Five years after stalling out with developer DS Ventures, Central Hollywood's massive Lexington project is somehow alive and kicking.  The mixed-use development, proposed for a 5.9-acre site at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue, would create a series of low-rise buildings featuring apartments and/or condominiums above ground-level commercial space.  A recently released FEIR casts some light on the updated, and slightly reduced development program.

Revised plans for the Lexington were designed by Santa Monica-based VTBS Architects, and call for six buildings, ranging from five-to-seven stories in height.  The low-rise structures will contain a total of 695 studio, one and two-bedroom units.  This represents a sharp decrease from the 786 dwelling units proposed under the former development program.  Conversely, the new plans call for just under 25,000 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space, a slight increase from the original proposal.  The project will also offer parking accommodations for nearly 1,400 vehicles, to be located in a three-level, partially-underground garage.

Buildings would be divided by approximately 71,000 square feet of open space, including outdoor seating, a children's play lawn, and pathways.  A landscaped plaza would cut through the center of the development site, offering a pedestrian link between Santa Monica Boulevard and Lexington Avenue.  Residents would also benefit from two landscaped courtyards, each containing a pool, barbeque pits, tables and chairs.

The revived Lexington project is being spearheaded by Eugene La Pietra, a local nightclub owner who had previously partnered with DS Ventures on the project.  However, don't expect to see shovels hit the dirt anytime soon.  Construction of the mixed-use complex will first require a change in both the property's land-use designation and zoning.