Developer for Lincoln Heights Jail reboot could be selected this fall

There are now just three possibilities for reviving the landmarked Lincoln Heights Jail.

The city has solicited redevelopment proposals for the vacant Art Deco-style building next to the LA River and whittled the bids down to three finalists. The developers behind those three proposals—CIM Group, WORKS, and Lincoln Property Group—presented their plans at a community meeting this month in Lincoln Heights, the Eastsider reports.

The city’s technical review panel is expected to make a recommendation by the middle of next month, says Gerald G. Gubatan, senior planning deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, who reps the neighborhood.

Its pick will then have to be vetted by the City Council’s economic development committee, before moving onto the full City Council for final approval. The council will have to negotiate with the developer of the winning proposal on certain elements, like whether it would lease or buy the property from the city.

The City Council may make a decision as soon as this fall, says Gubatan.

Take a look at the finalists below, then cast your vote for your favorite option.

CIM Group

Courtesy of Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

The developer of the massive Sunset|La Cienega project on the Sunset Strip envisions the Lincoln Heights jail property as The Linc, a combination of market-rate housing, a hotel, retail, restaurants, and commercial space.

The Linc would also have community space and a communal garden. It would reuse some of the existing buildings for the new development. CIM’s team includes architects Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, with LA Más as community engagement consultants and landscaping by Superjacent.

WORKS

Via Mia Lehrer and Associates

WORKS, which stands for Women Organizing Resources Knowledge and Services, is a nonprofit developer with completed projects in Hollywood, Westlake, and Lincoln Heights (not far from this site, on Avenue 26). Its proposed redevelopment of the site, called Las Alturas, would incorporate housing for moderate and low-income families, a daycare center, an art center, and lots of green space that would be open to the public.

The project, which would reuse existing buildings onsite, was designed by a team including Omgivning, Killefer Flammang Architects, and Mia Lehrer and Associates.

Lincoln Property Company

Courtesy of The Eastsider

Lincoln Heights Makers District, the project proposed by Lincoln Property Group, would offer more than four acres of public open space, plus residential, commercial, and manufacturing space. (Most of the space would be commercial.) This proposal would also include an approximately three-acre property nearby, allowing the old jail to hook up to the LA River.

• Housing, parks and shopping center top the list of proposals for the old Lincoln Heights Jail [The Eastsider]
• LA's Creepy Old Lincoln Heights Jail to Be Brought Back to Life [Curbed LA]