On the corner of 1st and Chicago streets sits the Boyle Heights City Hall, a hub for resources in the community.
The historic 1924 building at 2130 E. 1st Street has served as the neighborhood’s City Hall since 2013. Here’s what’s inside and how residents can take advantage of the resources offered.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s CD 14 office
This month, most field offices for City Council District 14 reopened across the Eastside following closures during the transition from former councilmember Kevin de León to Ysabel Jurado.
Jurado’s Boyle Heights field office can be found on the second floor of the Boyle Heights City Hall. According to CD 14 District Director Joe Delgado, the office is staffed with a field deputy and case manager who are connecting with the local community to ensure the services and resources provided align with residents’ needs and priorities.
“We want to create a hub for community members to find whatever they might be looking for,” said Delgado. “We’re committed to being present, to fulfilling what the councilmember had committed to by connecting with residents, artists, community leaders and small businesses to continue building a neighborhood that people are proud of and want to continue to thrive in.”
Jurado’s field office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Community organizations and city services
Photo by Jacqueline Ramirez.
A number of community and city service organizations offer social, academic and economic resources inside the City Hall.
1st Floor:
- El Centro de Ayuda: A nonprofit organization promoting social, emotional, academic and economic self-sufficiency. It provides family resources, mental health services, financial coaching and more. Currently, the center is also serving as an Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Center to assist those who lost income in January during L.A. County’s wildfires.
- Rize Beyond Banking: A credit union offering financial products and services.
2nd Floor:
- Mexican American Opportunity Foundation: MAOF strives to provide for the socio-economic betterment of the Latino community across California while preserving Mexican-American culture. The hub in Boyle Heights focuses on providing senior services, including transportation assistance, home-delivered meals and support enrolling into other services.
- Bureau of Street Services: Streets L.A. works to make the city’s network of streets, avenues and boulevards more safe and sustainable through innovation. Residents can find information on street sweeping, cleaning, maintenance, preservation and more.
- Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority: LAHSA provides various resources for the unhoused. You can also find support to navigate a possible eviction.
3rd Floor:
- i.am.College Track: A collaboration between College Track and the i.am.Angel Foundation. Offers programming, resources and scholarships for local students on the route to college.
Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council meetings and other events
The Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council regularly hosts its meetings at the City Hall.
Community events, giveaways and more are often hosted in and around the property. That includes an annual tree lighting ceremony, food giveaways and seasonal celebrations.
More about Boyle Heights City Hall’s history
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit organization working to preserve and revitalize the historic, architectural and cultural resources in L.A. County, Boyle Heights City Hall was originally constructed as a masonic temple known as the “Chicago Building” in 1924.
The building has long served the local community, from housing nonprofit and civic organizations including the Community Service Organization created by labor activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to serving as a gathering place for public meetings and celebratory events, according to the Conservancy.
Various photos diving deep into the neighborhood’s history are hung on every wall. That includes a portrait of Andrew Boyle, an Irish immigrant who purchased the L.A. land that would one day become Boyle Heights.
The City of Los Angeles purchased the building in 2007, investing more than $22 million in renovations. The property was officially opened in its current capacity as the Boyle Heights City Hall in August 2013 during Jose Huizar’s tenure as Council District 14’s representative.