(Santa Monica, CA – September 27, 2018) Construction has started on the 52,463-square-foot Coronel Apartments that will provide 54 units of much-needed affordable housing in Hollywood.

A project of Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), the four-story building has two street frontages, one at 1601 North Hobart Blvd and the other at 1600 N. Serrano Ave spanning the project between two blocks. The development will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom units in two buildings. One level of underground parking, entered off of Hobart Blvd., runs under the building to its full length.

Late in the design process, it was decided that an existing, 1920 Pueblo-style house on the site would be maintained and integrated into the project. The restored house, originally on Hobart Blvd., was relocated to the Serrano street-front and will be restored and will house two units. In its new location, adjacent to HCHC’s Hollywood Bungalow Courts, the house will be located in a historic district,  and the new construction units will rise behind it.

“Coronel Apartments presents a complex site that spans two blocks in East Hollywood, half on Serrano Avenue, a historic district of bungalow courts, and half on Hobart Boulevard, a street of mid-20th century apartment buildings. The project strives to fit into both contexts,” said KFA Partner John Arnold, AIA.

The affordable housing project is within walking distance to the Western Station on Metro’s Red Line, making it a true contributor to the City of Los Angeles’ goal of creating affordable housing in transit-oriented communities.

Coronel Apartments is targeting a LEED Gold sustainability rating and is slated for opening in January 2019.