76 affordable apartments planned for Boyle Heights

A new affordable housing project could soon begin to rise on a Metro-owned property in Boyle Heights. Developer Abode Communities is in talks with Metro to acquire a 66-year ground lease for the site. The organization filed plans for the project with the city earlier this month.

Located just blocks from the Gold Line’s Soto Station, the project, which is called La Veranda, will include 76 affordable apartments (and one manager’s unit). The apartments will be reserved for tenants making between 30 and 60 percent of the median income in the area.

The project will also include 8,000 square feet of retail space, which will include a bank and space for “community-oriented organizations,” according to the developer. Amenities will include bike parking, a resident center, and a central courtyard with a playground.

Promotional material from Adobe Communities emphasizes neighborhood outreach efforts the developer has undertaken in the area, where controversy over gentrification has been raging in recent years. The project is one of several affordable developments currently in the planning and construction process near Boyle Heights Metro stops. One of those projects, the Santa Cecilia Apartments, began accepting rental applications earlier this year.

Once approved, construction on La Veranda is expected to begin by 2018 and finish up by 2020.

Update: An earlier version of this story indicated that Abode had acquired a lease from Metro. In fact, the agreement has not been finalized.

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• Boyle Heights is Battling Fiercely Against Gentrification [Curbed LA]
• Construction ready to start on new transit-friendly affordable housing [Curbed LA]