A pre-pandemic proposal which would have brought a Studio Gang-designed tower to Chinatown is off the table, per a notice issued by the City of Los Angeles. 

Late last month, the Planning Department issued a termination letter to developer Redcar Properties relating to its proposed project at 643 N. Spring Street. Plans had called for the construction of a 26-story, 282-foot-tall building featuring 294 apartments, 149 hotel rooms, and 15,878 square feet of commercial uses.

According to the termination letter, several revisions to the project occurred behind the scenes prior to its termination. In 2023, the developer notified the Planning Department that it had intended to cut the amount of housing and hotel rooms to enable a taller building with more commercial space. A conceptual design was submitted for review in May 2024. After that point, no additional communication was submitted to the city, leading to the termination of the project.

Studio Gang's design for the building had called for a wavy glass-and-steel structure with a large plaza located on the ground floor.

The proposed development is one of three tower projects pitched for Chinatown - none of which have come to fruition. Plans for a 25-story apartment tower near the Chinatown Metro stop have sat on hold for years, and a multi-building complex which would overlook L.A. State Historic Park was first proposed in 2016, but has yet to complete the environmental review process.

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