At a ceremony earlier this week, the Southside Church of Christ and development firm John Stanley, Inc. marked the start of construction of Serenity, a new permanent supportive housing complex for seniors in the Manchester Square neighborhood.
View of 1613 Manchester Avenue looking northeastWithee Malcolm Architects
The project, which John Stanley is developing in partnership with the church and Innovative Housing Opportunities, is located on a .82-acre site at 1613-1639 W. Manchester Avenue - formerly the church's parking lot. Plans call for the construction of a five-story building featuring 50 studio and one-bedroom apartments above 1,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a two-level 100-car podium garage which will include replacement parking for Southside Church.
“Such a long-awaited development we are so grateful to God, the church members, community, and the city for joining us in providing quality housing and services in the neighborhood,” said Southside Church of Christ's pastor Dr. Carl C. Baccus in a statement.
Billed as a public-private partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Serenity is funded through a $9.2-million loan of Measure HHH funds as well as nearly $20 million in bonds. The project is a combination of affordable and permanent supportive housing, with space for 36 homeless seniors, as well as 14 apartments reserved for independent senior households.
Groundbreaking for the Serenity apartments on Manchester AvenueGary Leonard
The apartments is reserved for residents aged 55 years and older, with annual incomes at or below 60 percent of the Los Angeles County area median income.
Withee Malcolm Architects is designing the apartment complex, which would incorporate a laundry facility and a club room. Plans also call for a third level courtyard featuring a barbeque area and outdoor seating.
John Stanley, Inc., which is based in Los Angeles, owns market-rate and affordable apartment communities across multiple jurisdictions in Southern and Northern California, according to the company's website.
Serenity project site viewed from Manchester AvenueGary Leonard
- 1613-1639 W Manchester Avenue (Urbanize LA)
Looking for affordable housing? Visit lahousing.lacity.org/aahr and housing.lacounty.gov
