Steven Sharp WELCOME HOME

Exterior work is nearing completion for Valencia, a $60-million residential-retail complex in the Westlake neighoborhood. The six-story development, located at 1501 Wilshire Boulevard, will feature 218 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments above 4,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Plans call for a number of residential amenities, including a gym, a swimming pool, multiple interior courtyards and a 258-car underground parking garage. The project, which is being developed by Sonny Astani, was granted density bonus incentives through the inclusion of 18 units of low income housing.

Developer American Communities, LLC has completed vertical construction for the Paseo at Californian, a new affordable housing complex located in Westlake. The project, which replaced a vacant half-acre lot at the northeast corner of 6th and Bonnie Brae Streets, consists of a six-story structure featuring 53 low-income housing units. According to a document from the California State Treasurer’s Office, the building will offer a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $535 to $1,272 per month.

A scuttled proposal for a high-rise complex in City West has come back to life in bigger (and hopefully better) form. Yesterday, Career Lofts-LA, LLC submitted revised plans to the City of Los Angeles for the construction of a mixed-use develoment on a large property bounded by 7th, Bixel and Ingraham Streets. According to a case filing from the Department of City Planning, the project would be highlighted by a 36-story tower featuring 422 residential units and commercial space.

Yesterday, plans were filed with the City of Los Angeles to construct a new mixed-use development on a .31-acre site at the corner of 7th Street and Witmer Avenue in Westlake. According to a case filing from the Department of City Planning, the proposed building at 1307 W. 7th Street would rise six stories, featuring 76 residential units and approximately 6,035 square feet of ground-floor commercial floor area. The project’s applicant is listed as the Executive Director of Deep Green Housing, a non-profit developer of affordable housing complexes.

After multiple redesigns and a name change, representatives of BuzzBuzzHome have sent word that construction has finally commenced for a new mixed-use complex near MacArthur Park. The seven-story development, dubbed the Zinc Apartments, is rising from a former surface parking lot at 2525 Wilshire Boulevard. According to the website of the Somerset Group (the project’s developer), the low-rise building will feature 152 luxury apartments above approximately 7,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

A new multi-family residential complex is rising on the western fringe of Downtown Los Angeles. The project, located at 742-746 South Hartford Avenue, consists of a five-story structure featuring 24 apartments and parking accommodations for up to 39 vehicles. Plans call for a mixture of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, supplemented by communal rearyard and a rooftop deck. Renderings from architect Daryoush Safai portray a contemporary low-rise building featuring exterior balconies and exterior landscaping.

The Downtown Los Angeles construction boom continues to spread outward, as yet another tall development is slated for the nearby Westlake neighborhood. Last week, South Point of Nevada - a limited liability company - filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to construct a 12-story apartment building on an approximately .28-acre site at 734-740 South Hartford Avenue. The mid-rise building would feature 80 residential units and 100 automobile parking spaces on two subterranean garage levels.

With market rate residential development firing on all cylinders in both Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles, the formerly posh community of Westlake is beginning to catch spillover. Last week, plans were filed with the City of Los Angeles to construct a new residential-retail complexone block south of MacArthur Park. The mixed-use development, slated for a .93-acre site at 8th Street and Park View Avenue, would consist of a five-story building featuring 144 residential units, approximately 4,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a 167-car parking garage.

The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has published an environmental report detailing a proposedoffice complex in Del Rey. The Alla Road Creative Campus, slated for a six-acre property near the terminus of the Marina Freeway, would feature a trio of two-story buildings containing 155,000 square feet of office space. Plans also call for a standalone four-story garage, as well as a surface lot, providing parking accommodations for a total of 600 vehicles and 47 bicycles.

One of Downtown’s most sought-after development sites could soon come up for grabs. Yesterday, a motion submitted by 14th District Councilmember Jose Huizar directs City staff to issue a request for proposals for the potential disposition and development of Bunker Hill Parcel Y-1. The approximately 2.4-acre site, located at the northwest corner of 4th and Hill Streets, sits within walking distance of a number of popular Downtown destinations, including Angel’s Flight and Grand Central Market.