Monday, January 19, 2015

Crane Action Hits the Sunset Strip


High above the world famous Sunset Strip, four construction cranes are hard at work on a transformative mixed-use complex from Los Angeles-based CIM Group.

The Sunset La Cienega development - designed by a team consisting of SOM, LOHA and Mia Lehrer + Associates - will create four mid-rise buildings with condominiums, hotel rooms and ground-floor commercial space.  Work on the $300 million project began in earnest nearly two years ago, with the clearing of several vacant structures at the intersection of Sunset and La Cienega Boulevards.

The mid-rise buildings, which will occupy two corners of the intersection, faced numerous hurdles prior to breaking ground in mid-2013.  Originally approved in 1999 under the name of Sunset Millennium, the project remained stalled for nearly fifteen amidst litigation and weak market conditions.  CIM Group purchased the roughly five-acre property and its development rights in 2011.


The 2.48-acre East Parcel, located at the southeast corner of the intersection, will birth twin 10-story hotel towers, consisting of a 286-room James Hotel with ground-level commercial space and an parking garage.  Designs from SOM also feature a central open-air plaza, preserving sight lines to the south.  The hotel towers are strategically positioned to take advantage of an unobstructed view of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline.

Image: CIM Group


The 2.06-acre Middle Parcel, located directly across La Cienega Boulevard, will feature two eight-story residential buildings designed by LOHA and Mia Lehrer + Associates.  When complete, the buildings will contain a cumulative 190 dwelling units above street-level retail and restaurant space and a surface parking garage.

Image: CIM Group

Sunset La Cienega is scheduled for delivery in 2016, at which point in may be joined by several other hotel developments along the Strip.  This includes a proposed West Coast flagship location for Marriott's Edition chain and the potential redevelopment of the House of Blues nightclub.

9 comments:

  1. This is a much needed magnet for that quad of The Sunset Strip!

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    1. Definitely a boon for the area. Wish there was a possibility of getting rail service up there!

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    2. There is some possibility - one of the alignments tentatively explored by Metro for extending the Crenshaw Line north to Hollywood via WeHo goes via La Cienega and Sunset. http://ridethepinkline.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-will-eventually-be-northern.html. If the extension does happen, I think a Fairfax alignment is more likely (and better, in terms of locations served).

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    3. I know it's been looked into, but I just can't see a Sunset Boulevard alignment winning out over Santa Monica Boulevard. SaMo Boulevard is more central and has better population/job density on either side.

      La Cienega, Fairfax and La Brea are all worthy of rail service, although that will never happen in today's political climate. Fairfax and La Cienega seem to be the best options in terms of tourist destinations and employment centers along the way. However, the Fairfax route is probably less expensive and avoids the headache of dealing with Beverly Hills.

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  2. yes this is great for that location! need some new blood on sunset strip! i think L.A's party districts should be well defined! sunset strip, hollywood blvd, and the emerging DTLA strip on fig.

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    1. Not sure that the DTLA Fig corridor is quite on par with Hollywood Boulevard or the Sunset Strip.

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    2. you're right! its not yet....but when the construction is finally finished in that area, there are plans for restaurants, bars, and lounges along the fig corridor...right? :)

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    3. There's a lot of stuff in the planning stages, although there are also a lot of existing buildings that don't do much to foster pedestrian activity. Gotta get rid of those parking lots!

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  3. true! i guess it was the avenue of the angels idea that includes walkable entertainment/food options. That would be amazing for DTLA to have that venue. That would REALLY solidify everything!

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