City Planning Commission gives the go-ahead to 6501 Sepulveda

At its meeting yesterday, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted to approve a proposed mixed-use project which would flank Dinah's Family Restaurant in Westchester.

The project from Fairfield Residential, slated to replace surface parking and small commercial buildings at 6501 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, would consist of an eight-story structure featuring 362 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments above approximately 3,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 520-car garage.

Fairfield's requested entitlements for the project, named for its cross streets of Sepulveda and Centinela Avenue, include density bonus incentives permitting a larger building than typically allowed by zoning rules. In exchange, 41 units of the proposed apartments would be set aside for rent as very low-income affordable housing.

Designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture the mixed-use development would consist of a podium-type building, composed of wood framing above a concrete base. Due to the large scale of the site, different architectural styles are proposed on its northern, eastern, and western exteriors. Besides housing, the complex would incorporate amenities such as a gym, a fitness center, a central courtyard with a pool, and a rooftop deck.

The existing Dinah's building, a roughly 7,000-square-foot space that has been in operation continuously since opening, is intended to be retained and restored to original appearance, removing prior modifications. The restaurant intends to temporarily relocate during the course of construction, then return to its longtime home after completion of the new development.

Construction of the apartment complex, according to an environmental study circulated earlier this year by the City of Los Angeles, is expected to commence over an approximately 33-month period, kicking off as early as mid-2023 and concluding as soon as 2026.

Fairfield's project follows on the heels of two similar multifamily developments to the north - a recently-completed project from Hanover Company and an under construction apartment complex from Sandstone Properties.

Fairfield, which is owned by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, has developed several large apartment buildings in the Los Angeles area, including the Arts District's Aliso complex.  The company is currently in construction at projects in Glassell Park and Warner Center.

• Dinah's restaurant to be incorporated into mixed-use project in Westchester (Urbanize LA)