Construction is underway on a 244-unit affordable senior housing development at 19300 W. Sherman Way, a property that spent nearly six decades as Lorenzen Mortuary before later becoming the Annenberg School of Nursing.
Construction is now underway on a major affordable housing development on the south side of Sherman Way at Tampa Avenue in Reseda.
The project from Meta Housing Corporation will bring 244 income-restricted apartments for seniors to the roughly two-acre property at 19300 W. Sherman Way. Plans call for one- and two-bedroom residences along with community spaces, flexible-use rooms, landscaped courtyards and outdoor gathering areas.
The apartments will be reserved for low- and moderate-income senior households. Because the development is entirely affordable, the project qualified for incentives through the City of Los Angeles' Affordable Housing Incentive Program, including additional development capacity and reduced parking requirements.
From Lorenzen Mortuary to Nursing School to Senior Housing
The redevelopment of 19300 Sherman Way marks the latest chapter in a property with a surprisingly long institutional history in Reseda.
For roughly six decades, the site was associated with Lorenzen Mortuary, a longtime San Fernando Valley funeral home. Contemporary directories and newspaper references place Lorenzen Mortuary at 19300 W. Sherman Way, and later coverage described the business as having occupied the property for nearly 60 years.
Lorenzen Mortuary and the Family Behind It
Lorenzen Mortuary was founded in Reseda in the early 1950s by Virginia and Donald Lorenzen. Over the following decades, the funeral home became a familiar Valley institution, serving generations of local families.
Donald Lorenzen was also active in public life and later served on the Los Angeles City Council. After his death in 1980, Virginia Lorenzen and other members of the family continued the mortuary business.
Virginia Lorenzen died in January 2010 at age 92. Contemporary obituary coverage identified her as the founder of Lorenzen Mortuary and credited the business with serving San Fernando Valley families for decades.
Why Lorenzen Mortuary Left Sherman Way
The end of Lorenzen Mortuary's tenure at 19300 Sherman Way was tied to conservatorship, probate proceedings and financial issues involving the Lorenzen estate.
An April 30, 2009 memorandum from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health states that the County Public Guardian had been appointed successor conservator and trustee for Virginia Lorenzen. The memorandum says the Probate Court ordered the sale of real property she owned, including six adjacent parcels in Reseda, and specifically notes that the Lorenzen Family Mortuary was operating from a building on one of those parcels.
The County document identified Virginia Lorenzen as the beneficial owner of the mortuary and stated that the business was being managed by her son, funeral director Jon Lorenzen. It also described unresolved federal tax liabilities associated with the mortuary operation.
As part of a proposed compromise with the Internal Revenue Service, the Public Guardian stated that the Lorenzen Family Mortuary was required to close no later than June 1, 2009 and resolve its outstanding tax obligations.
The business remained associated with the Sherman Way property into the following year. A June 2010 Los Angeles Daily News story reported that Lorenzen Mortuary was preparing to leave the building it had occupied for nearly 60 years, bringing an unusually long chapter in the property's history to an end.
The archival newspaper clippings below provide snapshots from the property's Lorenzen Mortuary era. Because the original scans vary considerably in size and resolution, they are displayed closer to their native dimensions. Click any clipping to open the larger scan.
The Annenberg School of Nursing Era
After Lorenzen Mortuary left the property, 19300 Sherman Way eventually took on a very different institutional role as the Annenberg School of Nursing, operated by Los Angeles Jewish Health.
The one-story Spanish-style building housed classrooms, a clinical skills laboratory, computer facilities, a library and administrative offices. The school trained vocational nurses, nursing assistants and home health aides while operating as part of Los Angeles Jewish Health's broader Reseda presence.
In 2025, Los Angeles Jewish Health announced that the Annenberg School of Nursing would relocate to expanded quarters in the Max Factor Building at its Eisenberg Village campus near Victory Boulevard and Wilbur Avenue.
That move opened the Sherman Way property for another transformation. In 2026, construction began on the Tampa & Sherman Apartments, shifting the site from funeral services to nursing education and now to permanent affordable housing for seniors.
Site History at a Glance
| Period | Property History |
|---|---|
| Early 1950s | Lorenzen Mortuary begins its long association with 19300 Sherman Way in Reseda. |
| 1950 - 2000s | Lorenzen Mortuary operates at the property for nearly six decades and becomes a longtime San Fernando Valley funeral home. |
| 2007 | Google Street View imagery documents Lorenzen Mortuary still occupying the Sherman Way property. |
| 2009 | A Los Angeles County Public Guardian memorandum states that six adjacent Reseda parcels owned by Virginia Lorenzen were ordered sold through Probate Court proceedings. The document says the Lorenzen Family Mortuary was required to close by June 1, 2009 as part of resolving IRS tax liabilities. |
| January 2010 | Lorenzen Mortuary founder Virginia Lorenzen dies at age 92. |
| 2010 | Lorenzen Mortuary leaves its longtime Sherman Way location after nearly 60 years at the site. |
| Annenberg Era | The property becomes the Hirsch Family Campus of the Annenberg School of Nursing, operated by Los Angeles Jewish Health. |
| 2025 | Los Angeles Jewish Health announces the nursing school's relocation to Eisenberg Village. The senior housing redevelopment receives City Planning approval. |
| 2026 | Construction begins on the 244-unit Tampa & Sherman Apartments. |
| 2028 | RAAM Construction currently lists anticipated completion in Spring 2028. |
Planning Approved in 2025
Los Angeles City Planning records show the project was filed in July 2025 as EAR-2025-3871-AH-VHCA. The City's Expanded Administrative Review was approved on October 31, 2025.
Planning records describe a roughly 68-foot-tall, 100-percent affordable senior housing development containing 244 apartments and 125 parking spaces.
There is a small discrepancy among public records regarding the floor count. The City Planning case describes a five-story development, while more recent architectural, construction and project materials depict and describe a six-level building. The overall unit count remains 244 apartments.
Construction Now Underway
By August 2026, the project had advanced from planning into construction. Permits issued by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety allow work to proceed on the new senior housing complex.
General contractor RAAM Construction identifies the development as the Tampa & Sherman Apartments and lists an anticipated Spring 2028 completion.
The project is one of several large affordable housing developments moving forward along major corridors in the western San Fernando Valley. In this case, however, the site's history adds an unusual layer: a property that spent decades as a mortuary and later became a nursing school is now being redeveloped as affordable housing for seniors.
The Site Before Redevelopment
Google Street View images show the former Annenberg School of Nursing property and surrounding site before redevelopment. Click any image to enlarge.
Street View
The embedded view below shows the former Annenberg School of Nursing property along Sherman Way before redevelopment.
Related Stories
Sources & Further Reading
- Senior affordable housing rising at 19300 Sherman Way in Reseda
- Los Angeles City Planning EAR-2025-3871-AH-VHCA
- RAAM Construction Tampa & Sherman Apartments
- Los Angeles Jewish Health Annenberg School of Nursing expands and relocates
- California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education Annenberg School of Nursing
- Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Lorenzen Conservatorship and Trust memorandum, April 30, 2009
- Los Angeles Daily News Lorenzen Mortuary founder dies at 92
- Los Angeles Daily News Lorenzen Mortuary must give up site after nearly 60 years
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