After months of anticipation, Geoffrey H. Palmer has finally broken ground on the second component of his Broadway Palace development. Asphalt was recently cleared from the 2.5-acre parking lot at 928 South Broadway, the first step in the construction of a podium-style building which will contain 439 studio, one-and two-bedroom apartments above 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 1,152-car underground garage. This follows the September 2014 groundbreaking of the development’s first phase, which consists of a six-story structure featuring 240 residential units and 17,500 square feet of street-level commercial space. The project is a departure from Palmer’s typical low-rise complexes, most of which flank the Harbor Freeway. In lieu of the developer’s signature Italian Renaissance-themed architecture, Broadway Palace will instead feature designs and materials that mimic those of nearby historic structures. Furthermore, the project is required by the Broadway District Design Guide to maintain the the historic theater district’s mid-rise street wall, thus resulting in a 10-story, 123-foot tall structure along the western side of the property. However, the building’s Main Street frontage, which does not fall within the design overlay’s boundaries, will feature a smaller six-story edifice. Despite its historic-themed architecture, some design elements of the project echo Palmer’s multi-building complexes in City West. In January, the developer filed plans with the City of Los Angeles which would allow for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Olympic Boulevard, linking the two halves of Broadway Palace. Palmer previously engaged in a showdown with the Los Angeles City Planning Commission over a proposed pedestrian overpass at his Da Vinci apartment complex, much of which was destroyed by a fire in December. The developer argued that the bridge was necessary for both the safety of prospective residents and the consolidation of amenities between different buildings. Opponents countered that such overpasses conflict with local design regulations. The conflict was eventually resolved by 14th District Councilman Jose Huizar, who authorized the construction of the bridge. Completion of Broadway Palace, with or without the pedestrian overpass, is anticipated to occur in early 2017.