Development WELCOME HOME

Months of rumors have finally been confirmed: Lafayette Park is getting a high-rise neighbor. Yesterday, plans were submitted to the City of Los Angeles for the construction of a residential-retail complex at 2908 Wilshire Boulevard. The mixed-use development would consist of a 31-story tower containing a maximum of 644 apartments and 13,200 square feet of ground-level commercial space. As currently proposed, the project will require a site plan review and a Director’s Decision to allow for a 10% reduction in total open space.

Jamison Services, one of Southern California’s largest private office landlords, has dramatically upsized its vision for a mixed-use development in Koreatown. Yesterday, the Los Angeles-based real estate firm submitted plans to the City for a new high-rise complex at 3545 Wilshire Boulevard. A case filing from the Department of City Planning states that the project would feature towers of 14 and 32 stories, as well as a standalone six-level parking structure.

After a decade of failed attempts, one of Koreatown’s most prized development sites will finally birth a residential-retail complex. Permit applications from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety indicate that construction is about to commence for 3670 Wilshire Boulevard, a proposed seven-story development that will feature 377 apartments and approximately 8,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The property, which spans Hobart Boulevard between Wilshire and 7th Street, has been the site of multiple failed high-rise developments since 2005.

According to pictures taken by an e-mail tipster, construction is underway on 10777 Wilshire Boulevard, a new residential development in Westwood’s Condo Canyon. The low-rise complex, which is being developed by Palisades Capital Partners LLC, will consist of a seven-story structure featuring 56 luxury apartments and 150 parking stalls. Plans call for a slew of residential amenities, including a fitness center, a meditation garden, concierge service and an on-site salon. The building would also feature an accessible rooftop patio, offering views of Westwood and the Santa Monica Mountains.

Construction is ramping up on 3033 Wilshire Boulevard, a new 18-story apartment tower on Koreatown’s eastern fringe. The 201-foot tall building, designed by Steinberg Architects, will consist of 190 apartments, 5,540 square feet of ground-level commercial space and 302 above-grade parking spaces. On-site amenities will include a fitness center, a swimming pool and spa, and a rooftop garden terrace. The project is being developed by UDR Inc., a Colorado-based real estate investment trust.

The highly anticipated renovation of the Petersen Automotive Museum has taken a big step forward, with the addition of the first stainless steel ribbons to the exterior of the Mid-Wilshire institution. The project, which began work late last year, includes a complete overhaul of the building’s facade and an expansion of the museum’s footprint to 300,000 square feet. Exterior designs by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates feature a series of curvilinear steel ribbons which will wrap the exterior of the four-story edifice.

Your eyes do not deceive you: construction cranes have returned to Century City. 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard, a $300 million residential tower by developer Crescent Heights, is about to begin the two-year climb to its eventual 40-story apex. When completed in 2016, the project will offer 283 luxury apartments along the border between West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Units will range in size from one-to-three-bedrooms, and are being built to condo specifications in the event of an uptick in the local for-sale market.

After sitting idle for several years, Westwood’s Flatiron-inspired Gayley at Wilshire could finally be moving forward. A case filing from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning indicates that developer Indivest Incorporated has revived plans for the 250-key, five-star hotel tower, which would be located on a currently vacant property at 10955 Wilshire Boulevard. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the 29-story building would rise 427 feet, making it the tallest structure in the Westwood skyline.

Earlier this year, the boutique Line Hotel opened up shop right above the Purple Line’s Wilshire/Normandie Station. Hopefully its windows are triple paned, because there could be construction activity on the horizon. According to a document from the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council, a new residential development is planned for the land directly west of the hotel. Rising seven stories at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Ardmore Avenue, the new apartment building would consist of 268 units above a ground level garage.

Koreatown’s Vermont Towers and their famously obtrusive parking podium are finally in the home stretch. The mixed-use development from the J.H. Snyder Company is one of only a handful of high-rise projects to break ground in Los Angeles since the recession. With towers of 29 and 23 stories, the Vermont adds 464 one and two bedroom units directly across the street from the bustling Wilshire/Vermont subway station. Designed by the Venice-based Jerde Partnership, the $200 million project features residential amenities including an outdoor garden, heated swimming pool, gym and dog park with views of the Downtown skyline.