Developer Seeks to Build Residences, Retail in Rancho Park

Another developer is looking to build a residential and retail property along the Pico Boulevard corridor in Rancho Park.

On Feb. 19, Ely Khakshouri of Avenue of the Stars Imports filed an application with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to demolish an existing commercial building at 2435 Military Avenue and construct an eight-story building with apartments and ground-floor retail, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.

The plans call for 154 studio and one-bedroom apartments above 1,578 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. Parking for 49 vehicles would be available in a semi-subterranean garage.

The applicant is requesting entitlements including transit-oriented development bonuses, allowing the developer to build bigger than what zoning rules would normally allow. In exchange, 17 of the new apartments would be set aside at below-market rates.

The project is the latest in a string of recent developments planned near the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Military Avenue.

Also last week, RBM of California filed plans to demolish a former restaurant at 10990 West Pico Boulevard in Rancho Park to build a seven-story residential building with 85 apartments above 3,268 square feet of ground-floor retail. Similar to Khakshouri’s plan, RBM is requesting entitlements including incentives to build larger than allowed by zoning rules in exchange for 15 of the new apartments being set aside for very-low-income households.

Last fall, Thrive Living filed plans to redevelop the site of a former Norm’s restaurant at 11001-11021 West Pico Boulevard to construct a new eight-story building with 207 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments above 2,410 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a three-level, 156-vehicle parking garage. In utilizing affordable housing incentives through the citywide housing incentive program, Thrive will build 164 units of low-income housing and 42 units of moderate-income housing. When complete, the complex will feature a fitness center, gym, recreation room and outdoor decks.— Chris Malone Méndez