A long-envisioned residential tower for downtown Los Angeles has moved one step closer to reality, having cleared a major planning hurdle that could allow construction to begin as early as 2027. Uniquely proposed atop an existing 12-story parking garage, the project marks a bold reuse of existing infrastructure in the heart of one of the city’s busiest districts.

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission last week approved the 53-story structure, which would rise from the center of the Bloc—a well-known mixed-use development that spans an entire city block and includes office and hotel towers, a cineplex, retail stores, and restaurants. The final decision now heads to the City Council.

The project site is no ordinary parcel. “The addition of a multi-family residential use would transform the existing development into a true mixed-use project that includes residential, commercial and hotel uses,” noted Rising Realty Partners, one of several downtown stakeholders who offered letters of support. “The project would aid in creating a balanced 24-hour community.”

Public documents reveal the proposed tower would include 466 residential units, broken down into 83 studios, 271 one-bedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units, and 12 three-bedroom units. The structure would occupy only a portion of the garage roof, leaving space for a sprawling outdoor amenity deck featuring a swimming pool, barbecue area, and landscaping with trees, shrubs, and a lawn. Additional indoor-outdoor recreation areas are also planned at the top level.

The garage itself would undergo a seismic retrofit as part of the construction, which National Real Estate Advisors—the current owner—hopes to complete by 2030. The firm acquired the Bloc in 2018 from Los Angeles developer Wayne Ratkovich, who had led a $250-million redevelopment that transformed the formerly enclosed mall into a lively, open-air destination with a direct connection to the 7th Street/Metro Center station.

Ratkovich’s vision breathed new life into what was once Macy’s Plaza, a 1970s-era shopping complex that had long fallen out of favor. By 2013, it was considered a “dated, downscale relic,” despite sitting near one of the busiest subway interchanges in the city. His redevelopment strategy included removing the mall’s roof and carving out the main floor to create a sunken, light-filled plaza.

“Green space, natural light, and urban accessibility were at the core of the Bloc’s revival,” Ratkovich said at the time, although unexpected construction delays caused costs to swell well beyond the original $180-million estimate.

Now, as the city wrestles with both a severe housing shortage and a cooling construction market, the Bloc's planned residential tower represents both a practical and symbolic step forward. Real estate data firm CoStar recently reported that multifamily construction in L.A. has fallen 22% year-over-year, even as tenants rented 10,000 more units than they vacated in the past year, dropping the city’s multifamily vacancy rate to just 5%.

Plans also include large-scale digital signage that could wrap the building on multiple levels, a nod to the evolving visual identity of downtown L.A.

While National Real Estate Advisors did not comment publicly, the final form of the tower—whether apartments or condominiums—will depend on market conditions closer to the start of construction.

The project’s mix of adaptive reuse, density, and public access has made it a point of interest for developers and civic leaders alike. In an increasingly expensive and crowded city, building upward—especially on top of what already exists—may be key to unlocking new housing opportunities.

Originally reported by Roger Vincent in LA Times.