Orr Partners Floats Housing Project on Office Site

Developers have filed permits for the construction of an eight-story multifamily development in Santa Monica.

Virginia-based Orr Partners, in partnership with designer Tighe Architecture, has filed plans to build the residential property at 1723 Cloverfield Boulevard, located near the 26th Street/Bergamot Metro station, L.A. Yimby reported. The project would replace a one-story office building and adjacent parking lot.

The proposal calls for Orr to build 330 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments across eight floors above ground. Underground, residents will have access to three levels of subterranean parking accommodating 357 vehicles and additional space for bicycles.

Of the proposed apartments, 10 percent of them, or 33 units, will be set aside as deed-restricted affordable housing for moderate-income, low-income, and very-low-income households. In Los Angeles County, moderate income for one person is categorized as making less than $89,550 annually, while low-income is a maximum of $84,850 and very-low-income falls under $53,000 for one person. By including affordable units in the development, the project qualifies for density bonus incentives, allowing the developer additional height and floor area than what zoning limits permit.

The ground floor includes floor-to-ceiling windows for resident amenities and lobby space, while units above have recessed balconies. The upper floors step back from the street’s edge to create landscaped terraces and a rooftop green space. In addition to recessed balconies, residents will benefit from passive sustainability touches like solar shading as well as the planned landscaping to improve environmental performances.

Under its housing element, the City of Santa Monica is required to build or plan for 8,874 new housing units by 2029. Of those, 69 percent must be priced at various affordable-income levels.

This summer, the City of Santa Monica put out a call to developers interested in buying plots of city-owned land with plans for affordable housing, with the largest of the three parcels just around the corner from Orr’s proposed construction site. Interested developers can apply to purchase a 5.6-acre parcel at 2525 Michigan Avenue on the opposite side of Bergamot Station Arts Center.

— Chris Malone Méndez