For decades, church-based ministries have been developing housing for poverty-stricken residents and senior citizens to revitalize urban communities where for-profit developers feared to tread.
But South Los Angeles-based West Angeles Community Development Corp. wants to take community building to the next level by partnering with for-profit developers and adding retail and office development to the mix.
"It is still new, but there is an increasing recognition that retail and professional services are part of a neighborhood's fabric," said Raphael Bostic, director of University of Southern California's master of real estate development program. "West Angeles CDC is trying to find ways to fill the broad set of needs that all communities have."
"Retailers have done a good job of putting outlets on the borders of our community, but not in our community," said Darryl Brown, co-managing director of housing and economic development for West Angeles CDC. "When they go to their databases, you see our ZIP codes."
