DOWNTOWN — The City Council approved a developer’s plan to build a 56-unit apartment complex at the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway Tuesday, but warned developers not to expect similar projects to pass muster.
The project, designed in two weeks by former chair of the Architectural Review Board Michael Folonis, will take the place of Grigsby’s auto repair shop.
It will add 48 small studios and eight one-bedroom apartments to the Downtown housing stock, and will not provide onsite parking for any of the units.
Council members applauded the look of the project, and Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis noted that the project worked because Folonis did not embrace City Hall’s proscribed use of stepbacks and other architectural flourishes.
However, council members did not want future developers to believe that 360 square foot units, rented at $1,750 a month in some cases, could become the norm in Santa Monica.
That message came across loud and clear, said Chris Harding, the attorney representing developer Steve Henry.
ashley@www.smdp.com
