A long-empty stretch of Centinela Avenue in Playa Vista could trade weeds for rent caps, as a new proposal aims to plant a six-story, all-affordable apartment building on the site. Killefer Development has filed plans for 136 income-restricted studio, one- and three-bedroom units and roughly 46 parking spaces, a sizable chunk of permanently affordable housing for a neighborhood better known for sleek offices and market-rate towers.
What’s Planned
An application submitted to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning outlines a six-story podium building at 6985 S. Centinela Avenue with 136 apartments and parking for 46 vehicles, with all of the units designated as income-restricted, according to Urbanize LA. The filing details a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and three-bedroom floor plans, along with a rendering credited to JZA Architecture. Because the project is proposed as 100 percent affordable, it would qualify for citywide housing-incentive bonuses that can boost height and density beyond standard zoning.
Where It Would Sit
The property lies just west of the Culver City border near the I-405 and roughly two miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. The building would go up next to a former Los Angeles Clippers practice facility that moved to a new location by the Intuit Dome in Inglewood in 2024, The Real Deal reports. That same report points to a separate Fairfield Residential project nearby that would bring 362 apartments and ground-floor retail to the corner of Centinela and Sepulveda. Together, the proposals hint at a slow but steady remaking of this stretch of Centinela into a more housing-heavy, mixed-use corridor.
Developer Track Record
Killefer Development’s portfolio leans heavily on Westside multifamily. The company highlights several nearby projects, including the 92-unit Roy and the 74-unit Jagger in Culver City, along with smaller for-sale townhome communities and construction-management work on supportive housing such as Star Apartments, according to Killefer Development. The firm says it has taken on roles as developer, general contractor, and manager for a range of Los Angeles apartment projects. If approved, the Playa Vista building would mark its latest entry into the city’s affordable housing pipeline.
City Policy And Momentum
Los Angeles has been quietly stacking up fully affordable projects in recent years. An analysis by RentCafe finds the city added more than 9,400 income-restricted apartments between 2020 and 2024, representing about 20.5 percent of all new apartment completions in the metro during that span. The Playa Vista proposal’s potential use of streamlined review and housing incentives fits into a broader policy toolkit, including Executive Directive 1 and local housing incentive programs intended to speed approvals for 100 percent affordable developments, according to Los Angeles City Planning.
Next Steps
The application is now in the hands of the Department of City Planning. If the project qualifies for ministerial approval and housing incentives, its entitlements could move more quickly and allow greater height or density than base zoning rules would typically allow, The Real Deal reports. The development would still need to clear plan checks, line up utility approvals, and secure any required interagency sign-offs before building permits can be issued.
