Inglewood Development to Replace Hollywood Racetrack

Pending approval by the city council, Inglewood has plans for a $2 billion mixed-use development that will go into the existing 238-acre Hollywood Park. The park, located on the corner of Century Blvd and Prairie Ave just east of the 405, is home to the historic thoroughbred race course opened in 1938. The proposed development would signify an end to the famous horse races. The pavilion/casino will be continued however, and will be renovated for a new life as... a casino.

The proposition calls for 2,995 housing units, 620,000 sf of retail, 75,000 sf of office space, and a 300 room hotel. A minimum of 90% of the housing units will be offered for sale, in the form of single family homes, conjoined townhouses, condominiums, and the "town center" will feature residences stacked over retail. A measly 4 acres has been set aside as required by the city for public use - either as open space or as a library or other community building.

Developers proclaim the project will be a welcome and sightly change to a languishing park in an all but forgotten city. They claim the urban housing model will allow for close-knit communities and walkable trips to grocery stores and the office. But it is the same unrealistic, Utopian ideal that has been the war cry of egocentric New Urbanism for decades. Not only are residents going to be forced to leave the premises for certain necessities, they're going to drive off the premises because there is nothing useful in the immediate neighborhood. If Inglewood wants to be taken seriously as a growth center at the heart of LA County, it needs to take more realistic measures. The race track may be falling behind on attendance and bookings but at least it represents a historical sense of togetherness.