Here’s the new shopping center coming to Jordan Downs

Construction is underway on the shops and supermarket at the Jordan Downs public housing project in Watts, and a new rendering by Nadel Architects offers an early glimpse of what residents can expect.

The shopping center is a vital part of the redevelopment of Jordan Downs. Opened in 1944, it hasn’t seen any new commercial development in more than 50 years, according to Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino, whose district includes the public housing project.

Called Jordan Downs Plaza, the retail center will sit at Alameda and Century Boulevard, with storefronts encircling a central parking lot. It will hold shops, a grocery store, a gym, and dining options, along with “community living room”-inspired gathering areas and a “pedestrian-friendly” environment, says an announcement from Nadel Architects.

Nadel designed Jordan Downs Plaza for developers Primestor and the city’s housing authority.

The developers “really wanted the architecture and environment to not be derivative of any theme or existing contrived style,” says Greg Lyon, principal design director at Nadel Architects. “The plaza has a very local flavor to it.”

Construction started on the first phase of Jordan Down’s redevelopment, including the commercial component, in 2017. In June, an extension of Century Boulevard opened to connect the retail center to new residences being built now and to the rest of Watts.

Jordan Downs Plaza is scheduled to be complete in the summer.

• 135 more apartments now under construction at Jordan Downs [Curbed LA]
• Jordan Downs redevelopment: Construction finally starts on ‘beautiful new’ apartments [Curbed LA]