Non-profit developer EAH Housing could bring low-income apartments to a property located just north of Woodlawn Cemetery, according to a notice distributed last week by the City of Santa Monica.
The project site, located at 1413 Michigan Avenue, is slated for the construction of a 42-unit apartment complex targeting homeless persons earning 50 percent or less than the area median income. The City of Santa Monica is slated to provide an $8.3 million predevelopment loan to finance land acquisition for the project.
The site of the proposed development was formerly home to the Santa Monica Nikkei Hall, a community center established for Japanese Americans returning to the area following the end of World War II. Though Santa Monica's Japanese American residents once numbered in the hundreds, the community gradually dispersed to other parts of Southern California through the decades. The Nikkei Hall primarily served a senior population by the early 2000s, and ceased operations not long afterward.
The property was designated as a landmark in 2018 by the City of Santa Monica, according to the Rafu Shimpo. Though the remnants of the community center have not sought to preserve the building, a request has been issued for a future development to display a plaque and photograph commemorating Nikkei Hall.
EAH Housing has several projects in the pipeline for the Greater Los Angeles area, including proposed affordable developments in South Los Angeles, Hollywood, and a second development in Santa Monica.
The area surrounding Woodlawn Cemetery is slated for two other affordable developments from Community Corp. of Santa Monica, both of which would rise on 14th Street.
- Santa Monica (Urbanize LA)
Interested in finding affordable housing? Visit housing.lacity.org.
