Cousins!

Despite a Black community group efforts of protecting the legacy of a downtown Los Angeles mall by offering the highest bid they were denied ownership!

According Black Enterprise, the Downtown Crenshaw Rising (DCR ) placed a bid of $115 million dollars on Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, known to many as the Crenshaw Mall. However their bid was rejected in favor of an LA developer identified as Harridge Development Group.

The DCR consists of leaders in professions of real estate who were hopeful to utilize the space to provide affordable housing, job training programs, a six-acre park, daycare facilities, recording studio, a hotel, restaurants, office space, and educational facilities.

DCR board member Damien Goodmon says,” This mall is the center of Black commerce in Los Angeles.

“It is the most critical Black commercial asset in Los Angeles and thereby in Black commercial asset in Los Angeles and thereby in Black America,” said DCR board member Damien Goodmon in a forwarded statement.

Members of the board have noted that they are heavily concerned of how things could potentially change under the mall’s new ownership.

It has been indicated that DCR had intentions of purchasing the mall in order to help block Black residents and businesses from being pushed out by the usual schemes of gentrification.

DCR is currently working to prevent the final bid to be the last day so.

In response to DCR ‘s claims of them purposely not favoring Black people DWS has come forward to state, “We welcomed all potential buyers, including community groups, to participate in the bidding process. The winning bidder was selected based upon a number of factors which include both purchase price and proof of adequate financing, as well as development expertise.” 

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of information out there and due to current legal constraints, we cannot comment at this time.”