Inglewood to Replace Homes Near LAX

Inglewood was awarded $4 million this week by the Los Angeles Department of Airports to assist the city’s long-term effort to purchase homes under the flight path of Los Angeles International Airport and replace them with commercial developments, Inglewood officials said.

Since 1984, the city has received more than $20 million from the airports department and the Federal Aviation Administration to help fund the project, which will demolish a total of about 1,700 homes near Century and La Cienega boulevards. Otis Ginoza, the city’s acting redevelopment manager, said more than 600 homes--all with noise levels exceeding the residential safety level of 65 decibels, remain to be redeveloped--and further funding will be needed.

Under the program, residents are relocated to other areas of the city and developers of the cleared sites forfeit their right to sue the airport for noise-related complaints.