The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) has authorized entering into a Joint Development Agreement with NOHO Development Associates, LLC, an affiliate of Trammell Crow Company and High Street Residential, to build and operate an 11.8-acre transit-oriented development (TOD) with mixed income housing, retail, office and open space at the Metro North Hollywood station. The board also approved the expenditure of an additional $39.6 million to support transportation system and mobility improvements, highway operational improvements and transit investments in the South Bay subregion of Los Angeles, Calif.
TOD coming to Metro North Hollywood station
Known as District NoHo, the TOD will be the largest in L.A. Metro’s history, including more affordable homes and more total units than any other project. The development includes at least 311 housing units reserved for individuals and families earning less than 60 percent of the median income for Los Angeles County to be delivered in the initial phases of the project.
In addition, the initial phase includes the construction of approximately 570 mixed-income apartments, including five percent reserved for moderate-income households earning 80 percent to 120 percent of median income. When completed, the project will provide more than 1,400 apartments along with retail and office space, along with more than two acres of publicly accessible open space. The board also adopted the findings of fact for the project — a key step to comply with state environmental law.
“We have to get creative if we’re going to build the housing we need in L.A. County and District NoHo is an ambitious model of how we can maximize the space around our stations. This is not only going to provide hundreds of new affordable homes for people, it’s also going to give them direct access to our [L.A.] Metro rail system with a station right downstairs,” said L.A. County Supervisor and L.A. Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn. “It may be the biggest effort like this so far along [L.A.] Metro but it will not be the last.”
Metro’s Vision 2028 Strategic Plan encourages the development of affordable housing near transit to give more people, especially in low-income communities, better access to transit. In 2021, the L.A. Metro Board established a goal of expanding L.A. Metro’s housing portfolio through the Joint Development program to 10,000 homes by 2031, with 5,000 of the apartments to be restricted at affordable rents for lower and moderate-income households.
To meet the goal, the agency has partnered with local developers to increase the supply of high-quality housing on L.A. Metro properties, especially income-restricted apartments. In addition to providing much-needed housing, the new projects will advance many community development goals and serve as a gateway to the L.A. Metro transit system.
“[L.A.] Metro’s approach to Joint Development starts with a basic principle: communities are stronger when people have a diverse range of housing options, jobs and services located near quality transit,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “[L.A.] Metro has a strong interest in ensuring the people who ride public transportation can afford to live near it. By directly linking [L.A.] Metro’s network to housing, employment, retail and commercial opportunities, [L.A.] Metro expects to continue to grow transit ridership.”
“District NoHo is uniquely situated, directly atop the North Hollywood Metro station, the major junction of the B Line subway, G Line Bus Rapid Transit and over 15 municipal bus lines,” said Los Angeles City Council President Emeritus and L.A. Metro Board Member Paul Krekorian. “District NoHo will transform this site into a community gathering space for North Hollywood and position much-needed housing and retail space literally steps away from transit."
Expenditure approved for transit and mobility improvements
The expenditure will be used for projects such as bike lanes, pedestrian bridges and traffic signal upgrades and is expected to improve mobility, safety and access to public transit.
Funding for the projects will come from Measure M, a sales tax supported by over 70 percent of L.A. County voters in 2016 to invest in Los Angeles and a better transportation system, and Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved by a two-thirds majority of L.A. County voters in 2008 to finance new transportation projects and programs and accelerate those already in the pipeline.
Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Programs (MSP) and Measure R South Bay Transit Investment Programs are included in the Measure M and/or Measure R Expenditure Plans. L.A. Metro says the annual update allows the South Bay subregion and implementing agencies to approve new eligible projects for funding and revise scopes of works, schedules and project budgets for previously funded projects.
At the September board of director’s meeting, the board made changes to projects that previously received board approvals and approved funding allocations for new projects. Funds are programmed through Fiscal Year 2027-28.
Four recommendations were approved by the board and will move forward with execution:
- Transportation system and mobility improvements: Provides funding of an additional $11.1 million to support projects such as the South Bay Local Travel Network (LTN) and related safety enhancements in Lomita, the LTN in Carson and the Avalon Promenade and Gateway in the city of Los Angeles. The Avalon project includes construction of a dedicated pedestrian/cycling bridge over active freight railroad tracks and approximately 12 acres of public open space adjacent to the pedestrian bridge.
- South Bay highway operational improvements program: Provides an additional $11.6 million to support projects, including the North East Hawthorne Mobility Improvement Project and traffic signal communications and network systems. The project includes the installation of flashing beacons for pedestrian safety, new traffic signal installation and construction of new ADA ramps. Additional projects included in the program include the Inglewood Downtown Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project, which allows the city to monitor real-time traffic conditions and take proper action when congestion or problems occur and upgrading the Crenshaw Boulevard. Traffic signal systems will be fully integrated and compatible with the city’s ITS network.
- Transportation system and mobility improvements program: Provides additional funding of $600,000 to extend the existing North Redondo Beach Bikeway from Felton Lane to Inglewood Avenue.
- Measure R transit investments program: Provides an additional $16.3 million within Measure R South Bay transit investments program to support the Inglewood Transit Connector Project.
With board approval, L.A. Metro will now execute funding agreements with the implementing agencies to initiate projects and continue working with the South Bay subregion to identify and deliver the projects.
