Construction is moving forward on Nova at The Alcove, the second phase of a large affordable housing community replacing a former office property at 21300 W. Oxnard Street in Warner Center.
The seven-story building will add 128 affordable apartments along the Oxnard Street frontage. Combined with the 173-unit first phase, known as The Vale at The Alcove, the development will contain 301 apartments when complete.
Watch Construction Live
R.D. Olson Construction provides a live camera overlooking the Nova at The Alcove construction site. The camera offers a current view of progress along Oxnard Street.
View the Live Construction CameraThe Second Phase of a 301-Unit Development
The Alcove is being developed as two residential buildings with a combined 301 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
The first phase, The Vale at The Alcove, contains 173 apartments in a building positioned toward the rear of the property. That building is already substantially complete and forms the southern portion of the development.
Nova will add another 128 apartments in a prominent building facing Oxnard Street. Its completion will fill the portion of the property formerly occupied by the office building and surface parking closest to the street.
Affordable Apartments for a Range of Incomes
Plans presented to the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council indicate that apartments within The Alcove are intended for qualifying households earning approximately 30 to 80 percent of the area median income.
The range is intended to accommodate different household sizes and income levels, including individuals and families who may otherwise have difficulty finding housing near Warner Center’s employment, retail and transportation corridors.
Amenities and Publicly Accessible Open Space
AC Martin designed The Alcove as a collection of seven- and eight-story podium-style buildings with several resident amenity areas.
Plans show outdoor decks, community gathering areas, barbecue spaces and a children’s play area. Landscaped, publicly accessible open space is also planned along the western side of the property.
These features are intended to connect the development with the surrounding neighborhood while providing outdoor space for residents of the 301-unit community.
What Previously Occupied the Property?
Before redevelopment, the approximately 2.3-acre property contained a low-rise office building surrounded by surface parking and mature landscaping.
The office structure reflected an earlier stage in Warner Center’s development, when large business campuses and parking lots dominated much of the neighborhood.
Earlier marketing materials promoted the property as a redevelopment opportunity with entitlements for a combination of apartments, hotel rooms and medical-office space. Those concepts were later replaced by Meta Housing’s fully affordable residential proposal.
Warner Center’s Continuing Shift from Offices to Housing
The Alcove is another example of Warner Center’s transformation from a predominantly office-oriented business district into a denser residential and mixed-use neighborhood.
For decades, much of Warner Center was characterized by corporate offices, shopping centers and expansive parking lots. In recent years, older office and commercial properties have increasingly been replaced by apartment buildings.
Much of that change is guided by the Warner Center 2035 Plan, which encourages additional housing, employment, pedestrian connections and mixed-use development near major streets and transit routes.
The Alcove stands apart from many nearby projects because its apartments are being developed as income-restricted affordable housing rather than conventional market-rate units.
Part of a Larger Meta Housing Expansion
The Oxnard Street project is not Meta Housing’s only affordable development underway in the western San Fernando Valley.
The developer has also started work on another affordable housing project along De Soto Avenue and has pursued an additional development on Vanowen Street.
Together, the projects represent a significant addition of affordable apartments in an area where much of the recent construction has consisted of higher-priced market-rate housing.
Why the Project Matters
When both phases are complete, The Alcove will have replaced a relatively low-density office property with homes for hundreds of Warner Center residents.
The project illustrates two major changes reshaping this part of the Valley: the conversion of older office parcels into housing and the gradual addition of affordable apartments within a neighborhood experiencing substantial market-rate growth.
Nova’s location directly along Oxnard Street will also give the completed development a much more visible presence than the first-phase building positioned toward the back of the property.
Completion of Nova is expected in spring 2028.
Project Gallery
Street View
The view below looks toward the project property along Oxnard Street. Google Street View imagery may predate the latest construction activity.
Street-level view of 21300 W. Oxnard Street in Warner Center. Imagery: Google Street View.
More Warner Center Development Stories
Project Resources
- R.D. Olson Construction: Warner Center project
- Live Nova at The Alcove construction camera
- Meta Housing Corporation: The Alcove
- Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council project presentation
Explore more San Fernando Valley construction and redevelopment stories on the Architecture & Development page .
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