DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Arts District got a little bit bigger this week, as City Council approved an expansion of neighborhood's official boundaries. The expansion south from 6th to Violet, a small street one block south of 7th, makes it easier for developers to turn industrial buildings into housing for artists and artisans.

The Arts District -- officially the "Artists-in-Residence District" -- is defined as a part of the Central City North Community Plan. The plan adopted in 2000 set the district's boundaries as 1st street to the north, the river to the east, 6th street to the south, and Alameda to the west. Inside the boundaries, applications for joint live-work spaces for artists are more likely to be approved.

Since then, though, development of residential uses has pushed south of 6th. The extension of the district, first proposed by Councilman Jose Huizar's office in 2007, attempts to capture the residential that was built out by pushing the southern boundary south to Violet. In the process it encompasses the Toy Lofts, Biscuit Company Lofts, 2121 Lofts and the proposed AMP Lofts, which was initially denied by the Planning Commission and then approved by Council.

The development of the formerly industrial land east of the Downtown core was a contentious issue in 2008. After prodding by the Mayor's office, the Planning department and Community Redevelopment Agency jointly drafted new policies intended to preserve existing industrial land. blogdowntown published a summary of that process and its effects back in January.