Four massive murals by prominent Chicano artists will adorn a mixed-use development taking shape on the fringes of Olvera Street and Chinatown, one of the oldest sections of Los Angeles.
The murals, which were unveiled this week as construction hums along on the two-block project, were inspired by El Aliso, an historic sycamore tree that represents “the values of community, family, and cultural heritage.”
A 40-foot sycamore will be installed in the development dubbed LA Plaza Village.
“LA Plaza Village will make a lasting and impactful statement to the historic roots and presence of Latinos in Los Angeles through the works of these four artists,” said John Echeveste, CEO of La Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
The El Pueblo-based Mexican-American cultural institution is co-developing the project along with Trammell Crow, High Street Residential, and the César Chávez Foundation. Murals are being curated by Now Art.
The murals by artists Barbara Carrasco, Judithe Hernández, José Lozano, and Miguel Angel Reyes will sit at and above ground level.
The largest is Hernandez’s “La Reina Nueva” (The New Queen)—it will rise to 70 feet on the southern edge of the project along Broadway.
The four-building development is spread across two blocks where Cesar Chavez and Broadway meet. Two buildings will rise between Hill and Broadway, with two more between Broadway and Spring.
It will hold 355 live/work lofts, studios, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with 20 percent of the apartments set aside for low-income tenants.
LA Plaza Village will also hold 43,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space at street level throughout the complex. The project is designed by Chinatown-based architecture firm Johnson Fain.
Future shops and eateries will be concentrated along a wide pedestrian path cutting through the development, intended to serve as a link between the blocks, as well as to Hill Street and the Fort Moore memorial. (There will also be a public elevator to connect Hill Street to the development.)
Trammel Crow Company’s Christina Lee tells Curbed that the section of LA Plaza Village between Broadway and Spring is very far along, with expected completion in late September or early October.
The larger buildings underway between Broadway and Hill will take a little longer, and aren’t expected to be finished until sometime mid-2019, Lee says.
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