Construction has begun on Evermont, a mixed-use development that will include 180 affordable homes, retail stores, and a transit plaza at a site that has been vacant and blighted since the 1992 civil uprising in Los Angeles.
The residential component, led by BRIDGE Housing and Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), consists of Vista@Evermont, which will offer 62 permanent supportive housing apartments for seniors who have experienced chronic homelessness, and Luminus@Evermont, which will feature 118 affordable homes for families with low incomes, including 60 permanent supportive housing units.
“Evermont will deliver a quality solution that includes affordable and permanent supportive housing with the services people need to thrive,” says Ken Lombard, president and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “In keeping with our mission, Evermont goes beyond housing to provide the retail, transit, and education and jobs that lift up neighborhoods. We’re proud to team up on this innovative development that will create benefits for generations to come.”
Located at the corner of Vermont and Manchester avenues, the site has been vacant since the uprising that occurred following the acquittal of police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.
In addition to the housing, the development will feature a landscaped public transit plaza plus improved pedestrian and cycling connections to other community facilities. The future LEED-certified facilities will be connected by a 22,000-square-foot plaza with a five-story parking structure to serve both commercial and residential tenants.
“Thirty years after the L.A. civil unrest, we are excited to be a partner in the development team bringing affordable and permanent supportive housing and services to the Vermont Manchester project,” said Mark Wilson, CRCD president and CEO. “CRCD is committed to providing resources and revitalizing neglected communities in South Los Angeles. As a South L.A. native and local nonprofit leader, CRCD will be responsive to the community through active engagement and providing quality, affordable housing, and support services so residents can thrive.”
On the ground level, retail partner Primestor is creating more than 64,000 square feet of commercial space that will be anchored by Target and will include additional complementary retail use, with a focus on local businesses. The retail and commercial space will generate an estimated 155 full-time jobs; in the meantime, through a local-hire program, the construction of Evermont itself will provide an estimated 120 new job and training opportunities for the local workforce, said officials.
Financial sources in the $72.4 million development include JPMorgan Chase Bank, Los Angeles County Development Authority, County of Los Angeles Measure H, Citibank, Los Angeles Housing Department, Proposition HHH, California Department of Housing and Community Development, U.S. Bank, Enterprise Community Investment, California Strategic Growth Council, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Genesis LA, Los Angeles Development Fund, and TELACU.
Evermont was designed by California-based TCA Architects. Walker Consultants designed the parking garage, and the general contractor is Suffolk. Oversight and construction management for the 4.1-acre development site is being provided by international construction consultants Cumming Group.
Earlier, the first phase of construction saw the development of the SEED School of Los Angeles, the county’s first public charter boarding school that prepares students for careers in transportation infrastructure, STEM, and the humanities. The school welcomes its inaugural class this month.
