Earlier this week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt a pair of environmental reports for new multifamily residential developments planned in the Westlake and Hollywood neighborhoods.

Rendering of 1818 N Cherokee AvenueAC Martin

At 1818 N. Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood, the Council moved to adopt a sustainable communities project exemption (SCPE) for a proposed apartment complex from real estate investment firm CGI Strategies, allowing the development to move forward without further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The project, which would replace a surface parking lot two blocks north of the Walk of Fame, calls for the construction of a seven-story edifice featuring 86 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments above a two-level, 61-car basement garage.

Project entitlements, which are processed separately from the SCPE, include density bonus to permit a larger building than allowed by zoning.  CGI would set aside 21 apartments as deed-restricted affordable housing at the very low-income level in exchange for the development incentives.

The podium-type building is being designed by AC Martin.

Rendering of the Alvarado Temple ApartmentsEcho Park Neighborhood Council

The second project, planned at 418-430 N. Alvarado Street in Westlake, comes from local real estate development firm Caladan Investments.  Plans submitted to the City of Los Angeles in 2017 call for the construction of a five-story building containing 73 one- and two-bedroom apartments - including six very low-income affordable units - above 500 square feet of ground-floor retail space and an 81-car garage.

Architect Alan Boivin is designing the approximately 56,000-square-foot development, which is depicted in a rendering as a contemporary podium-type building.

The Council's vote approved a Class 32 CEQA exemption for the project, while also affirming an earlier approval from the Los Angeles City Planning Commission.  Additionally, the Council voted to deny an appeal filed by the Coalition for an Equitable Westlake/MacArthur Park which sought to block the project's construction.