Fans of the few nineteenth century buildings in LA rejoice: a representative from East LA Community Corporation informs us today that the 1889 Boyle Hotel Cummings Block, located across from Mariachi Plaza at First Street and Boyle Avenue, will complete a $24.6 million renovation by the end of the month. ELACC bought the building back in 2006 and launched renovation work in 2010 (after visiting the site today, we can verify that construction is going full speed). The developer conceives of the project as a "community driven development," given its location within walking distance of two Gold Line stations and directly across from Mariachi Plaza. Boyle Heights Beat reports that the renovated building will include 51 units of affordable housing, with rents ranging from $330 to $975 for studio and three-bedroom units. The building will also include a Mariachi Cultural Center and approximately 4,150 square feet of retail space. ELACC rep Isela Gracian emailed Curbed to explain a bit more about the significance of the development to the neighborhood: "We at East LA Community Corporation are excited and looking forward to tenants moving in by early summer and having the Boyle Heights Mariachi Union operating out of the storefront along 1st Street. The Boyle Hotel-Cummings Block will continue to be a jewel in the neighborhood and for the entire city not only because of its historic significance but because it serves as an example for quality community driven development."
Richard Barron Architects oversaw the renovation, which preserved the most historic portions of the building. As explained by ELACC project coordinator Ernesto Espinoza to the Boyle Heights Beat, "The historical part of the building is the exterior, but the interior was remodeled so much over the years that we just decided that it would be better to only keep the exterior and re-use the inside." In another nod to the past, the building will keep its original name, Boyle Hotel Cummings Block, to honor George Cummings, the original builder.
The wait list for residence, which opened back in January, gave priority "to qualifying L.A. County tenants who were previously displaced due to an affordable housing construction project, including those relocated from the Boyle Hotel."
· Historical Buildings Connect Boyle Heights with Its Past [Boyle Heights Beat]
· Tenant wait list for Historic Boyle Hotel to open soon [Boyle Heights Beat]
· Boyle Heights' Historic Boyle Hotel Finally Getting a Facelift [Curbed LA]
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