This Tuesday, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC)’s Planning and Land Use Commitee will review updated plans for the Alexan, an upcoming high-rise complex at the northeast corner of 9th and Hill Streets. The proposed 27-story tower, which would feature 305 residential units, did not receive the approval of the committee during its initial presentation last year due to the excessive height of its above-grade parking podium. Developer Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) and architecture firm RTKL have since revised the shape and layout of the tower to comply with the Downtown Design Guide and address criticism from residents of the adjacent Eastern Columbia Building. Above-Grade Parking
Under the new plan, the Alexan’s parking garage has been reconfigured to include a basement level and four above-grade levels, in lieu of the five-story structure of the previous design. Two-story townhouse units will wrap the tower’s podium on its fifth and sixth floors, thereby masking a significant portion of the garage from view along 9th and Hill Streets.
The Podium
Vocal criticism from residents in the Eastern Columbia Building has also prompted alterations to the Alexan’s podium. In response to complaints that the Alexan would come closer to the historic building than previously indicated, the redesign shifts the tower’s mass further west from the property line and adds a new cut-out to the podium to create greater distance. The design of the above-grade parking levels, which previously called for metal screening along the eastern side of the building, will instead feature solid concrete walls to mitigate potential effects from car lights, engine noise and exhaust. Other alterations include the addition of columns and window lines along the building’s western and eastern facade that better match the rhythm and horizontal alignment of nearby historic buildings, including the Broadway Trade Center.
Under the revised plan, TCR asserts that the Alexan now complies with - and in several instances exceeds - the requirements of the Downtown Design Guide. A series of diagrams included with the presentation point to the proposed tower’s substantial retail component, wide sidewalks and generous separation from adjacent high-rise structures. Additional elements of the project include nearly 6,200 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space, a slight reduction from the original plan. Proposed amenities include a landscaped roof deck, a swimming pool, a lounge, a fitness center and 336 residential parking spaces.