501 Essense
Construction commenced in March 2026 for a mixed-use residential development at the former site of Pacific Alliance Medical Center in Chinatown.
501 Essense, which is being developed by property owner 531 West College Street, LLC and an affiliate of AGI Avant Partners, will rise at 531 W. College Street, on a site which also fronts North Hill street to the east and Yale Street to the west. Plans call for the construction of an eight-story building including 455 apartments with 9,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, 7,700 square feet of medical facilities, and a 473-car garage.
Project approvals include Transit Oriented Communities incentives to allow for a speedier approval pathway. In exchange, 91 apartments are to be reserved for lower-income renters for a period of 99 years.
Steinberg Hart is designing Essense, which will include multiple privately-owned by publicly-accessible paseos, as well as private terraces and a clubhouse with a mass timber roof. The building is clad in white plaster, and is to include a contemporary interpretation of a Chinatown "paifang" gateway.
-SOURCE: URBANIZE L.A.
Building Information
Status: Under Construction
Number of Stories: 8
Expected Completion: 2028
Architect: Steinberg Hart
Retail
Retail Sq Ft: 9000
Residential
Residential Type: Apartment, Affordable
Market Rate Units: 364
Affordable Rental Units: 91
Total Rental Units: 455
Total Units: 455