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Costco is building a 'mixed use' 800-unit apartment complex in south Los Angeles – with 184 units designated as affordable housing, which some have speculated will allow them to fast-track the construction of an actual Costco Big Box store by taking advantage of a state law which removes significant red tape from such projects, the NY Post reports.

Costco plans to open a new store in South Los Angeles and has teamed with developers to build an 800-unit apartment complex — with 84 units set aside for affordable housing. Thrive Living

The project, in partnership with  Baldwin Village by developers Thrive Living and architects AO, is still in the permitting stage so no word on when ground will be broken.

Via @CohenSite

"The planning and land use system in California and in LA is a Rube Goldberg machine," housing activist Joe Cohen told SFGATE, "and this project is seeing that machine laid bare."

According to Cohen – who calls it Costco Prison, the complex is "a bunch of small units along these long hallways, with a massive recreation center as an amenity space," adding "From a plain view, it looks like an old school prison design," due to its use of pre-manufactured apartment modules that can he brought to the site by truck.

The reason for the 'prison' look, Cohen says, is that "Costco was facing years of public hearings, millions of dollars of consultant fees, and an uncertain outcome," in order to gain approval.

Thrive Living

"However, mixed-use housing projects that meet certain criteria are automatically exempt from discretionary reviews by state law (AB 2011)," he continues.

"So Costco did what any good Scooby-Doo villain would do. They put on a mask that says "I'm an apartment building, not a big-box store.""

The Costco store itself will be close to mass transit, and will include a multi-floor, underground garage, pharmacy, and optical center according to SFGATE.

"Mayor Bass has declared a housing emergency in Los Angeles, and we’re answering the call," Jordan Brill of Thrive Living in a statement included in the press release. "Our company is focused on addressing the severe housing affordability crisis in Los Angeles, while also attracting retailers willing to make long-term commitments."