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On April 19, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA MTA) , real estate developer McCormack Baron Salazar and other partners announced the completion of a joint development project in Hollywood that's designed to provide affordable housing, commercial space and day-care facilities immediately adjacent to the Hollywood/Western Metro Red Line Station.

The development's final phase comprises an additional 60 residential housing units, 9,100 square feet of retail space and a 70-child day-care center.

"This project represents the first transit village built especially to serve low-income Southern Californians," said Zev Yaroslavsky, LA MTA Board chairman and Los Angeles County Supervisor in a prepared statement. "While we're boosting the supply of affordable housing units, this development offers the added bonus of making public transit more accessible to some of the very people who need it the most."

Completed in 2000, the project's initial phase included 60 affordable housing units on a LA MTA-owned, 1.68-acre parcel. Unit amenities include wall-to-wall carpet, full kitchen with refrigerator, range and hood, dishwasher, disposal and washer and dryers. Each unit also has one secure off-street parking space assigned in a below-grade parking facility, which includes guest parking and a loading area. All 60 new housing units already are reserved.

The mixed-use development reflects a trend of constructing affordable housing over Los Angeles County rail hubs, LA MTA officials say. The projects give residents immediate access to Metro Red Line trains, which operate every four minutes during peak commute periods. Seven Metro Bus Lines also serve the area.

"These kinds of transit villages transform the urban environment, creating a better quality of life for residents while dramatically improving their mobility," LA MTA Chief Executive Officer Roger Snoble. "In the future, we will see more urban areas within Los Angeles County transformed and connected with transit."