Chris Bowen, an employee of Afriat Consulting Group, Cohen’s lobbying firm, has reached out to opinion leaders in West Hollywood to announce the event, which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Building of Cohen’s Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave. at San Vicente.
“We will have go-at-your-own-pace stations where attendees can ask questions and tell us what they think,” Bowen said in his email. He requests that attendees RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling (818) 558-6827.
This is the first of several community meetings that Afriat will hold in an effort to explain the Cohen project, which stirred controversy when WEHOville announced in February that it was being considered.
Residents expressed concern about the size of the proposed project, which would cover an area the size of ten football fields on the south side of Santa Monica Boulevard east of San Vicente where the Metropolitan Transportation Administration’s bus depot now is located.
Cohen’s early plans called for a 280-space, three-level underground garage for MTA bus storage, maintenance and operations topped with several buildings that would include 400,000 square feet of commercial office space in two high-rise towers, 600,000 square feet of residential/hotel space, 120,000 square feet of retail shops, a 2,500-seat movie theater complex and an 800-seat open amphitheater, plus a 50,000-square-foot sheriff’s station.
Until the red building is leased and full the city should not consider anything else for the PDC area. We have no idea what impact the red buildings are going to have on traffic. The area is already bumper to bumper during the afternoons. Until they can prove the infrastructure exists to handle more development there needs to be a moratorium. As a Huntley resident just down the street from the PDC I thought it was interesting that Cohen Brothers decides to hold this event right before Christmas when people are busy or out of town. It’s obvious they are… Read more »
Well put bazoo
They just need to lop off the top 3-4 floors and put them in that middle area so Red isn’t covered up so much. Otherwise, bring it on!
Actually, this isn’t LA it’s the City of Weho. When meaning small town feel- I meant people are super friendly here, I just want to keep it that way with or without a metroplex that’s all. Don’t send people to Mayberry or Ojai, when they have been living in a place longer than most (including taxes & supporting businesses) for more years than most. I just want this city to remain as amazing as it always has been that can be with or with out these new developments. My interest has and always been the betterment of Weho. Lets see… Read more »
I’m all for it if it means I can walk to catch a movie or shop rather than have to deal with schlepping to Hollywood or Century City or Santa Monica. So the Red Building was a flop? Who cares. That was their risk. They took it. Let’s be honest, traffic is never going to get any better until Metro builds trams or a subway through Weho. We’re smack in the middle of the 2nd largest city in America. And if I wanted a “small town feel” I would have moved to Calabassas or Ojai or Mayberry. This is LA.
I am long time resident of WEHO- 15 years, I have very mixed feelings about this…West Hollywood is one of the last breaths of “mostly” locally owned amazing businesses.aside from a few chain businesses – do we want all of the big corporate companies coming in…also Weho is a close knit community..do we want to lose the small town feel of knowing all of our neighbors & just become a hugely populated mass of people. Also you can kiss the term “boys town” goodbye because this will turn a gay culture town into a “gay friendly” neighborhood. I am fine… Read more »
The model looks as if a player built hotels on Pacific and North Carolina but put nothing on Pennsylvania and the the other player put a hotel on Park Place and nothing on Boardwalk. There’s nothing in the community chest and no tribute to the railway. There does seem to be a “Get out of Jail Free” care. There’s Monopoly in the design and perhaps the politics. Surely West Hollywood can dare a better design next to the Modernist Design Center than this Miami Condo Curves design.
Finally, an end to the dead-zone! I live a few blocks away from this proposed development and I am all for this development. The preliminary design needs improvement though. We are in one of the most largest and high profile urban area in the world and this area needs re-development like this to stay a world city. Let this city grow!
What a sad excuse for a design for an area that could have been a centerpiece for West Hollywood. The design in no way compliments either the PDC or how it will front Santa Monica blvd (but actually blocks the million views out of the new build) . Yes the corner needs to be developed but what about a truly creative plan for the creative city ? Why could’nt they have come up with a building that looks like an extension of the PDC maybe one round building that is centered on the axis of the middle of the new… Read more »
If you’re going to comment anonymously it’s difficult to take your opinions seriously. Do the anonymous commenters live in West Hollywood or Omaha? Are they real people in WeHo or are they lobbyists/developers? I am not convinced the supportive comments are stemming from people who live here in West Hollywood. The only resident I can identify on this thread is Larry Block. Block votes, owns a home here & maintains a business in West Hollywood which makes his opinions valid. The other 9 of you should properly identify yourselves if you expect to be taken seriously by people like myself… Read more »
I pity the people who have to commute through this area right now. Wait until if/when this project gets built.
Building more commercial space, coupled with high priced residential space is not bringing mass transit to West Hollywood. There are other ways to achieve that goal. What the Cohen Brothers neglect to tell us is what will happen to the empty Red Building and why, in spite of this large canyon of commercial neglect we need MORE commercial space that according to this data means MORE EMPTY space. Once the Red Building fills up then maybe we have a conversation but not until that space is fully utilized do they get a chance to move forward.
Great project and long overdue! That space has been such a dead-zone and has hindered “the village” for years. It was wrong for the MTA to have built their garage there in the first place. And lastly, once again, why aren’t all of you screaming for mass transit. Get the trams moving down Santa Monica Blvd., allow it to make the “loop” around WeHo via Santa Monica Blvd., La Brea, Sunset, Doheny and back to Santa Monica. Get out of your cars and take the train for God’s sake. We live in the second largest city in the country and… Read more »