Downtown's Libeskind Killing Avant Reveals Itself

Scaffolding is coming down, and the stucco is coming out on the first phase of Century West Partners' Avant mixed-use development.  The GMP Architects designed project, which began construction in September 2012, will bring just over 240 apartments and 11,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space to the growing South Park neighborhood in 2014.  A second phase of the project broke ground earlier this year, and will create an extra 193 units and 9,500 square feet of retail by early 2015.  The seven-story complex stands on surface parking lots previously intended for a 43-story high-rise designed by bespectacled architect Daniel Libeskind.  While the design of the now cancelled tower project had its own share of critics, Avant is a posterchild for Downtown's low-rise building spree during the past calendar year.  These projects have raised concerns amongst community stakeholders about lost opportunities for high-rise towers, and even prompted a proposed interim control ordinance regulating wood-frame construction from 14th District Councilman Jose Huizar.  Avant, which utilizes wood-frame construction, occupies two parcels directly across the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Sepulveda Boulevard IHOP Gets a Next Door Neighbor

Travelers along the 405/10 interchange may have noticed a wood structure sprouting up on the vacant lot next to Sepulveda Boulevard's kitchy, mid-century IHOP.  This would in fact be a mixed-use development from Century West Properties, dubbed "The 2900."  The six-story structure features 48 residential units above roughly 1,500 square feet of ground floor office space.  Upper levels consist of two-story loft units, offering private sundecks with sweeping views of the Westside (seriously, check out the picture below).  Units also feature double paned windows, a necessity given that two of the busiest freeways in the United States intersect just across the street.  However, there is a more environmentally friendly transportation option in the works nearby.  Metro's Expo/Sepulveda Station is under-construction just a half-mile north, providing one-seat rides to Downtown LA and Downtown Santa Monica by mid-2016 (fingers crossed).  Locally based Plus Architects designed the project, which was originally known as "The West End," when it began working its way through City Planning back in 2008.  With Metro Rail finally pushing towards the Pacific, the 2900 joins a slew of mixed-use residential buildings springing up along its path.