Last Friday, Greenland USA officially topped-off the second residential tower at Metropolis in Downtown Los Angeles.  The 40-story building, which is on pace for completion in 2018, will feature 514 condominiums and pedestrian-oriented retail space near the intersection of 8th and Francisco Streets.

Designed by architecture firm Harley Ellis Devereaux, the 461-foot tower will feature a combination of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, some of which will include private balconies and terraces.  The tower will also entail a full array of residential amenities, including a gym, an outdoor swimming pool and a 1.5-acre outdoor area known as Met 9.

The $1-billion Metropolis development encompasses a 6.3-acre site near the Harbor Freeway.  A full buildout of the project for 1,250 residential units, ground-level commercial space and a 350-key Hotel Indigo in four towers ranging from 18-to-56 stories in height.  The first of the three condominium towers, an adjacent 38-story structure, has reportedly pre-sold more than 70% of its 308 units.  Prices for both buildings range from $600,000 to more than $2 million.

The official topping-off ceremony was attended by Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar, representatives from partners AECOM, Webcor and Harley Ellis Devereaux, and more than 500 construction workers who signed the final beam before it was raised to the top of the building.

With completion in site for its first Southern California development, Greenland USA has not turned its attention north to the San Fernando Valley.  The firm recently partnered with the Trammell Crow Company to redevelop the sprawling park-and-ride lot surrounding Metro's North Hollywood Station.