A development that will provide 56 affordable apartments for seniors downtown is moving forward Monday.
The Architectural Review Board will provide feedback on the design of a seven-story apartment building with ground-floor commercial space planned to rise on a vacant lot at 711 Colorado Ave. The project from WS Communities has been in the works for almost two years.
WISE & Healthy Aging has signed on to provide services to the building’s residents. 711 Colorado is the second senior housing project proposed in the past year. Nonprofit developer EAH Housing, Inc., is constructing a building with 40 apartments for low-income seniors at 1445 and 1453 10th St.
The Colorado building has a glass storefront on its lower level and the upper levels are clad in light and dark gray stucco and feature metal balconies. It will contain 21 studios, 29 one-bedrooms and six two-bedrooms, as well as 12 parking spaces and a community room.
The board asked KFA Architects last October to change the building’s design so it doesn’t look too similar to other existing and proposed developments in the area and add landscaping. The architect has made only two changes to the design since then and must make additional alterations to received a building permit.
Although the buildings surrounding the project on Colorado are mostly low-rise and older, nearby developments planned or under construction will soon change the scale of the Expo-Line adjacent street.
At 601 Colorado, an eight-story building containing 140 apartments, also from WS Communities, will replace a one-story building that houses Fritto Misto, Ninjin Sushi and Kundalini Yoga. A seven-story building with 40 apartments will replace a low brick building occupied by Carbon Five at 525 Colorado, just across the street.
In the other direction, two large buildings are planned at the intersection of Colorado and Lincoln. WS Communities is constructing a five-story building with 100 apartments at 1560 Lincoln Blvd., which was previously a Denny’s. Century West Partners is building a five-story complex with 90 apartments.
The Architectural Review Board will also give feedback Monday on a three-unit condominium in the Pico neighborhood at 1802 Delaware Ave. The beige, white and gray building with sloping roofs will replace five units built between 1919 and 1940.
The board will meet Monday at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1685 Main St.
madeleine@smdp.com
