A small commercial building in Van Nuys has made for a mixed-use apartment complex.

The property, located at the northeast corner of Van Nuys Boulevard and Kittridge Street, was approved earlier this year for the construction of a five-story building containing 54 one- and two-bedroom apartments - including six very low-income affordable units - above 3,160 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 76-car semi-subterranean parking garage.  Currently, the project site is a dirt pit under excavation.

Plus Architects is designing the development, which is depicted as a contemporary podium-type building lined with balconies.  Common open spaces will include two outdoor decks and a community room.

City records list the project's developer as a Panorama City-based entity called Kitvan, LLC.

A similar development featuring 174 apartments and ground-floor retail is slated to rise at the opposite corner of Van Nuys and Kittridge.