More development could soon be coming to a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. During a City of Long Beach Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening, San Francisco-based Carmel Partners received approval for its 390-unit apartment project at 6615 E Pacific Coast Highway.
Overall, the project would stand six stories tall and provide 5,351 square feet of ground floor commercial space and parking for up to 576 vehicles and 196 bicycles. In addition, the project would offer 45,141 square feet of public and private open space amenities.
To achieve a larger development scale than typically permitted by zoning regulations, Carmel Partners is utilizing density bonus incentives in line with state law. In exchange, the developer will reserve 17 apartments as affordable housing for those at the very low-income level. Overall, the unit count includes a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
According to documents submitted to the City, the project would demolish one of two existing office buildings while preserving an adjoining structure at 6695 Pacific Coast Highway. The two office buildings, which are located at 6615 and 6695 East Pacific Coast Highway were constructed in 1979 and 1983 and are approximately 45,955 and 15,538 square feet, according to city records. The existing 45,955 square foot office building and surface parking lot at 6621 East Pacific Coast Highway was constructed in 1980 and would remain upon completion of the project.
Designs for the project come from AO, with landscaping from Urban Arena. The building is designed in a contemporary style with residential units arranged to surround ground-level courtyard areas. In response to the L-shaped site’s conditions, the project utilizes at-grade open space courtyards, rather than podium-level open space, to provide visibility and access to public areas. In addition to the courtyards, a 9,724 square foot corridor is proposed along the north portion of the site, with emergency and loading only access along Pacific Coast Highway to meet the requirement for unobstructed views of the nearby wetlands.
Founded in 1996, Carmel Partners is a vertically-integrated multifamily investment and development firm. Carmel Partners has projects in various stages of development throughout California as well as in the metros of Seattle, Denver, Washington D.C., Honolulu and New York, according to its website.
In Southern California, previous projects from the firm include Linea, a 595-unit apartment community at 2431 South Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles; Cumulus, a 1,210-unit apartment complex at 3321 La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles; and various others.
