More than $500,000 in commercial face-lifts have been completed for at least six businesses along the Crenshaw corridor, city officials announced. Led by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the Community Investment Department (CID), and Destination Crenshaw, the project received Jobs and Economic Development Incentive (JEDI) Zone funding, a program administered by the City’s Economic and Workforce Development Department to support placekeeping, anti-displacement, and community wealth-building. Placekeeping goes beyond initial design and construction to focus on the sustained care and management of a community’s cultural and economic assets.
“Our local businesses are the bedrock of South LA. Preserving their presence and giving them the tools to thrive is so important,” said Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “Through our partnership with Destination Crenshaw and the Community Investment Department, the JEDI Zone program is proving that city investment can directly support legacy property owners and entrepreneurs, ensuring that the people who built this community remain rooted and prosper as the neighborhood grows.”
The project gives local entrepreneurs access to direct capital through architectural renovations, updated signage and storefronts, ADA compliance, and public art celebrating Black history and culture.
According to city officials, targeted investments and corridor support from Council District 8 and Destination Crenshaw have led to a 45 percent increase in Black commercial property ownership along the Crenshaw corridor since 2017, helping to reverse historical gentrification trends.
“Through the JEDI Zone program, the City is making intentional investments to help local businesses remain, grow, and thrive in the communities they help build. CID’s partnership with the Council President demonstrates how direct investment in neighborhood businesses can support economic growth while preserving the legacy that makes Crenshaw so special,” said General Manager of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Investment for Families Department, Abigail Marquez.
The Crenshaw Boulevard corridor JEDI Zone is one of 10 economic growth zones in Los Angeles. Established in 2023, the Crenshaw Boulevard corridor JEDI Zone offers targeted financial and administrative support to historically disinvested commercial corridors. Led by CID, the JEDI program offers permit fee subsidies, direct access to capital and technical assistance designed to increase business activity.
“Destination Crenshaw and the City lifted me up,” said Bronwyn Hardy, owner of Vergee’s Palace De Bella Donna Salon. “We used to be just a blank building that people passed by. Now, with our new storefront, visibility, and identity, people know who we are and where to find us. It gives our business a real future on this boulevard.”
Destination Crenshaw managed the revitalization project and worked closely with office42 architecture—a design firm—and Coleman Construction. Coleman Construction is a Black- and woman-owned company with more than 20 years of experience in South Los Angeles.
“Destination Crenshaw is more than a cultural monument—it is an economic engine built by, and for, the Black community of the Crenshaw District,” said Jason Foster, President and CEO of Destination Crenshaw. “At its core, this work is about permanence. By pairing city JEDI Zone funding with local Black-owned construction firms and artists, every dollar invested stays right here in the corridor, driving local hiring and building tangible community wealth.”
Featured businesses along the corridor include Closed Loop Engineering, Vergee’s Palace De Bella Donna Salon, Angeles Vista Veterinary/Pet Medical Center and the Smith Moore Building, which houses COMPROTAX, L&K Electric Corp. and SME Home Services. To keep track of more developments, visit destinationcrenshaw.la and cid.lacity.gov.
