A presentation scheduled for the May 16 meeting of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee reveals yet another redesign for a proposed apartment complex at 845 S. Olive Street.

The project site, a surface parking lot flanking the Stillwell Hotel, was first approved for redevelopment in 2019 with a 28-story building which would have featured 205 apartments above ground-floor retail space and podium parking. One pandemic later, Hollywood-based developer Relevant Group took control of the property, and changed up those plans, opening for a shorter 19-story structure which would have featured 329 apartments - also above ground-floor retail and a parking garage.

View looking southwest from Olive StreetMVE + Partners

The latest change for the project, which as detailed in the  committee presentation, calls for the construction of an eight-story building rising approximately 108 feet in height. The complex would feature 334 studio apartments, as well as approximately 4,800 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

As with the prior project, requested entitlements include density bonus incentives to build more housing than otherwise allowed by zoning rules with reduced on-site parking. In exchange, 37 of the proposed apartments would be restricted as affordable housing for rent by very low-income households for a period of 55 years.

The project would also take advantage of AB 2097, new state legislation which prevents minimum parking requirements in close proximity to major transit stops. In the case of 845 S. Olive Street, Relevant Group has not proposed any on-site parking.

845 S. Olive Street and 842 S. Grand AvenueGoogle Maps

The third iteration of 845 Olive also comes with a new architect: MVE + Partners. Renderings portray the building with an exterior of painted stucco, accented with wood panels. Plans show common rooms on the ground floor, as well as a large rooftop deck which would include a swimming pool.

Relevant Group, which first gained prominence through the construction of a series of hotels along Selma Avenue in Hollywood, has more recently turned its sights to Downtown, with plans to redevelop the historic Morrison Hotel and build a series of apartment complexes in the neighborhood.

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