Rosewood Gardens Senior Apartments

504 N. Berendo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90004
54 Senior Apartments

The Rosewood Gardens Senior Apartments project included the demolition of three dilapidated, multi-family homes and the new construction of a transit-oriented, five-story residential building over an on-grade podium and subterranean parking garage. Developed in partnership with the Rosewood Revitalization Group, the project was completed on December 18, 2009, and as of January 31, 2010, is 100% occupied.

Rosewood Gardens includes 54, one-bedroom units for active seniors, a 2,650 square foot community room & learning center, four laundry rooms, a central landscaped courtyard and private balconies. Parking for tenants is provided in a subterranean parking garage that accommodates 27 parking spaces and storage.

Once certified, Rosewood Gardens will be the first mid-rise affordable housing project in the City of Los Angeles to obtain the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the GOLD level. Located just three blocks from the Vermont/ Beverly Metro Red Line station, Rosewood Gardens is an excellent example of urban infill, transit-oriented development that combines smart growth and “green” building strategies for the affordable housing development of moderate-, low- and very low- income households.

Some of the many sustainable features include, but are not limited to: 3rd party durability management verification, drought tolerant plants and native vegetation, limited conventional turf, very high density development, high-efficiency irrigation systems, very high-efficiency water fixtures and fittings (dual flush toilets and low flow showerheads), energy performance 40% over Title 24 (through the use of photovoltaic panels for electrical consumption and thermal water heating), environmentally preferable products, construction waste reduction (achieving 90% diversion rate), enhanced combustion venting measures, indoor air contaminant control, garage pollutant protection, and forced-air systems for return air flow, as well as public awareness and education measures.

Rosewood Gardens was made possible by a unique financing structure which included a capitalized ground lease through a partnership between Los Angeles Housing Partnership and the Rosewood United Methodist Church. The financing structure facilitated the production of new private parking for the church while allowing LAHP to develop affordable housing above, thereby maximizing the use of the site while minimizing the necessary capital for the development.

On-site Social Services for seniors and the community include health education, physical fitness, nutrition and dieting, a free food bank distribution, English-as-a-Second-Language, arts, inter-generational workshops, and computer literacy classes.