A mixed-use apartment building could replace a vacant lot one block south of MacArthur Park, according to plans submitted yesterday to the City of Los Angeles.

The proposed development, slated for the northwest corner of 8th and Alvarado Streets, calls for the construction of a seven-story building that would feature 57 residential units and 5,861 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.  Plans also call for 43 parking stalls - to be located in a basement level and on the building's second floor - and a rooftop deck.

Project applicant Alvarado Center, LLC, which is connected to a Torrance-based dentist, is seeking entitlements through the Transit Oriented Communities guidelines, which allow for relief from certain zoning provisions when projects create affordable housing.  Requested incentives for the apartments at 8th and Alvarado include reductions to required open space and side yards.

A handful of similar low-rise developments are planned for other properties to the south of MacArthur Park, including a 144-unit apartment complex planned at Park View Avenue and a 100-unit affordable housing project slated for Grand View Street.

Just east of MacArthur Park, a mixed-use development featuring a hotel, a 41-story apartment tower, and a Sri Lankan cultural center is planned at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Bonnie Brae Avenue.