Building Los Angeles

11326 weddington Street (Image: Ikon Hospitality)

North Hollywood, home to the dual terminus of Metro's Red and Orange Lines, is gradually embracing its role as one of the San Fernando Valley's few urban hubs. Plans are already in the works for a high-rise commercial development atop the station's sprawling park-and-ride lot. Now, according to environmental documents published by LADCP, smaller infill projects are starting to take form on nearby properties.

Ikon Hospitality, a local investor specializing in Southern California hotel properties, is one of several developers active in the neighborhood. Last year,the company submitted plans to the city for a boutique hotel at 11326 Weddington Street, just one block south of North Hollywood Station. The four-story development, designed by Irvine-based architecture firm nKlosures, would contain 43 guest rooms and gallery space for local artists.

A slightly larger 70-room inn, also designed by nKlosures, is planned further east on parcels at 11135-45 Burbank Boulevard.

11430-36 Hatteras Street

Another proposal from developer Hatteras Holdings, LLC calls for a new low-rise residential-retail development just a few blocks north of the station. Plans filed with the city call the construction of a six-story building which would contain 31 two- and three-bedroom apartments above 1,500 square feet of retail space and a 67-car garage. The project site, located at 11430-36 Hatteras Street, is currently occupied by a pair of pre-WWII single-family homes. Construction of the mixed-use development will first require a zone change that would permit additional height and floor area on the property.

ENV-2014-2530-MND (LADCP)
Development (Ikon Hospitality)

737 S. Spring Street

Yesterday, the Downtown News reported that Holland Partner Group had recently paid $12.5 million for a parking lot at the intersection of 8th and Spring Streets, with still unrefined plans to build apartments. According to a recent case filling from the Department of City Planning, the Vancouver-based company intends to join the the burgeoning trend of high-rise development in Downtown's Historic Core.

Plans for the property at 737 South Spring Street call for a 24-story tower, containing 320 apartment units and ground-floor retail uses. The proposed development would result in a larger building than the property currently allows for, and will thus require a transfer of floor area rights from a different site.

A set of promotional renderings, first seen on DTLA Rising, may offer hints about the project's future. The conceptual design from Chris Dikeakos Architects featured a soaring 34-story tower above a retail and parking podium. The actual project at 737 S. Spring Street calls for a slightly shorter building, albeit with a significantly higher level of residential density.

Although Holland Partner Group is no stranger to Downtown, or the Southern California region, the proposed tower will be their first project located east of the 110 Freeway. The developer is currently building a large residential-retail complex at the corner of 6th and Bixel Streets in City West. Their earlier work includes a 210-unit mixed-use development on Wilshire Boulevard.

11-17-14 (Downtown News)
Case Information Summary Sheet: DIR-2014-4189-TDR-SPR (LADCP)
Downtown LA Parking Lot...Looking for High-Rise Developer (DTLA Rising)

During the course of Little Tokyo's mid-20th-century urban renewal, entire city blocks were leveled to make way for modern retail and office complexes, including the Japanese Village Plaza and Paker Center. When the dust had finally settled in the 1980s, a small parking lot between Weller Court and the Kajima Building had somehow managed to escape the process almost completely untouched. Now, after sitting idle for decades, the roughly half-acre property has been enveloped by Downtown's ongoing residential construction boom.

According to plans filed with the city in early November, the proposed development at 118 Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street would consist of a six-story building, featuring 66 apartment units above ground-floor retail space. The low-rise structure would also feature a subterranean parking garage, although city records do not currently specify the total number of vehicle stalls planned.

The proposed building joins several other residential-retail complexes that are currently remaking Little Tokyo's western perimeter. A half block south, developers Avalon Bay and the Sares-Regis Group are building two low-rise projects which comprise more than 500 new residential units. West across Los Angeles Street, a seven-story, 236-unit apartment building is planned adjacent to the historic Cathedral of St. Vibiana.

Case Information Summary Sheet: DIR-2014-4148-SPR (LADCP)

A draft environmental impact report published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has revealed new details about Martin Expo Town Center (METC), a large mixed-use development proposed in West Los Angeles. The project, designed by architecture firm Togawa Smith Martin, would create three low-rise and mid-rise structures with a combination of office, residential and retail uses. Located at 1201 W. Olympic Boulevard, METC would rise from the current home of Martin Cadillac, just one block north of a future Expo Line Station at Bundy Drive.

The project's largest component, a 11-story office tower, would directly abut the intersection of Bundy Drive and Olympic Boulevard. The glass-clad structure would adhere to the unusual dimensions of the development site, with upper-level terraces that gradually step back from the street. With an architectural apex 160 feet above street level, the tower would feature a similar height profile to other nearby office developments.

Upper floors within the building would comprise approximately 200,000 square feet of creative office space, a hot commodity within the West Los Angeles submarket. Ground-floor plans call for 14,000 square feet of retail space, in addition to a 10,000-square-foot showroom for Martin Cadillac. Other potential amenities include outdoor dining space on rooftop terrace levels.

Moving north, a 12-story residential tower would rise near the center of the development site. The proposed mid-rise structure would stand 130 feet tall, clad with an array of materials including metal paneling and stucco. The tower's ground-floor plan calls for 22,600 square feet of retail and restaurant space, in addition to nine townhouse units. The building's remaining 188 condominiums would be located on floors two-through-twelve.

METC's final component would sit on the northern edge of the development site, adjacent to the future corporate headquarters of Riot Games. Plans call for a seven-story low-rise edifice, consisting of 255 condominium, 17,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and an outdoor amenity deck. The building, like its taller neighbor to the south, would offer a mixture of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Due to the unwieldy six-acre development site, Togawa Smith Martin's designs for METC feature multiple retail paseos. The landscaped passageways would serve as both a pedestrian shortcut and as an outdoor seating area for the project's ground-floor restaurants.

A full build-out of the development calls for a cumulative 1,392 parking stalls, parceled out between its residential, office and retail components. The project, which will be located within walking distance of the Expo Line, has used its bicycle accommodations and transit adjacency to seek a reduction in the total amount of parking required.

METC will require multiple discretionary actions prior to the start of construction, including a zone change and a general plan amendment. The developer expects to receive the necessary approvals by 2015, with a 32-month construction period to commence afterwards.

While that timeline places the project's opening date sometime in 2018, the Martin family has also applied for several contingency measures in the event of delays or changing economic forecasts. Under the proposed development agreement, METC could be completed at anytime before the year 2030. The project may also move forward with an altered development program, as dictated by market conditions, although under no circumstances could it increase in size.

Martin Expo Town Center (Official Website)
Martin Expo Town Center Project DEIR (LADCP)
First Look at the Martin Expo Town Center (Building Los Angeles)

3033 Wilshire Boulevard (All images: Steinberg Architects)

New information has emerged regarding 3033 Wilshire Boulevard, a proposed high-rise apartment complex which would straddle the border between Westlake and Koreatown.

Los Angeles-based Steinberg Architects, design architect for the project, recently updated its website with a new a page for the proposed 18-story building. The tower, as envisioned by developer UDR Incorporated, would consist of 190 apartments, 5,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and four levels of below-grade parking. Residential units would range in size from studios to luxury penthouse spaces, each of which would contain two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Steinberg's design for the building would feature an exterior consisting primarily of glass. A series of protruding decks would gradually change in shape and size while moving up the tower's mass, giving the facade a fluid texture. The building would be capped by a rooftop pool and amenity deck, offering panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Ocean.

The project site - located at the northwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Virgil Avenue - was first slated for high-rise development nearly one decade ago. According to the website of consulting firm PMA, the new apartment tower is scheduled for completion in February 2016.

Whoa: Koreatown High-Rise Project Revived (Building Los Angeles)
3033 Wilshire Boulevard (Steinberg Architects)

6912 Reseda Boulevard, looking north

Reseda Boulevard, long an auto-dominated corridor, has gradually come to the forefront of the push for walkable urbanity in the West San Fernando Valley. The latest installment in this saga, a proposed residential-retail complex, would replace a brief stretch of automobile repair shops and drive-thru restaurants.

According to plans submitted to the city earlier this month, the proposed development at 6912 Reseda Boulevard calls for a six-story building, comprised of 170 residential units and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The project would span across an approximately 1.5-acre site, occupying the majority of a city block between Basset and Hart Streets.

6912 Reseda is the second mixed-use development to emerge on Reseda Boulevard during the past year. In September, renderings surfaced for the WaterMark, a 254-unit apartment complex from Metric Holdings Corporation and the Albert Group Architects. The project, which was recently profiled in the Wall Street Journal, would feature landscaped terraces and open space along a potentially restored section of the Los Angeles River.

Metric Holdings may have started a trend in the West Valley. A new case filing from the Department of City Planning indicates that another development is proposed northwest along the concrete-laden waterway. The project at 18840 W. Sherman Way would consist of 49 apartments above slightly over 700 square feet of street-fronting commercial space.

18840 Sherman Way (L) and 6912 Reseda Boulevard (R)

All images courtesy of Pomona College

Construction of Pomona College's new 75,000 square-foot Millikan Science Hall is ahead of schedule, with the building slated for completion in mid-2015. The project, imagined as a new local landmark, was originally scheduled to open next Fall. When complete, the low-rise structure will house the school's astronomy, mathematics and physics departments.

Copper panels are currently being added to the exterior of the building's planetarium dome, while ceramic tiles and windows are being installed on other parts of the facility.

Millikan Hall, designed by San Francisco-based architecture firm EHDD, will include: a domed digital planetarium; an outdoor physics lab; a two-story atrium; a remote observation room for Pomona's one-meter telescope at NASA's JPL Table Mountain facility; machine, wood and metal shops; a colloquium room with eating for 80 to 100 people; a 50-seat classroom and 16 physics teaching and research labs, in addition to classrooms and study spaces. Matt Construction is the contractor for the project, which also entails a renovation of the adjacent Andrews Science Hall.

The project involves a full replacement of the 1958 Millikan Laboratory building. Like its predecessor and neighboring structures, the new Millikan building will employ cast-in-place concrete, masonry design elements, textured plaster, a red tile roof and an entrance patio. South-facing clerestory windows will bring natural light in from the second floor to the first via open light shafts. Grading along the south side of the building will allow for windows into the basement, while the north side will remain windowless for experiments which require complete darkness.

The digital planetarium, visible from College Avenue and Sixth Street, will provide a panoramic, immersive view of the night sky and will allow for seasonal adjustments. It will also give the College a means to reach out to the larger community, through special events and astronomy classes for local schools and organizations

The new Millikan is being built to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold Certification, with the possibility for additional design features which could push the building to Platinum Level Certification.

Millikan Science Hall (Pomona College)

Vertical construction is largely complete for Vermont Manzanita, an affordable housing project located in the Pico Union neigborhood. The five-story structure, which is being developed by the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC), will feature 40 one- and three-bedroom apartments units. According to a document from the State Treasurer's office, rents in low-rise complex will range from $233 to $1,292 per month.

In developing Vermont Manzanita, one of WHCHC's primary motivations is ensuring the safety of at-risk children. Fifteen of the building's residential units will be reserved for families with children under the age of five. Additionally, the Children's Institute - a local nonprofit which combats child abuse - shall act as Vermont Manzanita's lead service provider.

Designs from architecture firm Hatch-Colasuonna Studio call for lush landscaping on all levels of the building. Other private amenities will include a children's play area, a barbeque pit and tenant community garden.

The project, located at 1225 South Vermont Avenue, sits along the path of multiple bus lines. The building will also accommodate a small amount of automobile parking, with garage space at ground level.

Construction of Vermont Manzanita is scheduled for completion in October 2015. For housing applications and additional information, please visit WHCHC's website.

(Image: Dreyfuss Construction)

Affordable Housing Complex Starts Work on Vermont Avenue (Building Los Angeles)
CA-13-111 (California State Treasurer's Office)

In October, Oceanwide Real Estate Group finally revealed their new three-tower plan for the long-awaited Fig Central mega-development. Just two months later, the Bejing-based developer is already moving ahead with an important first step in the construction process.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued demolition permits for the existing structures at 1101 S. Flower Street. The 4.6-acre property, purchased by Oceanwide in late 2013, is currently developed with a pair of low-rise mechanical buildings and an underground bank vault. Construction of the new tower complex will necessitate the removal of all existing structures.

As of Monday, the process had already kicked off with the arrival of heavy equipment along the Flower Street side of the project site. This afternoon, a skeleton crew was hastily assembling a chain-link fence which now encircles the property. One worker stated that demolition was scheduled to begin soon.

Fig Central (Image: RTKL and Oceanwide Real Estate Group via DLANC)

However, Oceanwide is not quite ready to raise new cranes in South Park. The project still requires further approvals from both LADBS and the Department of City Planning prior to breaking ground.

Additionally, RTKL's new design for the project will require minor revisions. In an October meeting of the DLANC Planning and Land Use Committee, committee members noted that the updated design featured more levels of above-grade parking than allowed under the Downtown Design Guide. The developer has reportedly agreed to alter its plans as required.

Another high-rise development is also slated to begin work across the street in the near future. The project, known as Fig South, will consist of twin 36-story condominium towers. The residential-retail development could begin construction before the end of this year.

First Look at the Redesigned Figueroa Central (Building Los Angeles)
1101 S Flower Street 90015 (LADBS)
PLUC Minutes 10/21/14 (DLANC)

Image: Bolour Associates

An initial study published earlier this week by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has revealed new details about the AMP Lofts, a proposed mixed-used complex in the eastern Arts District. The project, which is being developed by Bolour Associates, would rise from a 2.38-acre site bounded by Seventh Street, Santa Fe Avenue and Imperial Street.

Designs from local architect Joey Shimoda call for a seven-story building, featuring 320 joint live-work apartments and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial uses. Like other nearby developments, the AMP Lofts are being marketed to creative professionals, with appealing features such as on-site production space for residents. This includes a 5,000-square-foot "collaborative artisan workshop," located along Imperial Street and 2,500-square-foot common work spaces on each upper level.

Bolour's residential-retail development would utilize a contemporary design, crafted from materials including precast concrete, terra cotta, aluminum, glass, tile and prefinished metal. The project would feature nearly 55,000 square feet of common and private open space, highlighted by a ground-level pedestrian paseo which would run between Imperial Street and Santa Fe Avenue along the northern boundary of the property. The paseo would connect to an elevated dog run, as well as a long-term bicycle storage facility. Other residential amenities would be situated within the AMP Lofts' podium deck, with offerings including a swimming pool, club house and fitness pavilion.

The proposed development would feature parking accommodations for up to 390 automobiles, located within below- and at-grade garage space. Vehicular ingress and egress sites would be placed mid-block along Imperial Street and Santa Fe Avenue, well away from the building's main pedestrian access points.

Boulour Associates currently estimates that construction would occur over approximately two years, with groundbreaking tentatively schedule for 2015 and completion expected in 2017. The Beverly Hills-based developer will require several discretionary approvals from the city, including variances allowing for an increase in the property's allowable floor-area ratio and the reduction of a required side yard setback.

The AMP Lofts are one of several developments currently planned for the Arts District, which has experienced a well-documented surge in investment during the past year. This trend includes the proposed office conversion of the former Ford Motor Company factory on Seventh Street, and a second residential-retail project from Bolour Associates at Colyton and Palmetto Streets.

Arts District stakeholders, in response to the slew of new apartment and office complexes, have worked with the city to craft a zoning overlay which will facilitate development while maintaining the neighborhood's existing character. In addition to regulating industrial uses and enforcing urban design standards, the Arts District Live/Work Zone encourages live-work units in lieu of traditional apartments and condominiums.

The now discarded design for 695 S. Santa Fe Avenue

The AMP Lofts were among the first developments informed by the new zoning overlay. In response to comments from nearby residents, Shimoda retooled the project's initial design to allow for a larger number of live-work units and a less closed-off feel. The revised plan, though perhaps less visually striking, better conforms to the community's future vision.

Initial Study: 695 South Santa Fe Project (LADCP)
AMP Lofts Revived, Renamed and Redesigned (Building Los Angeles)

685 New Hampshire Avenue

In Koreatown, construction forges onward for phase two of K2LA, a low-rise apartment complex from developer Century West Partners. The project, designed by Los Angeles-based architect David Forbes Hibbert, will consist of two seven-story buildings at 680 Berendo Street and 685 New Hampshire Avenue. Phase two, which is replacing back-to-back surface parking lots, will offer a total of 347 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments. Each building will feature a fitness center, conference rooms and a rooftop amenity deck.

The first phase of K2LA, located on an adjacent property at 688 Berendo Street, opened this past May. With 130 apartments, the seven-story structure offers a similar blend of dwelling units and residential amenities to its phase two counterparts.

K2LA is one of several new multi-family residential developments which have recently sprung up on the eastern periphery of Koreatown. Less than a half-mile southwest, a team of local investors plans a 27-story apartment tower at the intersection of 8th and Catalina Streets. Further east, Century West Partners has proposed a seven-story mixed-use development on a property near Lafayette Park.

685 New Hampshire Avenue (Image: David Forbes Hibbert)

680 Berendo Street

680 Berendo Street (Image: David Forbes Hibbert)

K2LA (Image: David Forbes Hibbert)

Second Phase of K2LA Still Inching Along (Building Los Angeles)

Image: NMS Properties

Developer NMS Properties has unveiled a new rendering for the NMS Culver City, a residential-retail complex currently under construction along the border between Palms and Culver City. The $63 million development, designed by Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang Architects, will feature 131 apartments above 12,500 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The low-rise structure is located at the northwest corner of Washington Boulevard and Hughes Avenue, directly across the street from both Sony Picture Studios and the Kirk Douglas Theater.

Construction crews recently began applying exterior materials to the building's six-story wooden frame. However, progress on the low-rise development has fallen significantly behind its previously announced schedule. At the time of groundbreaking, the project was expected to reach completion in mid-2014. According to the NMS Properties website, opening is now scheduled for sometime during 2015.

Other developments in and around Downtown Culver City have proceeded in more timely fashion. Across the street from the Expo Line's Culver City Station, vertical construction is mostly completely for the Platform, an office and retail complex which is being developed by the Runyon Group. At the intersection of Washington and National Boulevards, wood and concrete continue to rise for Access Culver City, a residential-retail development from Greystar Real Estate Partners.

Checking in on the Slow-Moving NMS@Culver City (Building Los Angeles)

As the supply of unclaimed parking lots decreases in Downtown Los Angeles, many developers have begun looking to the neighborhood's fringe for new infill opportunities. During the past year, multiple projects have emerged in once unfathomable locations outside the Central City freeway ring, including proposed high-rise complexes in Chinatown and South Los Angeles. However, the chief beneficiary of this shift is undoubtedly the long downtrodden Westlake neighborhood. The predominantly immigrant community, once considered "Los Angeles' answer to the Champs-Élysées," is now experiencing a resurgence in commercial and market-rate residential development.

Arguably the most conspicuous addition to the neighborhood is Good Samaritan Hostpital's Medical Plaza and Outpatient Pavilion. The seven-story structure, designed by architecture firm Ware Malcomb, will feature an exterior of shimmering blue-tinged glass. Budgeted at $80 million, the Medical Plaza will eventually house a pharmacy, multiple clinics and a new ambulatory surgery center. Additionally, the building will feature a ground-floor café and a window display focused on medical history.

The approximately 190,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2015.

Image: Ware Malcomb

One block west of the hospital, construction has quietly started on Valencia, a residential-retail complex from developer Sonny Astani. The $60 million development, designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, calls for a six-story structure featuring 218 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments above 4,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The project is located on a 1.5-acre property at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and namesake Valencia Avenue which was previously occupied by a cluster of small commercial buildings.

Valencia is Astani's second venture in Westlake, following the Vero condominium complex at 1234 Wilshire Boulevard. The Beverly Hills-based developer is currently partnering with the Wolff Company on two low-rise apartment buildings in South Park.

Image: Astani Enterprises

Immediately northeast of Good Samaritan Hospital, Vancouver-based Holland Partner Group is in the midst of construction on one of the largest residential developments in the city of Los Angeles. Bixel & Sixth, named for its primary cross streets, will create 606 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments within a pair low-rise structures. The colorful six-story buildings, designed by architecture firm Togawa Smith Martin, will feature 25,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 762 underground parking spaces.

Plans for the $200 million development also entail the adaptive reuse of 1136 West Sixth Street, a vacant eight-story medical office building. The mid-rise edifice, built in 1923, will contain 27 affordable housing units and 15 market rate apartments.

Holland Partner Group expects Bixel & Sixth to come online in phases between 2015 and 2016.

For a quick rundown of further developments slated for Westlake, check out this map from Curbed LA.

Good Sam Expansion Still Moving Along (Building Los Angeles)
Astani's Latest Westlake Mixed-User Revealed (Building Los Angeles)
Redesigned Bixel & Sixth Development Rendered (Building Los Angeles)

Wilshire Professional Building, 1932 (Image: Water and Power Associates)

According to a series of recent case filings from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, a slew of new multi-family residential developments are planned throughout the hyper-dense Koreatown neighborhood.

Plans were submitted to the city in late November for a new 16-story, 220-unit residential tower at 3875 Wilshire Boulevard. The one-acre property, listed amongst the portfolio of office landlord Jamison Services, is currently developed with the 12-story Wilshire Professional Building. The Art Deco landmark has stood at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and St. Andrews Place since 1929.

It is currently unclear whether the proposed development entails the adaptive reuse of the historic building, or new construction on an adjacent surface parking lot. Jamison Services had previously submitted plans to the city for a low-rise apartment building which would abut the historic office tower.

3875 Wilshire Boulevard

3350 Wilshire Boulevard

East into the heart of Koreatown, another property owned by Jamison Services is slated for residential development. Plans have been filed for a four-story, 122-unit apartment complex at the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Catalina Street. The approximately 1.5-acre site is currently developed with a Welton Becket-designed office tower and an accompanying parking garage.

The project's case filing does not specify what structures, if any, are pegged for demolition.

Other developers have also targeted nearby properties along Catalina Street, including a 27-story apartment tower at Eigth Street and a 75-room hotel north of Wilshire Boulevard.

3350 Wilshire Boulevard

301 S. Harvard Street

Traveling a half-mile northwest, the owner of a low-rise commercial building at the corner of Third and Harvard Streets is also planning to reposition his property as a residential development. The vague case filing for 301 Harvard Street calls for the construction of a 30-unit apartment building, but fails specify the height of the proposed building or whether or not it would feature ground-floor commercial space. However, the project would utilize a density bonus, indicating the inclusion of affordable housing units.

301 S. Harvard Street

400 S. Catalina Street

Lastly, we once again turn east, where a low-rise development is slated for an approximately half-acre property at the intersection of Fourth and Catalina Streets. Plans filed with the city call for the demolition of three existing multi-family buildings, followed by the construction of a new six-story structure. The proposed apartment complex would feature 80 residential units on five upper floors, with a 134-car garage situated at ground level.

400 S. Catalina Street

12099 and 12126 W. Waterfront Drive

With Yahoo! on the cusp of signing a 130,000-square-foot lease in the under-construction Collective campus, Tishman Speyer Properties is now forging ahead with plans for their remaining Playa Vista real estate.

According to a November case filing from the Department of City Planning, the New York-based developer intends to construct two low-rise office buildings adjacent to Playa Vista Central Park. The first, a six-story structure, would rise from a nearly four-acre site at 12126 West Waterfront Drive. Directly across the street, plans call for a five-story building and associated surface parking on the six-acre property at 12099 West Waterfront Drive.

City records do not currently indicate the exact footprints of the proposed buildings. However, a January article from the Los Angeles Times reported that Tishman Speyer had entitlements to build up to 400,000 square feet of office space on the two properties

The proposed office complex may also be motivated by a major transaction which recently occurred west across Campus Center Drive. Google has reportedly spent $120 million to purchase a twelve-acre site located catacorner to the Tishman Speyer properties. The tech behemoth has entitlements to build up to 900,000 square feet of offices on the land, and is also expected to lease space in the adjacent aircraft hangar which was once used by Howard Hughes to construct the legendary Spruce Goose.

MGA Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based manufacturer of the popular Bratz doll line, is planning a 1.2-million square-foot mixed-use complex in the San Fernando Valley

The proposed development, located at 20000 West Prairie Street in Chatsworth, would rise upon a nearly 24-acre site which once served as a printing plant for the Los Angeles Times. The project, which is being designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, calls for a campus-style setting that would include office space, rental apartments, and community-serving retail.

MGA Entertainment's new corporate headquarters would serve as the development's focal point. The toy maker would relocate approximately 250 employees into an existing 250,000-square-foot facility. The nondescript two-story structure would be substantially remodeled "with a theme reflective of MGA's products." Proposed additions include a 7,500-square-foot employee cafeteria, a daycare center, outdoor patio space and significant water features and landscaping. The building would also contain 43,000 square feet of leasable creative office space and limited assembly, production and showroom space.

The sprawling surface parking lots which flank the future MGA headquarters would give way for a series of new residential buildings. The proposed buildings (Buildings, A, B, C and D) would range from five-to-seven stories in height, comprising a total of 700 rental units. Each would contain a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, supplemented by individual club houses and and fitness rooms. Residents would also have access to the various communal amenities located throughout the campus, including swimming pools and a 350-seat amphitheater.

Building C, slated for the northwest corner of the property, would include the project's retail component. Plans call for for a 14,000 square feet of stores and restaurants, situated within the building's ground level. A shaded open courtyard would abut the intersection of Winnetka Avenue and Prairie Street, providing outdoor dining space.

MGA's campus would feature a cumulative 1,467 parking spaces, located in three separate garages. Vehicular access to the property would be provided through an existing entrances on Prairie Street and a new bridge connecting to Winnetka Avenue. The main Prairie Street entrance would provide space for an interior transit plaza, granting residents and employees easy access to bus service. MGA is also planning a private shuttle service which would connect to local transportation hubs, including Orange Line stations on Canoga Avenue.

As implied by its campus-style design, the MGA project would include substantial open space. Multiple "village green," areas would be scattered throughout the property, including a community garden and a dedicated dog park. Many of these spaces would be linked by a proposed exercise path which would ring the perimeter of the site.

Construction of the project will require ten discretionary approvals from the City of Los Angeles, as enumerated in its draft environmental impact report. Necessary approvals include a general plan and a zone change.

Should the city grant these requests, MGA currently estimates a 30-month construction timeline for the development. Completion is anticipated in 2018.

Image: Killefer Flammang Architects

MGA Mixed-Use Campus Project Draft EIR (LADCP)
MGA Entertainment Master Plan (Killefer Flammang Architects)

Budokan of Los Angeles (Image: Rafu Shimpo)

In October 2014, the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) proudly announced that it had crossed the 50% threshold in its $23 million fundraising campaign to build the Budokan of Los Angeles. The proposed recreation center, a longtime goal of many community stakeholders, would replace a surface parking lot at 229-49 S. Los Angeles Street. Now, in an article published by the Rafu Shimpo, LTSC has unveiled a new look for the project designed by local architecture firm Gruen Associates.

The proposed three-story edifice--named for Tokyo's famous Nippon Budokan--would feature two full-size basketball courts, meeting rooms, a kitchen and landscaped rooftop terraces. A one-level garage would sit beneath the 44,000-square-foot building, offering parking accommodations for up to 64 vehicles. LTSC expects multiple uses for the facility, including after-school programs, martial arts tournaments, basketball and volleyball.

According to elevation plans contained within a presentation to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee, the Budokan will feature a variety of high-quality finishes. Exterior materials would consist primarily of glass and yellow-tinged aluminum panels. The building's two rooftop terraces, tailored to comply with local design standards, would provide publicly accessible green space and outdoor seating.

Architect Hayahiko Takase's design for the Budokan of Los Angeles (Image: Budokan of Los Angeles)

The modern design from Gruen Associates forges a stark contrast to an earlier vision for the project. LTSC's first proposal was designed by Hayahiko Takase, a prominent local figure who previously worked with renowned modernist architect Minoru Yamasaki. Takase has designed several Little Tokyo landmarks, including Higashi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, the Kajima Building and the DoubleTree Hotel (formerly known as the Kyoto Grand and the New Otani). His original plan for the Budokan had called for a more traditional Japanese-themed structure, containing four basketball courts and a rooftop jogging track.

The Budokan, scheduled to break ground in 2016, is one of several large-scale developments slated for Little Tokyo's western perimeter. Malibu-based Weintraub Real Estate Group is planning a seven-story, 236-unit residential project on a property which abuts the Budokan site. Directly across Los Angeles Street, developer Avalon Bay recently completed a similar mixed-used complex. These projects have quickly transformed what was once a sad collection of surface parking lots and decrepit low-rise buildings into a more cohesive urban setting.

For more information on the future recreation center and the Little Tokyo Service Center, please visit their websites at www.BudokanofLosAngeles.com and www.ltsc.org.

Budokan of Los Angeles (Official Website)
New Design of Budokan Project Unveiled (Rafu Shimpo)

In Culver City, construction is wrapping up on the Oliver Apartments, a residential-retail complex from the Vancouver-based Bastion Development Corporation. Standing three stories at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Marcasel Avenue, the building will include 30 one-and-two-bedroom apartments above 8,700 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The low-rise structure, clad mostly in smooth-finish stucco and wood paneling, features private balconies on three sides.

Bastion's project is slated for completion in March 2015. It may be joined in the near future by a larger neighbor which would straddle the Los Angeles-Culver City border. Plans filed with the city at 11925 Louise Avenue call for a five-story building, containing 97 apartments and 15,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space.

Oliver (Official Website)
Mixed-Use Oliver Apartments Rise in Culver City (Building Los Angeles)

A striking new look has emerged for Kilroy Realty's Academy Square development, courtesy of commercial real estate publication Bisnow.

The $300 million project, designed by local architect Joey Shimoda, would create a 3.5-acre mixed-use campus in the heart of Hollywood. Plans call for a campus of low-rise and high-rise structures, offering a combination of apartments, offices, ground-floor retail and possibly hotel rooms. The project's name is a nod to an abandoned plan by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to build a museum on the property. Academy Square would also sit directly north of the Pickford Film Center, another facility owned by AMPAS.

Kilroy's development is highlighted by a 23-story high-rise tower, slated for the corner of Ivar and DeLongpre Avenues. The mixed-use building could move forward with up to 250 apartments, or under an alternate development program, up to 100 hotel rooms and 50 fewer residential units. Both options would include retail space on the tower's ground floor.

A trio of four-story buildings would flank the northern, southern and western sides of the development site, containing a cumulative 280,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space. A ground-floor paseo would cut a diagonal swath through the buildings, providing green space and outdoor seating for tenants.

According to an initial study published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, construction of Academy Square is scheduled to begin in late 2015, with delivery to follow in early 2018.

Kilroy's project is one of several large office developments scheduled to begin work during the next twelve months. North on Vine Street, the J.H. Snyder Company has announced plans to break ground on a long delayed eight-story building before the end of 2014. East on Sunset Boulevard, Hudson Pacific Properties expects to start work on a 14-story tower in January 2015.

LA's 5 Biggest Office Developments (Bisnow)

Details Emerge for Hollywood's Academy Square Development (Building Los Angeles)

In response to the resurgent Downtown Los Angeles condo market, a new wave of for-sale housing is quietly taking off in the South Park neighborhood.

On Thursday, workers installed protective fencing around the half-acre parking lot at 1050 South Grand Avenue, future home of a $100 million condominium tower from developer Trumark Urban. The 24-story building, designed by local architecture firm HasonLA, would contain 151 residential units above a retail and parking podium. One laborer at the development site stated that construction is scheduled to commence before the end of December. However, previous coverage from the Downtown News points to an early 2015 start date.

The project, formerly known as the Glass Tower, originally received approvals in 2007. However, like many other Downtown condominium developments, the tower found itself unable to move forward in the midst of the global recession.

Two blocks south, a joint venture between AECOM and Mack Urban is preparing to begin work on a low-rise development known as the Project at Pico. The residential-retail complex, designed by AC Martin Partners, would rise upon two current parking lots bounded by Pico Boulevard, Olive and Hill Streets. Plans call for a pair of seven-story structures, creating a cumulative 362 condominiums and 6,400 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The buildings would include a wide array of amenities, including a swimming pool, a fitness center and a 382-car underground parking garage.

The Project at Pico is merely the first stage of a larger development program from the AECOM-Mack Urban team, which paid $80 million for six acres of South Park real estate in late 2013. Additional parking lots directly across the street from the AT&T Center are expected to give way for larger condominium towers by the third quarter of 2015. Later phases would encompass two development sites located along Eleventh Street, bringing the project's overall valuation to $750 million.

Both developments seek to fill a void in the Downtown Los Angeles residential market, which features an abundance of rental units but a limited supply of for-sale housing. Only 68 new condominiums came onto the market during the past calendar year, comprised entirely by the second phase of the Arts District's Barker Block development. The only for-sale project currently under construction in Downtown is the first phase of Metropolis, which will feature more than 300 residential units in 38-story tower near the LA Live complex.

24-Story Condo Tower Project in Downtown LA is Being Revived (Los Angeles Times)
First Renderings of Mack Urban's South Park Development (Building Los Angeles)

Infill Developments Planned in North Hollywood

Another Skyscraper Planned in the Historic Core

Apartments Headed for Random Little Tokyo Parking Lot

New Renderings Revealed for Martin Expo Town Center

Shiny New Renderings for 3033 Wilshire Boulevard

West Valley Doubles Down on Mixed-Use Developments

New Pomona College Science Building to Open in 2015

Affordable Housing Project Takes Form in Pico Union

Demolition Imminent at Fig Central Site

More Details on the Re-Redesigned AMP Lofts

K-Town Apartments Finally Shooting Upwards

New Look for Culver-City-Adjacent Mixed-User

Rainy Day Westlake Construction Update

New Wave of Residential Developments Hitting K-Town

Plans Emerge for Playa Vista's Remaining Office Parcels

Toy Manufacturer Planning Mixed-Use Campus in the West Valley

Budokan of Los Angeles Gets a New Look

Finishing Touches on Culver City Apartments

Shiny New Rendering for Academy Square

Work Quietly Starting on Downtown Condo Projects