Wed Dec 31 17:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Los Angeles Development Scene Buzzes in 2025: Convention Center Expansion Kicks Off, Affordable Housing Booms
Los Angeles, CA – As 2025 draws to a close, Los Angeles is seeing a flurry of development activity, ranging from long-awaited megaprojects to smaller-scale affordable housing initiatives. While major groundbreakings were relatively scarce, the city is experiencing significant progress on several key fronts.
After years of anticipation, the expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center finally began in October, prompting nearby property owners, including AEG, to propose new developments like a hotel and condominium tower on Olympic Boulevard. While the timing of these projects hinges on improved economic conditions, the Convention Center expansion signals renewed confidence in the Downtown area.
A notable trend of 2025 is the surge in for-profit affordable housing development. New city incentives are driving firms like HVN Development and Passo to build projects catering to low- and middle-income renters, addressing a critical need in the region.
Several ongoing megaprojects continue to take shape, including the sprawling One Beverly Hills development and the OC Vibe project near Anaheim’s Honda Center. Construction also progresses on Apple’s new office campus on the L.A.-Culver City border and the Lucas Museum, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, and LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries.
LAX remained a focal point, with the opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center in June. Despite delays to the people mover’s debut, the airport is undergoing a pre-Olympics facelift, including a complex overhaul of its central terminal area’s traffic flow. Hollywood Burbank Airport is also undergoing its own expansion.
Mall redevelopments are becoming increasingly common across the region. Plans have been unveiled for additional apartments at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, while Rams owner Stan Kroenke introduced a $10-billion megaproject surrounding the team’s Warner Center practice facility. The Bloc in Downtown Los Angeles is slated for a 53-story apartment tower, and C.J. Segerstrom & Sons and Hines received approval for housing and commercial uses on the 17-acre South Coast Plaza Village in Santa Ana.
Sacramento’s passage of SB 79, a landmark housing bill, promises to further stimulate development, although the full impact remains to be seen.
Metro made strides this year, opening the A Line extension to Pomona and the Rail to Rail active transportation corridor. The D Line’s extension to the Westside is slated to open in early 2026, and work is underway on the Van Nuys Boulevard light rail line and the G Line busway upgrade. Other projects like the Sepulveda Line and the Torrance extension remain in the planning stages. Plans for a gondola system linking Union Station to Dodger Stadium were recently re-approved by the Metro board, although opposition from the L.A. City Council remains.
Finally, in a surprising move, Erewhon purchased a building at the intersection of Olympic and Hill in Downtown, signaling a vote of confidence in the neighborhood’s future.
2025 has laid the groundwork for a transformative period in Los Angeles’ development landscape, with ongoing projects and policy changes poised to shape the region for years to come.
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