After a rehabilitation to modernize apartments and building systems, Little Tokyo Tower in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood continues to serve its mission of providing much-needed affordable housing for seniors 62 and older.
Members of the Little Tokyo community and four organizations built the 16-story, 301-unit apartment community in 1975 so their members had an affordable place to call home when they retired. While it had been well maintained over time, according to stakeholders, the 45-year-old building was in need of a substantial rehab.
It originally was constructed as a prefabricated building erected by a crane in 60 days, which presented a challenge for the development team to bring it up to earthquake safety standards. While traditional seismic methods wouldn’t work, the team used a new system, fiber reinforced polymer, that anchored the walls to the ceilings and tied the floors together. This allowed the existing square footage to remain intact and reinforced the building.
Other improvements included the addition of energy-efficient cyclonic water heaters and a cool roof as well as new elevators. Significant upgrades also were made to the unit interiors and kitchens, including the addition of floor-to-ceiling windows as well as increased square footage by building out the bedroom balconies into livable space.
Little Tokyo Service Center provides an array of on-site services for residents. In addition, the Little Tokyo Nutrition Services that operates out of the community kitchen space in the building provides low-cost meals to residents as well as the surrounding community.
“Little Tokyo is a symbol of hope and resilience in our community. It addressed the ongoing need for affordable housing while embracing innovation and community-centered solutions,” says Bob Kawahara, president of the Little Tokyo Tower board, the legacy owner. “The preservation efforts undertaken at Little Tokyo Tower signify a profound revitalization of essential housing resources for Los Angeles seniors.”The $50.7 million preservation project, undertaken by RAHD Group with Riverside Charitable Corp. as the managing general partner, also offers an array of rental assistance, includes 180 units covered under a Housing Assistance Payment contract through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and five tenant-based vouchers through the city of Los Angeles.
