By all metrics, Little Tokyo should not exist today.
Its 141-year history is mired in racist federal and local government policies, community destruction, and external encroachment, a history so tumultuous that the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed it as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024. Still, through the community’s persistence and emphasis on community control, Little Tokyo thrives to this day.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, unconstitutionally sending Japanese Americans to incarceration camps. In the ’70s and ’80s, the rise of Japanese investment led to the destruction of community institutions such as the Sun Building and the Sun Hotel in favor of commercial development like Weller Court.
The 2000s brought new challenges to the community. The city threatened to build a prison next to Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple until the community successfully fought against it. Then, Metro’s original Regional Connector alignment threatened to carve through the heart of the neighborhood until the late Sen. Daniel Inouye intervened, demanding reconsideration.
Today, the most imminent threat Little Tokyo faces is the development of the 4th & Central Cold Storage Project. For the past few years, Little Tokyo has engaged in good-faith negotiations with Continuum Partners regarding the project details. The project proposes constructing a 30-story tower, 100,000 square feet of commercial space, 1,500 residential units, and 2,000 parking spaces amongst the ten-building development.
While the developer has committed to developing affordable housing units, they have yet to provide specific details about what percentage of units will be affordable and at what area median income (AMI) level they will be set. Without concrete commitments, the community faces yet another battle to preserve its identity and affordability.
Proponents of the development claim that the project will ultimately reduce housing costs in the area due to shifts in supply and demand. However, Little Tokyo’s housing market is unlikely to respond as predicted.
Little Tokyo has a median monthly income of $1,683, yet the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment is currently $2,469. This is an alarming disparity considering the median resident can only spend $555/month before being considered rent burdened. This difference highlights the growing need for affordable units in Little Tokyo to meet the escalating affordability crisis.
Simply, the development does not contain enough affordable units to house Little Tokyo residents effectively. The developer should provide a minimum of 31% affordable housing at an affordability level of at least 50% of the AMI to match the existing amount of affordable housing in the area. Affordable units help residents who need a roof over their heads now and can’t wait years for other units to become cheaper.
The preservation of Little Tokyo is rooted in its strong community institutions such as the Little Tokyo Community Council. LTCC provides a unique forum that welcomes businesses, community organizations, residents, and stakeholders to learn about the current issues facing Little Tokyo and provide input. Its willingness to open its doors to anyone interested enables it to develop positions representing the community, not just niche interests.
Thus, the position of opposition against the current iteration of the 4th & Central Cold Storage Project was not a decision made lightly. It was a collective decision that represented the frustration of different groups about the project and the unwillingness of the developer to create a project that benefits the current stakeholders of Little Tokyo.
Moreover, developments that affect the Little Tokyo community need to reflect the goals of the Sustainable Little Tokyo Community Vision. Through a series of workshops, LTCC and other organizations invited stakeholders to imagine a vision that reflects Little Tokyo’s current and long-term needs. The plans highlight the demand for affordable housing and commercial spaces, public open space, and traffic mitigation improvements.
The current version of the Cold Storage Project does not reflect the community’s needs and drastically changes the neighborhood’s character. Little Tokyo is not Tokyo; it is not a neighborhood of high-rises and bright lights. This vision exists only in an orientalist fantasy that conflates the divergent histories of Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals.
Little Tokyo is a neighborhood of primarily low-income seniors and families who cannot afford to be priced out of their current units. We need to prioritize more units for existing residents, not hypothetical newcomers, before they are priced out of Little Tokyo.
For business owners, it feels like every time a new amenity is constructed, their rent goes up by 10%. With the increased costs of materials due to tariffs and a looming recession keeping patrons at home, legacy businesses have legitimate fears about how major developments will affect their rents.
The opening of the Regional Connector demonstrated how speculative real estate pricing can lead to the closure of community spaces like Suehiro Cafe.
The stark contrast between the Cold Storage Project and the Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences demonstrates the former’s unmet potential. The Cold Storage Project is a luxury development that will serve as a high-priced island for those who can afford to live and shop there. While the developer is proposing discounted commercial space for legacy businesses, it would force them to move several blocks south of the main thoroughfare.
In contrast, Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences will offer affordable commercial spaces for legacy businesses and keep them within the borders of Little Tokyo, in addition to 248 units of affordable housing.
Continuum Partners has the potential to partner with Little Tokyo and be part of its legacy of community-centered development, yet they have again and again refused to come to the table.
The Little Tokyo community has long been at the forefront of turning its needs into realities. Through their determination and organizing, the community contributed to developing community-serving institutions such as the Japanese American National Museum, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Little Tokyo Service Center, Little Tokyo Towers, Union Center for the Arts, and Terasaki Budokan.
Ultimately, Little Tokyo’s fate needs to be decided by Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo must say “Never Again” to being told how to direct its future and allow itself to determine what it believes is the best path forward.
