Mixed-Use Affordable Housing in Little Tokyo at 232 Judge John Aiso Street

Construction fences have finally come down at 232 Judge John Aiso Street, revealing a new landmark for Little Tokyo: Go For Broke Plaza and the First Street North Residences. Conceived by nonprofit developer Little Tokyo Service Center and designed by Carde Ten, the six‑story complex wraps a cherry‑tree courtyard and the pre‑existing Go For Broke monument with 248 income‑restricted homes and nearly 40,000 square feet of storefronts aimed at neighborhood businesses.

The housing stack delivers studios as well as one‑bedroom, two‑bedroom, and three‑bedroom layouts, all priced for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of area’s median income. Eighty apartments are reserved as permanent supportive housing for veterans, pairing below‑market rents with on‑site case‑management suites located steps from the VA clinic on Temple Street. Double‑loaded corridors maximize cross‑ventilation, and corner units pick up skyline views toward Bunker Hill and the Arts District.

Carde Ten’s design showcases brick piers and deep‑set windows break up a 400‑foot facade, while bronze‑toned metal panels step back at the sixth floor to reduce bulk. Two broad breezeways punch through the podium, funneling pedestrians from Judge John Aiso into the monument court. A ground‑floor gallery beside the plaza will serve as the first permanent Los Angeles home for the Go For Broke National Education Center, weaving interpretive exhibits directly into the residential campus.

Amenities are stacked vertically. A fourth‑floor garden terrace links the north and south wings and overlooks JANM’s tiled roof; a smaller roof deck atop the Jackson‑facing wing hosts an urban farm that a veterans’ nonprofit will program. Existing camphor trees along Jackson were preserved and now shade new seating alcoves.

City records list an overall budget of roughly $138 million.

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