A single company has purchased multiple properties along Wilshire Blvd. with plans to redevelop several swaths of the street into new multi-story, mixed-use developments.
Cypress Equity has demolition permits on property at 1902 Wilshire, 1904 Wilshire, 1908 Wilshire, 1914 Wilshire, 2025 Wilshire and 1153 21st Street. Some of those properties will be combined into a pair of publicly announced projects at 2025 Wilshire and 2501 Wilshire while plans for the others are unknown.
The City’s current zoning regulations require developers to hold community meetings and create a website with information before submitting a formal application for design review with the City but demolition permits can be sought at any time.
Cypress has opted to announce two projects so far.
At 2501 Wilshire, the proposed project consists of a four-story mixed-use building including 70 residential units, 11 off-site deed-restricted affordable units, ground floor neighborhood-serving retail space, and three levels of subterranean parking with 198 total parking spaces to serve both residential and retail uses and 96 total bicycle parking spaces. The project website is http://2501wilshire.com/.
Covid rules allow developers to hold virtual meetings for their projects but those meetings must be advertised with public signage in advance and several residents tuned into the first meeting for the 2501 project on Wednesday with resident responses ranging from curious to actively hostile.
The 2501 building is located across the street from Douglas Park and houses the Santa Monica Tennis Center, an iPhone repair store, barber, dance studio and nail salon. Other buildings on the block covered by the proposed project house Starbucks and Relax The Back.
Land-use attorney Dave Rand spoke on behalf of the developer and said the project is entirely within existing zoning codes.
“As many of you probably know, the entitlement process in the city of Santa Monica is lengthy and time-consuming,” he said. “It involves going through multiple different departments and reviews and code checks and so ultimately will culminate with a hearing before the Architectural Review Board on design. But that generally takes about a year to run the gauntlet on that extended process. So we’re coming to you tonight very early in this process to show you some concept designs and hear your opinions.”
He said construction would likely take two years and no decisions have been made on new commercial tenants.
“We do not have any tenants selected yet,” he said. “It could be you know a number of different types of tenants but we think it’s important for this project to activate the street, create some great retail opportunities and really some interest at the ground floor level.”
Residents questioned the parking requirements, traffic impact, project density, retail mix, affordable housing element and some design details.
Rand said the project was in its earliest possible stages and the developers would be revising project details as they continue to gather feedback on the proposal.
No other meetings have been scheduled yet but according to the project website for 2025 Wilshire, the project is a 4-story mixed-use building including 46 residential units (including seven off-site deed-restricted affordable units), ground floor neighborhood-serving retail space, and two levels of subterranean parking with 101 total parking spaces and 86 total bicycle parking spaces. The proposed height of the project is 42 feet. The current building at 2025 Wilshire houses Chipotle and Veggie Grill. The project website is http://2025wilshire.com/.
No project has been described for the 1900 block, and Cypress Equity representatives declined to talk to SMDP prior to the Wednesday meeting. The existing demolition permits cover Dr. Laser, Thai Dishes and Nesou Salon.
editor@smdp.com
