County approves major redevelopment plan for Koreatown’s Vermont Corridor

Rendering of the new department of mental health building (credit: LA County)
Rendering of the new department of mental health building (credit: LA County)

Koreatown’s Vermont Corridor is one step closer to getting a facelift.

Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a plan to redevelop several government buildings on Vermont Avenue and construct two new complexes, one of which will be designated as senior affordable housing, Curbed reported.

The sites, between Fourth and Sixth Streets, currently house the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and several other city agencies. The redevelopment, in partnership with Trammell Crow Company, calls for the conversion of one of the existing buildings to 172 market-rate apartments.

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Among the two new structures will be a $270 million tower which will house nearly 2,0000 department of mental health employees. It will have 13 stories and include 10,000 square feet of retail. The other new structure will include 72 units of affordable senior housing and a 12,500-square-foot community center.

But it will be a while before the project takes shape: County Supervisors isn’t slated to discuss a ground lease arrangement with the city, and a budget for the project, until April 2018. [Curbed]Cathaleen Chen