Santa Monica WELCOME HOME

Dinerstein Cos., a Houston-based real estate firm, has commenced with construction for a multifamily residential complex at the former site of Santa Monica’s Village Trailer Park. The Millennium East Village, which is rising from a 3.5-acre site at 2930 Colorado Avenue, will consist of a series of five-story buildings featuring 374 residential units, coming in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Approved plans call for 38 of the apartments to be set aside as affordable housing, as well as 25,000 square feet of commercial space along Colorado Boulevard.

Los Angeles-based real estate firm Palisades has announced a new residential development in Santa Monica. AIRE Santa Monica, located on 14th Street, the project consists of 19 luxury condominiums priced starting in the $900,000s. AIRE offers two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 1,000 square feet to 2,100 square feet in size. Half of the units are arranged as single-story garden flats, while the remainder are designed as two-story townhouses. An official website also advertises amenities including private patios, rooftop terraces, high quality finishes and smart appliances.

The Kor Group, a Los Angeles-based real estate firm, has announced the start of construction for a luxury lifestyle hotel in Downtown Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Proper, which is being developed in partnership with landowner Alex Gorby and the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs, will feature 271 guest rooms at 7th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Kor’s project includes the renovation of a 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival building along Wilshire, as well as the construction of an adjacent building that blends with the historic architecture.

The Architects Newspaper has revealed new designs from Michael W. Folonis Architects for a mixed-use development in Downtown Santa Monica. Slated for an approximately .32-acre property at 1415 5th Street, the project would consist of a five-story structure featuring 64 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with ground-floor commercial space and a rooftop amenity deck. The proposed development would set aside 13 residential units as affordable housing. The design is highlighted by an urban window above the building’s third floor, opening an outdoor deck to the street.

The Santa Monica Airport2Park Foundation, a nonprofit group created to transform the Santa Monica Municipal Airport into green space, has revealed three alternatives for a 12-acre expansion of the existing Airport Park. The project, which is being designed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios, is being evaluated based on three criteria: performance, culture and ecology. Runway The first alternative, known as Runway, would add three new sports fields and a variety of other amenities to the park, including a natural habitat, a community lawn, a children’s play area, a community garden and a new pedestrian entrance on Centinela Avenue.

A few weeks ago, Transit Coalition Forumer Gokhan linked to a Santa Monica website featuring a live construction camera for the Expo Line’s future Downtown Santa Monica Station. This location will soon become an epicenter for pedestrian activity in Santa Monica, with the Expo Line expected to carry 64,000 passengers per day by 2030. Downtown Santa Monica Station will be in close proximity to the Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place.

Although the proposed Bergamot Transit Village went belly-up this past summer, other Expo-adjacent TODs are having better luck in Downtown Santa Monica. Case in point: excavation is in full swing at the intersection of 5th Street and Colorado Avenue, the future site of two “limited-service,” hotels from OTO Development. The six-story structures, both designed by Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio, are scheduled to open concurrently with the Expo Line in Spring 2016.

Construction is complete for Step Up on Colorado, a new supportive housing complex at 520 Colorado Avenue in Downtown Santa Monica. The project, which was built by the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, consists of a five-story structure featuring 34 apartments reserved for formely homeless individuals suffering from mental illness. The building, which is co-owned by the local non-profit Step Up on Second, offers residents amenities including two community rooms with kitchens, support offices, and a computer lab with a library.

Real estate firm Alliance Residential has announced the grand opening of Sway, an upscale apartment complex in the heart of Downtown Santa Monica. The five-story development, located at the intersection of 5th Street and Broadway, consists of 122 residential units and approximately 4,500 square feet of ground-level commercial floor area. The building - which is now 45% leased - offers a wide range of floor plans, including studios, one-and-two bedroom-dwellings and multi-level walk-up units.

A webcam perched above Downtown Santa Monica showcases the construction of two low-rise hotels at the crossing of 5th Street and Colorado Avenue. At the northwest corner of the intersection, a Courtyard by Marriott will offer 136 guest rooms, approximately 3,500 square feet of ground-floor restaurant space and an underground parking garage. East across 5th Street, a Hampton Inn & Suites will create and additional 143 guest rooms above 1,900 square feet of commercial space and subterranean parking accommodations.