A single-family home in Westwood was rezoned to allow for a 3-story mixed-use development that would bring affordable home ownership opportunities to the neighborhood.
On Monday, City Council approved the rezoning of 548 S. Perry Street in Westwood as part of a bigger redevelopment project with Elevation Community Land Trust and the Business and Cultural District (BuCu) West Development Association.
The project has been in the works since 2022. It also involves nearby properties and businesses at 3915 through 3939 Morrison Road.
The plan is to bring affordable condominiums to the corner of Morrison Road and S. Perry St, while preserving the local businesses along the strip.
In 2022, ECLT was given a $1,800,000 loan through the Department of Housing Stability to purchase five residential spaces and six commercial units on the corner of Morrison Road and S. Perry St.
Through the HOST loan agreement, ECLT is required to provide a minimum of 36 bedrooms in the final redevelopment plans. Unit sizes are still being determined, but HOST is also requiring that none of the units be studios.
Once things are completed, ELCT would retain ownership of the residential units while BuCu West would transition ownership of the commercial portion to tenants and local legacy businesses at affordable rates in perpetuity.
Rezoning 548 S. Perry moves the project forward.
The rezoning changes the property from single-resident to mixed-used with a building height allowance of five stories. ELCT is only planning on three stories, which Councilmember Jamie Torres noted aligned with the neighborhood landscape.
During the council meeting on Monday, City Planning said they received one letter of support from BuCu West on the rezoning plans and one letter of opposition that claimed bringing a mixed-use complex closer to the residential homes on Perry Street could cause parking issues and noise complaints.
Now, ELCT and BuCu West will begin engaging with community members on what type of units they’d like to see at the complex. Construction on a jointly-agreed upon project would begin in 2026.
