K-Town Apartments Finally Shooting Upwards

685 New Hampshire Avenue

In Koreatown, construction forges onward for phase two of K2LA, a low-rise apartment complex from developer Century West Partners.  The project, designed by Los Angeles-based architect David Forbes Hibbert, will consist of two seven-story buildings at 680 Berendo Street and 685 New Hampshire Avenue.  Phase two, which is replacing back-to-back surface parking lots, will offer a total of 347 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments.  Each building will feature a fitness center, conference rooms and a rooftop amenity deck.

The first phase of K2LA, located on an adjacent property at 688 Berendo Street, opened this past May.  With 130 apartments, the seven-story structure offers a similar blend of dwelling units and residential amenities to its phase two counterparts.

K2LA is one of several new multi-family residential developments which have recently sprung up on the eastern periphery of Koreatown.  Less than a half-mile southwest, a team of local investors plans a 27-story apartment tower at the intersection of 8th and Catalina Streets.  Further east, Century West Partners has proposed a seven-story mixed-use development on a property near Lafayette Park.

685 New Hampshire Avenue (Image: David Forbes Hibbert)

More Details on the Re-Redesigned AMP Lofts

Image: Bolour Associates

An initial study published earlier this week by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has revealed new details about the AMP Lofts, a proposed mixed-used complex in the eastern Arts District.  The project, which is being developed by Bolour Associates, would rise from a 2.38-acre site bounded by Seventh Street, Santa Fe Avenue and Imperial Street.

Demolition Imminent at Fig Central Site

In October, Oceanwide Real Estate Group finally revealed their new three-tower plan for the long-awaited Fig Central mega-development.  Just two months later, the Bejing-based developer is already moving ahead with an important first step in the construction process.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued demolition permits for the existing structures at 1101 S. Flower Street.  The 4.6-acre property, purchased by Oceanwide in late 2013, is currently developed with a pair of low-rise mechanical buildings and an underground bank vault.  Construction of the new tower complex will necessitate the removal of all existing structures.

As of Monday, the process had already kicked off with the arrival of heavy equipment along the Flower Street side of the project site.  This afternoon, a skeleton crew was hastily assembling a chain-link fence which now encircles the property.  One worker stated that demolition was scheduled to begin soon.

Affordable Housing Project Takes Form in Pico Union

Vertical construction is largely complete for Vermont Manzanita, an affordable housing project located in the Pico Union neigborhood.  The five-story structure, which is being developed by the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC), will feature 40 one- and three-bedroom apartments units.  According to a document from the State Treasurer's office, rents in low-rise complex will range from $233 to $1,292 per month.

In developing Vermont Manzanita, one of WHCHC's primary motivations is ensuring the safety of at-risk children.  Fifteen of the building's residential units will be reserved for families with children under the age of five.  Additionally, the Children's Institute - a local nonprofit which combats child abuse - shall act as Vermont Manzanita's lead service provider.

Designs from architecture firm Hatch-Colasuonna Studio call for lush landscaping on all levels of the building.  Other private amenities will include a children's play area, a barbeque pit and tenant community garden.

The project, located at 1225 South Vermont Avenue, sits along the path of multiple bus lines.  The building will also accommodate a small amount of automobile parking, with garage space at ground level.

Construction of Vermont Manzanita is scheduled for completion in October 2015.  For housing applications and additional information, please visit WHCHC's website.

(Image: Dreyfuss Construction)

New Pomona College Science Building to Open in 2015

All images courtesy of Pomona College

Construction of Pomona College's new 75,000 square-foot Millikan Science Hall is ahead of schedule, with the building slated for completion in mid-2015.  The project, imagined as a new local landmark, was originally scheduled to open next Fall.  When complete, the low-rise structure will house the school's astronomy, mathematics and physics departments.

Copper panels are currently being added to the exterior of the building's planetarium dome, while ceramic tiles and windows are being installed on other parts of the facility.

Millikan Hall, designed by San Francisco-based architecture firm EHDD, will include: a domed digital planetarium; an outdoor physics lab; a two-story atrium; a remote observation room for Pomona's one-meter telescope at NASA's JPL Table Mountain facility; machine, wood and metal shops; a colloquium room with eating for 80 to 100 people; a 50-seat classroom and 16 physics teaching and research labs, in addition to classrooms and study spaces.  Matt Construction is the contractor for the project, which also entails a renovation of the adjacent Andrews Science Hall.

West Valley Doubles Down on Mixed-Use Developments

6912 Reseda Boulevard, looking north

Reseda Boulevard, long an auto-dominated corridor, has gradually come to the forefront of the push for walkable urbanity in the West San Fernando Valley.  The latest installment in this saga, a proposed residential-retail complex, would replace a brief stretch of automobile repair shops and drive-thru restaurants.

According to plans submitted to the city earlier this month, the proposed development at 6912 Reseda Boulevard calls for a six-story building, comprised of 170 residential units and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space.  The project would span across an approximately 1.5-acre site, occupying the majority of a city block between Basset and Hart Streets.

Shiny New Renderings for 3033 Wilshire Boulevard (UPDATED)

3033 Wilshire Boulevard (All images: Steinberg Architects)

New information has emerged regarding 3033 Wilshire Boulevard, a proposed high-rise apartment complex which would straddle the border between Westlake and Koreatown.

Los Angeles-based Steinberg Architects, design architect for the project, recently updated its website with a new a page for the proposed 18-story building.  The tower, as envisioned by developer UDR Incorporated, would consist of 190 apartments, 5,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and four levels of below-grade parking.  Residential units would range in size from studios to luxury penthouse spaces, each of which would contain two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Steinberg's design for the building would feature an exterior consisting primarily of glass.  A series of protruding decks would gradually change in shape and size while moving up the tower's mass, giving the facade a fluid texture.  The building would be capped by a rooftop pool and amenity deck, offering panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Ocean.

The project site - located at the northwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Virgil Avenue - was first slated for high-rise development nearly one decade ago.  According to the website of consulting firm PMA, the new apartment tower is scheduled for completion in February 2016.

UPDATE 11/22/14: Heavy equipment and construction materials are present at the development site.