Towering Project Underway in Hillcrest

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Making its West Coast debut at 3930 Cleveland Ave. is developer AvalonBay Communities, which is erecting an eight-story edifice that will flaunt 182 rental housing units. Included are 21 units deeded as “affordable housing” for residents who fall within “very-low to moderate” income levels.

Named Kanso Hillcrest, the project has risen at rapid speed since breaking ground in January. It swallowed up the former parking lot of University Christian Church and will offer a couple levels of underground parking.

“Kanso” is a Zen term that denotes simplicity and refinement, which is the general architectural trademark of nearly 300 other housing projects in the U.S. conceived by Viiginia-based AvalonBay.

Despite intense opposition by neighborhood residents to the building’s height and its potential traffic impact, the project remains on track for a projected early-2027 opening.