Mid-City Santa Monica may be on the verge of adding a prominent housing location, while another proposal for the area was recently shot down by the city’s Architectural Review Board (ARB).
Two buildings at 1801 and 1819 Santa Monica Blvd. are currently in the process of being approved by the ARB, with the review moved from the May 6 meeting to the upcoming May 20 meeting due to lack of quorum at the May 6 affair. The side-by-side projects are planned to be two eight-story projects consisting of 288 units, including 30 affordable housing units.
The project is yet another potential undertaking submitted by Cypress Equity Investments, which has been heavily involved in Santa Monica development in recent years. Design on the projects is being handled by DLR Group, which submitted renderings of the two buildings showing a contemporary design with neutral colors that complement each other.
At 1801 Santa Monica Blvd., the fully residential project would also include 179 vehicular parking spaces, a courtyard site on the second floor with trees, patio seating and a shared swimming pool. The 1819 Santa Monica Blvd. adjacent location was submitted as a mixed-use building with 173 vehicular parking spaces, and will also include its own courtyard. Both of the building’s rooftops are scheduled to include an approximately 1,000 sq. ft. dedicated dog park with artificial turf, giving space for pet owners.
Amenities on the upper floors of the buildings will "utilize the verticality" of the locations, according to an ARB staff report on the project, with plans for outdoor grills, electric fire pits and modern patio furniture in the space.
"The proposed amenities, common open space and private open space throughout the buildings vertically and horizontally will enhance the quality of life for the residents," the staff report reads.
The properties were previously part of a Honda dealership on the boulevard and will utilize state density bonuses "to optimize the allowable mass and minimize setbacks" with the eight-story buildings. Public input on the projects looks to be mixed thus far, with comments on Santa Monica’s forum on Reddit both applauding the Mid-City construction while also lamenting a lack of vehicle maneuverability through the 18th Court alley towards Arizona Ave. if the project were to move forward.
Another Cypress applicant, DLR Group-designed project submitted to ARB was temporarily struck down by the board during its April 29 meeting, that being a proposed eight-story mixed-use apartment complex at 2025 Wilshire Blvd. The project, first presented to ARB in September 2022 as a four-story project, called for the clearing of the commercial buildings currently occupied by Chipotle and Veggie Grill in order to move forward with construction.
The latest proposal for the project called for 150 dwelling units (135 market rate and 15 affordable units) with residential amenities, 8,556 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space and four levels of subterranean parking. Members of the ARB board had a bevy of concerns that led to a motion of continuance, with the board stating it will work with Cypress to bring back "something that can be approved."
ARB members stated that residential units organized around a courtyard on top of a ground floor podium, bridge on levels five through seven, was "problematic," along with having issues with the project looking "like an office building" and not a residential building. DLR Group Principal Amy Kong told the board that the bridging was planned to make a "visual connection through all of the open areas" of the courtyard space and to Wilshire Blvd. below. Glass balconies planned on the building’s east elevation were also seen as a privacy problem, creating a "sense of openness" at dwellings where privacy may be wanted.
Public comment was more harsh, with locals complaining about things like lack of parking, birds potentially flying into the glass balconies and the sheer size of the 125,785 sq. ft. proposal.
"This to me is like a nightmare," said resident Kelly Simon. "It’s more than a box, it’s a ginormous monstrosity."
