Big Century City/Beverly Hills Developments Get Moving

Your eyes do not deceive you: construction cranes have returned to Century City.  10000 Santa Monica Boulevard, a $300 million residential tower by developer Crescent Heights, is about to begin the two-year climb to its eventual 40-story apex.

When completed in 2016, the project will offer 283 luxury apartments along the border between West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.  Units will range in size from one-to-three-bedrooms, and are being built to condo specifications in the event of an uptick in the local for-sale market.

Designs from New York-based Handel Architects call for the building to have a shimmering glass exterior.  Jagged angles and a sloping roofline will give the tower a unique presence within Century City's otherwise staid, modernist skyline.  With a 483-foot height profile, 10000 Santa Monica is currently the second tallest building under construction in Los Angeles, following the monumental Wilshire Grand hotel and office development.

Westfield Century City

A few blocks west, protective barriers now encircle 1801 Avenue of the Stars, signaling that the end is nigh for Welton Becket's 1963 modernist landmark.  The 13-story edifice, alternatively known as Gateway West, is slated for demolition as part of the highly anticipated expansion of Westfield Century City.  The greatly augmented shopping mall will add over 400,000 square feet of floor area, to be filled by an impressive list of tenants which reportedly includes Nordstroms and Eataly.

An official website indicates that Westfield will also include 20 "upscale residences," in the project, to be located within a new 15-story building.  This plan is a significant reduction from the Australian developer's earlier vision for the site, which featured 262 condominiums within a controversial 39-story tower.  Curiously, an architectural rendering displayed on the project's website does not portray the proposed tower in either form.

9900 Wilshire Boulevard

On the opposite side of Santa Monica Boulevard, all remnants of the former Beverly Hills Robinsons-May have disappeared.  The once luxurious department store has long been slated to give way for a $1.2 billion condominium development, designed by Getty Center-architect Richard Meier.

Although the project has sputtered out multiple times due to lagging market conditions, previous failures have not deterred the Dalian Wanda Group.  Earlier this year, the Chinese conglomerate reportedly paid $420 million for the eight-acre property at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard, with the intention of completing the Meier-designed proposal.  If and when completed, the project will consist of two mid-rise towers, featuring 235 condominiums, 21,000 square feet of retail space and a 876-car parking garage.

Waldorf Astoria - Beverly Hills

At the high-profile intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards, demolition is largely complete in preparation for the new Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria.  The luxury hotel is being developed by a team of investors lead by Alagem Capital Group, and will contain 170 guest rooms above luxury retail and other ancillary space.

The 12-story structure, designed by Gensler and Pierre-Yves Rochon, is inspired by the Streamline Moderne style.  Exteriors materials will include curved white stone and bronze ornamentation, paying homage to the Golden Age of Los Angeles.

The $200 million project is the Waldorf Astoria brand's first new build on the West Coast.  Opening is scheduled for 2017.

• 10000 Santa Monica Blvd by Handel Architects (Building Los Angeles)
• Westfield's Century City Tower Gets a Big Haircut (Building Los Angeles)
• Beverly Hills' Vacant Robinsons-May Bites the Dust (Building Los Angeles)
• Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Official Website)

Construction Fencing Up at 3rd and Wetherly

3rd and Wetherly

A tall construction fence now surrounds 300 S Wetherly, the site destined for Genton Property Group's 12 story Wetherly Luxury Residences.  When completed, the Wetherly will create 55 condominiums next to the border between Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.  However, most of the existing apartment buildings on the construction site have yet to be demolished.

The Wetherly Luxury Residences.  Image from Genton Property Group.

Beverly Hills-Adjacent Condo Tower Pulls Permits

Image credit: Genton Property Group

According to a series of permit filings with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the long delayed Wetherly Luxury Residences are finally exhibiting signs of life.  The $230 million development, in the works since prior to the global recession, calls for a mid-rise condominium tower at the corner of 3rd Street and Wetherly Drive.  Renderings from the website of developer Genton Property Group portray a boxy, 12-story structure containing 55 for-sale units and more than 100 parking stalls.  The proposed building, reportedly designed by architectural firm RTKL, would feature a stout, 152-foot height profile.

Originally approved at a 16-story, 132 unit development, a combination of neighborhood resistance and market realities gradually whittled the proposed building down to its current size.  However, even the substantially reduced development program has still engendered outcry from neighbors large and small.  In addition to run-of-the-mill complaints of blocked views, overpopulation and traffic congestion, the project also brought Genton Property Group into conflict with the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel last year.

• Construction Fencing up at 3rd and Wetherly (Building Los Angeles)
• 300 S Wetherly Drive (LADBS)
• The Wetherly Luxury Residences (Genton Property Group)
• Four Seasons Feud in Bev Hills (Curbed LA)

Beverly Hills' Vacant Robinsons-May Bites the Dust

Beverly Hills' long-vacant Robinsons-May building is officially no more!  The above image, captured from the 42nd floor of the Century Plaza Towers, shows demolition well underway on the mid-century department store at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard.  The eight-acre property, located near the confluence of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards, is the site of a long-standing proposal for a Richard Meier-designed luxury condo development.  Consisting of two mid-rise towers, the $500 million project would create 235 residential units and 21,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space.  However, any development plans are likely on hold, pending a sale of the property by current owner Joint Treasures International, Ltd.

Heavy equipment is also active on other projects nearby.  Across the street in Century City, developer Crescent Heights is in the midst of construction on a 39-story luxury apartment tower at 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard.  One block east, preliminary work began in April for a 12-story, 170-room Waldorf Astoria hotel.  The two projects are expected to open in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

9900 Wilshire Boulevard, Image Credit: Richard Meier & Partners

• Site of Former Department Store in Beverly Hills... (Los Angeles Times)

Condo Project Would Literally Sit on the LA/Beverly Hills Border

Out to Beverly Hills we go, where McMansions reign supreme and subways under high schools cause natural disasters..  A trio of low-rise apartment buildings at 332-336 Oakhurst Drive are slated to be demolished to make way for 31 residences.  The Oakhurst Condominiums, designed by Sherman Oaks-based Michael Ball Architects, would rise five stories above a subterranean parking garage.  Residential amenities include a lounge and fitness center on the project's ground level, with vehicular access provided by the alley at the back of the property.  The project's location, bisected by the border between Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, makes for an extra-cumbersome approvals process.  Other developments in the area include Genton Property Group's Wetherly Luxury Residences, which would create 55 condominiums within a 12-story structure.  That project saw construction fencing go up over the summer, despite opposition from the nearby Four Seasons Hotel.

• Oakhurst Condominiums (Beverly Hills Architectural Commission)