Leimert Park housing complex planned near Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza

With plans moving forward for a massive and potentially neighborhood-altering overhaul at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza mall, a developer is now proposing to build a sizable new housing complex just a block away.

The project would rise at the western border of Leimert Park, replacing an auto shop at 4252 South Crenshaw Boulevard. Plans filed with the city Tuesday show that the new structure would be four stories tall and would include 111 units of housing (it’s not clear yet whether they’d be apartments or condos).

The developer, an LLC listed as 4252 Crenshaw US Housing, plans to take advantage of new incentives for projects near transit that include affordable housing. Planned roughly halfway between the Martin Luther King Jr. and Leimert Park stops on the under-construction Crenshaw/LAX Line, the new development would have 28 units affordable to low-income households.

In return, the project will benefit from increased height and reduced open space requirements, based on local zoning rules.

Debate has been fierce over the nearby mall makeover, which would include nearly 1,000 new apartments and condos, along with a 10-story office building and a hotel. Opponents complain about potential impacts on traffic and housing affordability in the area, while supporters say new investment in the community is long overdue.

Later this month, the city council will consider initiating a traffic study for the area around the mall, including the site of the project proposed Tuesday.