November 2, 2022 -- HumanGood celebrated the grand opening of Castle Argyle, a 96-unit affordable housing community located in an iconic building on Argyle Avenue in Los Angeles. Castle Argyle was built in 1928, and originally housed movie stars such as Clark Gable, Howard Hughes, Ronald Reagan, and Cecil B. DeMille. Castle Argyle is one of HumanGood’s 102 affordable housing communities for seniors throughout California, Washington State, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Delaware.
Building renovations included seismic upgrades; two new elevators; site work including drought-tolerant landscaping and concrete/asphalt repaving; exterior building repairs and painting; energy upgrades; and updates to the interior of all units with new appliances, kitchens, and bathrooms. Each upgraded resident unit has a new air conditioning system, providing cooling in resident units for the first time. Several arrays of solar panels were added on the roof of the parking garage which will help offset the cost of electricity. The rehab also added resident service space and restored the grand lobby back to its classic Hollywood style.
The famous “Castle Argyle” sign that sits atop the building is a historic landmark, and was brought back to full operations during the renovation. The historic “Castle Argyle Arms” neon sign above the entry staircase on Argyle Avenue was also restored to its original colors and is fully operational again.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to rehabilitate the historic Castle Argyle and provide our residents with upgraded apartments and communal spaces, while meeting our goal of providing affordable senior living in the markets we serve,” said Jennifer Kappen, senior vice president, HumanGood Affordable Housing.
Two new murals were added at Castle Argyle, one inside the lobby and an external mural on the parking structure wall. The lobby mural provides a decorative and aesthetic feature for residents and visitors, and has a prominent position in the main lobby. The exterior mural serves not only as an aesthetic feature enhancing a large concrete wall, but also represents the diverse history of Castle Argyle, its residents and the community. Muralist Roberto Biaggi, an artist based in San Juan, Puerto Rico who has over 125 international installations, developed the final design.
A combination of tax-exempt bonds and low-income housing tax credits was used to fund the rehabilitation of the entire building. The tax credit equity partner and construction lender for the building was U.S. Bank, and permanent financing was provided by Citibank Community Capital. Special thanks are due to the project team of Relativity Architects and Walton Construction, the general contractor.