Compton greeted the 21st century as a multiracial, multicultural community of nearly 100,000 residents. The 2000 census recorded 56.8% of the population as Hispanic or Latino; 40.3 percent, Black or African American; 1.1%, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 0.7% Native American or Alaskan Native, and the balance Asian, White or other race.
Compton’s easy accessibility to and from five freeways and the affordability of its housing (median home price was $407,000 in December 2006) has drawn additional residents and sparked the interest of developers. In the first few years of the century, developers constructed over 100 new homes and built a new Rite Aide, Wells Fargo Bank, two Starbucks, and a number of retail/commercial centers. The burgeoning student population required the Compton Unified School District to construct William F. Jefferson Elementary School, the first new school in the district in 35 years.
In February 2007, construction began on the Gateway Towne Center, a 51-acre mixed-use commercial/residential project on Alameda Boulevard that will include a Target, Staples, 24-Hour Fitness, Marshalls, Home Depot, and Chili’s, among others. The center is expected to open in October 2007. Construction has also begun on 136 condominium units in a gated, mixed use complex on Tamarind Avenue.
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