Redevelopment of the public housing complex, where thousands of LA’s poorest residents live, is finally underway. But concerns about soil contamination linger.
The county will spend nearly $3 million on the project as part of a settlement in a longstanding legal battle with environmental activists over the effects of stormwater runoff.
The money is for projects that include the redevelopment of Watt's Jordan Downs and a six-story mixed user near subway stops in Westlake, plus it will help bring nearly 350 units of housing and services to formerly homeless residents.
Demolition on four buildings at Watts’s Jordan Downs could begin "any day now," even though there are still unanswered questions about whether or not there is lead-tainted soil that requires removal on the property.
A two-year-old "No Further Action" ruling on toxic, lead-contaminated soil at Jordan Downs is getting a second look as part of a larger-scale review of cases handled by a scientist now embroiled in a racist email scandal.
The LADWP says that the water is safe, but a rep did tell residents at a City Council meeting that pipes in the area seemed "to have a lot of sediment," so the agency will be doing some "aggressive flushing."
An interview with East Side Riders founder John Jones III details the group's campaign to improve bike safety in the Watts community. The club has taught safety classes, worked to get new bike lanes installed, and asked gangs to give riders a pass.