The City of Los Angeles has signed off on a proposal to redevelop a commercial building just north of the 101 Freeway in Valley Village with housing.

In May, developer Joseph Samuel received a determination letter from the Planning Department approving an August 2024 application for the construction of a new five-story building at 12500 Riverside Drive featuring 219 apartments atop 2,162 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a two-level, 254-car subterranean parking garage.

According to the determination letter issued for the project, it will include 25 units of very low-income affordable housing and eight units of moderate-income housing. That makes it eligible for development incentives permitting a larger structure than would otherwise be allowed by zoning rules.

JZA Architecture is designing the proposed project, which would occupy a corner lot at Riverside Drive and Whitsett Street.

"Architecturally, the building’s design draws attention to a series of arch openings on the main facades, which define its aesthetic identity while providing a rhythmic expression to the structure," states a narrative from the JZA website. "These arches, complemented by a dynamic interplay of light and dark gray walls, help articulate the building’s massing, softening its presence and achieving a more human-scaled interaction with the surrounding environment."

While the project was initially slated to require City Planning Commission approval due to its utilization of off-menu density bonus incentives, the adoption of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program created a new avenue to approval. The project transitioned to the new expanded administrative review process, which cannot be appealed, and does not require a public hearing or environmental review. 

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