An empty lot in Palms that was most recently home to a Montessori school will soon birth new apartments, according to permits issued in June by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

Prolific local developer Wiseman Residential has secured approvals for a new project at 3657 S. Motor Avenue, consisting of a seven-story building featuring 68 apartments above street-level commercial space and parking. 

Wiseman will be required to set aside seven of the apartments as deed-restricted affordable housing at the extremely low-income level, making the project eligible for increased height and density through the Transit Oriented Communities guidelines.

3657 S Motor AvenueGoogle Maps

Building permits describe the project as a podium-type building consisting of five wood frame levels above a two-story concrete base.  Uriu & Associates, a frequent collaborator with Wiseman, is the architect behind 3657 Motor.

The project is one of several mixed-use and multifamily buildings now taking shape along Motor Avenue, including a 62-unit development located across the street and a 42-unit complex one block north.

Wiseman has numerous apartment buildings in planning or construction across Central Los Angeles and the Westside, including at least five new developments in Mid-Wilshire and a proposed project in Venice.  The company is planning a second Palms project a short walk south near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Overland Avenue.