Torkian Construction principal proposes 218-unit apartment complex in Westlake

Updated, 5:00 p.m., July 14: Steve Torkian of Torkian Construction is planning a 218-unit apartment complex in Westlake.

Torkian, through an LLC called Urban View Investments, acquired the one-plus-acre parcel of land bounded by Hartford Avenue, Witmer Street and 5th Street late last year.

The project calls for an eight-story, 174,082-square-foot building to rise in place of a few single-family residences that currently occupy the land.

Of the 200-some propose units, the developer promised 36 would be designated as affordable housing. Thirty-three of the 36 will be marked for “very low income” renters, a Torkian representative told The Real Deal.

While this is Urban View’s first development, Torkian has a few other projects in the works, including two condo buildings in North Hollywood.

The developer chose Westlake for the development because of its central location and the multitude of developments that have been proposed in the submarket, the Urban View representative said. 

Nearby in Echo Park, plans were recently filed for a 45-unit apartment building at 1301 West Sunset Boulevard, TRD reported earlier this week. And earlier this month, development firm Square One Homes also submitted to City Planning an environmental review for its proposed 40-unit, six-story apartment complex at the northeast corner of Colton and Douglas Streets.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Torkian had purchased the 0.8-acre property for $6 million. These numbers account for only one portion of the multi-lot property.