Mixed-Use Campus Planned at Former LA Times Printing Plant

Just 22 years after it opened, the Los Angeles Times shuttered its San Fernando Valley printing plant due to declining circulation.  The property has lain dormant since 2006, but may soon see new life as a mixed-use development anchored by a toy manufacturer.  MGA Entertainment, maker of the popular Bratz dolls, will relocate its corporate headquarters to the 214,000 square foot building at 20000 Prairie Street.  The adaptive re-use project, designed by Brooks + Scarpa Architects, converts the stuffy printing plant into trendy creative office space.  However, MGA also has ambitious plans for the large surface parking lots surrounding the building.  Envisioning a similar environment to Google's Mountain View campus, MGA intends to sell the majority of the 23.6 acre property to developer(s) who would build mixed-use apartment complexes.  A site plan drawn up by Nadel Architects calls for a trio of four-story residential buildings, combining to create approximately 700 apartment units.  The office and apartment structures would feature 14,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, with parking mostly located in above-grade garages hidden from street view.  As a nice nod to the neighborhood, the land along the southern perimeter of the property would be transformed into approximately 1.5 acres of park space.  Of course, it's hard to say if this vision can translate into reality (in Chatsworth, of all places).  Still, an internally focused campus still beats the office parks and porn sets warehouses that currently surround the project site.

Out With Old-School Bungalows, In With New-School Apartments

In Koreatown, it's out with the old and in the the new, as developers lay waste to early 20th century structures to make room for new multi-family buildings.  Next up on the chopping block may be a pair of 100+ year old bungalows located just south of 8th Street.  A new proposal would level the structures at 831 - 843 Harvard Boulevard to make way for a larger, 67-unit development.  This project, located at 837 Harvard, appears to be the work of the locally based Keren Investment Group.  The two bungalows, both constructed in 1910, are relics of a time when the Wilshire corridor consisted of single family homes rather than office towers.  However, the proposed building at 837 Harvard Street is not the only residential project on the boards in this part of K-Town.  Across the street, a mixed-use development dubbed 8th & Harvard would create 131 condo units above 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.  Two blocks north, Jamison Services plans to construct a 209-unit apartment building at 3640 Wilshire Boulevard.  Both projects are designed by the Koreatown-based Archeon Group, and luckily don't require the demolition of any century-old bungalows.

• Case Information Summary Sheet (LA City Planning)

Metropolis Scheduled to Break Ground on Valentines Day

The Greenland Group raised more than a few eyebrows when they boldly proclaimed that they'd break ground on the long awaited Metropolis development before the end of 2013.  Turns out that they might not have been that far off.  According to a document from the city's Chief Legislative Analyst, the Chinese developer plans to start shoring and grading work for phase one of Metropolis on February 14.  Phase one will emerge at the intersection of Francisco Street and James M Wood Boulevard, consisting of two high-rise structures above a pedestrian plaza.  The first tower, a 350-room Hotel Indigo, will rise approximately 19-stories.  Guest rooms will stand above a podium structure containing food and beverage outlets, meeting space, recreational amenities, and street level retail.  Records from LADBS indicate that the second tower is intended to rise 38-stories, containing 290 residential units above a parking podium.  Phase two, which has no scheduled groundbreaking date, will consist of three two towers with a "mix of residential and commercial uses."

Unfortunately, not all is not well on Metropolis' 6.3 acre parking lot.  The Greenland Group claims that the project's hotel component is facing an $82-92 million finance gap, and requests assistance from the city to make up for the deficit.  In years past, Los Angeles has granted tax rebates to both the J.W. Marriott and the Wilshire Grand for this purpose.  While the city will conduct its own analysis of Greenland's project before making a decision, representatives of the Convention Center have already indicated a willingness to provide financial incentives to get 4,000 new hotel rooms by 2020.  In other words, it seems likely that the Greenland Group will get their tax break.  In the meantime, get your popcorn ready and keep your eyes peeled for construction equipment come Valentines Day.  Or go spend time with your loved ones...whatever.  Either way, Downtown's long delayed mega-project will finally get shovels in the ground.

• Economic Development Incentives for the Metropolis Hotel Project (LA City)
• Greenland Group Gets Serious About Metropolis (Building Los Angeles)

Squat Apartment Building Heads to the Condo Canyon

West LA could be getting a new residential tower, but Westwood's Condo Canyon continues to see shorter wood-frame projects coming out of the er....woodworks.  According to an e-mail tipster, a trio of mid-century apartment buildings at 10763 - 10787 Wilshire Boulevard were demolished late last year.  In their place, a six-story, luxury apartment complex designed by GMP Architects (Avant, 801 Olive Street) shall rise.  10777 Wilshire would contain 60 residential units above a 150-stall underground parking garage.  Amenities include a fitness center, meditation garden, concierge service and even an on-site salon.  A rooftop patio would provide outdoor kitchen space with spectacular views of Westwood and the Santa Monica Mountains (check out renderings after the jump).  Albeit a little off the main pedestrian corridor, the project's location sits within easy walking distance of the restaurants and stores within Westwood's busy commercial hub.  On the other hand, who can afford to live in a place with concierge service?  Promotional literature from CBRE boasts that units in some of the nearby buildings command rents in excess $10,000 per month.  10777 Wilshire probably won't hit five figures, but it certainly won't be cheap.  It's also worth mentioning that this is not the first time that development has been planned for these parcels.  Way back in 2007, Curbed LA reported that French designer Philippe Starck had drawn up plans for a 27-unit luxury condominium building on the site.  That not-so-attractive concept went nowhere amid the recession, but perhaps GMP's design will have better luck in 2014.

Gensler Designed Senior Housing for Playa Vista

The Fountainview at Gonda Westside, image from Gensler via Kilograph

Back to Playa Vista, where the Los Angeles Jewish Home is currently working on their latest luxury retirement community.  The Fountainview at Gonda Westside is scheduled to open in 2016, creating 175 independent living units and 24 assisted living units.  The five-story, Gensler-designed structure will rise at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Westlawn Avenue.  The building's "picturesque rooftop," features a swimming pool, spa, garden, cafe and observation deck.   Other residential amenities include a fitness center, library, and on-site theater.  As the Fountainview prepares to break ground, the rest of the Playa Vista campus is in the midst of a full on building boom.  Just a short walk away, Lincoln Property Group is hard at work on the $200 million Runway at Playa Vista, which will create a mixed-use complex consisting of apartments, office space, ground floor retail and (of course) parking.  Also under construction nearby is the Resort, a 25,000 square foot recreation facility featuring a fitness center and a Junior Olympic pool.  In addition, a variety of smaller for-sale and rental housing facilities are underway from developers such as KB Home and Brookfield Home.  This is shaping up to be a walkable, amenity laden community, full of the resources that car-free seniors will need.  Plus, the beach is just one-and-a-half miles west (if you're into that sort of thing).

Apartments Heading to Hancock Park

4180 Wilshire Boulevard

One of the sleepier sections of Wilshire Boulevcard may become a little less so, as development begins spreading east from the Miracle Mile and west from Koreatown.  The surface parking lot at the southeast corner of Wilshire and Crenshaw Boulevard is slated for a 30-unit apartment building.  Residential units would rise within a four-story structure, served by a 67-vehicle parking garage.  Construction equipment will also be on site at a neighboring parcel over the next several years, albeit for a very different type of project.  According to Larchmont Buzz, Metro will utilize the parking lot at the southwest corner of the intersection as a construction staging yard for the first phase of the Purple Line extension.  A little bit of traffic and noise pollution now in exchange for Los Angeles' most important transit project in decades.  Unfortunately, a proposed station at Wilshire and Crenshaw was nixed from the project years ago due to low ridership potential.  Of course, that's not much of a surprise considering that Hancock Park's zoning mandates such a low density project at a high profile intersection.

• Case Information Summary Sheet (LA City Planning)
• Wilshire-Crenshaw Lot Cleared as Staging Area for Metro Construction (Larchmont Buzz)

Neighbors Unhappy With Proposed South Park Boutique Hotel (UPDATED)

1130 Hope Street, designed by Sam Marshall

You wouldn't think of development hungry Downtown LA as a bedlam for NIMBY activity, but there's a first time for everything.  Investment group BIMHF, LLC announced plans to convert a derelict structure at 1130 Hope Street into a 44-room boutique hotel back in 2012, but a group of neighbors have recently started fighting against the project.  Homeowners in the adjacent Luma and Evo condominium towers have asked the Central Area Planning Commission to overturn the entitlements granted to the 10-story hotel project last year, included allowances for an open air pool deck and zero off-street parking.  A hearing is scheduled for next week, although LADCP staff have recommended that the hotel tower move forward as approved.  Of course, if residents are upset over a construction site springing up in their backyard, they are in for a rude awakening in the near future.  Multiple surface parking lots surrounding Evo and Luma are slated for skyline altering developments courtesy of the Onni Group, Mack Urban, Oceanwide and Jamison Services.  With so many ambitious developments in the pipeline, it's ironic that a relatively small project is the one ruffling feathers.  Either way, get used to construction cranes and mixed-use towers in South Park, because you're going to be seeing quite a few of them in the coming years.

UPDATE: This is a rebuttal from a resident of one of the condo towers, clarifying the HOA's position on the hotel project.

This article completely misrepresents the position of this project's neighbors. As a resident of one of the adjacent condo buildings directly overlooking this project, the concern was never the presence of a construction site. Rather, my concern was the operation of an open-air rooftop pool and bar open to the public until 2:00 a.m., literally only feet from my unit. The zoning administrator's original decision restricted use of the rooftop pool and bar to hotel guests and limited operating hours to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. The developer did not appeal these restrictions and I, for one, am satisfied and look forward to the hotel opening. The appeal (which I understand was largely denied yesterday) related to parking and access issues, and I don't believe ever had as its goal stopping this project.