Looming on the southern fringe of Downtown Los Angeles, the 10 freeway has stood for more than a half-century as both a physical and psychological barrier to the neighborhood’s resurgence. Now, a large mixed-use development proposed for the parking lots surrounding Broadway’s Reef Building could finally provide the impetus for change. According a May case filing from LADCP, plans call for the construction of 1,449 residential units and a 208-key hotel, supplemented by 85,000 square feet of retail uses. Located at 1900 and 1933 South Broadway, the project would also include 40,000 square feet of restaurant space, a 30,000 square foot grocery store, and an expansion of the 12-story Reef Building. Occupying 7.5 acres of land along the path of Metro’s Blue line, the existing parking lots constitute a major dead zone in a neighborhood that doesn’t otherwise lack for pedestrian traffic. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Reef and its surrounding parcels are owned by PRH LA, a Glendale-based limited liability corporation. The project site is located directly across the street from the LA County Metropolitan Courthouse, and a short walk from LATTC’s slow-moving expansion project on Grand Avenue. One important side note: I call dibs on the giant chair.