SOUTH LOS ANGELES – Marvin Harrell is an auto mechanic at Link Chris Auto Repair in South Los Angeles.

It’s right down the street from Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon Store and lot, which for months was the site of a makeshift memorial where people from all over the country paid their respects to Crenshaw's local hero.

“There has not been any drama. If anything, people within the community has been protecting those who came to show respect and honor to the late brother Nipsey Hussle,” Harrell said. 

But just weeks ago, the property was all of a sudden surrounded by fencing, upsetting those who wanted to also pay their respects.

“You’re taking away something from the people that want to be able to memorialize him even more and have that comfort within himself from what he gave to the people,” one resident said.

For others in the neighborhood, like Harrell, it was confusing.

“I was trying to figure out what’s really going on. I don’t know if they built a fence because of them attacking people in the community who established the building. I don’t really know,” he said. 

Nipsey’s business partner, David Gross says there’s no reason to be concerned. He says the fencing is simply preparation for a new real estate project, something which seemed to be in the works before Nipsey’s death.

“Our plans for the future are to redevelop this to a mix development retail and multifamily complex, and then we’re gonna build quality, affordable housing on top,” Gross said via Instagram. 

With Nipsey gone, Gross is the man tasked with pushing the vision through.

And right down the street Harrell will be watching to make sure this lot continues to make South L.A. proud.