Pico Union WELCOME HOME

A slew of hospitality projects are either planned or under construction in Downtown’s South Park district, but the 110 freeway has long stood to the west as both a physical and psychological barrier to the redevelopment wave. However, it appears at least one developer is willing to take the plunge. Plans were submitted earlier this month for a four-story, 151-room hotel with ground floor retail at the southwest corner of Olympic Boulevard and Beacon Avenue.

According to pictures sent in by an e-mail tipster, a small church near the border of Koreatown and Pico Union was recently demolished, making way for a 40-unit affordable housing development known as Vermont Manzanita. The apartment complex is being developed by the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC), and will reserve fifteen of its units for at-risk families with children under the age of five. The developer has partnered with the Children’s Institute, which shall act as lead service provider for future tenants.

According to an initial study recently published by the Department of City Planning, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is about to embark on a complete rebuild of its modest Pico Union office. Contingent on city approvals, plans call for the forgettable low-rise building at 1550 W. 8th Street to be demolished. In its place, LAFLA would construct a four-story structure, containing approximately 34,000 square feet of office space and a 33-car parking garage.

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.

Planning documents presented to the Los Angeles City Council have unveiled renderings for a new hotel development in Pico Union. The low-rise Hotel Olympia would be built a one-acre property at 1700 West Olympic Boulevard, located within a half-mile of LA Live and approximately one mile from the Los Angeles Convention Center. Plans from developer CK Hospitality call for a five-story structure containing 149 guest rooms above 8,600 square feet of street-level restaurant space.