Forward-thinking developer Dennis Needleman has a recipe for improving LA?s ubiquitous ratty strip malls: just add housing. Needleman?s $50 million City Front Place development transforms a typical strip mall on Washington Boulevard (home to Rite Aid, a 99-cent store, a nail salon? you get the picture) into a decidedly more upmarket mixed-use development.
The planned 135 condos will be built on five levels above the existing stores, which will also undergo a serious revamping. One-, two-, and three-bedroom condos will range from 880 to 1800 square feet, and will run buyers $400,000 to $800,00. Each unit features a patio open to either a downtown view or the central courtyard and pool. What?s more, City Front Place dares to appeal to those hypothetical car-less LA residents who value the proximity to downtown, the nearby Metro Blue Line light rail and the bicycles provided with each unit. Anyone? Anyone?
·Strip Mall Grows Up, Literally[Los Angeles Downtown News]