Palms' Motor Avenue Apartments--a $30 million residential-retail complex from Frost/Chaddock Developers--is inching towards the finish line.  When we last dropped by in March, construction crews were applying the five-story structure's exterior finishes.  Three months later, the project more closely resembles renderings drafted by Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang Architects.

The building's design is highlighted by a street-facing urban window, offering a "framed glimpse," into an internal courtyard.  The structure greets Motor Avenue with a galvanized sheet metal facade, to be supplemented by brick veneer at ground level.

Located a half-block north of Palms Boulevard, the Motor Avenue Apartments will create 115 studio-and-one-bedroom units above nearly 1,000 square feet of street-level commercial space.  As part of the SB1818 density bonus granted to the project, a total of 17 residential units will be reserved for low income households.  Additional features will include an outdoor atrium and an amenity-laden rooftop deck.

Sitting four blocks west of the Expo Line's future Palms Station, the low-rise development will provide just one parking stall per residential unit, in addition to three commercial spaces.  The 118-car garage will be located underground, with vehicular access provided via an alley way at the back of the property.