Standard Development, a real estate firm helmed by Allen Gross, has quietly started work on the adaptive reuse of Downtown's historic HW Hellman Building, otherwise known as the Banco Popular Building.

The 102-year-old office building, located at 4th and Spring Streets, will eventually house 188 live-work apartments above ground-level commercial space and a basement bar.

According to a permit filing from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, plans call for a series of alterations to the building that will add two floors to the currently 10-story structure.  Most notably, the addition of a rooftop level will create space for a new restaurant, as well as residential amenities including a recreation room, swimming pool, resident lounge and a fitness room.

The renovation is being designed by Omgivning, a Downtown-based architecture firm which specializes in adaptive reuse projects.