USC Village Construction Officially Underway
Video by Emily Thornburg
The groundbreaking ceremony for the USC Village, which is set to replace the previous retail plaza north of USC, took place at 10 a.m. on Monday. This retail and student housing project will bring changes not only at USC, but also to the greater South Los Angeles area.
The Los Angeles City Council voted on Dec. 11, 2013 to approve the construction of the USC Village, a town square for the university and the community.
It will replace the outdated university shopping center along Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street, north and east of campus.
The project, which is funded entirely by USC, will include up to 350,000 square feet of housing, retail and academic space.
The Village aims to be a flagship residential community that will offer USC students more than just housing.
“Not only will the Village at USC profoundly enrich our University Park Campus,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “It will be a tremendous boon for our surrounding neighborhoods, and for all of Los Angeles.”
According to Kristina Raspe, vice president for real estate development and asset management at USC, this is the largest redevelopment in the history of South Los Angeles and will:
1. generate $1.1 billion in construction-related economic activty;
2. create $2.8 million in direct revenue to the City;
3. add 12,000 new jobs—8,000 of those permanent;
The university says the project will bring many benefits to the community, including more job opportunites, and Councilman Curren Price says the university can still add even more.
"While the univeristy has certainly been progressive and very inventive in its job placement and hiring small business programs," said Price, "we want more. We want the university to demonstrate what's possible."
In October 2013, there were concerns from community members about an apartment complex on 30th Avenue that will be erected, fearing that it would kick out community members in the area.
USC says the new housing at the USC Village will free up 900 units in the community currently occupied by students. The project will also add a full-service grocery store, drug store and sit-down restaurants.
The Village is expected to be completed by August 2017.
