Marlton Square, a decaying shopping center in Baldwin Hills, may soon be reinvigorated by a new owner.

According to a motion put forth by Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, real estate firm Fred Leeds Properties has acquired five parcels and a portion of a parking lot within the 22-acre Marlton Square site, and is interested in purchasing the remaining City-owned parcels for the purpose of developing an approximately 10.58-acre shopping center.

The motion continues to state that the proposed development would complement adjacent projects such as the Buckingham Seniors Housing complex and Kaiser Permanente's new outpatient facility.

To facilitate the development of a retail center, the City will need to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Fred Leeds, with the eventual goal of establishing a development agreement.

Should the proposal be realized, it would rise immediately west of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, where developer Capri Capital Partners is planning a major renovation and mixed-use expansion.

Construction is already underway for a new light rail subway station at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards, one block east of Marlton Square.