Rainy Day Westlake Construction Update

As the supply of unclaimed parking lots decreases in Downtown Los Angeles, many developers have begun looking to the neighborhood's fringe for new infill opportunities.  During the past year, multiple projects have emerged in once unfathomable locations outside the Central City freeway ring, including proposed high-rise complexes in Chinatown and South Los Angeles.  However, the chief beneficiary of this shift is undoubtedly the long downtrodden Westlake neighborhood.  The predominantly immigrant community, once considered "Los Angeles' answer to the Champs-Élysées," is now experiencing a resurgence in commercial and market-rate residential development.

Arguably the most conspicuous addition to the neighborhood is Good Samaritan Hostpital's Medical Plaza and Outpatient Pavilion.  The seven-story structure, designed by architecture firm Ware Malcomb, will feature an exterior of shimmering blue-tinged glass.  Budgeted at $80 million, the Medical Plaza will eventually house a pharmacy, multiple clinics and a new ambulatory surgery center.  Additionally, the building will feature a ground-floor café and a window display focused on medical history.

The approximately 190,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2015.

Good Sam Expansion Still Moving Along

When we last checked in on Good Samaritan Hospital's Medical Plaza and Outpatient Pavilion, steel had barely progressed to the second level above ground.  Flash forward six months, and the frame of the 190,000 square foot structure is mostly complete.  Standing seven-stories tall, the $80 million expansion project topped out in a January ceremony.  The state-of-the-art facility will eventually house the hospital's radiology and oncology departments, in addition to an ambulatory surgery center.  Designed by Irvine-based Ware Malcomb, the expansion building will share a two-story lobby with one of the hospital's existing structures next-door.  The finished product will also include a ground floor cafe and a street facing window display focused on medical history.  Good Sam's newest wing rises at a time when the formerly derelict City West neighborhood is experiencing a flurry of renewed interest from developers.  Last February, Holland Residential opened a 210-unit apartment building one block east of new medical building.  Further west, Sonny Astani plans to break ground this year on a mixed-use development at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Valencia Street.  The "New Jersey," of Downtown?  Not for much longer.

Steel Rises for Good Sam's New Medical Plaza

With the rapid expansion of Downtown LA's residential population, a variety of eateries and retail establishments have set up shop in the neighborhood.  Another (albeit less exciting) necessity for a growing community is improved medical services, an area which now must play catch up due to Downtown's growth spurt.  With that in mind, Good Samaritan Hospital's $80 million expansion finally got concrete in the ground this past August.  The steel skeleton of the Medical Plaza and Outpatient Pavilion currently stands two floors above the northeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street.  When completed, the seven-story, 193,000 square foot edifice will house the hospital's radiology and oncology departments, in addition to an ambulatory surgery center.  The Ware Malcomb designed facility will feature a two-story lobby on Witmer Street, shared with one of the hospital's existing buildings.  Good Sam' also intends to foster new pedestrian activity in the Westlake neighborhood through the inclusion of a ground floor cafe and a window display focused on medical history.  The Medical Plaza will soon be joined by a slew of mixed-use neighbors, including the Valencia by Sonny Astani and a proposed 52-unit development across the street.

Another Mixed-User on the Way in Westlake

1324 W Wilshire Blvd

More apartments appear to be coming to the stretch of Wilshire Blvd that traverses the Westlake neighborhood.  Here are the details filed with the Department of City Planning:

1324 1/2 W Wilshire Blvd

This project includes the demolition of two three-story existing office buildings for the construction of a 6-story, approximately 73-ft. tall building with 52 residential dwelling units, 54 parking spaces, approx. 5,281 sq. ft. of ground floor neighborhood serving retail, and a total of approx. 56,598 sq. ft. of floor space.

1324 1/2 W Wilshire is part of a trend of new developments emerging with reduced parking components.  Always a nice thing to see, and it makes perfect sense in a transit rich neighborhood like Westlake.

This proposal joins two larger scale developments located less than one block away.  To the east, Good Samaritan Hospital's Medical Plaza is currently under construction at the corner of Wilshire and Witmer.

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Plaza.  The expansion is the building on the right hand side featuring blue glass.

To the west, Sonny Astani plans to build a six story mixed-use development with 220 apartments at the corner of Wilshire and Valencia.