By Clara Harter, Torrance Daily Breeze
Longtime Torrance institution Gable House Bowl is scheduled for demolition, but its name will live on in a mixed-use residential and retail development featuring 218 units, of which 17 will be affordable.
The Gable House project, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., received Planning Commission approval last month. It is currently looking at breaking ground in the middle of next year, with an estimated mid-2025 opening, said Brad Perozzi, the president of project developer Intracorp Homes for Southern California.
Once complete, the building will hold 12,000 square feet of commercial space, a pool, a fitness center, shared work space and several rooftop decks.
“We have just a ton of amenity space,” Perozzi said. “This is like a five star resort, so definitely a luxury project.”
The approximately 3.8 acre lot is in the Del Amo Business District, the urban core of Torrance, in which many of the city’s largest developments are concentrated, including the Del Amo Fashion Center and several office complexes.
The building features 17 affordable units reserved for individuals classified as very low-income under standards set by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development. In LA County, that is equivalent to an income of $41,700 or lower for a household of one, $47,650 for a household of two, $53,600 for a household of three and $59,550 for a household of four.
The longtime owner of the bowling alley — which has been a favorite haunt of Torrance residents since the 1960s — has lent his support to the project, which will retain the name Gable House.
“The current Gable House Bowl has been a well known location in the community over the years, but in recent times has experienced maintenance problems during COVID,” owner Mikey Cogan wrote in a May 2 letter to the Planning Commission. “I believe the Intracorp team’s vision and attention to detail in building this quality and lasting project will carry on the original intent of Gable House Bowl in bringing together family, friends, and fun.”
The new residential development will be among the largest apartment complexes in Torrance, said Torrance planning associate Leo Oorts. Even so, the developers pared down the number of units from their initial vision to better align with city priorities, Perozzi said.
“For a mixed-use project of this stature, it’s actually a little bit on the smaller side,” Perozzi said, “but I think it’s in keeping with what the community and staff wanted to see in terms of size and density and scope.”
There were some letters of concern submitted by residents regarding the project’s impact on parking and traffic circulation. But the development will provide parking spaces beyond the code requirements, Oorts said.
The project will provide 460 parking spaces, the majority of which will be in a six-level parking structure. It will also include 28 parking spaces for electric vehicle parking, helping it adhere to the state’s Green Building Standards.
The parking and the retail space, Perozzi said, should be a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood and not just residents.
“It (the development) fits within the community really, really well,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a drastic improvement to Hawthorne Boulevard and the ideal property to revitalize and improve the neighborhood.”
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