A potentially transformative development is planned for the current West Adams broadcast facility of radio stations KABC and KLOS.
According to new environmental documents published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the 11-acre site at La Cienega and Jefferson Boulevards is to be redeveloped with multiple podium-style buildings that would offer a combination of residential, office and retail uses. Although an exact development program would likely hinge on market conditions, the project's initial study establishes a baseline plan of 1,218 multi-family residential units and 300,000 square feet of commercial space. Proposed dwellings would be divided between one-, two- and three-bedroom units, while commercial space would be split between 200,000 square feet of office space, 50,000 square feet of stores and restaurants and a 50,000-square-foot grocery store.
The proposed development, known by the prosaic name of "Cumulus Transit Oriented/Mixed-Use Project," is motivated by a desire to take advantage of the Expo Line's La Cienega/Jefferson Station, which opened immediately south of the property in 2012. Nonetheless, the baseline plan still include parking accommodations for up to 2,371 vehicles and 1,500 bicycles.
The project is being designed by TCA Architects, a prolific local firm whose recent work includes a spate of low-rise apartment complexes in Downtown Los Angeles. Their site plan for the Cumulus property calls for multiple mid-rise and high-rise structures, linked by a network of ground-level courtyards and passageways. The project's tallest component - a 300-foot tall residential tower - would likely become the tallest building in the West Adams neighborhood.
Redevelopment rumors first began swirling around the broadcast facility in late 2013, when owner Cumulus Media Inc. announced that the property was up for sale. At the time, it was estimated that the sprawling campus could command a sales price over more than $90 million.
An exact timeline for the project is currently unclear.
- Cumulus Project Initial Study (LADCP)
- Cumulus plans to sell land under KLOS and KABC radio stations (Los Angeles Times)