Multi-Family Rental Projects Rising in Marina Del Rey

After stalling out amid the global recession, fancy residential developments are once again rising in Marina Del Rey's so-called "Arts District."  At 4044 S. Redwood Avenue, construction is nearing completion on a 22-unit low-rise apartment building.  The four-story edifice, designed by Venice-based architecture firm Dex Studio, features private balconies and a bright turquoise panels along its western facade.  The new residential complex replaces two single family homes, an increasingly rare commodity along the Culver City - Marina Del Rey border.

Image: California Landmark Group

Across the street, construction is underway on the R3 Lofts, a $30 million mixed-use development from the California Landmark Group (CLG).  The five-story structure, designed by PK Architecture, will contain 67 one- and two-bedroom apartments above parking accommodations for 141 vehicles.  Plans for the building's second floor feature 7,500 square feet of creative office space, intended for use by residents.  Rents in the R3 Lofts will reportedly range from $2,300 to $3,900 per month, similar to other residential complexes in the neighborhood.

Over the past two decades, the Marina Del Rey "Arts District," has gradually transitioned from a moribund stretch of industrial buildings to one of trendy apartments and condominiums.  CLG has played a key role in this transformation, having previously developed multiple residential complexes on nearby properties.  R3 is the West Los Angeles-based company's fifth project in the neighborhood, following the appropriately named R1, R2, G1 and G2 complexes on Redwood and Glencoe Avenues.  CLG plans to start work on a sixth mixed-use development sometime next year.

• 4044 S. Redwood Avenue (LADBS)
• Renters Can Work Downstairs at Future Marina Mixed-User (Curbed LA)
• Marina Del Rey Lofts District Gets More of the Same (Building Los Angeles)

Trical Construction Building More Apartments in Marina Del Rey

4108 Del Rey Avenue

Back in Marina Del Rey, developer Trical Construction is nearing completion on a 77-unit apartment complex located at 4108 Del Rey Avenue.  The five-story development, designed by Keith Dover Associates, is known as Tribeca Urban, a somewhat ironic name given the project's deliberate isolation from the street.  Tribeca Urban will consist of 1-3 bedroom apartments and provide "resort-style amenities," including a fitness center, an outdoor fireplace, and a spa.  The building is scheduled to open late this year.

Although Tribeca Urban has yet to finish construction, expansion plans already appear to be in the works.  Last month, Trical submitted plans to the Department of City Planning to add an extra 51-units next door at 4090 Del Rey Avenue as part of a "unified development project."

• Tribeca Urban (Official Website)

Marina Del Rey Arts District Gets 62 Apartments

4131 Glencoe, designed by Cuningham Architects

Marina Del Rey's so-called "Arts District," received quite a bit of investment prior to the last real estate bubble, with perhaps a dozen residential developments springing up before the market flat lined.  With the housing market in better condition five years later, the neighborhood is starting to see long dormant projects come back to life.

Recently, I noticed construction that an an extension was taken out for site plans at 4131 Glencoe Avenue, a mixed-use proposal from the Torrance based Katherine Companies.  Here's what we have lined up:

4131 S Glencoe Ave

...a 85,023 square foot five-story mixed use commercial/residential building 55-feet in height, containing 62 residential units and 3,402 square feet of ground floor commercial office space.  The project will provide 136 parking spaces of which 120 spaces are reserved for residential units and 16 spaces for commercial use.

Designs come from the Cuningham Group, the architectural firm behind next-door neighbor "Element."  Although the Del Rey Homeowners Association seemed reluctant to endorse 4131 Glencoe back in 2008, the project nonetheless appears to be moving forward.

One of my must haves for a neighborhood is good food nearby, and Marina Del Rey has that in spades.  Kaya Sushi, located at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Glencoe, makes some decent (albeit pricey) Japanese food.  If you don't have money to burn, I recommend Guillen's Taco Truck.  Tasty, inexpensive, and they set up shop right next to 4131 Glencoe every day.

If all else fails, there are plenty of dining options located within the nearby Villa Marina Marketplace, which recently underwent a $25 million remodel.

The Villa Marina Marketplace's new look, image from EPT Design

4131 Glencoe, viewed from above

• Determination Letter (Department of City Planning)
• Glencoe Mixed-Use Development Altered to Meet Specific Plan After Opposition to Density (The Argonaut)
• Villa Marina Marketplace Remodel to Include new Dine-In Movie Theater (The Argonaut)

Huge Residential Development Planned for Marina Del Rey

Los Angeles County recently began pushing for a series of upgrades that would bring kitchy Marina Del Rey into the 21st century.  A large mixed-use community planned by AMLI Residential looks like it will fit in with this new, modern vision for the neighborhood.  With a cluster of five-story residential buildings, AMLI-MDR will create 585 apartment units on an L-shaped parcel at the intersection of Via Marina and Panay Way.  The new waterfront complex will replace a series of low-rise apartment and commercial structures located just south of Mother's Beach.  AMLI's project is one of several ground-up developments seeking to revamp Marina Del Rey's aging housing stock, including the Silicon Beach-friendly Shores complex which recently opened across the street.

Designed by TCA Architects, AMLI-MDR would mimic the aesthetics of a boathouse, featuring exposed rafters and large corner windows.  Buildings would be clad in a combination of fiber cement paneling, wood screen, plaster and stone.  At ground level, plans call for wide, pedestrian friendly green space to bisect the property, preserving views of the Marina and encouraging foot traffic along the waterfront.  As expected of most Southern California residential developments, AMLI-MDR seeks to blur the lines between indoors and outdoors.  All units come equipped with cable-railed balconies, supplemented by communal amenities such as outdoor pools, fireplaces, and barbeque pits.  A site plan indicates that the project will also include a small amount of retail space on the Via Marina side of the parcel.

• AMLI Residential (Company Website)

Marina Del Rey Lofts District Gets More of the Same

Marina Del Rey's so-called Arts/Loft District may not have much in the way of art, but the neighborhood will be adding yet another low-rise residential building to the mix.  Plans were submitted to the city in early February for a 67-unit condo development at 4091 Redwood Avenue featuring 7,500 square feet of commercial space.  The new residential building would rise five stories, replacing one of the last remaining warehouse structures from prior to the neighborhood's mid-2000 development boom.  As is typical with most Westside multi-family projects, 4091 Redwood comes with copious parking accommodations.  The building would sit atop a 141-stall underground garage, containing spaces for both residents and the project's commercial tenant.  However, this section of Marina Del Rey also provides plenty of reasons to leave your car behind.  4091 Redwood would sit within easy walking distance of the recently upgraded Villa Marina Marketplace, a Costco, and a wide variety of stores along busy Washington Boulevard.  Other developers have also taken note, with a similar project proposed just one block to the east.

• Case Information Summary Sheet 4091 Redwood Ave (LA City Planning)