If you’ve driven through South LA lately, specifically near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Buckingham Road, you’ve seen it. That massive, quiet stretch of land known as 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008. Most locals just call it Marlton Square. Or, if they’re being honest and a bit cynical, "that empty lot that’s been promised to become something for thirty years." It’s a weirdly iconic piece of real estate. It’s a symbol of both the incredible potential of the Crenshaw Corridor and the frustrating, bureaucratic red tape that keeps Los Angeles stuck in the mud.
Honestly, it’s kind of a tragedy. You’ve got a massive footprint right in the heart of the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw neighborhood—a community that is historically the backbone of Black wealth and culture in LA—and yet, for decades, this specific address has been a revolving door of failed developer dreams.
But things are actually changing now. Like, for real this time.
What’s actually at 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 right now?
Currently, if you pull up to the site, you aren’t seeing a shiny new mall or a tech hub. Not yet. You’re looking at a site that has been largely cleared for the Marlton Square Mixed-Use Project. For a long time, this was the site of the old Santa Barbara Plaza. It was built back in the 1950s and was once a thriving retail center. But as the decades rolled on, the plaza fell into deep disrepair. It became a "blighted" area, which is the polite way city planners say it was falling apart and hurting the local economy.
The site itself is huge. We’re talking about roughly 22 acres of prime real estate. Because of its size and location, the City of Los Angeles and various community leaders have been fighting over what to do with it since the late 90s. There were lawsuits. There were bankruptcies. At one point, legendary developer Chris Hammond’s Capital Vision Equities was supposed to turn it into a massive retail and residential village. That went south. Then Magic Johnson was involved. Then he wasn't. It’s been a mess.
Why the Baldwin Hills community cares so much
This isn't just about a vacant lot. It's about equity. People who live in 90008 are tired of having to drive to Culver City or Santa Monica to find high-end retail or modern medical facilities. The area surrounding 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 is one of the most affluent African American neighborhoods in the United States, yet the commercial infrastructure hasn't always reflected that.
The proximity to the Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Medical Offices (which sits right next door) changed the gravity of the site. When Kaiser opened its $90 million facility, it proved that high-quality, modern architecture and services could thrive here. It set a new bar. Now, the expectations for the rest of the 4020 Marlton plot are sky-high. People don't want another fast-food joint. They want jobs. They want housing. They want a reason to stay in the neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon.
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The Bioscience Pivot
Here is the part that most people get wrong about the future of this address. For years, the plan was "Retail, retail, retail." But Jeff Braun and the team at Harridge Development Group, along with city leaders like former Councilman Herb Wesson and current representatives, realized the world had changed. Amazon killed the "mega-mall" dream.
Instead, the new focus for 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 shifted toward life sciences and "discovery" spaces. It’s a smart move. By bringing in lab space and medical research facilities, you bring in high-paying jobs that can’t be offshored or replaced by an app.
The Current State of Development
So, where are we today?
The Los Angeles City Council and the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) have been working to move the pieces on the board. The project is generally split into different phases.
- Housing: There is a massive need for both affordable and market-rate housing in 90008. The plans for Marlton Square include hundreds of residential units.
- Commercial/Office: This is the "Innovation" component. Think bioscience labs and creative office spaces that cater to the growing tech and health sectors in Los Angeles.
- Retail: Small-scale, community-focused retail. Not a giant Sears, but coffee shops, local boutiques, and maybe a grocery store that doesn't feel like a relic from 1985.
It's a "Mixed-Use" development in the truest sense. But it's complicated. You're dealing with the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) dissolution fallout—which is a fancy way of saying the state took away the city's favorite piggy bank for these kinds of projects back in 2012, and they've been scrambling to fund it ever since.
Realities and Red Tape
Let's talk about why it's taken so long. It's easy to blame "the city," but it's more specific than that.
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The land at 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 was owned by multiple different parties. If you’ve ever tried to get five family members to agree on where to go for dinner, imagine trying to get twenty different property owners, a dozen city bureaucrats, and three different developers to agree on a billion-dollar master plan. It was a nightmare of eminent domain and legal challenges.
There was also the issue of the "Crenshaw Wall" and the historic nature of the neighborhood. Residents are rightfully protective. They’ve seen gentrification rip through other parts of LA, and there’s a legitimate fear that "redevelopment" is just code for "pushing us out." Any developer at this address has to move carefully. If you don't have community buy-in, the project will die in the planning commission.
The Economic Impact of the 90008 Zip Code
To understand why this address is a goldmine, you have to look at the numbers. The 90008 zip code has a median household income that surprises outsiders but shouldn't. It's a professional class neighborhood.
- Location: You're minutes from the Expo Line and the new K Line (Crenshaw/LAX).
- Topography: You have the hills. Views of the Hollywood sign and the ocean.
- Connectivity: You’re halfway between DTLA and LAX.
When 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 finally hits its stride, it won't just be a local win; it’ll be one of the most significant urban infill projects in California. We are talking about a project that could potentially generate thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent roles in the bioscience and retail sectors.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this site is "abandoned." It’s not. It’s "in-process."
The logic of the site has changed from a suburban-style shopping center to an urban tech and living hub. If you look at the environmental impact reports (EIR) filed with the city, you see a much denser, more vertical vision than what was proposed in 2005. This is actually a good thing. Density near transit (like the K Line) is the only way LA survives its housing crisis.
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Actionable Insights for Stakeholders
If you’re a resident, a business owner, or just someone interested in the 90008 real estate market, here is what you need to keep your eyes on:
Monitor City Council Agendas
The future of this site is decided in the PLUM (Planning and Land Use Management) Committee meetings. Don't wait for the news to report it. If you want to know what's happening with the permits for 4020 Marlton, check the LACityClerk Connect portal.
Watch the K Line Impact
The Metro K Line is the lifeblood of this redevelopment. As ridership grows, the value of the commercial space at Marlton Square increases. Watch for "Transit Oriented Communities" (TOC) incentives being applied to the site, which allow for more height and less parking in exchange for affordable housing units.
Support Local First
While we wait for the big "Marlton Square" to finish, the existing businesses along Marlton and MLK Jr. Blvd need the foot traffic. Gentrification happens when local businesses can't pay the rising rent; the best defense is a loyal local customer base.
Expect Construction Dust
This isn't a "next month" project. Given the scale of the bioscience and residential integration, we are looking at a multi-year build-out. If you live in the immediate area, expect traffic shifts on Marlton Ave and potential closures on the side streets as utility work ramps up.
Investment Potential
Real estate around 4020 Marlton Ave Los Angeles CA 90008 is already priced with some of this growth baked in, but the "finished product" premium hasn't hit yet. Properties within a half-mile radius are likely to see significant appreciation once the site moves from "dirt and fences" to "steel and glass."
The saga of Marlton Square is a long one, but the location is too important to stay vacant forever. The transition from the old Santa Barbara Plaza to a modern, mixed-use bioscience hub is the final piece of the puzzle for the Crenshaw Corridor. It's about time.