Apartments under construction at Wilshire and Barrington

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Construction of a six-story apartment building got underway last week at Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue in West Los Angeles, one of the area’s major intersections.

The property, formerly anchored by a liquor store and shoe store, was one of the most underutilized sites in West Los Angeles, said Ken Kahan, president of California Landmark, the Los Angeles company building the $35-million complex.

The apartment building called the bw replaces the previous plan for the site, a 28-story condominium building approved in 2004. Condo values and sales fell in the economic downturn, however.

“A high-rise condominium tower does not work in today’s market,” Kahan said.

Set to open in August 2013, the bw will have 78 units expected to rent for $2,200 to $4,000 a month. The design by Los Angeles-based PK Architecture calls for a rooftop garden, modernist lobby and a gym.

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-- Roger Vincent