A former car rental business adjacent to Metro's North Hollywood Station has been cleared away, and preparations are now beginning for the construction of a mixed-use development on the property.

The project, which comes from the Richman Group, would rise upon an approximately .82-acre site at the northwest corner of Lankershim and Chandler Boulevards.  Plans call for a seven-story building, featuring 127 apartments and approximately 13,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

DesignARC is designing the mid-rise edifice, which will be clad with a mix of concrete, metal, plaster and custom mural panels.

City records have previously forecast a groundbreaking date in early 2018, and completion in late 2019.

The project will serve as an appetizer for an even more ambitious development planned across the street, where Trammell Crow Company is partnering with Metro to construct a 15-acre complex featuring upwards of 1,500 housing units, 450,000 square feet of offices and 150,000 square feet of retail in a mix of high-rise and mid-rise buildings.