In Sherman Oaks, developer IMT Residential has started clearing away the asphalt parking lots surrounding the former headquarters of the Sunkist Growers Cooperative, setting the stage for the construction of a mixed-use project called Citrus Commons.

View of the Citrus Commons site looking south from across Riverside DriveUrbanize LA

The project, located at the southwest corner of Hazeltine Avenue and Riverside Drive, will include three low-rise buildings featuring 249 residential units - including 25 priced reserved for rent by moderate-income households - accompanied by approximately 27,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and parking for 1,141 vehicles.

According to a project website, the apartments will come in a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 530 to 1,240 square feet in size.  The housing would be accompanied by amenities such as a fitness center and a swimming pool.

View from Riverside DriveJohnson Fain

Johnson Fain is designing the project, which will consist of four- and five-story buildings clad in stucco and wood panels.  The new construction would be surrounded by approximately 3.5 acres of walking paths and publicly accessible green space, including a small park planned on the southern property line adjacent to the Los Angeles River. 

The centerpiece of the development site, the AC Martin-designed brutalist office building that Sunkist called home until relocating to Santa Clarita in 2014, is to be retained and restored at 146,510 square feet of offices for rent across three above-grade levels and a basement.

Atrium at the Citrus Commons office building - formerly the headquarters of the Sunkist Growers CooperativeIMT Residential

The retail space, oriented toward the Riverside Drive side of the project site, will include a nearly 15,000-square-foot grocery store - a space which is already leased, per a project website.  Trader Joe's, which operates a market across the street, is rumored to be the as-yet unnamed tenant.

Construction of Citrus Commons is expected to occur over a 33-month period, according to an environmental impact report conducted for the project.

14130 Riverside DriveGoogle Maps

IMT Residential, which is based out of Sherman Oaks, has a portfolio of rental properties located in nine states.  Its projects in Sherman Oaks also include Via Avanti, a proposed mixed-use project featuring 325 apartments and 44,000 square feet of retail space at Sepulveda Boulevard and Camarillo Street.