Architects give a glimpse of the towering plan they have for 1000 La Brea Ave.

The old CEMEX cement factory on La Brea Avenue might be the foundation for West Hollywood’s tallest future structure, as envisioned by Large Architecture and presented to a virtual gathering of residents Tuesday.

The proposed mixed-use development known as “1000 La Brea” would be 34 stories tall, knocking current record-holder Sierra Towers down to second place and the Sunset Tower to third. The Sierra Towers residential building was completed in 1965 and is 31 stories tall, towering over Doheny on the opposite side of the city from 1000 La Brea.  The iconic Sunset Tower hotel, completed in 1931, stands a modest 20 stories.

1000 La Brea would contain 514 rental units, a quarter of which would be designated as affordable housing units. A grocery store on the ground floor would span 30,000 square feet, and the project would include 674 parking spaces, plus 393 bike stalls.

“We wanted to break the building up enough so that it starts to fit into the scale of the city,” the architects said of the building’s design. 

They said their plans take into account to the the reality of the neighborhood.

“We were very concerned about the current state of the street,” they said. “Simply put, presently, that street is not very pedestrian-friendly, particularly at nighttime. What we tried to do is create an anchor or node at the corner of La Brea and Romaine that gives pedestrians a reason to walk to this portion.

The height was still many residents’ top concern.

“No matter how you draw it, no matter how you design it, it’s still going to be 34 stories,” resident Kathy Blaivis said. “I’m just curious, what is the closest building that is 20 stories or taller to this proposed development? You talk about this building fitting into the neighborhood and community, but there doesn’t seem to be anything of comparable height nearby.”

CIM Group purchased the property in June 2022 and is an active owner.  Tuesday’s meeting was the first of many as the project clears hurdles toward approval. These meetings will include an environmental scoping meeting expected in July various public hearings with the Planning Commission and City Council, likely in the first half of 2024.