The other apartment complexes consist of four units at 642 Marine St., 10 units at 3005 Highland Ave. and eight units at 536 Ashland Ave.
In fulfilling the request that it be well-scaled and sensitive to the community's architectural heritage, OP 43 ironically stands out as an exceptionally designed complex.
Much of Ocean Park is composed of a mix of boxy, boring, stucco-clad, crudely detailed apartment buildings, persevering bungalows hidden behind overgrown front yards and select protected, pricey gems. Few make any friendly gestures to the street and its neighbors, as does OP 43.
That is why the community was so insistent in its design criteria, said Michael Alvaridez of the Community Corporation.
"OP 43 is a modern return to time past, a reminder of bygone years that makes people feel comfortable," he explained. "There has been so much change around them that they wanted something stable, something they would like to live in."
That simple desire could very well serve as a critical standard for in-fill community development everywhere.
