Housing and retail proposed at 939 W Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood

The K (Crenshaw/LAX) Line may not be opening until October 7, but the new light rail line is already spurring development in Inglewood. Recent years have brought new apartments to properties flanking Downtown Inglewood Station, and now developers are eyeing a stop to the west across the I-405 freeway.

On October 5, the Inglewood Planning Commission is scheduled to review a proposal from developer Allied Urban for the construction of a mixed-use residential complex on a corner lot at 939 W. Manchester Boulevard. The proposed development, which would replace a car wash one block south of Westchester/Veterans Station, is imagined as a an eight-story building featuring 222 apartments atop 3,500 square feet of retail space and a three-level, mostly subterranean parking garage.

Plans call for a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom units, including 11 apartments that would be set aside as affordable housing to meet the requirements of the Inglewood Municipal Code.

TCA Architects is designing the roughly 200,000-square-foot development, which would have a triangular footprint to match the contours of the project site, and open-air amenity spaces on the podium and roof levels.

"The architectural style of the development is contemporary and utilizes neutral-toned colors of white, grey, and brown," reads a staff report. "Material selections include plaster, vertical board panels, stone veneer, block wall, and transparent glass."

A staff report recommends that the Planning Commission should adopt a resolution to approve 939 Manchester and determine that the project is exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

The development site falls within the boundaries of the proposed Westchester/Veterans Transit Oriented District Specific Plan, which Inglewood officials hope to use to guide development surrounding the new K Line station to the north on Florence Avenue.

• Inglewood (Urbanize LA)