After a year-and-a-half of speculation, we have finally learned what developer Ben Neman is planning for the infamous Downtown Car Wash property.
Yesterday, the prominent Downtown landlord filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to construct a mixed-use complex on the .83-acre site at the northwest corner of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street.
According to a case filing from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the proposed development would feature 374 residential units, a 373-key hotel, nearly 33,500 square feet of commercial office space, an approximately 10,800-square-foot conference center and over 65,000 square feet of commercial space. Plans also call for on-site alcohol consumption, live dancing and entertainment, outdoor dining and parking in either an above-grade or below-grade garage.
Further details, including the height of the development, have not been revealed.
The car wash, built in 1980, has ultimately found itself out of place in the midst of Downtown's renaissance. Nearby surface parking lots have gradually given way to large mixed-use developments during the past 15 years, including the $2.5-billion L.A. Live complex with its 54-story Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotel tower across Olympic Boulevard.
The project offers a similar blend of uses to multi-tower projects currently planned or underway on nearby properties, including Oceanwide Plaza, Metropolis and 1020 S. Figueroa Street.
Neman, who paid $25 million for the car wash lot, was arrested last year for suspected involvement in a money-laundering scheme linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel. It is unclear whether or not this will affect the project.
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