Larger development now planned for Koreatown lot near Southwestern Law School

Plans to build a six-story apartment building behind Koreatown’s Southwestern Law School have been altered by the property’s new developer, K-1 LLC.

A previous developer had proposed 180 units in a six-story building at this site, 2972 West Seventh Street, in early 2016.

But in a project filing published Friday by the city planning department, the new developer outlines its plan to build 228 residential units on the lot. (The filing notes that the project would have affordable housing component but does not clarify how many units that would amount to.)

K-1 is an LLC connected to City Century, the LA subsidiary of Chinese developer ShengLong Group. ShengLong is also developing the planned Olympia project, which will bring three towers to a site on Olympic across from L.A. Live.

Along the ground floor, the Koreatown building would have nearly 8,000 square feet of commercial space. Renderings by MVE+Partners show balconies along Seventh Street and large windows where storefronts meet the sidewalk.

The developer wants to use the city’s transit-oriented communities guidelines to be able to reduce the amount of open space it provides. In exchange, it would put affordable units in the complex, which is located about three blocks from the Wilshire/Vermont Red and Purple line station.

A timeline for construction has not been released.

• Measure JJJ triggers new incentives to encourage affordable housing near transit [Curbed LA]