CDU Wellness & Education Campus Plans Move Forward
The Charles R. Drew University (CDU) Wellness & Education Campus has reached an important milestone with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ approval of the project’s final land use entitlements, allowing the project to move forward toward construction.
Century is proud to partner with Charles R. Drew University through the CDU/MLK Wellness Collaborative to help bring this long-envisioned campus to life. Located in the heart of Willowbrook, the mixed-use development will strengthen educational, housing, health, and employment opportunities while creating a vibrant community destination adjacent to the existing CDU campus.
Oscar Alvarado spoke at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 30, 2026, in this screenshot from the Board’s livestream.
Century is leading development of the affordable housing component, which will provide up to 254 affordable homes for families, seniors, and individuals with special needs earning between 30% and 80% of area median income. The broader campus will also include student, faculty, and workforce housing, research and bioscience space, recreational facilities, community-serving open space, and a pedestrian promenade that connects the campus with the surrounding neighborhood.
The Board’s action also certified the project’s environmental review and approved a long-term ground lease, establishing site control for the future campus.
“This milestone reflects years of collaboration and a shared commitment to Willowbrook,” said Oscar Alvarado, Senior Vice President of Century Affordable Development, Inc. in a press release issued by Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s office. “Through the Charles Drew Wellness Campus, we have the privilege of bringing 254 affordable homes for families and seniors to Willowbrook while helping realize a shared vision for a campus that will serve as a community asset for generations to come.”
For Century, this milestone carries special significance. Willowbrook is one of the communities along the Century Freeway (I-105) corridor that helped shape our organization’s history. More than 30 years ago, a landmark housing settlement stemming from the freeway’s construction, overseen by Judge Harry Pregerson, laid the foundation for what would become Century Housing. Today, the CDU Wellness & Education Campus carries that legacy forward by creating affordable homes and investing in the long-term health and vitality of the community.
Century looks forward to continuing our partnership with Charles R. Drew University, Los Angeles County, Compton Unified School District, and the broader community as the project moves toward construction.