A proposed 1.1-million-square-foot commercial development slated for the site of the shuttered Fry's Electronics store in Warner Center has cleared a key obstacle.

Looking southeast on Canoga AvenueAO

At its meeting on October 26, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted to reject two appeals which sought to block the construction of District at Warner Center, a mixed-use complex proposed by Kaplan Companies. The project, which would span an 8.8-acre property at 6100 N. Canoga Avenue, calls for the construction of a trio of mid-rise buildings featuring a 204-room hotel, 852 residential units, and nearly 2,200 square feet of ground-floor market uses. More than 1,400 parking spaces are planned across the site.

AO is designing District at Warner Center, which would be completed in three phases:

  • Phase 1: The North Building, an 11-story, 156-foot-tall residential structure featuring 445 homes (including 158 live/work units) above a 2,171-square-foot market and parking for 717 vehicles;
  • Phase 2: The South Building, an 11-story, 152-foot-tall building with 407 dwellings (including 158 live/work units) above parking for 673 vehicles; and
  • Phase 3: A 12-story, 154-foot-tall hotel with 204 guest rooms with a ground-floor lobby, bar, outdoor patio, and bistro, served by a 112-car garage.

Icon park looking eastAO

A full buildout of the project would take roughly four years.

Publicly-accessible open space, lined with live/work units, plazas, and green space, would ring the perimeter of the site. It would be oriented to connect with a similar multi-use corridor which cuts through the adjacent Vela at Ox mixed-use project, and aligned to connect to those planned in future developments along Variel Street to the east and Canoga Avenue to the west.

The project was faced with two appellants, identified as the West Valley Alliance for Optimal Living and Jeff Bornstein, both of whom listed the same legal representation, the same address, and the same contact information in their filings. The appeals argued that the project should be required to undergo further study under the California Environmental Quality Act, and also made the case for the project to provide a dedication of land for park creation, rather than paying fees to the city. Staff reports recommended denial of both appeals.

Site planAO

District at Warner Center sits directly across Canoga Avenue for the former Anthem Blue Cross property site which Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke purchased in mid-2022 for a reported sum of $175 million. Kroenke has since initiated plans to turn the property's parking lot into a temporary practice facility for the Rams, a prelude to what is expected to be a mixed-use project that transformers nearly 100 acres of property the developer has acquired in Warner Center.

Fry's, which went out of business in early 2021, left behind a handful of large sites across Southern California which could be suitable for redevelopment. At least one firm is besides Kaplan Companies has also set its sights on a former Fry's location: LaTerra Development plans to raze the chain's Burbank store to make way for housing and commercial space.

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram