After being stonewalled in his bid to build a hotel at the site of The Stinking Rose in Beverly HIlls, local investor Abraham Assil of Westland Development Group is pivoting to residential.
On June 22, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission will consider a proposal from Westland for a new mixed-use residential complex at 55 N. La Cienega Boulevard, just northwest of the under-construction Wilshire/La Cienega subway station. Plans call for the construction of a new five-story development featuring 105 studio and one-bedroom apartments above approximately 19,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a three-level, 196-car subterranean parking garage.
Aerial view looking southeastReed Architectural Group
Westland has sought entitlements for the site using density bonus incentives to permit a larger structure than otherwise allowed by zoning rules. In exchange, 11 of the new apartments would be set aside for rent by very low-income households.
Reed Architectural Group is designing 55 La Cienega, which is depicted in renderings as a contemporary low-rise structure clad in smooth white stucco. Plans show multiple outdoor amenity spaces at the exterior of the building, including a rooftop deck with a pool. The mass of the upper floors of the apartment complex would be set back along the rear property line, away from neighboring homes to the west.
A staff report to the Commission recommends approval of the project.
55 N. La Cienega Boulevard and future site of the Wilshire/La Cienega subway stationCity of Beverly Hills
That would represent a very different outcome than the last time the Planning Commission considered plans for The Stinking Rose site. Previously, Westland had sought to build a hotel on the property, with various iterations of the project ranging from seven to nine stories and featuring up to 247 guest rooms. While staff repeatedly stymied those proposals, noting that the site is subject to a three story, 45-foot height limit, Westland did not withdraw from the project, resulting in its rejection in January 2021. The new density bonus project, due to the inclusion of affordable housing, is able to exceed the height restriction.
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- 55 N La Cienega Boulevard (Urbanize LA)
