Wave Staff Report
CRENSHAW — Residents along the Crenshaw Corridor are holding a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 30 at Bethesda Temple Church, 4909 Crenshaw Blvd., to address the ongoing impact of the unfinished Destination Crenshaw project .
The meeting is being called by Pastor Kyron Shorter, a community representative for Bethesda Temple Church.
Church members, business owners and community organizations along the Crenshaw Corridor are invited to the meeting.
Although Destination Crenshaw is envisioned as a landmark cultural investment celebrating Black history and creativity, many community members say prolonged construction has created daily hardships. For more than two years, nearby churches, businesses, and residents have dealt with reduced parking, restricted access, traffic disruptions and concerns regarding emergency vehicle access, Shorter said.
The economic impact of the stalled construction has contributed to businesses experiencing a reduction in customer revenue, forcing some businesses to close along the 1.3-mile corridor. Several churches also have reported decreased attendance since 2023, Shorter added.
The community meeting will provide a public forum for those affected to share their experiences and discuss constructive solutions. Community members are asking project leadership to provide consistent progress updates, improve maintenance of construction areas, restore parking where possible until work resumes, and engage directly with neighborhood stakeholders.
Destination Crenshaw is described as a 1.3-mile showcase of Black art and urban culture along a stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard from Leimert Park south to Slauson Avenue.
When completed, it will feature nine pocket parks and large murals displaying the images of Los Angeles legends such as former Mayor Tom Bradley, tennis great Serena Williams, composer Charles Mingus, actress Dorothy Dandridge and many others.
It was originally scheduled to open in 2023, but construction delays caused by bad weather pushed the scheduled opening back to the fall of 2024.
Almost two years later, construction still isn’t completed and Shorter and other people are asking for an update on the project.
