The Sunset Team, Launches "Greenbreaking" Cherokee Lofts Project

Anticipated to be the Greenest Mixed-Use Project in Southern California

The Sunset Team, the acclaimed Los Angeles based real estate agency, is teaming up with ReThink Development to spearhead THE CHEROKEE LOFTS, the first LEED Gold Certified (potentially Platinum certification) mixed-use project in Southern California - and, likely, the nation.

Slated for completion in early 2009, The Cherokee Lofts, designed by architects Pugh and Scarpa, will be the most advanced and distinctive "green" building of its kind in Los Angeles. The Sunset Team, led by Alex Lombardo and Roberto Seixas, is one of the most avant-garde boutique style real estate Companies in Los Angeles, known for its innovative thinking and interior design expertise that specializes in modern luxury homes and properties. The dynamic 7-member team is composed of three top buyer's agents, an in-house marketing department and client care manager, all ecobroker certified for the Cherokee Lofts. Each eco-certified listing agent has a thorough understanding on green homes, energy efficiency, sustainable design, healthier environments, reduced liability, comfort, and value.

The Sunset Team has built a strong portfolio over the years with an exclusive clientele including some of Hollywood's A-list Celebrities, relying on its exceptional customer service ethics and its close & personal relationship approach with its clients. A jack of all trades, The Sunset team draws its reputation, originality, and forte on being a unique one-stop-agency combining brokerage, design, new homes sales and marketing services. Expanding and asserting its presence in a highly competitive market, this real estate power house is constantly re-inventing itself and thinking ahead. La Kaza, The Sunset Team's latest success story and newest service is another evidence of the agency's cutting edge philosophy. It answers the "fix or flip" question by offering investors the opportunity to get in on the inside of the restoration, remodel, and resell business assisted by the expertise of agents who know the nuances and subtleties of this ever-changing market. The Sunset Team's impressive accomplishments within the real estate industry have positioned the agency as a creative voice and force certainly to be reckoned with - credits that made this dream team the logical choice for the Cherokee Lofts.

The eco-real estate development will consist of 12 residential condominium lofts and 2,800sqt of commercial space. The building was conceptualized, designed and intended to be built with the paramount goal of blending highly sustainable "green" elements with innovative eco-luxury design while preserving the legendary "rock'n roll" music history of the site. Indeed, The Cherokee Lofts will pay homage to the site's former occupant, the landmark Cherokee Recording Studios, by utilizing and re-purposing existing materials from the studios. Original Walnut wood paneling found in Studio 1 (the first ever Tom Hidley-designed room which featured the first Trident A-Range desks to hit America) will be used throughout the development. In addition, two of the residential units are slated to encompass a dedicated space for in-home recording, designed by veteran acoustician George Augspurger and Bruce Robb, Cherokee Studio's founders. These exclusive green music residences carry on the site's musical spirit and hallmark status as part of Los Angeles' historical patrimony.

A world-renowned recording facility located one block North of the hip and trendy Melrose shopping district on Fairfax Avenue in the heart Hollywood, Cherokee Studios (formerly MGM Recording Studios) was founded in 1975 by the Robb brothers (Dee, Bruce and Joe). Cherokee delivered well over 200 gold and platinum albums, countless major motion picture scores/soundtracks, and an impressive client list that reads like a who's who of the music industry including Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra, among numerous others.

The building, a 2007 Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize Winner, will feature a high level of environmental systems, such as photovoltaic arrays, a recycled aluminum facade, advanced heating and cooling, LED lighting, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood and a green roof that keeps the building insulated, cleans the air and reduces storm water run-off. All lofts, ranging from 1,000 - 2,000sft, will have unique and distinctive floor plans. Seven of the two-story town homes will be perched 30-50 ft above street level to maximize the skyline views, absorb daylight, and increase energy efficiency.

Carrying forth its environmental effort to benefit the community and the planet, The Sunset Team, via The Cherokee Lofts, is solidifying the existing symbiosis between "green" and "interior design" by offering green-minded consumers a "greener" urban living alternative while preserving a refined design and sense of style.

The Cherokee Lofts unique architectural form and integrated function create a high-performance building that is an expression of the environmental and cultural context in which it is built.