A 1940s motel in the Mid-City neighborhood is slated to be transformed into interim housing, according to a notice distributed in February by Los Angeles County.
The LA Motel, which was completed in 1948 according to County Assessor's data, consists of two building and a five-car parking lot at 5070 Washington Boulevard.
Proposed alterations to the LA Motel include interior renovations which would convert existing guest rooms and a manger's apartment into interim housing with on-site supportive services for up to 34 persons. The scope of work would also include the demolition and replacement of existing flooring, doors, and utility connections, as well as new landscaping and repairs to stucco, dry wall, and air conditioning units.
The LA Motel at 5070 Washington BoulevardGoogle Maps
The County's Department of Health Services approved plans to convert transform the property into housing without conducting an environmental study. Statewide legislation that exempts motel conversion projects from the California Environmental Quality, according to the notice.
The conversion of the LA Motel is being led by the non-profit organization Brilliant Corners, which will operate the property through a long-term ground lease in partnership with the Alcott Center for Mental Health. Brilliant Corners, which is based out of San Francisco, is also behind plans for permanent supportive housing projects in Wilmington and the San Fernando Valley.
The LA Motel is one of dozens such properties throughout Southern California which have recently been slated for reuse as interim or permanent supportive housing. The City and County of Los Angeles, using state funding through Project Homekey, have purchased dozens of underused hotels and apartment buildings for this purpose - a rare success story in California's effort to house homeless persons.
- Mid-City (Urbanize LA)
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