Orion Capital plans 18 apartments at 1317 Jefferson

A couple blocks west of the USC campus, a local developer is looking to raze a small residential building dating to the late 19th century to clear the way for a new apartment complex.

The project, submitted earlier this month by Orion Capital to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, is slated for a single parcel located at 1317 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Plans call for the construction of a six-story edifice featuring 18 studio, two-, and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 424 to 967 square feet in size. Parking for eight vehicles would be located in an at-grade garage.

Orion Capital is seeking entitlements using density bonus incentives permitting a larger structure than allowed by zoning. In exchange, two apartments would be sent aside for rent at below market rates.

JPark Architects is designing 1317 Jefferson, which would be clad in white stucco and accented by composite wood panels and corrugated metal. Floor plans show a rooftop amenity deck and recreation rooms on the third floor.

While the project would stand head and shoulders above its neighbors to the east and west, a bit of height is not out of context for the surrounding area. Directly across the street, a larger five-story, 130-unit apartment complex is now under construction.

Orion Capital, which has built numerous residential projects near USC, is currently in construction on a mixed-use building near the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Vermont Avenues, and recently finished work on a small residential-retail complex next to Expo/Vermont Station.

• Adams-Normandie (Urbanize LA)