HACLA Announces $6 Million in Funding for Children’s Park
Watts, Los Angeles, CA — On Thursday, September 25, 2025, Jordan Downs residents joined with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), and partners The Michaels Organization, BRIDGE Housing, Primestor, and nearly 30 federal, state and local leaders to commemorate a decade of revitalization at Jordan Downs. This first 10-years of development has brought $664 million in new investment to Watts resulting in the construction of 787 new affordable homes, 120,000 square feet of new retail, and four new parks.
“This milestone for Jordan Downs residents is proof that when partners and organizations come together, we can transform lives and communities,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Because of our relentless efforts, more families now have affordable and supportive housing – strengthening Jordan Downs and building a stronger, more vibrant Los Angeles.”
The morning gathering featured a walking tour of new housing by developers BRIDGE and The Michaels Organization, parks, and retail space by developer Primestor that create housing stability for Watts residents, new jobs, and strengthens the economy overall.
During the walking tour of the site, HACLA announced a $6.1M for the new half-acre Children’s Park; part of a larger commitment to create nine acres of green space for the community. Construction on the park is set to begin in November and completion by June 2026.
“Jordan Downs has seen remarkable transformation over the past decade,” said Lourdes Castro Ramirez, President & CEO of HACLA. “Community investments like this $6.1M investment to build Children’s Park goes a long way to improving the lives of Angelenos and we are committed to continuing this comprehensive revitalization alongside our partners — building more rental and homeownership opportunities, expanding green space, creating jobs, and transforming the Watts community as a whole.”
“We’re proud to have reached this important milestone in the revitalization of Jordan Downs, and we are excited about continuing the progress and fulfilling our promise to the community of transforming their vision for this redevelopment into reality,” said Raoul Amescua, Michaels’ Senior Vice President of Development. “We are grateful for all the support we have received from the city, the state, and the federal government together with all our non-profit partners and local stakeholders, that has made all this progress possible.”
“BRIDGE Housing is proud to help celebrate a decade of progress at Jordan Downs as a leading residential partner in HACLA’s historic transformation of this storied community. Working with our partners, we have completed three residential developments to date at Jordan Downs, with several more to come that will provide approximately 700 units of affordable and market-rate housing along with support services for residents,” said Ken Lombard, President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “We appreciate HACLA’s leadership as we work to provide life-changing opportunities for local families while making a profound and lasting impact on the Watts community.”
“For us at Primestor, the focus has never been about the bricks and the mortar, or the shopping center itself – those are just buildings,” said Leandro Tyberg, President & Co-Founder, Primestor Development Inc. “The focus is on the community who helped build the project, the jobs that are created, and the people of Watts who have invested so much of their time, passion, and commitment to making Watts thrive. Watts is worth it!”
“I have been a resident of Jordan Downs for more than 40 years and was the first resident to move into the new redeveloped units [Cedar Grove],” said Virginia Ortega, Cedar Grove Resident Advisory Council President and Community Coach. “Since the redevelopment, Jordan Downs has become a better place to live. Crime has significantly decreased and many of the youth are now participating in events in the community. I am very grateful for the new changes at Jordan Downs and the future that it holds for us residents.”
Following the tour, attendees participated in a roundtable discussion to strategize with residents, federal, state, civic, business, and philanthropic leaders about looking ahead to the future of Jordan Downs and the final phases of development. The meeting of the minds consisted of a coalition comprised of leaders at every level of government, innovators, scholars, and the ultimate experts; residents of Jordan Downs themselves, with the common goal to complete the final and crucial phase of Jordan Downs’ revitalization.
The collective insights and expertise gathered during the meeting will help inform next and final phases of Jordan Downs and be compiled into a new report, which HACLA will issue at a future date. For more information, visit www.lifeatjd.com.
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About HACLA
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), established in 1938, provides affordable housing, rental assistance, and supportive services to more than 200,000 Angelenos. Its administrative portfolio includes 164 properties – 13 of which are public housing developments – totaling over 12,000 units, along with more than 60,000 Housing Vouchers and Certificates through the Section 8 program. For more information, visit www.hacla.org.
About The Michaels Organization
Michaels is a national leader in residential real estate, offering full-service capabilities in development, property and asset management, construction, and investment. Serving more than 200,000 residents in more than 600 communities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Michaels is committed to crafting housing solutions that jumpstart education, civic engagement and neighborhood prosperity, and to creating Communities That Lift Lives. https://tmo.com/
About BRIDGE Housing
BRIDGE Housing Corporation is a leading nonprofit owner, developer, and manager of high-quality affordable housing on the West Coast, with a mission to strengthen communities and improve lives. Founded in 1983, BRIDGE Housing has participated in the creation of more than 22,000 affordable homes in California, Oregon and Washington, with a total development cost of $6 billion. Its current $4 billion portfolio totals more than 14,500 apartments that are home to more than 30,000 residents, with more than 10,000 additional units in the development and acquisition pipelines. For more information, visit https://bridgehousing.com/.
About Primestor
Primestor is a leading real estate investment, development, and management company focused on creating community-centric retail and mixed-use projects across California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. With a portfolio valued at over $1 billion and more than 3.5 million square feet of leasable area, Primestor transforms underinvested neighborhoods into vibrant hubs that blend commerce, culture, and community. The company also manages a development pipeline exceeding $1.5 billion and oversees a discretionary SEC-registered Social Impact Equity Fund of over $215 million dedicated to investing in underserved, undersupplied, and underrepresented communities. In partnership with community stakeholders, non-profits, local residents, municipalities, and institutional investors, Primestor delivers projects that become regional and local gathering spaces, driving long-term economic growth and social impact. For more information, visit https://primestor.com/.
