An eight-story, 242-unit mixed-use apartment complex is on the table for 9700 W. Pico Blvd., at the southwest corner of Pico Boulevard and Beverwil Drive in Pico-Robertson. Developers want to clear out the existing low-rise commercial buildings and surface parking on the 1.73-acre lot, which sold last year for roughly $24 million, and replace them with a new residential building over street-level retail.
The plan, filed under the applicant name BWB Pico LLC, was submitted to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning and asks for permission to demolish the current commercial structures and remove on-site parking to make room for the project, according to WestsideToday. The application describes the proposal as two connected buildings rather than a single mass.
Scale, design, and amenities
Architectural drawings by Reed Architectural Group show an eight-story façade finished in stucco, concrete and metal panels, with interior courtyards, recreation rooms and a rooftop amenity deck. As detailed by Urbanize LA, the project is broken into smaller volumes along the street to soften its perceived scale on Pico.
Parking, retail and affordability
The proposal includes roughly 4,150 square feet of ground-floor retail space sitting above a subterranean garage planned for about 397 vehicles, according to The Real Deal. The developer is seeking density bonus incentives to build taller and larger than base zoning would typically allow, in exchange for reserving 11 units for renters at the very low-income level. The site was acquired last year in a deal that CBRE characterized as a high-priced Westside land sale, with the buyer paying about $24 million for the property.
What approvals are needed
The project requires discretionary review by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning and is seeking density-bonus concessions through the city’s housing incentive programs. Under the Citywide Housing Incentive Program and State Density Bonus Law, developers can request additional height, floor area and parking reductions when they include affordable units, a process laid out on the Department of City Planning’s website. The application materials reviewed so far do not include a construction schedule or set hearing dates.
Neighbors and business owners in Pico-Robertson routinely weigh in on large development proposals, and this one sits just south of the Beverly Hills border, so community interest is expected as it moves through the city review process. We will follow filings with the Department of City Planning and report back on any scheduled hearings or community meetings as the proposal advances.
