The Los Angeles City Planning Commission has approved a proposal from Onni Group for a mixed-use development near the L.A. River in the Arts District.

The project, as detailed in a recent hearing, would create 30- and 20-story buildings at 2143 E. Violet Street. Plans call for 474 one-, two-, and three-bedroom dwellings above just over 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial uses and subterranean parking.

Aerial view looking northwestSCB

The approximately 569,000-square-foot development would provide 77 units of very low- and extremely low-income affordable housing, which is a requirement under Measure JJJ.

SCB is designing the project, which would include towers standing 344 and 226 feet in in height. Plans call for the retention of existing commercial buildings at the northern side of the property, with open space to be provided through common walkways and pedestrian gathering spaces cutting through the site.

Street-level perspectiveSCB

The project, originally slated to include a larger block of office space, reflects changing market conditions in the Arts District. Onni, like several other property owners, has pulled back from proposing new office buildings following the pandemic.

Although Onni is not building at the rapid pace seen prior to the pandemic, the Canadian developer remains active in the L.A. area. The company recently completed a residential tower at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street in Downtown, has plans for a two-tower complex in Glendale, and recently started work on a project in Long Beach.

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