Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Construction Begins on Wilshire “Delancey” Lot

Excavation began on the lot at Wilshire and Rimpau where a 12 unit residence will rise.

Excavation began last week on Wilshire and Rimpau at the so-called  “Delancey” lot where the Delancey Street Foundation for many years sold Christmas trees during the holidays. The rest of the year the site stood vacant and barren, although at times a pumpkin patch was also a temporary resident. Earth was being moved and the beginning stages of construction started for a three level, 12 unit residence called “Wilshire Condominiums.”

A rendering of the project from 2008.
A 2008 rendering of the project shows the building partially clad in brick.

Located at 4661 W. Wilshire Blvd, the site sits in the Park Mile Specific Plan and cleared hurdles before the Park Mile’s Design Review Board  back in 2008. City Planning approved final construction plans in July 2013. The Archeon Group, known for projects in Koreatown including the giant Solair project above the Western/Wilshire Purple Line Metro stop, is behind the project, though they are not providing any information online about it and have not responded to our inquiries for updated renderings of the project.

View from Rimpau corner shows the corner portion of the property will be kept as landscaped green space.
View from Rimpau corner shows the corner portion of the property at Wilshire and Rimpau will be kept as landscaped green space.

According to the approved plans, the almost 27,700 square foot building will be limited to 3 floors and a maximum height of 45 feet including rooftop projections. A 15 foot setback will be maintained on Wilshire, Rimpau and the north side where its neighbor on Rimpau is a single family home. Nine trees will be planted along the Wilshire parkway, with 3 new trees expected along Rimpau. Parking for 30 cars will be in a subterranean garage, accessed from Rimpau.An open green space will be maintained right on the corner and to the south of the parking entrance, with landscaping hiding the electrical box and driveway.

The building is designed with a hipped Spanish tile roof, white plaster, cast stone in travertine color, copper gutters and downspouts,  and decorative iron balconies. While the 2008 renderings shown here look to have the building clad in brick on the lower levels and include two towers, the approved plan, pictured below, seem to have lost the towers and be clad all in plaster.  According to Planning’s determination, the building should fit into the surrounding neighborhood, in size and architectural style:

…the architectural treatment of the proposed structure is eclectic, drawing on elements of Spanish Colonial Revival (the Spanish tile roof and decorative iron balconies), Mediterranean Revival (the low pitched, hipped roof, plaster and decorative iron balconies), and Contemporary (large, fixed pane windows floor to ceiling at the front door.)
 

The Wilshire Condominiums seem to be another typical mash-up of architectural styles and design so common to newer multi-family housing in LA.  let’s hope the developer uses decent materials and some elegant landscaping to do justice to the Wilshire corridor.

 
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Julie Grist
Julie Grist
Julie co-founded the Larchmont Buzz with fellow buzzer Mary Hawley in 2011 and served as Editor, Publisher and writer for the hive for many years until the sale of the Buzz in August 2015. She is still circling the hive as an occasional writer.

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10 COMMENTS

    • The work on Irving/Wilshire lot was brought up at the recent GWNC Land Use Committee meeting – but no one on the committee had been notified of what’s happening there. The committee agreed they would look into it, and the Buzz will also.

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