Huge Arts District project clears hurdle on path to construction
A long-planned $1.4-billion real estate development at the foot of the newly famous Sixth Street Viaduct in downtown Los Angeles is closer to getting underway after receiving approval from the city Planning Commission.
The four-building mega development known as 670 Mesquit will have apartments, offices, a hotel, a charter elementary school, shops and restaurants if the City Council signs off on the plans to replace a cold storage facility on the west side of the Los Angeles River with the mixed-use complex designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels Group.
Developer Vella Group is prepared to start work in about a year and a half and plans to complete the project by 2031, land use consultant Michael LoGrande said.
LoGrande represents Vella Group and the Gallo family, the longtime owner of the Rancho Cold Storage facility on Mesquit Street that will make way for the new development that will rise as high as 34 stories.
Plans call for 894 apartments, of which 144 will be offered at below-market rates for low-income households — a scale that would make it one of the largest residential projects to be built downtown.
The boutique hotel will have 271 rooms and should garner a four-star rating, LoGrande said.
“We’re looking to attract people from the Convention Center” who want to stay in a neighborhood that feels different from the buzzy blocks around the sports and entertainment district, LoGrande said. He added that the project aims to offer “something that’s a little more cultured with more options and vibrant pedestrian activity, which you can find in the Arts District.”
The development will be funded by United Kingdom investment firm London & Regional Properties, LoGrande said.
Earlier plans for 670 Mesquit called for a larger portion of office space for rent, but with demand for offices dipping as more people work remotely, the office component was reduced to 676,000 square feet — still a substantial amount of new space.
“This was really an office-forward project to begin with,” LoGrande said. “We made some pretty significant design changes due to the shifting market post-COVID and increased the residential units pretty dramatically by adding 475 more homes.”
Architect Bjarke Ingels has helped design corporate campuses for Google in London and Silicon Valley, among several other high-profile projects.
“Our project draws inspiration from the scale, materials, and details of the warehouses and factories in the Arts District, aiming to preserve and integrate their architectural character,” Bjarke Ingels said in a statement about 670 Mesquit. “By blending modern amenities with timeless materials and proportions, we honor the artistic identity that defines the district.”
The design also calls for a broad deck extending over an active rail yard below that divides the Rancho property from the Los Angeles River. And there is to be a landscaped public space maintained and programmed by the owners with such events as farmers markets, movie nights and yoga classes.
The deck, rooftops and ground level public spaces will be landscaped by Studio-MLA, which is led by architect Mia Lehrer. Her other projects include the Hollywood Park racetrack redevelopment and SoFi Stadium, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Taylor Yard G2 Park on the Los Angeles River.
