Talk about ending 2013 with a bang. The Vancouver-based Onni Group has been bullish about Downtown for quite some time, but recent events indicate that their vision for neighborhood's future is literally sky-high. Earlier this month, the Canadian developer submitted plans to the city for four mixed-use towers, one of which would be Los Angeles' tallest residential building. On the parking lot of the 1212 Flower office building, Onni would construct two high-rise towers containing 730 condo dwellings and over 7,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. Just up the block, they plan a 28-story tower at 1133 Hope Street, containing 208 units and 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Both project sites sit adjacent to Metro's Pico Station, just a short walk from the flashing lights and bustling activity of Staples Center and LA Live. Next-door to their project at 888 Olive Street, Onni plans the most ambitious of its South Park buildings: a skyline altering 50-story tower. Located at 820 Olive Street, the building would contain 589 residential units with 4,500 square feet of ground floor retail, helping to reinvigorate what is now a pedestrian dead zone. San Francisco-based Carmel Partners also has big plans for this stretch of Olive, with a 700-unit development currently under construction and a 27-story tower planned across the street. Altogether, Onni's newest projects would add nearly 1,500 residential units to Downtown Los Angeles. It seems that the uproar over Downtown's low-rise building spree has once again proven to be much ado about nothing. On the other hand, we'll have to wait and see if market conditions support Onni's projects by the time they're ready to break ground.
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| Onni's high-rise project sites. 888 Olive, currently under construction, is highlighted in green. |
- Canadian Firm to Build Three Apartment Towers in Downtown LA (Los Angeles Times)
- 1212 Flower Street (LA City Planning)
- 1133 Hope Street (LA City Planning)
- 820 Olive Street (LA City Planning)
Excellent! Any idea regarding time lines, especially the 50 story?
ReplyDeleteThey only submitted their plans last week, so we probably wouldn't see groundbreaking until 2015 at the earliest. I recall someone from Onni stating that they didn't expect to start work until 888 Olive was already finished, so that sounds about right. It's tough to imagine a 50-story tower penciling out right now, but I suppose they're expecting LA's economy to pick up steam in the next few years.
DeleteI mean we knew downtown was cool before, but holy jeez....
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed. The projects closer to Staples Center seem more realistic in the short term future, but there's a lot of momentum on Olive Street right now.
DeleteThese Canadians don't mess around. I like 'em!
ReplyDeleteThey're ambitious, to say the least.
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