If you’ve got thoughts about the Viper Room redevelopment, now’s the time to speak up.
West Hollywood is hosting a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in Council Chambers at the West Hollywood Public Library to discuss Silver Creek Commercial Development’s proposal to redevelop the 0.92-acre site at 8850 Sunset Boulevard that is home to the iconic rock ‘n’ roll venue.
The project, identified as Master Project MP18-0060, aims to construct an eleven-story, mixed-use building that includes hotel and residential spaces. The proposed development is approximately 269,263 gross square feet, featuring up to 161 feet in height, with 232 underground parking spaces.
The commercial aspects of the project consist of 90 hotel guestrooms, meeting rooms, outdoor pools, five restaurant and café spaces, a bar/lounge, a wellness center/spa, retail space and a nightclub, including the Viper Room. The residential component is designed to offer 78 rental apartments, 16 of which are classified as affordable housing, along with indoor amenity spaces and an outdoor pool with a terrace.
The application encompasses requests for Sunset Specific Plan and Zoning Map Amendments, a Development Agreement, Demolition, Development, Conditional Use, Administrative and Sign Permits, and a Vesting Tentative Tract Map.
The upcoming hearing provides an opportunity for community members and stakeholders to learn about the proposed development, ask questions, and provide feedback.
Originally established in 1921 as a grocery store, the building that houses the Viper Room transitioned through numerous incarnations over the years, from the Cotton Club in the 1940s to the notable Melody Room in the 1950s, attracting a blend of celebrities and local gangsters. Its transformation into the Viper Room in 1993 under Johnny Depp’s co-ownership marked a new era, establishing the venue as a cherished hub for live music and nightlife, albeit shadowed by the tragic death of River Phoenix.
Despite its storied past and enduring appeal, the Viper Room is now confronting the inevitability of modern development. A developer’s acquisition of the property in 2018 signaled the beginning of the end for its “down and dirty” days, with plans to erect a 15-story mixed-use building that promised a new, sanitized version of the legendary club. The redevelopment proposal sparked a blend of anticipation and trepidation, as stakeholders and community members debated the merits and implications of such a drastic change.
Recent design revisions for the 8850 Sunset Boulevard project reflect a concerted effort to address public outcry over the initial proposal. The updated plans feature a reimagined Viper Room that retained its color scheme and introduced enhanced facilities, including a larger stage and a recording studio, embedded within a more contextually sensitive building.
However, the redesign has not assuaged all concerns. Emotional testimonials at recent Design Review Subcommittee meetings highlighted diverse perspectives, from lamenting the loss of the area’s character to critiquing the new design as overly sanitized or disproportionate. Community members expressed fears of overshadowing, loss of local identity, and the consequences of intensified development, underscoring the challenges of balancing progress with preservation.
Waste of time. City bought and paid for.
My recollection was the original Sunset Specific Plan, from 1991, supposedly written in stone, had maximum heights of either 35 or 45 feet high, depending on the lot. It could go a few feet higher for things like rooftop stairwell exits or air conditioners. At some point, the Councilmembers were likely bought off and it appears that was increased to an absolute height of 77 feet. Then they clearly get “campaign contributions”, or outright bribes, and the developers want variances, or “amendments”, and now we are looking at a project asking for a height of 161 feet high. The corruption… Read more »
I think anything they do to that stretch of Sunset will be an improvement.
These public hearings are a complete farce to make residents believe that their opinions matter. They don’t.
The cake is baked before the meeting begins. They begin by trashing the people who don’t support the project and then hear from non-residents who get paid to say how wonderful the project will be.
Maybe will get another BS “Farring Style” project to give us urban blight for years to come.
If you want to get an idea as to the prevailing opinion on this matter, check out the comments on the Facebook ads paid for those against the project. There are more comments for the project than against it on an ad that goes out of its way to paint the project in the worst light possible. These are not paid shills as this group includes many colleagues, friends, acquaintances. I count myself among them. The current structure is a blight. The corner is vastly underdeveloped. We desperately need more housing, more retail within walking distance of locals to get… Read more »
As if the public had any sway over our Unite Here appointed council members
To be clear, nobody on the council was appointed. All received more votes than others to win their seat. If your candidate(s) lost, they received less votes. If you want to make change, find, support and promote a candidate(s) that fits your opinions just like Unite Here does.
Will this development be considered as part of California’s “Builder’s Remedy” policy? If so I am waiting to hear West Hollywood to say there is nothing they can do to stop this development and if that is the case why hold public hearings?
Exactly. The whole development process has been rendered redundant. These hearings have become a total waste of time since Heilmans absurd monologue over Wetherly. Vote them all out if you’re not going to fight to save the structure of our neighborhood.
Hi Peter, this is not a Builder’s Remedy project. Feel free to show up and provide public comment. I’ll be there, would be lovely to finally meet you in person!