Inglewood's historic Market Street, a once-thriving downtown shopping and entertainment district, has been slipping into obscurity for years. With the NFL stadium complex – including hotels, shopping, and nightlife – in development a mile away, local business owners wonder whether it will bring revitalization or be the death knell for their community.
Listen to the full story below.
A family affair: Carlos Reveles and his wife Virginia Chase mind the store at Outlet Clothing, a family-owned business on Market Street for 15 years.
"It's been getting worse for, I would say, the last four years ... I don't think we'll last through next year." – Yesli Diaz, supervisor, Fred's Discount Store
How close is the new stadium development to Market Street by car? The video below posted on Youtube by Alex Duplessis gives some indication, beginning at the planned Metro stop at Florence Avenue at the north end of Market. Business owners wonder what are the odds that people will make the nearly 20-minute walk or move a car after a game or concert when shopping and nightlife is being baked into the stadium complex. | Map data ©2018, Google
Samuel Peña of the Inglewood Airport Area Chamber of Commerce says there is a preliminary proposal in the works to connect the two areas by rail, though a city official in the planning office refused to comment or confirm the plan.
What do you think? Will billions of dollars of new development adjacent to Downtown Inglewood help or hurt existing businesses?
Credits:
All photos: Rachel Parsons