Fashion Forward
Publish Date: 04/05/2004
Downtown News
by Kathryn Maese
Santee Court Redefines the District With Lofts and Retail
Standing on the rooftop putting green and driving range of his $130 million Santee Court, developer Mark Weinstein takes in the expansive views of Downtown from one of three loft buildings at Los Angeles and Seventh streets that make up the project's first phase.
"For a second I forgot where I was," he said.
It's a rare respite for Weinstein, one that won't be repeated any time soon. For starters, a busload of investors and developers are set to arrive in minutes for a tour of the 165 rental lofts, which open this week for leasing and early move-in. Later in the day, he's scheduled to meet with his board of directors who want details on the project's status and whether he's stayed on budget.
Nonetheless, Weinstein is in his element, working his cell phone and extending invitations like a proud papa. In this case his baby is a collection of 10 nearly contiguous industrial buildings in the Fashion District that will eventually become the city's largest mixed-use development with 550 residential units and 110,000 square feet of retail.
While rents start at about $1,400 for units ranging from 700 to 1,100 square feet, Weinstein said Santee Court will target middle-income earners like firefighters, police officers, city employees and teachers. Though privately financed, he voluntarily dedicated 20% of the units to low-income residents. (When a developer receives public funding for a project, the 20% level is required.)
"We had a rare opportunity in this urban setting to create a sense of place where people of every walk of life could live, associate and intermingle," said Weinstein, who heads Santa Monica-based MJW Investments. "I believe that by this phenomenon people rise up. Mixed-use is my own social experiment, because if a person is a hard worker at the lowest level, but is able to associate with people who make more, they will rise."
Situated on three blocks surrounded by Los Angeles Street, Maple Avenue, Seventh and Ninth streets, the buildings encircle the northern block of Santee. The alley runs through the project's center, creating a courtyard that will include a pocket park, fountain and stores.
The initial phase holds about 40,000 square feet of retail, including a Rite Aid, food court, small grocery store and a "concept" coffee shop that will feature art shows and music. Weinstein has also secured 10 liquor licenses for an upscale bar and several restaurants he hopes to attract.
But the lofts are center stage at Santee Court, where rows of oversized windows allow brilliant light to stream into every unit - 20,500 pieces of glass were replaced with sound-resistant panes. Ceilings are 12 to 14 feet high and lofts feature marble countertops, polished concrete floors, walk-in closets and oversized bathtubs.
"We wanted to make the units affordable," Weinstein said. "So we measured a 1,025-square-foot apartment and found that the real living area was only 750 feet with all the walls. But you're paying for an extra 300 square feet. So we decided to offer average units at 700 to 800 square feet, make it more affordable and offer amenities like appliances, balconies and windows."
The center of each building is cored to create an open atrium that will feature bamboo gardens and green space for lounging. Other amenities include a rooftop pool, spa, barbecue area and basketball court.
While the lack of parking in Downtown frequently poses problems for residential developers, Santee Court will have 200 underground spaces and 422 spots in a covered structure across the street. Weinstein also touts the proximity of mass transit like the Downtown DASH bus at Seventh and Los Angeles streets and the Metro at Pershing Square.
On May 21, Santee Court will make its official debut to hundreds of city officials, community leaders and neighbors during a block party. Art and fashion shows, music, food and tours will be offered at the 5 p.m. event.
Santee Court joins a spate of recent residential projects to come online Downtown, including the Toy Factory Lofts near Alameda and Industrial streets, the Gas Company Lofts at Seventh and Flower streets, and the Orpheum Lofts on Broadway and Ninth Street. Currently more than 6,000 rental and for-sale units are planned or under construction Downtown.
The Fashion District, which houses dozens of historic structures filled with garment manufacturers, showrooms and designers, could begin to evolve in the coming years. Increasingly, developers view many of the aging structures as ripe for conversion into lucrative residential projects that create more income than current leases with manufacturers.
Kent Smith, who directs the Fashion District Business Improvement District (BID), said Santee Court will be a catalyst for the northwest part of the Fashion District and change the character of the neighborhood with the influx of new residents.
"The 150-foot buildings in the district that traditionally are filled with sewing machines and mass production, their future is not manufacturing," he said. "Those buildings are suitable for residential conversion and it's their best chance for reuse. I think Mark and MJW are showing how buildings can be converted in a way that is going to create a brand new neighborhood in Downtown.
"But the most exciting part of the project is that the 100,000 square feet of commercial that exists on the ground floor will remain, keeping the vibrancy of L.A. Street that has always been a part of Downtown," he continued. "Other streets have really lost that vibrancy, but this project will keep that street level pedestrian activity."
The bustling district is home to hundreds of wholesale and retail fashion, fabric and accessories businesses, as well as major designer showrooms like the California Market Center and the L.A. Mart. The Fashion District BID estimates that more than 20,000 people people crowd the 82-block district every Saturday, a selling point Weinstein said he used to attract retailers to the project.
In addition to the rental loft apartments, Weinstein said he will begin construction this summer on up to 80 condominiums in two buildings, with completion in 2005. A third residential phase will open 299 rental apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail.
"People have finally realized that Downtown is not Chicago, San Francisco and New York," Weinstein said. "We're more like Dallas, Denver, Seattle and Portland. But Los Angeles is even better because we have these unique little communities surrounding it like Silverlake, Echo Park, South Park, Bunker Hill, and they're all starting to get connected."
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