The team that's been trying to demolish four commercial buildings on Ingleside's Ocean Avenue for a mixed-use development since 2014 has submitted a fresh proposal.
Pasadena-based developer Bogelajiang Aierken, aka Bugra Arkin, and architecture firm S-AC Design Group submitted plans on Nov. 7 for a seven-story building with 101 housing units and five ground-floor commercial spaces at Capitol and Ocean avenues.
Some 18% of the proposed units would be affordable at 55% of the area median income. The project also features two penthouses, open spaces and a roof deck.
The proposal calls for using AB 2011 in conjunction with the State Density Bonus program.
A few days after the plans were submitted, a representative of the Planning Department sent a letter saying the project was not compliant with AB 2011 because the site is still listed on a state registry for contaminated properties.
"The project is not eligible for AB 2011 or any ministerial process at the moment because the site is on the Cortese list," the planner wrote.
The site has toxic chemicals left from a long-gone dry cleaning business.
It's unclear why TJ Development Inc., the longtime owner and would-be developer of the properties, is not listed on the project documents. State business records filed in August state Jianping Wu, the founder of TJ Development, is a director and Arkin is the company's secretary.
Arkin declined to be interviewed, citing displeasure with The Light's article from September that recounted the small business evictions and storefront vacancies.
Since acquiring the properties in 2014, the developers have submitted a handful of proposals, including one for a five-story building in April of this year. As a result of the drawn-out process, many of the storefronts have been left blighted and kept vacant, reducing economic activity in the area to the chagrin of nearby merchants and residents.
Only one merchant, Jade Building Material Supplies, remains in the site's 13 commercial spaces as of this week.
The Ocean Avenue Association's Christian Martin told The Light in November that the organization doesn't have plans regarding the project but looked forward to working with the development team to bring some community energy to the project.
In June, when Mayor Daniel Lurie used Ingleside as the backdrop to announce his upzoning plan, District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen took to social media to criticize the proposal, citing the 1601 Ocean Ave. development project as an example of development done wrong.
Chen said projects that require the demolition of existing buildings fuel the displacement of tenants since there is no adequate safety net. She also critiqued the low number of units large enough for families.
"In our district, where many families and multi-generational households reside, projects such as these do little to serve the housing needs in our local communities," Chen wrote at the time.
Chen's staff told The Light the developer did not consult her about the project. Chen previously said she reached out to the developer multiple times about the small business evictions.
"We have requested that the Planning Department provide us with updates on the status of the project as they become available," Chen's office said in a statement.
Chen has been working to amend the upzoning plan, which passed a first reading on Tuesday, to include more protections for tenants.
The Light did not immediately receive a comment from the Department of Toxic Substances Control about the new project proposal.
Anne Marie Kristoff and John R. Adkins contributed reporting.
