Project Data:

Completion Date:     8/6/2019

Square Footage:      12000

Building Use:           Community Center

Design Architect:      SMS Architects

Project Description:

The Commons at The Groves was originally built in 1930 as a commissary to serve the wards and officers of the Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility in Whittier, California. It served as the dining facility for the School until 1962 when it was remodeled into Protestant and Catholic Chapels with classroom space added to the wing previously used as a kitchen. The building is designed in the Tudor Revival Style and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Brookfield Residential Properties acquired the Complex and its historic buildings to create a new residential community while re-purposing select structures on the site. Being the feature historic building, the Commissary has been renovated and repurposed into The Commons: a community center serving over 740 new residences. A fitness center, classrooms, events lounge, game room, new pool, and play areas have been added to the previously underutilized interior/exterior space now available to residents of The Groves.

Structure and building systems were upgraded to current codes while many original materials were refurbished. The building was carefully rehabilitated to ensure that its historically significant features were retained, keeping the character of the structure in respect to its history.