Last year, plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development unveiled a phased plan to redevelop and expand the 1940s Rancho San Pedro public housing complex.

Originally built by the Federal government to house workers at defunct Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Rancho San Pedro transitioned to public housing under the ownership of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles in the 1950s.  The complex spans 21 acres,  bounded by corridors including Santa Cruz Street, Harbor Boulevard, 3rd Street, and Mesa Street. 

The Housing Authority, which held a public contest to solicit development proposals for Rancho San Pedro in 2018, eventually settled on a team led by The Richman Group, National CORE, and Century Housing.  Their proposal, called the One San Pedro Collaborative, calls for a phased redevelopment of the full site, beginning with the replacement of 478 existing dwellings.

The full project, per a notice of preparation of an environmental impact report issued this month by the Housing Authority, would include up to 1,390 multifamily residential units, as well as 85,000 square feet of space for services and amenities, and 45,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

The proposed mix of housing would include between:

  • 422 and 477 affordable housing units;
  • 300 and 358 market rate units; and
  • 64 and 77 affordable and market-rate for-sale homes.

SVA Architects and City Fabrick have been tapped to design the project, which would include 17 new buildings ranging between one and eight stories in height.

The One San Pedro project would build off of an existing network of city streets which cuts through Rancho San Pedro, potentially complementing existing infrastructure with new bus-only lanes and protected bike lanes.

Plans also call for a series of new green spaces and paseos connecting the One San Pedro complex, including a linear park along Palos Verdes Street, a pedestrian plaza fronting Harbor Boulevard, and a proposed sports park at 1st and Centre Streets.

Construction of the proposed project is expected to occur over a roughly 14-year period, commencing in 2024 and concluding by 2037.  The first of the new buildings proposed by the developers is expected to open in 2025.

The redevelopment of Rancho San Pedro represents potentially the largest development near the L.A. Waterfront, where construction is now in progress for a $33-million promenade, which is to be followed by a $150-million revamp of the Ports O' Call Village.  Several mixed-use apartment buildings have either been built or are planned on surrounding properties.

The City of Los Angeles, which has owned Rancho San Pedro for nearly 70 years, has partnered with developers to expand several of its public housing facilities, including Dana Strand in Wilmington and Jordan Downs in Watts.

Across San Pedro Bay, Century Housing - one of the partners on One San Pedro - is planning an expansion of another public housing facility originally developed by the Federal government.  The proposed redevelopment of the Century Villages at Cabrillo could eventually add 750 new homes to the property, expanding the total amount of affordalbe housing within the 27-acre complex to 1,380 units.