A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for Santa Monica & Vermont (SMV) Apartments, a new collaborative transit-oriented housing development project on the B (Red) Line Vermont / Santa Monica in Los Angeles.
Developed by Litle Tokyo Social Centre (LTSC), a community development corporation committed to improving the lives of underserved individuals and families and promoting the equitable development of ethnic communities and their rich cultural heritage, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), the project is coming up adjacent to and on top of the Vermont/Santa Monica Metro transit station in East Hollywood.
Santa Monica & Vermont (SMV) apartments project features and amenities
Santa Monica & Vermont (SMV) Apartments consists of two six-storey buildings totalling approximately 170,000 square feet on a 50,000 square foot infill site. The buildings will house a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom residential units half of which will be set aside as permanent supportive housing.
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The buildings will also have approximately 20,000 sq. ft. space set aside for commercial and community use. This space will reportedly be home to a federally qualified health centre, community rooms and social service offices, and commercial spaces prioritizing the tenancy of local legacy businesses.
There will also be about 20,000 sq. ft. of open space, including a dining terrace opening up to the Metro Plaza, a private courtyard and a backyard patio that could be used as resident gardens, barbecue space, and/or multipurpose programming. Furthermore, Santa Monica & Vermont (SMV) Apartments will have one level of subterranean parking.
Environmental sustainability
Santa Monica & Vermont (SMV) Apartments project is LEED-certified, which means it satisfies specific environmental sustainability standards.
State of California funds for Infill Infrastructure, Transportation-Oriented Development, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable Communities will also support transit improvements such as new electric DASH buses, bus shelters, first/last mile bicycle improvements, and streetscape, which in turn will reduce auto use, and greenhouse gas emissions and increase transit ridership.
The entire cost of the project, the construction of which is expected to be completed in 2024, is $115 million. That includes money from local and federal affordable housing sources.
