The hodgepodge of strip malls and car dealerships south of Downtown Los Angeles is scheduled to begin a long-awaited makeover this summer through the MyFigueroa streetscape project.  Now, a 1960s motel near the University of Southern California is slated to join in on the action.

Yesterday, El Segundo-based Vista Investments, LLC filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to construct a dual-branded hotel at 3031 S. Figueroa Street.  The proposed development would consist of a seven-story building feature 275 guest rooms.

The 1.73-acre property is currently improved with the Vagabond Inn, a 72-room motel originally built in the 1960s.

Vista's proposed hotel would sit a short distance from both the Shrine Auditorium and the $700-million USC Village development.