Modern condo tower gets OK

CITY HALL — A planned 24-story residential tower won sound approval at a joint City Council and Redevelopment Agency meeting Tuesday after it was billed as the most significant downtown development since the Americana at Brand.

The project, which will be located on Central and Sanchez avenues overlooking the Ventura (134) Freeway, will bring 287 upscale condominiums to the downtown’s core — and with it, a likely demographic of residents who have disposable incomes, discerning tastes and high expectations of what Glendale should be and offer, said Councilman John Drayman, who also serves as the Redevelopment Agency chairman.

“They’re going to hold our feet to the fire,” he said.

And that won’t necessarily be a bad thing, since demand for urban amenities might fuel a proliferation of arts and entertainment offerings, and bring a higher sense of community investment to any downtown revitalization, Drayman added.

The building design for “Verdugo Gardens” has won widespread praise for its incorporation of eight “sky gardens” — or three-story cubes, each 20 feet deep with open space built into the facade of the structure that give future residents access to park space high in the skyline.

The eight sky gardens will be themed and accessible to all building tenants. Retail elements, including a restaurant, are planned for the site’s six-story “podium.”

The architectural design from Johnson Fain International won unanimous approval three years after its concept started.

The project will include a water fountain on 10,700 square feet of public park space with outdoor seating areas that, together with the building’s signature design, allowed it to grow from 18 to 24 stories, according to incentives laid out in the city’s Downtown Specific Plan.

It will also include an additional lane of traffic along Central and Sanchez avenues, city officials said.

The council, also acting in its dual role as the Redevelopment Agency, made it clear that the Verdugo Gardens concept should define where the city’s downtown goes from here.

“This is the sort of stuff that is starting to happen in our downtowns,” Councilman Dave Weaver said.