The Inglewood Sports and Entertainment District, in Inglewood, California, continues to explore land use and design guidelines. A team of experts has been assembled by the city to help evaluate options for the Century Blvd. corridor, with the assistance of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Visitors to the Kia Forum, SoFi Stadium, and Intuit Dome use this corridor as a major gateway to the city.
A $30,000 no-bid contract was awarded to ULI in January 2022 to assemble a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) and provide preliminary recommendations. The agreement was approved 3-0, with Councilmembers Eloy Morales Jr. and George Dotson absent.
It is ULI’s responsibility to assemble a team of development, finance, and planning experts who will tour the site, interview stakeholders, and formulate recommendations.
ULI recently conducted a walking tour of Market Street, including stops at the Miracle Theater and Nile Bar. Among the participants were Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Ken Billups and Owen Wilson (co-owners of the Miracle Theater), Councilman Eloy Morales Jr., Christopher Jackson, and Cedric Morris Sr. During the event, Venable and Extra Space Storage hosted Ella Thompson (a partner with Venable LLP), Thomas Safran & Associates Project Manager, and Ella Safran & Associates’ Project Manager.
As part of the agreement, the city made a $10,000 payment in August.
As part of the initial planning of the Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC), several route options were considered for the proposed line. One option included a connecting route from LAX Airport to Century and Prairie.
Inglewood residents are aware that the current ITC route is considered a “rail to nowhere” because it only stretches 1.6 miles from the Metro Crenshaw/LAX line at Florence and Market across Manchester down Prairie to Hardy. The construction costs of the transit connector have also significantly increased, reaching three times its initial price tag. Initially estimated at $1.15 billion in July 2021, the costs jumped to $1.6 billion. In October, the projected costs were said to be close to $3 billion, but no explanation was provided.
So far, the city has not publicly outlined any plans to extend the line further than Prairie and Hardy, which is one block away from the Intuit Dome. The question remains whether a rail extension is being considered for Century Blvd., and if so, whether the city is waiting until after the 2024 elections to announce it to Inglewood residents.
