SRO apartment building taking shape in Gardena

Construction has entered the home stretch for a new development of single-room occupancy apartments in Gardena.

The project, located at the northwest corner of 169th Street and Normandie Avenue, consists of two- and three-story structures that will feature 63 apartments - all of which are limited to no more than 350 square feet in size. Plans also call for a "puzzle lift" mechanical parking system, which will allow the project to meet a code required one vehicle stall per unit in a limited footprint.

DE Architects is designing the SRO development, named 16819 Normandie Avenue for its address, which features a white grid facade with angled openings painted orange and yellow.

"A three-story wing faces the corner of Normandie Avenue and 169th Street and a two-story wing faces the corner of Brighton Avenue and 169th Street, reduced in scale to relate to the single-family residences across the street," reads a design description provided by DE Architects. "All ground floor units open on to patios contained between [low impact development] planters, controlling roof water runoff, and providing a landscape buffer to the adjacent sidewalk. A 3,500-square-foot roof deck above the second floor is designed to provide gathering spaces for individuals and groups and connects directly to the third floor of the adjacent wing."

While SRO properties were once commonplace in Los Angeles, such developments have become a rarity in more recent decades. However, under the Gardena zoning code, the only type of residential uses permitted in industrial-zoned sites are SRO buildings with units no larger than 350 square feet.

The project, which is listed in the portfolio of Los Angeles-based West Realty Group, is on track for completion in the second quarter of 2022.

• Gardena (Urbanize LA)