A strip mall fronting Wilshire Boulevard in the La Brea-Hancock neighborhood could make way for an eight-story, mixed-use development featuring 242 condo units and 10,900 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
The applicant is an LLC with ties to Thrifty Oil Co., a family-owned, privately held real estate company based in Santa Fe Springs. The proposed project at 5001 Wilshire Boulevard calls for 66 studios, 113 one-bedroom units, 56 two-bedroom units, and seven three-bedroom units. There would also be eight two-story townhomes with private entrances and gated patios on the ground floor. While floorplans have not yet been revealed, we do know that private balconies are planned for 117 units.
Submitted to Los Angeles City Planning in late April, the development application notes that 25 dwelling units would be restricted affordable at the extremely low income level. In exchange, the developer is seeking Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) incentives due to the site’s proximity to a future subway line and several bus routes.
Three levels of underground parking would provide 324 vehicle spaces for residents and 30 for commercial tenants, although these areas would be separated. A 500-square-foot paseo would connect the sidewalk on Wilshire Boulevard to the ground floor parking area for added convenience.
Bicycle storage would be incorporated on the ground floor, with 136 long-term residential stalls in an enclosed room and 14 short-term stalls near the main lobby. Another seven short-term and seven long-term bicycle park spaces would be reserved for non-residential purposes.
5001 Wilshire Boulevard would feature extensive indoor and outdoor amenities, starting with the Green Belt, an approximately 18,000-square-foot, ground-level open space that would be accessible to residents and the public. Conceptual landscaping plans propose seating pods, flexible bistro seating, low-water-use grass mounds and desert landscape mounds.
Inside, there would be two residential lobbies, one featuring an elevated, open-air deck and the other with an office and mailroom. The third floor would boast a club room and an adjacent fitness center, both with double-height ceilings and shared restrooms. A mezzanine level in the club room would also contain work pods.
An expansive podium courtyard would be found on the third floor, complete with a swimming pool and spa surrounded by cabanas and lounge chairs. There would also be a covered lounge area with a self-serve beverage kiosk, several seating nooks (some with cozy fire pits), a ping pong table, artificial lawn, and a shaded outdoor cooking area equipped with barbecues, media walls, bar seating and a dining table.
Meantime, a 2,000-square-foot roof deck would tout additional lounge seating, fire pits, dining tables and barbecues, overlooking the podium courtyard below.
Designed by TCA Architects, the contemporary-style structure “explores the urban edge through stately and elegant forms and rhythms, fluidity of indoor and outdoor spaces and optimization of outdoor common open space,” explains a findings document. The material palette would consist of veneer tile, metal cladding, cementitious siding, plaster finish and metal balcony railings.
The 73,397-square-foot, rectangular-shaped lot is surrounded by a diverse mix of buildings, including offices, retail and restaurants. If approved, future condo residents would live near The Grove, Museum Row, and the many shops, restaurants and historic homes of the Miracle Mile.
