Developer Proposes Affordable Housing in South Central

A low-rise relic in South Los Angeles is poised for an all-affordable overhaul.

Plans filed with the Los Angeles City Planning Department call for demolishing a 1908-built fourplex at 4061-4067 South Main Street and replacing it with a seven-story, 83-unit apartment building aimed entirely at income-restricted tenants, L.A. YIMBY reported. Real estate developer and investor Raymond Saviss of Sasi Main LLC is listed in city records as the applicant, while Kamran Ravandi of SG Design is noted as the project representative and architect, according to the publication.

The development would include 83 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments all reserved for affordable housing under city incentive programs. Plans include 31 parking spaces, along with bicycle storage. The ground and second floors would house parking, a lobby, gym and building services below five levels of residential units.

The project underscores the city’s continued push to layer affordable housing into historically low-rise neighborhoods. The project’s developers are seeking density bonuses and other incentives that draw developers to small infill sites like this one to deliver below-market units at scale.

Executive Directive 1, implemented in 2022, expedites the approval of 100 percent affordable housing projects in Los Angeles. The exact income levels targeted in this development, as well as a construction timeline, have not been disclosed.

If approved, the project would bring 83 income-restricted apartments to a corridor better known for aging housing stock, marking another incremental shift toward higher-density living in South Los Angeles. Developers appear keen to break into the neighborhood, particularly with fully affordable efforts.

Last year, Pasadena-based Garwood filed plans with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning to develop 1708 and 1715 South Wall Street into 219 units of affordable housing. The development would replace existing commercial buildings on two lots across the street from each other with two 11-story structures. The 1708 South Wall Street building would contain 69 apartments and 545 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, while the 1715 South Wall Street tower would have 150 residential units. Both developments would take advantage of ED 1.

— Chris Malone Méndez