BRE Properties, Inc. is proposing to build a mixed-use residential and retail project on a 3.4 acre site at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in the Wilshire Community Plan area. Specifically, the site is bound by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Sycamore Avenue to the east, West 8th Street on the south and La Brea Avenue to the west.
The project would consist of 645 apartment units and approximately 41,500 square feet of commercial space. The residential mix would include 140 one-bedroom studio units, 254 one-bedroom units, 241 two-bedroom apartment units and 10 two-bedroom town home units. The retail component would include 36,470 square feet of general retail and 5,000 square feet of restaurant space. Residents-only amenities would include indoor recreation and fitness areas, outdoor pool, spa and both public and private open space decks.
The proposed building would be a podium style structure with commercial space located under the podium along Wilshire and La Brea Boulevards. The podium would be located on the third story of the structure (approximately 40 feet when measured from grade) and residential units would be located in two structures on top of the podium. The taller structure would be 13 stories above the podium (about 190 feet tall when measured from grade) at the corner of Wilshire and La Brea and would be constructed of concrete. The smaller structure would be 6 stories above the podium (about 105 feet tall when measures from grade) along La Brea and be constructed with load-bearing steel studs. Both structures step down to three story town homes along Sycamore.
The project would provide a total of approximately 64,100 square feet of open space. Of this amount, 27,079 square feet of open space would be at grade and would consist of a wide strip of landscaping along Sycamore Avenue and smaller intermittent planters along Wilshire Boulevard, La Brea Avenue and West 8th Street along with paved areas in plazas. In addition, the project would provide over 30,000 square feet of open space on the podium and approximately 7,000 square feet of open space on a rooftop deck.
A total of 1,219 parking spaces would be provided on 5 levels (parked at code). One level of parking would be provided at street grade. Two additional levels of parking would be provided above grade and the remaining two levels would be provided below grade. Access points to the garage are located on Sycamore Avenue just south of Wilshire (residential), La Brea Boulevard (retail), and West 8th Street (residential and retail.) Loading zones are proposed to be located completely within the building. The architect for the project is Thomas P. Cox Architects, Inc.
The project is planned to be a "Green Building" and will target Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification. The LEED program is run by the US Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org), and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. BRE Properties is one of the first Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to commit to a green building program company-wide.
The project is currently undergoing the environmental review by the City of Los Angeles.
