Steven Sharp WELCOME HOME

NantWorks, the biotech firm founded by billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Schiong, is apparently working on an expansion of its Culver City headquarters. According to documents from the Culver City Planning Division, the five-year-old company is planning a new building at 9919 Jefferson Boulevard, directly across the street from its headquarters. The proposed three-story structure would feature more than 62,000 square feet for corporate offices, research and development and laboratory purposes. Plans also call for a rooftop deck and a detached five-story parking structure, with accommodations for 294 vehicles and 49 bicycles.

Zackary Brothers, a family-owned real estate firm based out of Los Angeles, is planning a low-rise apartment building near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Hoover Street. According to an environmental report published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, the proposed development would rise from a vacant lot at 1001 S. Park View Street. Plans call for the construction of a five-story building with 108 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 12 of which would be designated as very low income units.

Downtown Los Angeles has found itself in the midst of a building spree that has augmented its long stagnant skyline. This barrage of ground-up construction has also highlighted some of the weaknesses in the City’s building code, particularly in terms of how new buildings are expected to address the public realm. Parking podiums, a common feature in many of Downtown’s residential towers, have been criticized as both a visual blight and a safety issue.

The rumored Cavalli Hotel may not have panned out, but it seems that another luxury hotel brand will gladly set up shop at Oceanwide Plaza. According to the Wall Street Journal, Park Hyatt has signed on to operate the hotel component of the $1-billion mixed-use development, which is now rising across the street from Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The project, which is the first U.S. venture of the Beijing-based Oceanwide Real Estate Group, will consist of three high-rise buildings that include 504 condominiums and a 153,000-square-foot open-air galleria featuring shops and restaurants.

In Hollywood, construction is now wrapping up for 1411 Highland Avenue, a mixed-use development from the Lennar Corporation. The project, located on a formerly vacant lot between Leland Way and De Longepre Avenue, consists of a a six-story building featuring 76 luxury apartments and approximatley 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The project offers a combination of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, underground parking for 143 vehicles and amenities such as a rooftop deck and co-working space..

Just south of Santa Monica Boulevard, the wooden framework of West Hollywood’s La Peer Hotel is nearing completion. The project, located at 627 North La Peer Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue, consists of a four-story building featuring 105 guest rooms in addition to retail and restaurant space. San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels has signed on to operate the building. The exterior of the hotel will incorporate a variety of materials, including concrete, tile, plaster, wrought iron and glass.

Documents from the Culver City Planning Division have unveiled renderings of a proposed apartment complex near Metro’s Culver City Station. Los Angeles-based Pine, LLC has proposed the construction of a low-rise building at 3434 Wesley Street, a cul-de-sac to the south of Washington Boulevard. The five-story structure would feature 15 apartments and 14,364 square feet of office and commercial space above underground parking for 69 vehicles. The proposed development would set aside one residential unit for very low income households, and provide a mixture of gallery space and a small café.

Efforts to boost the number of hotel rooms in Downtown Los Angeles continue to bear fruit, as another developer zeroes in on a property near the Convention Center and L.A. Live. According to a motion by 14th District Councilmember Jose Huizar, local developer Pacific Properties Partners has announced its intention to construct a 250-room Cambria Hotel at Georgia Street and James M. Wood Boulevard. Cambria, a limited-service brand catering to business travelers, operates under the banner of Choice Hotels International.

An initial study published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning provides new information about Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center’s proposed $200-million expansion. CHA Health Systems, owner of the medical campus at 1300 N. Vermont Avenue, filed plans earlier this year to add a five-story structure which would serve as the new home of its emergency department. The proposed building, currently labeled as the “Acute Care Replacement Hospital Building,” would also house operations for Hollywood Presbyterian’s surgical and NICU departments, as well as various ancillary functions.

A struggling office building in Studio City could see a mixed-use neighbor. Last week, plans were filed with the City of Los Angeles to construct a residential-retail development on the parking lot surrounding the seven-story structure at 10850 W. Riverside Drive. According to a case filing with the Department of City Planning, the proposed building would rise five stories, featuring 179 apartments and 5,685 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. According to the Real Deal LA, the project comes from local investor Fred Delijani, whose family is best known for owning several of the historic movie palaces along Downtown’s Broadway Corridor.