A vacant lot in Westwood that was once home to the Twenty-eighth Church of Christ, Scientist could be redeveloped as UCLA faculty housing, according to an environmental study recently published by the university.
The triangular site, located at the intersection of Hilgard Avenue and Lindbrook Drive, was acquired by UCLA in August 2018 - roughly one year after the former church was demolished. The University intends to construct a seven story structure on the property - rising to a maximum height of 78 feet - featuring 100 apartments surrounding an interior courtyard above a two-level subterranean parking garage.
Santa Monica-based architecture firm Moore Ruble Yudell is designing the approximately 120,000-square-foot development.
As the faculty housing complex would rise on property owned by UCLA, the project is not subject to Los Angeles city zoning restrictions and approval processes.
UCLA expects to complete construction over an approximately 25-month period, beginning in October 2020 and concluding in November 2022.
Plans for the faculty housing have emerged while UCLA is in the midst of construction on three new student dormitories capable of housing roughly 5,400 persons. Those projects, which have a combined budget of more than $800 million, are on pace to open in 2021 and 2022.
The faculty housing complex would rise two blocks south of a property at 900 Hilgard Avenue where two doctors announced plans in 2018 to construct a 16-story apartment tower catering to UCLA students. The applicants withdrew their project last year following widespread backlash from neighboring homeowners.
- Westwood (Urbanize LA)