Harkham's Plans for Plaza

Uri Harkham, founder of Jonathan Martin/Hype, is putting on his real estate hat again and bringing more retail space to the Los Angeles Fashion District.

The apparel manufacturer and real estate developer is teaming with brother Efrem and associate Moshe Aflalo to develop an upscale retail complex called The Plaza at 12th and Wall streets.

The 120,000-square-foot sixstory building will feature retail space for childrenswear and accessories, as well as restaurants and other conveniences, plus three floors of parking. Amenities planned include 18-foot ceilings and an outdoor escalator. The project, featuring California architecture, is being built from the ground up, and completion is expected in October.

Harkham said the complex was already 50 percent leased.

“There is a lot of construction downtown, but what makes this project unique is that we are building a modern building from the ground up and we are creating a spacious environment, which is unique for downtown,” Harkham said in a statement announcing the project. “This facility is in line with the revitalization and evolution of downtown. You can park at The Plaza at 12th and Wall, have dinner and then enjoy all the entertainment downtown has to offer. We are creating a destination for people to live, eat, shop and enjoy the new downtown.”

The location is at the confluence of the district’s retail and wholesale boundaries, said Kent Smith, executive director of the Fashion District Business Improvement District.

“You can get a little bit higher rents doing retail in that area,” he said. “Tenants are looking for first-class space, and projects like this raise the bar. It’s an area that’s shifting east, and this will encourage the migration further.”

The Harkhams own several properties in the Fashion District, as well as hotels in the Beverly Hills area. Uri Harkham also is jumping on the loft bandwagon with plans for up to 300 units in 2007 in the Fashion District.

“Our goal is to continue being part of the rebirth of our great city,” he said, “making it a lifestyle community where Angelenos are provided with affordable housing, amazing restaurants, a spectacular shopping experience and a great quality of life.” —Robert McAllister