moderate income minority property owners and granting their “land-banked” properties to large developers. Ie the Billionaire Areana sits on land the housed many students,and parents in hundred of apartments and mobile homes. Sadly Inglewood was often the “poster child-City” for Redevelopment misuse in conferences across the state. Those who prospered most were not the families of the displaced but rather the Attorney’s, relocation contractors, one local religious group and yes the Millionaires thanks to those elected who prefer photo ops and media attention more than doing what is best for the residents of the community they should be serving.
To read interesting yet sad correspondence between the city regarding the ending of redevelopment google “California Dept of Finance – Margarita Cruz”
Perhaps the “feeling “ description options would be disregarded, devalued, disrespected and disappointed that those who we pay to represent us sincerely have proven time and again that residents in their opinion are absolutely not important enough to be listened to, consulted, or accountable to.
As for those very expensive amenities did anyone else think wow theater for 8 ?, as in a whopping 4 couples ! Wouldn’t most living rooms accommodate 8?