Hotel Renovation on Skid Row Completed

Joined by Mayor Tom Bradley, residents of a Skid Row hotel celebrated the completion of a massive renovation project in a ceremony Tuesday at the hotel.

The Ward Hotel on 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles underwent more than a year of renovations that included installation of new electrical, heating and plumbing systems and the addition of new furniture, a lounge and elevators.

The 70-unit, single-occupancy hotel houses low-income residents who pay between $175 and $210 monthly for the fully furnished rooms.

It is owned by the Single Room Occupancy Housing Corp., which received funding from the Community Redevelopment Agency and the state Department of Housing and Community Development for the project. Total cost of the renovation was $1.37 million.