Dressing Up the CBD
Publish Date: 04/01/2002
Social Buzz
by PATRICIA L. KIRK
LOS ANGELES-based developer Mark Weinstein, president of MJW Investments, went on a shopping spree in Downtown Los Angeles’ Garment District, acquiring 10 historic buildings that he plans to redesign for a higher use. His $120 million Santee Court urban renewal project, the city’s largest adaptive, mixed-use redevelopment project so far, will transform 10 existing sewing shops, totaling 790,000 sf, into a “city within a city” with 604 loft apartments, shops, restaurant. And fashion showroom space.
“It was a like a dream being able to accumulate 10 properties all together,” says Weinstein. “You need a critical mass like this to create a vibrant sense of place.”
Nine of the 10 were built between 1908 and 1929, and seven are contiguously located along Los Angeles Street, between Seventh Street and Olympic. The other two are on adjoining Santee and Eighth streets. Surrounding the properties are the Flower Mart, Toy Mart, Jewelry District and Santee Court.
Weinstein notes that the82-block area does $9 billion annually in sales-$1 million in retail and $8 million in wholesale business-which is nine times the total sales at South Coast Plaza in Newport Beach, the highest grossing shopping center in Southern California. “People are shopping big time in Downtown. What’s missing is a place for people to live,” he says. “One of my goals is to create workforce affordable housing, a place where policemen, firemen and teachers can afford to live.”
Weinstein’s project includes 20% affordable housing, or about 120 units. The remaining 484 units will rent for between $600 and $4000 a month, with an average rent of between $1,200 and $1,400 per month for approximately 750 sf. The loft design, he notes, makes the best use of the space, with high ceilings providing “storage up.”
Accentuating the area’s turn-of the-century presence, existing alleys and tunnels connecting buildings will be converted to cobblestone walkways, courtyards and underground passageways, creating a sense of community in a historic setting. The project also includes 115,000 sf of high-end showroom and commercial fashion-industry space and about 125,000 sf of retail. Principal architects include Donald Alec Barany and Bill Brantley.
The first project got under way last October with Gerry Building at 910 Los Angeles St. Built in 1947, this nine-story structure, with a distinctive orange terra cotta Streamline Modern façade featuring art deco curves, will house a fashion and design center, with 60 showrooms.
Re-inventing Downtown LA doesn’t have to happen overnight, Weinstein continues, noting some people want to turn it into another San Francisco, Chicago or New York City. “They’re missing the boat,” he says. “We have a number of wonderful communities here…this is just one part of the greater piece we call LA.”
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