Alliance Residential Company’s The Hesby Gets Star Treatment in North Hollywood

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

Los Angeles—The Hesby, a new six-story, $50 million, 308-unit apartment community offering upscale amenities reminiscent of those found at swanky resort hotels, has opened at 5031 Fair Ave. in North Hollywood (NoHo). The developer is Phoenix-based Alliance Residential Company.

The Hesby offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that range in size from 650 to 1,475 square feet and in rental rates from $1,820 to $3,220.

“We felt that the L.A. economy was about to turn a corner and that the NoHo submarket was one of the areas that would lead us back to the good times,” Alliance Residential vice president and project director Jonas Bronk tells MHN. “The Hesby was specifically designed with the local community in mind. The architectural style, the amenities and the branding were the outcome of designing for this particular site within this specific neighborhood. Any other location would have yielded a different solution.”

The Hesby’s apartments feature high-end kitchens, generously sized windows, walk-in closets and spa-inspired bathrooms. Kitchens also offer full-height pantries with a small “appliance garage” cabinet above countertops. In addition, some kitchens feature built-in wine refrigerators.

The amenity-laden common areas of The Hesby offer a broad variety of opportunities for renters. These areas begin with a pair of podium-level courtyards, one featuring a pool with underwater speakers, barbecue, adjacent lounge with kitchen, James Perse pool table, ping pong table and 3D TV, the other an outdoor living room, bar and barbecue.

For active residents, The Hesby offers a gym, yoga/dance studio, and for more arts-focused residents a writer’s café and music rehearsal room. “There’s no question our upscale market responds not only to the concept of a luxurious urban getaway, but also to the overall architectural zeitgeist at The Hesby,” Bronk says, noting the Hesby was designed by Killefer Flammang Architects.

That firm’s design principal Wade Killefer reports The Hesby’s design was rooted in the developer’s vision. “From Alliance research, we knew that a hip design strategy was necessary to appeal to our main market, the young, aspiring creatives setting their sights on Hollywood,” Killefer adds. “The strategy was executed with great coordination with landscape architect Studio Ma.”

This project was one of many that stalled in the recession. Construction ceased shortly after it began. “The original developers were unable to continue beyond shoring and grading,” Bronk adds. “Alliance was selected by the site owners to restart and rebrand the development into the community you see today.”

Right from the start, an appealing aspect of the location was its proximity to rapid transit. The development was constructed on an empty site formerly occupied by 1930s bungalows and small, 1930s and ‘40s-era apartment buildings, says John Arnold, KFA project manager. It is walking distance from the Metro Red Line terminus near Lankershim Blvd.

“We believe The Hesby offers a unique living experience more akin to a boutique hotel than similar-sized apartment projects in the area,” Bronk says.

“We hope that The Hesby becomes a part of the urban fabric of NoHo, and our renters become neighbors and friends to the community.”