A low-slung commercial building on Los Angeles' Westside could soon trade its single story for eight, with a new plan on file to turn 2435 S. Military Avenue in Rancho Park into a mixed-use apartment building stacked with 154 units over ground-floor retail and parking.
What’s Proposed
An application submitted Feb. 19 by Ely Khakshouri of Avenue of the Stars Imports LLC calls for tearing down the existing one-story commercial structure at 2435 Military Avenue and replacing it with an eight-story podium-style building. The project would hold 154 studio and one-bedroom apartments above roughly 1,578 square feet of street-level commercial space, according to Urbanize LA. Plans included in the filing show a semi-subterranean garage with 49 parking spaces and list Kevin Tsai Architecture as the project architect. The applicant pitches the development as mixed-use and transit-oriented, a denser replacement for the low-rise structure now on the site.
Incentives And Affordability
The developer is seeking Transit Oriented Incentive Area bonuses through the city’s Citywide Housing Incentive Program, which offers extra height and density in exchange for affordable units and other public benefits. Case materials indicate that 17 of the 154 apartments would be reserved at below-market rents as part of the requested incentives, according to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. In return, the project can seek additional floor area and other forms of relief under the city’s housing rules.
Where It Fits On Pico
The plan at 2435 Military joins a growing lineup of mid-rise housing proposals along Pico Boulevard, including a seven-story, 85-unit building at 10990 W. Pico that would rise on a shuttered Pico fast-food spot. It would also sit not far from a separate 207-unit mixed-income development in the works along the same corridor, per The Real Deal. Developers increasingly see this stretch just east of Century City as prime territory, thanks to city incentive programs and nearby transit that make these commercial parcels more attractive for taller housing. Neighbors should expect mailed notices and other formal steps as the application moves through City Hall.
Next Steps
Commercial listings show the current single-story building at 2435 Military Avenue is still being marketed as commercial space, but it would be demolished if the new project secures its entitlements, according to those listings. Because the recent filing is only an entitlement request, the proposal now heads into administrative review and potential public hearings before any building permits are issued, a process that can stretch over several months, Urbanize LA reports. Residents and nearby business owners can follow the case through city planning records and local coverage to keep tabs on hearing dates and environmental review.
