New 304-unit residential project planned for Westlake

A planned high-rise could soon bring 304 new residential units to Westlake, which is quickly becoming a hotbed of new development. Formally proposed yesterday, rumors about the project have been swirling since February, when Urbanize LA reported on a flythrough video showing renderings of a glassy 28-story tower on the project site.

Plans filed with the city reveal the residential development will include 304 units of housing (34 of them affordable) and 5,699-square-feet of commercial space. The tower would replace an empty office building constructed in the 1950s.

The project is being developed by an American subsidiary of Lifan Group, a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer that is evidently looking to venture into the real estate game. Property records indicate the company purchased the property in January of last year for just over $19 million.

Located at the intersection of 7th and Witmer, the new development will have plenty of company. A couple blocks east, developer Career Lofts LLC has proposed a 36-story residential tower, while Pangea Development is planning a smaller 26-story tower even closer to Lifan’s project, at 7th and Lucas.

• Another Tower Headed to City West [Urbanize LA]
• First Look at the 36-Story Tower Headed Just West of DTLA [Curbed LA]
• 31-Story Mixed-User Headed for Ktown/Westlake Border [Curbed LA]