Luxury Apartments Opening in Hancock Park

Last week, Alliance Residential announced the opening of Broadstone Candara, a 103-unit luxury apartment complex in Hancock Park.  The project, located at 738 Wilcox Avenue, is situated close to Larchmont Village, the Wilshire Country Club, Melrose Avenue and Paramount Studios.

Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by Santa Monica's DFH Architects, Broadstone Candara is reminiscent of the distinguished residences of Hancock Park.  The complex's Moorish-inspired interior design complements the Spanish-themed exterior architecture with amenities like that of a boutique hotel.

The luxury development includes an wide array of creative-themed common areas, including a residential lounge, outdoor garden and a rooftop terrace.  Design work by H. Hendy Associates features detailed oversized furniture, intricate tile work and dramatic lighting. 

Residential interiors were designed by Ariel Fox, with high-quality finishes such as granite counters, hotel-style fixtures and grained wood floors.  Each unit also offers high-speed internet, electric mesh shades and private storage space.

Broadstone Candara includes a variety of eco-friendly design features, allowing the project to seek LEED Silver Certification.  The development includes studio, one- and two-bedroom dwellings with rents ranging from $2,325 to $5,920 per month.

Low-Rise Apartment Complex Planned in Hollywood

1715 N. Bronson Avenue (Image: Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects)

According to an environmental report published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, yet another low-rise residential development is headed for Hollywood.

Last September, developer Pristine Properties, LLC filed plans with the city for a seven-story apartment complex on an approximately one-acre property near the Hollywood Freeway.  The project, located at 1715 North Bronson Avenue, would feature 89 dwelling units and subterranean parking accommodations for up to 146 vehicles and 117 bicycles.

The design of the proposed development comes from Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects, a national firm whose recent work includes the Historic Core's Topaz apartment complex.  Renderings for 1715 North Bronson portray a distinctly modern structure, clad with corrugated metal, mesh screen and plaster.

Plans for 1715 North Bronson call for a standard array of communal amenities, including a ground-floor fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.  Additionally, the building's seventh floor would feature a residential club room and an outdoor sky deck with views of the Hollywood Hills.

Excavation Underway for Hollywood Office Building

Earlier this month, developer Hudson Pacific Properties commenced excavation for Icon, a 14-story office tower on the Sunset Bronson Studios campus (SBS).

The 200-foot tall edifice, designed by architecture firm Gensler, will rise from the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, creating a total of 315,000 square feet of creative office space.  Artistic renderings portray a mid-rise structure, described by the Architect's Newspaper as consisting of "five rectangular, stacked volumes, offset horizontally to create exterior terraces."

Icon is part of a $150 million expansion of Sunset Bronson Studios which will completely remodel the eastern half of the approximately 10-acre campus.  Plans call for the construction of a 90,000-square-foot production facility and a 1,600-car parking garage along Van Ness Avenue, both of which broke ground last September.  The project also includes the refurbishment of the SBS Executive Office Building, a 1920s structure which once housed the headquarters of Warner Brothers.

The Los Angeles Times previously reported that completion of the SBS expansion is expected by late 2016.

Details Emerge for Proposed Hollywood Hotel

Last October, vague plans emerged for a 12-story hotel on a half-acre property located just north of Sunset Boulevard.  Now, a document from the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council has finally revealed details about the once mysterious development.

According to the agenda for an upcoming meeting of the Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee, the proposed mid-rise structure at 1523 Wilcox Avenue would feature 220 guest rooms and multiple food and beverage venues.  Plans filed with the City of Los Angeles call for a 13,000-square-foot restaurant and bar which would be attached to the building's lobby.  Other amenities would include a second-floor pool and bar, a penthouse lounge, a rooftop deck and underground parking accommodations for up to 125 vehicles.

Situated midway between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, 1523 Wilcox Avenue would provide guests with easy access to a variety of tourist attractions.  Not unexpectedly, it is one of several hotel projects currently planned or underway on surrounding blocks.  North on Selma Avenue, construction kicked off last year for the highly-anticipated Dream Hollywood.  To the south, a Jack in the Box restaurant near Amoeba Music is also expected to give way for a hotel.

Blighted Hollywood Property to Make Way for Apartments

Yesterday, the Department of City Planning published an environmental report for 5750 Hollywood Boulevard, a mixed-use development which would rise from a forlorn one-acre property located just east of the 101 Freeway.

Plans call for a seven-story structure, featuring 161 dwelling units, 5,700 square feet of ground-level retail space, and parking accommodations for 271 vehicles and 96 bicycles.  The project would incorporate numerous residential amenities, including a media room, fitness center, outdoor pool and spa deck, and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Hollywood.

The low-rise building would provide a mixture of studio apartments, one-and-two-bedroom dwellings and live-work lofts.  Developer 5750 Hollywood Boulevard, LLC also intends to set aside 14 residential units for very low income households in exchange for an SB-818 density bonus.  Proposed incentives include increases to the property's allowable height and floor area ratio.

Latest La Brea Mixed-User Unveiled

904 La Brea Avenue (All images: Shubin + Donaldson Architects)

A recently published environmental report from the Department of City Planning has revealed new details about the 904 La Brea Project, a mixed-use development planned near the border between Los Angeles and West Hollywood.

The seven-story development, slated for a roughly one-acre site at the corner of La Brea and Willoughby Avenues, would feature 169 apartments and approximately 37,000 square feet of of ground-floor retail space.  Proposed dwellings would include studio, one-and-two-bedroom units, with approximately 14 apartments set aside for very low income households.  Residential amenities would include a pool, gymnasium and a communal outdoor deck.

A partially-underground garage would be included with the project, providing parking accommodations for up to 303 vehicles and more than 200 bicycles.  Residents would be afforded 192 total parking spaces, situated on two above-grade levels.  111 basement parking spaces would be available for use by retail tenants and their customers.

First Look at Proposed Fountain/Cahuenga Mixed-User

Last summer, Florida-based real estate investment trust Rescore purchased approximately two acres of land in Hollywood, with the intention of building a low-rise mixed-use complex.  Half-a-year later, a set of environmental documents published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has revealed new details about the proposed development at 1311 North Cahuenga Boulevard.

Designs from Nadel Architects call for a seven-story structure, spanning across two properties bounded by Cahuenga Boulevard, Cole and Fountain Avenues.  The proposed building would range from 82 to 110 feet in height due to elevation changes through the project site.  The land is currently developed with a series of small structures, including two office buildings, a single-family home and an automotive repair shop.

The $110 million project would feature 369 residential units, micro units, studio, one-, two-and-three bedroom apartments.  These units would reportedly command rents catering to "the working person," as opposed to those in more expensive complexes in development along Vine Street, Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards.

Apartments and Retail Break Ground at Hollywood/Western

Work has finally begun on 5550 Hollywood Boulevard, a long-awaited mixed-use complex from developer Sonny Astani.  Designs from Los Angeles-based PSL Architects call for a six-story structure containing 280 apartments and slightly over 12,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.  The project will preserve and incorporate Falcon Studios, a two-story brick structure built in the 1920s which once served as a rehearsal studio for performers in Hollywood's golden age.

The $100 million development had previously faced opposition from two clients of attorney Robert Silverstein, both of whom sought to overturn 5550 Hollywood's approvals from the City Planning Commission.  The two appeals, which have since been dropped, argued that the project did not provide proper deference to historic structures such as Falcon Studios and the adjacent Mayer Building.

Astani's new residential-retail complex is the latest in a series of developments planned near the once-ignored Hollywood/Western subway station.  During the past two years, a shopping center and a new senior housing facility have opened up within walking distance of the busy intersection.  Further developments are also planned further west along Hollywood Boulevard, including a boutique hotel and a mixed-use development near the 101 Freeway.

Image: PSL Architects via Curbed LA

Another High-Rise for Hollywood

Yet another property near Hollywood's iconic Capitol Records Building is slated to give way for a tall mixed-use development.

Plans were filed with the City of Los Angeles earlier this month for a new residential-retail complex at 6220 West Yucca Street.  The approximately one-acre property, currently occupied by a series of low-rise residential structures, would be redeveloped with a 21-story tower.  The proposed building would include 277 residential units and 3,300 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

Located at the southeast corner of Yucca Street and Argyle Avenue, the project is one of three high-rise developments planned for the same intersection.

Mid-Rise Office Building Breaks Ground in Hollywood

With the end of 2014 fast approaching, construction has finally started on one of Hollywood's most controversial developments.

Earlier this month, the J.H. Snyder Company broke ground on 1601 Vine Street, an eight-story office tower slated for the former site of Molly's Burgers.  The $70 million project, designed by architecture firm Gensler, will consist of approximately 110,000 square feet of Class-A office space, a 2,000-square-foot ground-level retail stall, and 174 underground parking spaces.  The potentially LEED Gold-certified development is scheduled for delivery in 2016.

1601 Vine Street is the third major office complex to break ground near the Hollywood/Vine subway station since 2013, joining campus-style projects from Kilroy Realty and Hudson Pacific Properties.  Office development has thrived in Hollywood during the past several years, despite the overall sluggish performance of the Los Angeles market.  The neighborhood's most recent coup came in the form of media giant Viacom, which will consolidate its Southern California operations within 180,000 square feet of the Columbia Square complex.

Hollywood's office boom has been accompanied by equally impressive performances from the residential and hospitality sectors.  Houston-based Camden Property Trust is currently in the midst of construction on a mixed-use development directly across the intersection from Snyder's project.  West along Selma Avenue, local developer Five Chairs broke ground this past Spring on the 180-room Dream Hollywood.  Additional boutique hotels are slated for nearby properties along Cahuenga Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue.

Hollywood Cherokee Apartments Get a Redesign

A draft environmental impact report recently published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has unveiled a new look for the proposed Hollywood Cherokee Apartments.  The mixed-use development from Los Angeles-based Champion Real Estate is slated for a 1.14-acre parking lot located just north of Hollywood Boulevard, between Las Palmas and Cherokee Avenues.

The Hollywood Cherokee complex entails a four-to-six-story building, featuring 224 studio, one-and-two-bedroom units above nearly 1,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space.  Twenty-four of the building's residential units would be reserved for very-low income individuals.

Plans call for a standard array of residential amenities, including a gym, a swimming pool, a rooftop deck and a community room.  The apartments would also offer parking accommodations for up to 305 vehicles and 252 bicycles, contained within a four-level, partially underground garage.

Shiny New Rendering for Academy Square

A striking new look has emerged for Kilroy Realty's Academy Square development, courtesy of commercial real estate publication Bisnow.

The $300 million project, designed by local architect Joey Shimoda, would create a 3.5-acre mixed-use campus in the heart of Hollywood.  Plans call for a campus of low-rise and high-rise structures, offering a combination of apartments, offices, ground-floor retail and possibly hotel rooms.  The project's name is a nod to an abandoned plan by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to build a museum on the property.  Academy Square would also sit directly north of the Pickford Film Center, another facility owned by AMPAS.

Kilroy's development is highlighted by a 23-story high-rise tower, slated for the corner of Ivar and DeLongpre Avenues.  The mixed-use building could move forward with up to 250 apartments, or under an alternate development program, up to 100 hotel rooms and 50 fewer residential units.  Both options would include retail space on the tower's ground floor.

Second Mixed-User Headed to La Brea/Willoughby

Over the summer, many Los Angeles preservationists were outraged by the unannounced demolition of the Mole-Richardson Building, a one-story Art Deco structure built in 1930.  Now six months later, a case filing from the Department of City Planning has finally revealed why the 84-year-old building met with such an undignified ending.

According to plans submitted to the city last week, a new residential-retail development will be constructed on the now vacant lot at 900 North La Brea Avenue.  The seven-story complex would contain 169 apartments and slightly over 37,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.  Fourteen of the building's residential units would be reserved for very-low-income households.

Although the project is still in the earliest stages of the city's approval process, the experiences of a similar development across the street hint at a difficult path ahead.  La Brea Gateway, currently under construction, fought against a zealous neighborhood coalition for close to ten years prior to breaking ground this past Spring.  During that process, the project was gradually whittled down from a seven-story, 219-unit development to a more modest five-story, 179-unit building.

Details Emerge for Hollywood's Academy Square Development

Image: Kilroy Realty via Curbed LA

Over the summer, developer Kilroy Realty unveiled renderings for Academy Square, a $300 million mixed-use development on Vine Street.  Now, a set of environmental documents released by LADCP has revealed additional details about the project, which would create apartments, ground-floor retail, office space, and possibly hotel rooms on a site once intended for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Academy Square would rise on a full city block, bounded by Vine Street, DeLongpre, Ivar and Homewood Avenues.  Plans for the 3.55-acre site call for a combination of low-rise and high-rise structures, bisected by an landscaped paseo running east-to-west across the property.

A trio of four-story buildings would flank the northern and southern perimeters of the site, containing approximately 280,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space.  According to a conceptual ground-floor site plan from the Shimoda Design Group, a significant portion of the proposed commercial space would be devoted to a 40,000-square-foot market at Vine Street and Homewood Avenue.

Academy Square is highlighted by a 23-story apartment building, which would stand at the northwest corner of the property.  The proposed tower would move forward under one of two development programs currently being considered by Kilroy Realty.  Under the first alternative, the building would contain as many as 250 apartments.  Under the second alternative, the project would feature 100 hotel rooms, in lieu of up to 50 fewer residential units.  Both options would include a fitness center, swimming pool and other standard amenities.

Despite its location a few blocks south of Hollywood/Vine Station, Academy Square would feature approximately 1,349 parking spaces, divided accordingly between residential, office and retail tenants.  Vehicular access to an underground garage would be provided via DeLongpre, Ivar and Homewood Avenues.

According to environmental report, construction of the potentially LEED-certified development is expected to last 27 months, starting in late 2015 and ending in early 2018.

Steel Sprouts for Hollywood's Dream Hotel

Six months after starting construction at 6417 Selma Avenue, rebar and steel beams now protrude above ground at the future site of Hollywood's Dream Hotel.  The approximately $50 million project from developer Five Chairs will offer 182 guest rooms, located within easy walking distance of major tourist destinations along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

Designs from Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang Architects call for a 10-story structure, clad with glass and metal sidings.  The mid-rise building will feature several ancillary uses, including a banquet room, rooftop deck, and multiple food and beverage venues.  A vehicular alley way which abuts the hotel site is to be repurposed as patio dining for several of the hotel's restaurants.

The Dream Hollywood - scheduled for completion in late 2015 - is the first of several hospitality projects slated for the blocks located southwest of Hollywood/Vine Station.  Back in July, new hotel proposals emerged on both Hollywood and Cahuenga Boulevards.  Earlier this month, plans were filed for a 12-story inn on Wilcox Avenue.  Further down the pipeline, developer R.D. Olson may construct a fifth project on a Sunset Boulevard property currently occupied by a Jack in the Box restaurant.

Small Lot Subdivision Proposed in Hollywood

The Studio District Homes on Gordon Street (Image: Modative)

While a NIMBY attorney wages war against high-rise construction on Sunset Boulevard, density of a lesser variety flies under the radar just a few blocks south.  According to a presentation from the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council, a new small lot subdivision is in the works at 1238-1242 Gordon Street, an approximately quarter-acre property between Fountain and Lexington Avenues.

The project - known as the Studio District Homes on Gordon Street - is being designed by Mid-City-based architecture firm Modative.  Plans call for the construction of 10 single-family residences, located within matching three-story structures.  Each individual home would span approximately 1,500 square feet, containing three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.  Additionally, all units would feature a private outdoor roof deck and two dedicated parking spaces.

Construction of the Studio District Homes will first require the demolition of two existing structures, one of which is a century-old bungalow.  However, an exact timeline for the project is currently unclear.  At the time of publication, the Department of Building and Safety had yet to issue new permits of any sort for the properties at 1238-1242 Gordon Street.

Another Mid-Rise Hotel Planned for Hollywood

In Hollywood, new hotel developments are suddenly spreading like wildfire.  Back in July, rumblings emerged of a new 55-room boutique establishment setting up shop on Cahuenga Boulevard, in-between Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue.  Now, it appears that a significantly larger project is slated for a half-acre site one block west.

According to a case filing published last week by the Department of City Planning, a mid-rise hotel tower is planned at 1523 Wilcox Avenue.  The proposed building would stand 12 stories, featuring an unspecified number of guest rooms, ancillary space and a penthouse.  Construction of the new hotel would first require the demolition of a low-rise commercial structure which currently stands upon the development site.

The project would be located midway between tourist-heavy Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, in a neighborhood which has experienced a noticeable increase investment during the past several years.  North on Selma Avenue, construction is underway on the 10-story, 182-room Dream Hollywood.  Approximately three blocks west, a similar hotel development is planned at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue.

First Renderings for Hollywood/Western's Boutique Hotel

All images from AV Architecture

Take a first look at Eighty Cool Rooms, the so-called "European Style Luxury Boutique Hotel," that intends to set up shop down the street from the Hollywood/Western subway station.  The aptly-named development would consist of 80 guest rooms and 867 square feet of restaurant space, rising in a six-story structure designed by Westwood-based Atelier V Architecture.  Guest amenities would include an outdoor deck on the low-rise building's second level, offering both a fire pit and a swimming pool.  The hotel would occupy the address of 5600 Hollywood Boulevard, currently a vacant lot.

The project exemplifies one of the many contradictions in Los Angeles' zoning code, a 600+ page document which has developed ad hoc over nearly seven decades.  Eighty Cool Rooms would sit within walking distance of the Metro Red Line, where the city has endeavored to promote higher density development.  However, the project site would also lie within the Vermont/Western specific plan, which explicitly restricts all new hotels to lower densities.  These mixed-messages give the hotel project a somewhat unclear path forward, since a building with a less-than-ideal room count would not make financial sense for the developer.  Expect a "long drawn out process," ahead of us, with construction not expected to begin until at least mid-2016.

Another Glimpse of the Palladium Residences

Photo credit: Crescent Heights

Take another look at Sunset Boulevard's stylish Palladium Residences, the high-rise towers proposed for the parking lot abutting the Hollywood Palladium.  The mixed-use complex, unveiled last summer by developer Crescent Heights, would offer a blend of residential units and hotel rooms in a pair of sleek, 28-story buildings.  An official website for the project features a new set of high-resolution renderings, highlighting the Palladium Residences' street-level integration and prominent location within the Hollywood skyline.

The twin 350-foot towers, designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects, could move forward under two distinct development programs.  Under the first scenario, Crescent Heights would build a purely residential project with 731 dwelling units.  In an alternate program, the towers would feature a mixture of 538 residential units and 250 hotel rooms.  Both plans call for a total of 14,000 square feet of pedestrian-oriented commercial space, in addition an underground parking garage with accommodations for approximately 1,900 vehicles and 820 bicycles.

A Quick Trip Through the Sunset Boulevard Boom

This past weekend, a broken water main spilled untold gallons of precious drinking water onto the Sunset Strip, dealing yet another blow to drought-stricken California.  On the other hand, flooding of a more figurative (and less dire) sort is also occurring further east along the iconic thoroughfare.  Let's for get about LADWP's woes for a moment as we check in on the deluge of mixed-use developments adding new office space and residential units between Vine Street and the Hollywood Freeway.

As reported in mid-September, Hudson Pacific Properties has quietly broken ground on the long planned expansion of Sunset Bronson Studios (see above).  The $150 million project will ultimately create over 400,000 square feet of Class-A office space, mostly contained within a 14-story, Gensler-designed tower.  The staggered massing of the stout, 200-foot building will create a unique presence within the mid-rise Hollywood skyline.  Currently, construction crews are removing asphalt from the southeast corner of the SBS campus, clearing the way for an immense 1,600-vehicle parking garage.