Three years after initiating entitlement proceedings for a mixed-use development in the Arts District, Onni Group is changing up its plans.
The project, slated for a roughly 2.17-acre property at 2143 E. Violet Street, was first envisioned in 2017 as a 13-story structure containing 509 housing units and 288,000 square feet of commercial uses. One year later, Onni would refine its plans to call for a taller, slimmer 15-story building containing less office space and apartments.
The latest iteration of the project, as detailed in an environmental study published by the City of Los Angeles, opts for a significant change in scope. Rather than a squad mid-rise complex, Onni now plans for two buildings - a 36-story, 425-foot-tall apartment tower accompanied by an eight-level, 131-foot-tall office building.
The new construction, if completed, would consist of 347 live/work apartments (including 57 reserved for very low- and extremely low-income households), with 187,000 square feet of new office space, nearly 22,000 square feet of general commercial space, subterranean parking for 828 vehicles.
Onni would also retain five existing buildings on the northern portion of the property, consisting of nearly 57,000 square feet of warehouses, office space, retail, restaurants, and six live/work apartments.
Architectural plans list Arno Matis Architecture, Enns Gauthier, and Maud Architects as part of the project's design team. Images show a meandering paseo, snaking through the site to connect Violet Street with 7th Place to the north, and an alley to the west. A large amenity deck would cap the office building, with connections to the adjacent tower via a pedestrian bridge.
Pending approvals from the City of Los Angeles, the environmental study forecasts a more than two-year construction timeline, starting in 2021 and concluding in 2024. This schedule represents a one-year delay when compared to the 2020 groundbreaking date anticipated at the release of the project's initial study.
Onni Group's project, if built today, would be the tallest structure in the Arts District, surpassing the height of a 35-story tower now under construction at 520 Mateo Street.
The Violet Street site is flanked by a slew of proposed mixed-use projects from firms that include Jade Enterprises, Lowe, and Tishman Speyer.
Onni has already built several residential towers in the Downtown area, and is planning new projects in the South Park neighborhood and adjacent to the former home of the Los Angeles Times.
- 2143 E Violet Street (Urbanize LA)