The Los Angeles City Council has rejected an appeal from a union-backed group which had sought to block the construction of a multifamily residential building just north of Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown.

Last year, developer Hankey Capital secured city approvals for the construction of a new eight-story building at 638 S. Berendo Street. The proposed development would contain 163 studio and one-bedroom apartments above parking for 103 vehicles, most of which would serve users of an adjoining commercial building.

3273-3289 Wilshire BoulevardGoogle Street View

Project approvals included Transit Oriented Communities incentives, permitting a larger structure than local zoning rules would normally allow, in exchange for setting aside 18 of the apartments for rent as extremely low-income affordable housing for a period of 55 years.

The appeal, which comes from the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility (an affiliate of LIUNA), continued a despite last seen before the City Planning Commission in 2024. SAFER unsuccessfully argued that the City Council should grant its appeal and subject the project to further scrutiny under the California Environmental Quality Act.

3273-3289 Wilshire BoulevardGoogle Maps

The new proposal at 638 Berendo is the second since 2021, following an abandoned application initiated in 2022 which called for the construction of a 22-story tower with 343 apartments on the site.

Hankey's other major projects in Koreatown include the 25-story Kurve development at 2900 Wilshire Boulevard and a 490-unit development now taking shape next to Vermont/Beverly Station. Outside of Koreatown, the developer has plans for new housing at two sites in Santa Monica.

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