A tired block in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley has become an exciting streetscape thanks to new housing and retail aimed at the area's Asian consumers.
Called The One, the 173,000-square-foot mixed-use development in San Gabriel, California, has won a 2025 CoStar Impact Award, as voted on by judges with knowledge of the market.
With approximately 14,570 square feet of street-level retail and 81 upscale residential units at 101-109 E. Valley Blvd., the project adds new density and vitality to a heavily trafficked area.
"Through transforming an aging retail strip, GE created a dynamic hub for modern living above renowned retailers, elevating the Golden Mile of San Gabriel," said judge Kitty Wallace, senior vice president at Colliers.
The "Golden Mile" refers to a stretch of Valley Boulevard known for its thriving Asian commercial district, a moniker coined by the late Mayor Chi Mui.
The first commercial floor at The One is a one-stop destination, with an assortment of services, food-and-beverage shops and retailers popular with Asian consumers. One example is Heytea, a popular Chinese tea chain known for its cheese-topped teas, modern aesthetics and trendy branding.
The all-electric project displays a "creative approach to greenhouse concerns by incorporating innovations for fossil fuel reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainability," said judge Bryan Riggs, owner and appraiser at Riggs & Riggs.
The One is one of several large mixed-use transit-oriented projects underway across the San Gabriel Valley, representing an evolution for an area that's historically been one of the more low-rise, suburban areas of the L.A. metro, according to Ryan Patap, CoStar senior director of analytics for Los Angeles.
About the project: The $75 million project took seven years to build from groundbreaking to completion in August 2024.
What the judges said: "Getting new housing built in the San Gabriel Valley is a major challenge. This also bodes well for San Gabriel's plans to revitalize their downtown," said Elan Shore, director of economic development for the DTLA Alliance.
They made it happen: Stephen Chan, president of GE Property Development Inc., and Vincent Tsoi, owner and architect at Space Light Structure Design.