Last week brought the unveiling of a striking mixed-use development planned for the park-and-ride lot of Metro's Culver City Station.  Now, travel one stop east on the Expo Line to check out what San Francisco real estate firm Carmel Partners has in store for an 11-acre property which abuts the elevated La Cienega/Jefferson Station.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning published a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Jefferson and La Cienega project, a proposed transit oriented development which would replace the broadcast facility of radio stations KABC and KLOS with 1,900,000 square feet of residential units, office space and pedestrian-oriented retail.  All existing buildings on the development site - bounded by Jefferson and La Cienega Boulevards - would be demolished.  In their place, Carmel Partners intends to construct five podium-style buildings, including a residential tower up to 320 feet in height.

Plans call for a total of 1,218 residential units on the upper floors of the proposed buildings, including 609 one-bedroom units, 487 two-bedroom units and 122 three-bedroom units.  Approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space would sit beneath the project's residential component, divided between 200,000 square feet of office space, 30,000 square feet of general retail, 20,000 square feet of restaurant space and a 50,000-square-foot grocery store.

Designs from TCA Architects call for articulated building facades, clad with materials including concrete, brick, metal and wood siding, glass, fiber cement siding and plaster.  Exterior finishes would vary in terms of color and orientation to enhance the project's overall appearance.

Parking for the proposed development would be provided through a series of above-grade and below-grade garages, accessible at four locations along La Cienega and Jefferson Boulevards.  The project's DEIR calls for a total of 2,371 vehicle parking spaces and 1,500 bicycle parking spaces, split between its residential and commercial components.

Due to the immense size of the property, significant portions of the development site would be devoted to open space.  A site plan included with the DEIR indicates that the project will include multiple amenity decks, swimming pools and courtyards.  Plans also call for green space flanked by retail near the northeast edge of the property.

Construction of the La Cienega and Jefferson Project is expected to occur over a maximum of 35 months, with opening tentatively scheduled for 2018.  Carmel Partners will need to obtain multiple discretionary approvals from the city prior to breaking ground, including a general plan amendment, a zone change and a height district change.