A WALKING TOUR OF ADAPTIVE REUSE & LIVE/WORK SPACES

FUTURO DE FROGTOWN WWW.MAS.LA/FUTURO

A WALKING TOUR OF ADAPTIVE REUSE & LIVE/WORK SPACES

With dozens of properties changing hands in the last few years and redevelopment of the LA River happening at neck-breaking speed, this walking tour shares different possibilities for our ever-changing community. To build creatively and appropriately, we need to understand some of the history that has lead to certain spaces being constituted and explore ways we can create new alternatives.

Today’s workshop will focus on two solutions being explored in Frowtown regarding the highly coveted commercial/manufacturing buildings in the area:

1) Adaptive Reuse, and 2) Live/Work Spaces.

We will walk and talk about three different sites: 1) Tracy A. Stone Architects/Grain Surfboards,2) BLOX and 3) Kevin’s Tacos.

YOUR JOB!

You have been given a marker and a set of post-it notes. We ask that as we walk and visit the sites, write down key words or ideas that jump out from our discussions and your observations of the site.

No need for full sentences, just a couple words will do. We will use your notes at the end of the tour.

WHAT IS ADAP-TIVE REUSE?

Example: Tracy’s house and office is an example of adaptive reuse. Once industrial spaces, these same buildings maintain their exterior shell, but have updated interior space to accommodate a home and office.

Local Trend: In Elysian Valley, many adaptive reuse sites have changed from commercial, manufacturing, and industrial buildings into residential uses or joint living and working (also know as live/work space) spaces thanks to the Q Conditions.

The qualified conditions of approval, also know as Q Conditions*, are an overlay to zoning that governs the current and future use of many commercial & manufacturing properties located along the LA River in the community. The Q Conditions serve as a policy tool to allow for live/work space as a means to encourage adaptive reuse. They allow commercial manufacturing properties to become something else.

City-wide Trend: In Los Angeles, adaptive reuse is one strategy to preserve historic buildings and meet growing housing demand by converting buildings like old warehouses into residential units. The Department of City Planning has created a law to encourage the adaptive reuse of buildings, also know as the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance.

*Please note that Workshop 6 is focused on Q Conditions – a policy tool that the City will be updating starting in December. The Futuro de Frogtown workshops will help inform those changes and ensure they reflect the vision of community members.

Also, stay tuned for a workshop hosted by the Neighborhood Council in November.

Adaptive Reuse is a term used for the process of reusing a building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for.

Live/Work is a term that describes a property that is primarily residential with some space for commercial use.

WHAT IS LIVE/WORK SPACE?

Example: BLOX, the new development at the corner of Blake and Knox, will feature four new live/work units on the ground floor. Future tenants will be able to live in the space and operate a business.

Local Trend: In Elysian Valley, two popular live/work spaces include Tracy A. Stone Architects/Grain Surfboards at 2041 Black Avenue and Blake Lofts at 1849 Blake Avenue. There are many several live/work spaces in development, many of which geared towards artists and makers. There are also numerous unofficial live/work units in that are not recognized by the City, but contribute to the growing diversity of live/work spaces in our community. While Frogtown is known nowadays for it’s vibrant maker community, it is also inhabited by a wide range of other professionals.

Currently, Q Conditions allow for live/work units as a way to provide a buffer between residential and commercial/manufacturing uses.

City-wide Trend: Live/work units are most prevalent in communities where former commercial buildings are being adaptive-reused. In Los Angeles, the Arts District, Boyle Heights, and Downtown LA, and some argue Elysian Valley, are increasingly popular for live/work units. In 1999, the City clarified the definition to that live/work units must have more than 10%, but less than 25%, of the unit floor area used for working space.

PLANS FOR BLOX

To help you visualize what this site will look like at the end of construction, see below for project renderings and site plans courtesy of fsyArchitects.

helen@mas.la · www.mas.la · 3051 North Coolidge Ave, LA, CA 90039