Anaheim developer plans 51 units for Koreatown

Plans call for replacing two buildings with just seven dwellings between them

944-952 S. Dewey Avenue (Credit: Google Maps)
944-952 S. Dewey Avenue (Credit: Google Maps)

A developer out of Anaheim is planning to replace a pair of multifamily buildings in Koreatown with a 51-unit Transit-Oriented Communities complex.

RKC Development, using a limited liability company called RKC Dewey, filed plans for the project with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning last week.

The filing calls for a five-story building across two properties spanning 944-952 S. Dewey Avenue near the corner of San Marino Street. The two lots, which RKC acquired last October, total 11,800 square feet. One is home to a three-unit building and the other has a four-unit building.

Koreatown has seen a steady stream of development over the last several years in response to strong demand for housing in the area. There is concern among developers and market watchers that the coronavirus pandemic could bring rents down to the point that some new projects there will no longer pencil out.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

The RKC project would include six units reserved for “extremely low-income” renters, which provides the developer with perks through the city’s TOC program.

In exchange for renting out a percentage of units at below-market rates, developers can choose from a number of entitlements including a density bonus and a reduction in required open space. The application for Dewey Street does not indicate which ones RKC will seek.

The developer could not be immediately reached for comment. RKC Dewey LLC is based in Anaheim and controlled by Rachel Choi. The developer is working with design and architecture firm Andmore Partners, which has been involved with similar infill projects in Koreatown and around the L.A. area.