Glendale City Council OKs mixed-use project

Another apartment development that features ground-level retail is coming to downtown Glendale in the next few years as the project received final approval from the City Council on Tuesday.

Council members unanimously approved the final design of an 84-unit development to be built on the northwest corner of California and Central avenues. It received initial approval from the council in January.

The final design was almost identical to the initial proposal except for additional information about the building’s lighting scheme and landscaping plan.

Burbank-based Chandler Pratt & Partners is developing the six-story project, which will feature 4,397 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

Todd Pratt, co-owner of Chandler Pratt & Partners, said the firm is planning to start construction in September, and the project is projected to be completed two years later.

The new development will be located across the street from two other developments under construction.

The 80-unit Legendary Towers, which started construction in January, is on the northeast corner of California and Central, and the Lex on Orange development, which will include 300 apartments in two buildings, is under construction to the north in the same block as the Legendary Towers.

The only point of contention raised about the latest project was whether the planned courtyard and landscaping area would use grass or artificial turf. The project will feature 3,337 square feet of publicly accessible open space, qualifying it for increased density and size allowances.

“I think the idea is to provide some real landscaping for people, not something that’s going to heat up to 130 degrees in the summer,” Councilwoman Laura Friedman said.

Hassan Haghani, the city’s director of community development, told the council that he would work with the project designer to make sure the open space would not have artificial turf and it would include California-friendly landscaping with succulents.

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