Affordable Towers Proposed in South Central Los Angeles

Los Angeles’ Historic South Central neighborhood could get two new mid-rise affordable housing buildings.

Pasadena-based Garwood has filed plans with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to develop 1708 and 1715 South Wall Street into more than 200 units of affordable housing, L.A. Yimby and Urbanize Los Angeles reported. An affiliate, 1715 Wall Street, was listed as the property owner, with designs by BAR Architects and landscaping by Relm.

The development would span 2,487 square feet and would replace existing commercial structures on the two lots across the street from each other. Both buildings would rise 11 stories and have a combined total of 219 rental units.

The 1708 South Wall Street building would contain 69 apartments and 545 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The 1715 South Wall Street tower would have 150 residential units. The affordable apartments would be set aside for low-, very low- and extremely low-income residents, defined in Los Angeles as between $31,850 and $84,850 for one person.

Both developments would take advantage of Executive Directive 1, which expedites the processing of shelters and 100 percent affordable housing projects in Los Angeles. A proposed construction timeline hasn’t been disclosed.

The site is located just south of the I-10 freeway and downtown L.A.’s Fashion District. Nearby public transit is available via the San Pedro Street stop on Metro’s A Line.

BAR Architects’ designs include a mix of warm and neutral colors on the building’s facade, blending in with nearby Fashion District buildings. The project would include landscaping on the roof and at street level.

In the wake of the Palisades and Eaton fires in January, Mayor Karen Bass updated Executive Directive 1 to help victims rebuild faster and bypass lengthy application and review processes normally required by the city. The city of Los Angeles has so far issued 21 rebuilding permits in the Eaton fire burn zone and just one in the Pacific Palisades, according to the county’s permitting tracker.

— Chris Malone Méndez