Plans Emerge for New Apartments in Little Osaka

West LA's Sawtelle District, commonly referred to as Little Osaka, may be getting a new residential complex in the near future.  Next week, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans for the Notting Hill Apartments, a 52-unit development proposed for the southeast corner of Sawtelle Boulevard and Missouri Avenue.  Designed by Newport Beach's MJS Design Group, the 38,000 square foot building would rise five stories, featuring multiple outdoor common areas and a three level underground parking garage.  Although developer Notting Hill, LLC initially proposed a six-story structure with just over 3,000 square feet of commercial space, plans were altered due to traffic concerns voiced by neighborhood stakeholders.  Instead, designs now call for a shorter project with nine live-work units, to be located at ground level on both the Missouri Avenue and Sawtelle Boulevard sides of the property.  As part of a density bonus, the Notting Hill Apartments will also offer five apartments restricted to very low income individuals.  The project site is currently developed with a cluster of one-story buildings, formerly home to the Harada Nursery, a defunct Japanese-American business founded shortly after World War II.

• 1900 S. Sawtelle Blvd. (LADCP)
• Little Osaka Parcel May Get Apartments (Building Los Angeles)

Ava Little Tokyo Starts Getting Its Skin

With all of the excitement over new high-rises in South Park, you may have forgotten about some of Downtown's mixed-use developments that aren't rewriting the skyline.  Perhaps it's time for a refresher.  When we checked in on Ava Little Tokyo last Fall, construction on the TCA Architects designed project had just progressed above podium level.  Flash forward to 2014, and both of its six-story structures are topped out, with exterior work underway at 2nd and Los Angeles Streets.  When Avalon Bay's two building project opens between late 2014 and early 2015, it will create a combined 280 residential units above 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.  Outdoor amenities will include landscaped courtyards and a rooftop chill lounge (check out renderings from the MJS Design Group below).  Also under construction next-door is a 240-unit development from the Irvine-based Sares-Regis Group.  These two TCA-designed projects will finally complete the re-development of Little Tokyo's Block 8, formerly home to acres upon acres of parking lot blight.  A residential mid-rise is also planned across the street by the Malibu-based Weintraub Real Estate Group.  The nine-story mixed-use building, dubbed the Vibiana Lofts, would create 238 new apartments and help bridge the gap between Little Tokyo and the Historic Core.

• Ava Little Tokyo Coming Together (Building Los Angeles)
• Matsu A (MJS Design Group)
• Matsu B (MJS Design Group)