Arts District Living Returns to its Roots

The outdoor paseo connects the two buildings and houses 15,800 square feet of retail.

LOS ANGELES—Lowes Enterprises has completed construction of the Garey Building, a 320-unit apartment building in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. The project is a joint venture between Megatoys, a company that has owned and had operated out of the property for 20 years, and institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The cost of the project was not disclosed.

“Gritty is pretty,” claims the property website. It is a sentiment that encapsulates the urban texture and creative style of the project, which was inspired by the history and culture of the neighborhood. “We were focused on trying to do something that was responsive to the community and the neighborhood without being artificial,” Tom Wulf, SVP at Lowe Enterprises, tells GlobeSt.com. “Our goal was to do something that addresses the community and addresses the neighborhood and still creates a building and a product that works for our residents but also for the residents in the area. So, we spent a lot of time making sure that our ground floor areas had direct public access and were light and airy with retail and restaurants that front the street and create a great pedestrian walkway. The goal was really to enhance the walkability that is there while still being reminiscent of the character of the space from before.”