Development WELCOME HOME

A document from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning (LADCP) has unveiled renderings for an upcoming apartment building near the UCLA campus. The proposed development, slated for a property at 662 S. Kelton Avenue, would consist of a four-story structure featuring 12 residential units. In exchange for setting aside one of the apartments as very low income housing, the project has requested a reduction in the code-required amount of open space and an increase in allowable height.

Nearly two years after breaking ground, the J.H. Snyder Company is nearing completion on vertical construction for a $70-million office building near Hollywood and Vine. The eight-story structure, located at 1601 N. Vine Street, will provide will provide 110,000 square feet of Class-A office space in a creative setting, with high ceilings and open floor plans. The mid-rise development, designed by architecture firm Ware Malcomb, will also include an approximatley 2,000-square-foot ground-floor retail component, as well as 174 parking spaces in a five-level underground garage.

On August 23, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will officially break ground on a $250-million stadium in Exposition Park. The 22,000-seat venue, designed by the architecture firm Gensler, will anchor a larger development featuring a conference center, office space, a soccer museum and 10,000 square feet of restaurants. The soccer-specific stadium will be highlighted by a series of glass canopies, that provide weather shielding for spectators and frame views of the Downtown skyline.

Local real estate firm Vista Investment Group has announced for refurbishing two of its Los Angeles properties. In Echo Park, Vista is restoring the Jensen Recreation Center at 1706 Sunset Boulevard as a mixed-use property featuring 46 residential units and pedestrian-oriented retail space. Ground-floor tenants in the 50,000-square-foot structure already include Sage Vegan Bistro and Blue Bottle Coffee, while a brewery concept from Sage is expected to launch in Fall 2016.

After months of site preparation, a tower crane is ready to take construction vertical for a $300-million Marriott hotel on the Sunset Strip. The Marriott Edition - which is being developed by a joint venture between Marriott International, the Witkoff Group and New Valley - will rise from a 1.37-acre site at Sunset Boulevard and Doheny Drive. With 148 guest rooms and 20 condominiums, the hotel is expected to become the West Coast flagship of the Edition brand.

Since the 1880s, Little Tokyo has been a cultural and civic center for Japanese Americans in Southern California. It’s a community anchored by multi-generational family businesses, churches, and temples. One of the neighborhood’s oldest traditions is the annual Nisei Week festival, first celebrated in 1934. Originally planned to draw in first-generation, American-born Japanese to the Great Depression-stricken district, the nine-day long event now celebrates Japanese American culture and history. The yearly bash brings in thousands from Los Angeles and beyond, to enjoy ondo dancing, Japanese floral arrangements, tea ceremonies, martial arts, fashion shows, calligraphy, art exhibitions, talent shows, and more—all free and open to the public!

Eight months after purchasing the former headquarters of the Los Angeles Railway for $30 million, British developer Ennismore has revealed details about its plan to convert the 10-story edifice into a boutique Hoxton hotel. According to a presentation to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee, the London-based firm intends to convert the upper levels of the former office building into 164 guest rooms. Plans also call for multiple food and beverage venues, lounge areas, a spa, event space and a rooftop deck with a swimming pool and seating.

Holland Partner Group (HPG) continues its construction binge in Downtown Los Angeles, with yet another residential tower slated to break ground today in South Park. The Vancouver, Washington-based company’s latest development - slated for a half-acre site bordered by by Figueroa, 9th and Flower Streets - will be a 28-story, LEED-Silver building which will feature 341 apartments above a three-level underground parking garage. The project, known as Apex II, will also include approximately 11,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, a rooftop amenity deck and a small park.

Yesterday, we reported that Barry Shy was planning a condo conversion for SB Tower, one of his numerous properties in Downtown Los Angeles. A representative of the developer has notified us that the plans filed with the City of Los Angeles do not reflect any imminent plans, but rather an extension of the sunset provisions for previously approved entitlements. The building will remain as apartments. We regret the error.

Urban Commons, the real estate firm that now controls the land surrounding the Queen Mary, has announced $15 million in renovations for the historic ocean liner. According to a press release, the Los Angeles-based developer is partnering with architecture firm Gensler, to return the ship to its former glory while also infusing contemporary influences. Plans call for upgrades to the corridors and 346 state rooms of the hotel, including new carpeting, lighting and refurbished millwork.