Vermont Blvd. Mixed-User to Add More Density to K-Town

According to plans filed earlier this month with the LA City Planning Department, more apartments are coming to Vermont Avenue at its intersection with James M. Wood (almost spitting distance from the busy Wilshire/Vermont Station).

The location of the mysterious new apartments, outlined in red.

Here is what we know so far:

2855 W JAMES M WOOD BLVD

NEW MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT WITH 187 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 18,000 SF. GROUND RETAIL ON THE NORTH SITE, AND A MIXED-USE BUILDING WITH 224 UNITS AND 25,800 SF. GROUND RETAIL ON THE SOUTH SITE.

Here's what the scene looks like today:

The northern lot currently serves as a neighborhood market.  Nice enough, but not a building of architectural significance.

The southern lot is currently "improved," as a surface parking lot.

Obviously it's difficult to say what exactly to expect at this point.  The two parcels were sold in October of last year, so this is still fairly early in the planning process.  On the bright side, whatever it may be, I wouldn't expect much (if any) NIMBY revolt.  411 apartments isn't of big concern in transit rich/already dense Koreatown.  Frankly, the demographics of the neighborhood just don't cater to the NIMBY persuasion (working class, high concentration of immigrants).

This news comes amidst what is already a noticeable uptick in construction for Koreatown.  Walking up Vermont from James M Woods to Wilshire Blvd, new residential building are springing up like weeds.  This includes Century West's K2LA, Southwestern Law Schools painfully white student housing, plus several other unnamed developments.  Last but not least, J.H. Snyder's 464 unit Vermont Towers rise at the intersection with Wilshire:

Nothing quite like a shiny glass high rise.  Or better yet, two of them!