New LA Multifamily Developments Implement Tetris-Style Parking System
Two new multifamily developments in Los Angeles are getting a unique Tetris-style semi-automated parking system that could lead to a shift in how residents park their vehicles. Beverly Hills-based Markwood Enterprises recently broke ground on a 14-unit, 16K SF multifamily property in mid-Wilshire and a 13-unit, 12K SF multifamily development in Larchmont. Each offers one unit for very-low-income tenants.
Both sites are featuring a two-level subterranean semi-automated puzzle shift parking system developed by CityLift. “Every developer in LA knows if you can’t park it, you can’t build it,” Markwood Development Director Simon M. Aftalion said. “This enables us to pack in the density in a responsible way. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to house this many units because we wouldn’t be able to park them.” Multifamily developments in Los Angeles are required to have two parking spaces for each two-bedroom unit, one and a half spaces for one-bedroom units and one space for studios. But the innovative system by Oakland-based CityLift could start a trend in the city’s multifamily landscape that allows developers to build more density with less space, Aftalion said. The property on 1233 South Dunsmuir in mid-Wilshire will offer 18 parking spots, while the project on 4807 Elmwood Ave. in Larchmont will have 16 parking spaces. The puzzle shift — sometimes referred to as a puzzle lift — system appears as a stacked four-by-two grid. When a resident parks in a reserved spot, the system shifts or slides the vehicle or lifts it into place. The cars can be accessed independently. It takes an average of 30 seconds for a resident to retrieve a vehicle.