A new mixed-use development is poised to rise in Valley Village.
The city of Los Angeles has approved a proposal to redevelop a commercial building at 12500 Riverside Drive into a five-story building with housing and ground-floor retail, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.
Developer Joseph Samuel received a determination letter from the City of Los Angeles’ Department of City Planning giving the green light to his Valley Village project just north of the 101 Freeway. The development, designed by JZA Architecture, would feature 219 apartments atop 2,162 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a two-level, 254-space subterranean parking garage.
Riverside Apartments, as JZA has codenamed the project, will include 25 units of very low-income housing and eight units of moderate-income housing. By setting off these affordable units, the project can utilize density incentives allowing larger structures than what zoning rules normally allow. In Los Angeles County, very-low income is defined as a maximum of $53,000 per year for one person, while moderate income maxes out at $89,550.
Residents will have access to three courtyards throughout the property and amenities including lobby lounges, a fitness center, outdoor gardens, a dedicated dog park and a swimming pool.
The endeavor initially would have required City Planning Commission approval due to its use of density bonus incentives, but the implementation of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program in February created a fast-track to approval. This allows the project to move forward without a public hearing or environmental review and cannot be appealed.
It’s not the first mixed-use development Samuel has pursued. In 2019, his five-story Monarch Apartments development at 1745 North Western Avenue in Hollywood opened with 26 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and about 1,500 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Elsewhere in the San Fernando Valley, JZA’s projects in Reseda and Sun Valley are among those that have been given the go-ahead after a judge ordered the city council to rescind its rejections of high-density development applications.
Read more
