Proposed 13-story hotel near Sunset & Cahuenga takes a step forward

A local real estate development firm's plan for a new hotel on Sunset Boulevard is Hollywood is taking a small, but important step toward reality.

This week, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning published an initial study for the 6445 Sunset Boulevard Project, a proposed development from Highland Park-based developer NELA Homes which calls for razing a mid-century commercial building near the northwest corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Boulevards to clear the way for a new 13-story building featuring a 175-room hotel, 11,400 square feet of restaurant space, and a 72-car garage.

Designed by Archeon Group, the contemporary mid-rise structure would stand approximately 173 feet in height, culminating in a rooftop restaurant. Plans call for an exterior of glass and metal mesh screens facing Sunset Boulevard, partially masking three levels of above-grade parking.

NELA Homes is seeking a suite of entitlements for the project which include a zone change, a 20 percent reduction in required automobile parking, and a conditional use permit for on-site alcohol sales. Pending those approvals, construction is expected to occur over a 22-month period concluding in 2024.

The project joins a budding hotel district centered on Selma Avenue to the north, where establishments such as the Dream Hollywood and Mama Shelter have opened in recent years. Also in the works is an Art Deco hotel tower on the opposite side of Sunset and Cahuenga and a mixed-use project which would combine a hotel with housing a block south on De Longpre Avenue.

• 13-Story, 175-Room Hotel Planned Near Sunset and Cahuenga (Urbanize LA)