Los Angeles County - News from March 4, 1996

Watts Next? A vacant lot at 103rd Street and Compton Avenue in Los Angeles will soon become the first office building constructed in Watts in decades. A partnership between Los Angeles real estate developer Thad M. Williams Associates and the Westminster Neighborhood Assn., a local community group, expects to obtain city building permits this week and begin construction in April on the two-story, $2.5-million structure. Although a relatively small project in the realm of office development, the structure is seen as a big part of redevelopment efforts in Watts. So far, 60% of the building has been leased. Tenants include American Savings Bank and several government agencies.