Uncommon Developers Expands Apartment Plan in Hollywood

Uncommon Developers wants to build a 53-unit neo-Spanish Revival apartment building in Hollywood, more than four times larger than its original plans.

The Chatsworth-based builder filed plans for the five-story apartment building at 1305 Cherokee Avenue, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. It would replace two vacant lots.

In 2020, Uncommon proposed building 12 apartments at Cherokee and Fountain avenues in the De Longpre Park Residential Historic District, which has many Spanish Colonial Revival homes from the early 20th Century.

The latest project, designed by JZA Architecture, includes a white Spanish Revival-style building with a Mission-style gable, with French doors that open onto small balconies, according to a rendering. It would have stained wood trim, large windows and ground-floor planters.

Density bonus incentives and the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1 would allow for a larger building than local zoning rules allow, though the number of affordable units was not disclosed.

Uncommon bought the two parcels in 2017 for $1.95 million. The size of the lots was not disclosed.

The developer has also teamed up with JZA to build another 53-unit mixed-use project at 7771 West Beverly Boulevard in Fairfax.

The co-founders of Uncommon Developers are Jason Larian, son of billionaire toymaker Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, and Ryan Hekmat, who is married to Isaac Larian’s daughter. The offices of Uncommon Developers are inside the MGA headquarters building in the northwest San Fernando Valley.

Last summer, the developer filed plans to build a 405-unit apartment complex at 6728 Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys.

In July, Uncommon filed preliminary plans for a seven-story apartment complex at 7437-7445 West Sunset Boulevard and 1504-11512 North Gardner Street in Hollywood. The number of units was not disclosed.

— Dana Bartholomew