Rendering: Solomon Cordwell Buenz/Onni Group of Companies
On Tuesday, Los Angeles City Council voted to approve plans for Onni Group’s Times Mirror Square project, a two-tower development that would deliver 1,127 apartments and 34,000 square feet of commercial space to DTLA’s Civic Center.
The development site spans an entire city block and includes the former Los Angeles Times complex. Three of its architecturally significant buildings, all fronting onto Spring Street, will be restored and rented as offices.
The new structures will rise 37 and 53 stories, connected by a five-story podium, featuring ground-floor retail space and parking for more than 1,700 vehicles. After receiving negative feedback about the design, Onni Group ousted A.C. Martin and recruited architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz to reimagine the project as glass and steel towers with fins that undulate across the façade.
A major point of contention among council members was the project’s lack of affordable housing, which will make up just three percent of units. There will be 10 apartments set aside for low-income households and 24 for moderate-income households. Times Mirror Square was originally intended to be a 100 percent market-rate multifamily community, but Councilman Kevin de León spent several months negotiating with Onni Group for the inclusion of affordable units.
City Council voted 11-4 to recommend certification of the environmental report and deny an appeal by Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility (SAFER), a non-profit group linked to construction trade unions. Construction on the project is anticipated to take place over the course of three years.
[H/T The Los Angeles Times]
