New Projects Are Reshaping DTLA's Arts District
A booming Arts District is driving much of the growth in downtown Los Angeles as new projects go up.
The Arts District, which started drawing in artists who were priced out of nearby neighborhoods in the 1970s, is becoming an attractive spot for development due to lower prices and undeveloped parcels within the district and the surrounding areas. Warehouses that once were live-work studios for artists are now being transformed into retail, creative office or housing.
Here are some of the projects changing DTLA's Arts District:
Row DTLA
Address: At Seventh and Alameda streets
Developer: Atlas Capital Group, Square Mile Capital Management
Description: The project, which sits on 30 acres at the edge of the Industrial and Arts Districts, includes 1.3M SF of creative office and more than 200K SF of ground-floor retail and restaurants across old warehouses and open space at the former site of the Southern Pacific Railroad's LA Terminal Market. It is the largest contiguous block of land downtown. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan bought a minority stake in the project in June. Other features include more than 20K SF for event space, over 30K SF for art displays and open space.
Completed: 2017
Amp Lofts
Address: 695 South Santa Fe Ave.
Developer: Greystar
Description: The nearly 391K SF, seven-story project will have 320 live-work units and 20K SF of ground-floor retail. It will have a 5K SF clubhouse for co-working and recreational use, and a 5K SF workshop with industrial space for creation and fabrication, such as bike maintenance or a maker space. It will have around 420 parking spaces in two levels of below-grade parking, a courtyard, a gym, a pool and a sauna.
Planned completion: 2019
670 Mesquit
Address: 670 Mesquit St.
Developer: V.E. Equities and the Gallo family
Description: This proposed 1.8M SF mixed-use project would include a 236-room hotel, 308 multifamily units (16% of which are affordable), 944K SF of office space and 136K SF of retail, including grocery and a farmers market. It would rise on the site of the Rancho Cold Storage warehouse buildings, and would include open space, 2,000 parking spaces, 930 bike parking spaces and a rooftop heliport.
Planned completion: 2022 to 2040
668 South Alameda St.
Address: 668 South Alameda St.
Developer: AvalonBay Communities
Description: The project would raze the Showa Marine & Cold Storage building and replace it with a seven-story building with 475 live-work units and nearly 50K SF of ground-floor retail, which would include a grocery store, restaurants or artist studios.
Planned completion: 2022
For more information on the projects and trends shaping DTLA's Arts District, join us for Bisnow's The Evolution of LA's Arts District event Dec. 5 at the JW Marriott LA Live.
