Even with completion still one year away, CIM Group’s massive Sunset La Cienega development has already established a dominant presence on the Sunset Strip. The $300 million project, named for its location at the intersection of Sunset and La Cienega Boulevards, will eventually consist of four mid-rise buildings, providing a mixture of hotel rooms, condominiums and premium retail and restaurant space. Construction is most evident at the southwest corner of the intersection, where twin condominium towers now rise eight stories above ground.  The mid-rise structures, designed by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects and Mia Lehrer + Associates, will include 190 residential units, ground-floor commercial space and an underground parking garage.

East across La Cienega Boulevard, construction has progressed to the second level above ground on a pair of 10-story hotel towers.  The buildings, designed by architectural giant SOM, will house the first West Coast location of the luxury boutique James Hotel chain.  Plans call for 286 guest rooms, supplemented by two restaurants, 10,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop bar with sweeping views of the Los Angeles basin.

The Sunset La Cienega development is scheduled for completion in 2016.