From Approved to Improved

This project was approved in 2016, but it could stand to be improved. So, Avenue 34 was re-imagined with a nod towards the neighborhood’s past and a look to the future.

The originally approved design for this site called for almost 400 units of housing but only provided 31 units of affordable housing. However, The Pinyon Group saw the potential to create a vibrant, mixed-income community that would tie into and enhance the existing fabric of the neighborhood.

Working closely with KFA, a heritage LA architecture firm which boasts 40+ years of experience designing all manner of housing for neighborhoods across LA, including supportive housing, affordable housing, senior housing and market-rate housing, The Pinyon Group re-imagined Avenue 34 from the ground up. Read on to learn what some of the main differences are.

Smaller footprint, more housing

With an eye toward the future, the newly redesigned project actually has a smaller physical footprint but provides more units of housing, more public open space, and more trees.

Less Traffic

The approved design called for 30,000 sf of creative office space, a highly traffic-intensive use. The newly proposed design no longer includes any commercial office use, which neighbors feared would be disruptive to the fabric of the community due to traffic. The remaining retail space is envisioned as an asset to the community, which will hopefully attract community-serving tenants such as a bank, market, pharmacy, or other uses which currently do not exist in the immediate area. Ultimately, the development team would like to hear what the community thinks before reaching out to any prospective retail tenants. 

More Green Space

The revised project includes nearly 1.5 acres of public open space, including two pocket parks between the retail spaces along Pasadena Avenue, which will be open to the public during business hours. 219 trees will be planted on the site in addition to other succulents, shrubs, grasses, and ground cover. The Pinyon Group is also looking into relocating some of the mature olive and pine trees currently along Avenue 34 elsewhere on the site for continued community enjoyment, and will plant new, mature trees along Avenue 34.  

More Affordable Housing

The original design called for 372 units with only 31 set aside as affordable. The new and improved plan adds 96 apartments for a total of 468 units, with 66 units designated as affordable and set aside for low-income residents. That’s a 115% increase of affordable units from the original plan. There are also more than 250 units priced at workforce housing levels. The term “workforce housing” refers to housing that serves residents who are earning incomes at the level of teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other civil service workers who desire to live in or near employment centers in their metropolitan area.

Dedicated workforce housing

Of the remaining 402 units, more than 250 of them will have starting rents at workforce housing levels, which is generally understood to mean affordable housing for households with earned income that is insufficient to secure quality housing in reasonable proximity to the workplace. Workforce housing is commonly targeted at "essential workers" in a community such as firemen, teachers, nurses, medical personnel. 

Accessible units for essential workers

Consisting primarily of Junior 1-bedroom and 1-bedroom units, Avenue 34 welcomes this sought after group of employees the opportunity of living within easy commuting distance of their jobs. Avenue 34 also includes more than 90 2-bedroom family units.

Industrial vernacular, re-imagined

Riffing off the industrial character of the neighborhood, the new design takes the idea of large, long warehouses and modernizes it: Long colorful hallways, plenty of shared exterior communal space, lots of natural light permeating all of the residential units, lounges, communal gathering spaces, and a palette inspired by LA’s signature sunrises and sunsets.