Phase 2 of the Expo Line will be open by 2016, and with over 16 completed and under construction projects on the Expo Line, KFA is shaping the communities that will use it. Who resides in these neighborhoods, and what does KFA see for Santa Monica and Los Angeles at large? Diverse and multi-faceted is our answer. Special needs residents of permanent supportive housing such as Step Up On Colorado will use the Expo Line to gain access to services, treatment, and work in and outside of Santa Monica. Urban millennials living at 1539 4th Street will be right at the terminus of the Expo Line, only a quick train ride away from Culver City farmer’s markets and Downtown LA art galleries. Students without cars will have the ability to take a study break from classes at USC or Santa Monica College and check out a new restaurant, bar, or the latest secret pop-up event. The young professionals living at M Lofts will be able to ditch their cars for bicycles, freeing themselves from the traffic of the 10 freeway. KFA’s projects along the Expo Line will bring together a community of train riders that will work, play, and do everything between, erasing many of the divisions that have turned LA into small enclaves and select communities.
Recent policy changes have encouraged transit oriented development and increased density. Bike ordinances prioritize green transportation as the future of local travel. 9901 Washington is a 131-unit mixed use project taking advantage of the SB1818 affordable housing density bonus. M Lofts, also taking advantage of SB1818, will bring 115 units to the Palms neighborhood. Santa Monica bike lanes welcome the local bicyclist with direct access from the 17th Street/Santa Monica College station to the Santa Monica Swim Center. The 829 Broadway and 375 La Cienega duo offers a location just a few blocks away from the Downtown Santa Monica Station, and OPCC‘s Cloverfield Services Center will now have the ability to engage resources throughout LA and Santa Monica.