The development is Chesterfield Square, near the intersection of Slauson and Western avenues. It's the first retail center to be opened in more than a decade in South-Central LA, a long-neglected part of the city where more than 85% of local residents are either African-American or Hispanic.

The 240,000-sf project is anchored by a Home Depot, which opened its doors in late July, and by a Food-for-Less supermarket, which opened in the fall. A Home Depot spokesperson says sales at the chain's Chesterfield Square outlet are running more than 30% ahead of the company's original projections, while Food-for-Less says its new store is off to a record start.

"We were sure Chesterfield Square would be a winner, but even I'm a little surprised at how well it has done," Jerry Katell, whose Brentwood-based Katell Properties Inc. co-developed the project, tells GlobeSt.com. "The sales numbers our tenants are reporting have been phenomenal."