LA’s Lafayette Square residents fear for neighborhood’s future amid controversial Metro tunneling project

LOS ANGELES - The Metro K Line expansion will add a new rail service to Los Angeles' Miracle Mile neighborhood, to Hollywood and West Hollywood. Now, the people who live in Lafayette Square are worried their historically Black neighborhood will be decimated for the city’s future. 

"It keeps us up at night," neighbor Robi Reed said.

"Why this neighborhood? Why this black and brown neighborhood? This is a historically preserved neighborhood for a reason. There is a lot of history here," she added. 

Robi Reed and her neighbor Lauran Jackson Smith have been fighting to push LA Metro to change course on the K Line Northern Extension plan. The proposed route would tunnel under their historic neighborhood. 

"I immediately think eminent domain, and that may not be the case. We just don't know," Lauran Jackson Smith said.

But LA Metro’s Anthony Crump says that is not the case.

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"We understand that fear," Crump said. "We understand the concern. It's their homes that we're talking about. However, we have no intentions of purchasing any of the properties in that neighborhood, nor are we taking down or demolishing any of the properties of the neighborhood."

Crump acknowledges  and told Good Day LA’s Brooke Thomas the phrase "acquisition or easements" could cause concern, however, there’s nothing to worry about.

"The acquisitions that we're talking about are underground easements. So in essence, we'll be building a tunnel underneath the neighborhood, and we need to acquire the right to go underneath that particular neighborhood. That's the only acquisition that we'll be doing in that neighborhood."

Reed and Jackson Smith are not convinced. They say they need more proof and assurance.