Three years after acquiring the former Sunset Gordon tower in Hollywood for nearly $80 million, Canadian real estate investment trust Morguard Corp. is planning modifications to the once controversial high-rise development.

The 22-story property at 5929 Sunset Boulevard, now known as Lumina Hollywood, was completed by CIM Group in 2015, featuring 299 apartments above 38,000 square feet of offices, 7,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and parking. Morguard, under an application submitted earlier this week to the Planning Department, convert unoccupied offices and parking areas on the third and fourth floors of the building into an additional 36 residential units, including two units for very low-income households. 

The resulting project would reduce the amount of commercial floor area within the tower from more than 46,000 square feet of space to 13,658 square feet, most of which would be located on the ground floor, and is to be converted into a restaurant and music venue with live entertainment operated by Hotel Cafe.

At the exterior of the site, an existing park attached to the site is to be renovated with new planters, landscaping, and furnishing.

Pending approvals, construction is expected to commence in 2027 and be completed within approximately 12 months.

Though it has been open for just over 10 years, the Lumina Hollywood tower has had a tumultuous history. After opening to residents in 2015, the building was vacated following a decision by California's 2nd District Court of Appeal which invalidated the project's approvals. The court found that CIM Group had not adhered to a condition that a 1920s building that previously housed an Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant be preserved. The developer instead demolished the one-story structure and recreated, arguing that the historic structure was too badly damaged to save. Following that order, CIM was forced to redo the environmental impact report and permitting process for the tower, which was finally reopened to residents in 2018.

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