The Central Industrial Redevelopment Project (Project) was adopted on November 15, 2002.  A lawsuit challenging the redevelopment plan was filed on January 13, 2003.  In September 2003, the courts declared the ordinance adopting the Central Industrial redevelopment plan to be invalid.  An appeal was filed on November 6, 2003, and was resolved in favor of the CRA/LA.

Establishment of the Project followed an extensive study, and citizen participation effort  to understand project area characteristics and the underlying causes of documented blight and economic disinvestments.  Central Industrial is a predominantly industrial area with a commercial presence, and a residential community comprised of an emerging artist residential loft district, primarily in the northern end of the project area, and single room occupancy hotels serving residents of Skid Row.

Conditions at Time of Adoption

The predominantly industrial site had abandoned rail lines, substandard streets that do not support truck movement and project wide circulation; poorly sized, deteriorated and obsolete industrial and commercial structures; vacant land, mainly in irregular shaped or improperly sized parcels; land with buildings that are deteriorated or need substantial rehabilitation; underutilized industrial and commercial properties; and deteriorated residential properties.