LOS ANGELES-A $15-million affordable housing project that will include retail space begins construction this week in the downtown area.
The new Pershing Apartments are being developed by the Skid Row Housing Trust and are designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, which will retain the original Victorian façade of the commercial building that will house the project.
The five-story building was built more than 100 years ago. It will provide 69 units for homeless and low income individuals and replaces the original structure on the southeast corner of Fifth and Main streets, said a statement from Michael Alvidrez, executive director of the Skid Row Housing Trust. He was not immediately available for further comment.
The building will have 65 studio units and four one-bedroom apartments, said Alvidrez, as well as 3,800 square feet of retail space, which also will echo the Victorian overtone. The retail space is anticipated to be divided into three or four separate areas for community use.
“The building will make an interesting statement as its contemporary exterior meshes with the Victorian elements,” said a statement from Wade Killefer, the KFA design principal. To reduce the impact on the existing façades, the top two floors of the new building will be stepped back, he said.
The design takes its cue from the Victorian-era buildings in the area, Killefer said. Exterior materials for the new building will include brick, tile and plaster. A landscaped 2,200-square-foot courtyard will provide an assembly area, and patio space with resident gardens will highlight the structure's fourth and fifth levels.
The project will also include a support system housed in the interior portion of the ground floor. Services provided will include healthcare, mental health counseling and support groups. Case management spaces are also being designed to allow for more individualized meetings, while the community rooms and outdoor spaces are for group gatherings and social activities. Additional services will be provided thorough offsite partners.
As reported earlier by GlobeSt.com, Killefer also designed 3425 Motor Ave. in the Palms neighborhood, a 115-unit, five-story, $30-million contemporary structure of apartments designed for young professionals.
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