was a hat factory, now my bedroom
“You have the choice of living in something with character and historic charm, or you can settle for a traditional apartment with four flat walls.”
As the largest adaptive reuse endeavor in Los Angeles, this marks a pivotal moment in downtown’s effort to provide mixed-use, mixed-income housing. Over the past year a long waiting list has accumulated, as waves of prospective downtown-bound residents search for unique loft housing at reasonable rents. These renovated historic & industrial lofts range from 650 to 1,300 square feet.
As one of the only developers voluntarily including 20% affordable housing for the workforce community, he is confident in the neighborhood’s growth. “With eight separate buildings, our project has a critical mass that no other adaptive reuse project in the City of Los Angeles is able to offer.”
The first three buildings to open—the 714 Building, the 716 Building, and the 720/24 Building—will house a total of 44 different floor plans designed to make the best use of their space and high ceilings. “Offering diverse floor plans affords our tenants flexibility to fit their diverse needs,” explains Brad Gwinn, vice president of development.
The Start of the Fashion District
At the beginning of the 20th century Michael J. C, an Irish businessman, established the first garment and textile manufacturing buildings to accommodate the growing fashion industry in Los Angeles—the cornerstone of the Fashion District’s development.
Between 1911 and 1912, Architect Arthur Angel and contractor Carl Leonardt built C’s first four buildings: the 714 Building, the 716 Building, and the adjoined 720/24 Buildings.
The 714 Building, a five-story moderne structure, has a streamline façade with fluted piers that echo between paired windows. The 716 Building, named after a former manufacturer’s rooftop sign, lies behind the 714 Building but can be identified by its wall-size steel grid windows which were designed for maximum light and ventilation. The 720/24 Building once had a very ornate facade which was altered to look more “modern” in the late ’50s. It has horizontal-rotating pivot windows facing the street and a new interior courtyard garden.
The buildings were designated as local historic monuments due to their social and architectural significance in the history of industrial Los Angeles. After renovation, the three-phased project will include 552 loft/condominiums, 100,000 square feet of retail space, a series of rooftop amenities, and a 400 foot-long courtyard/promenade.
“What it comes down to is this,” explained Weinstein to the Los Angeles Business Journal. “You have the choice of living in something with character and historic charm, or you can settle for a traditional apartment with four flat walls.”
