Redevelopment Plans Crystallize for Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza

All images: Capri Capital Partners and RAW International

As construction continues on a new subway station at the intersection of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards, a bold development scheme is in the works for an adjacent shopping complex.

Capri Capital Partners, the Chicago-based owner of Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, is planning to redevelop their 43-acre property with over 2 million square feet of new office space, housing, retail space and hotel rooms.  According to a master plan created by planning and design firm RAW International, the proposed development would replace a series of surface parking lots and low-rise commercial buildings which flank the mid-century shopping center.  The centerpiece mall, anchored by a Macy's department store, would be preserved and rehabilitated as part of the project.

A pedestrian-oriented retail village would be constructed at the southeast corner of the property, abutting the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Stocker Street.  The proposed shopping center would consist of multiple freestanding one-and-two-story buildings bisected by heavily landscaped paseos.  A wide central promenade would cut a swath directly through the center of the retail village, creating a pedestrian link to the existing mall and Marlton Avenue.

Proposed uses within the village include including stores, restaurants and entertainment venues.  Other commercial establishments could be located within the ground-floor of newly constructed buildings in different areas of the development site.

The project would also include roughly 148,000 square feet of office space, to be situated within a 14-story building on Crenshaw Boulevard, 39th Street and Marlton Avenue.  The proposed tower would stand approximately 145 feet tall, seated above a subterranean parking garage and landscaped open space at ground level.

Current designs call for a multi-cornered structure which would feature construction materials including concrete, steel and a glazed curtain wall.  A penthouse level would sit atop the building, offering panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin.

Capri Capital's plans call for the creation of a mid-rise hotel tower immediately west of the proposed retail village.  The 12-story, 135-foot tall edifice would rise near the intersection of Stocker Street and Santa Rosalia Drive, containing 400 guest rooms and ancillary restaurant space.

The proposed hotel would feature a uniform design, incorporating elements of the existing mall's International Style architecture by articulating each floor with a horizontal glass band.  The tower's plaza level would be situated at the same elevation as the adjacent retail village, allowing for a seamless pedestrian connection between the two areas.  Vehicular access to a 74-car surface parking lot would occur on the western side of the building.

Under an alternate development program, the hotel could switch locations with aforementioned office tower at the northern edge of the project site.

Much of the development's remaining footprint would be devoted to multi-family housing.  Capri Capital's plans for Crenshaw Plaza include a cumulative 961 residential units, to be divided between rental apartments and condominiums.  Plans call for a mixture of 410 one-and-two-bedroom apartments and 551 one-, two-and-three-bedroom condominiums.

The majority of these units would be situated within a series of seven-story structures located north of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.  Each new building would feature ground-floor commercial space and one level of above-grade parking.  Proposed retail tenants include an 85,000-square-foot grocery store at the the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and 39th Street, replacing a smaller market which would be demolished to make way for the new buildings.

The remainder of the project's residential component would be located within a pair of five-story structures near the intersection of Santa Rosalia Drive and Marlton Avenue.  The residential buildings would obscure two above-grade parking garages which would sit immediately west of the existing mall. 

Although Crenshaw Plaza will be located almost directly atop a future subway station, the expansion project's office and retail components would result in substantial parking accommodations.  A full build out of the development would include nearly 7,000 vehicle stalls, including approximately 2,800 spaces on the north site and almost 4,200 spaces on the south site.

Construction of the Crenshaw Plaza redevelopment would occur over multiple phases, although an exact order has yet to be determined.  While a precise schedule will depend on multiple factors - including Capri Capital's ability to obtain financing - completion is currently expected by the end of 2020.

The project is one of several large developments planned within walking distance of future subway stations on Crenshaw Boulevard.  Just west of Crenshaw Plaza, healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente intends to break ground next year on a new medical office building.  Further north, an outdoor shopping center is planned at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Rodeo Road.

• Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Master Plan Project (LADCP)