The Los Angeles City Planning Commission on Thursday signed off on the Riverwalk at Studio City proposal at 12555 Ventura Boulevard, clearing a major entitlement hurdle for a block-long mixed-use complex that would bring 814 apartments and roughly 76,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Commissioners also turned down two appeals that argued the project was out of scale for Ventura Boulevard and raised environmental red flags, pushing the multi-developer plan closer to final approvals even as neighbors and advocates insist the fight is not over.
The commission's decision and the denial of appeals were first reported by Urbanize LA, which notes the proposal is a joint venture between Genton Property Group, RC Development and Torino Companies. Planners granted multiple density-bonus incentives and off-menu waivers to allow taller and bulkier buildings, and 46 of the apartments would be reserved as very-low-income affordable units. City staff said those incentives were required because the project seeks building heights and stepbacks that exceed what current zoning normally allows.
According to staff materials from the Department of City Planning, the entitlement package includes a vesting tentative tract map and a suite of discretionary approvals tied to several public case files. The Department of City Planning describes a series of two-to-seven-story buildings that step down toward the Los Angeles River and calls for four subterranean parking levels designed to hold more than 800 vehicles.
Developer renderings highlight landscaped courtyards, a public plaza at Ventura Boulevard and Whitsett Avenue, and a central pedestrian path that would connect the street to the riverbank. The Riverwalk at Studio City materials list MVE + Partners as the residential architect and AO as the retail design consultant.
Neighbors and appeals
Opponents told commissioners that the project's overall size, deep excavation and additional traffic could strain evacuation routes and damage riparian habitat along the river. Community groups such as Studio City for Safe Development framed their appeals around public-safety worries and cumulative impacts, and the proposal was taken up by the Studio City Neighborhood Council land-use committee earlier this spring. At the June hearing, the City Planning Commission rejected both formal appeals and upheld the staff-recommended entitlements.
What this means for Ventura Boulevard
Riverwalk's approval arrives in the middle of a broader building boom along this stretch of Ventura Boulevard. Urbanize LA notes that a separate proposal to remake the Sportsmen's Lodge site would add about 520 apartments to the corridor. If Riverwalk and nearby projects move ahead, that half-mile of Ventura could see roughly 1,400 new homes, a level of development that is expected to transform local retail, traffic patterns and public-space planning.
Next steps and legal questions
Even with the Planning Commission vote in hand, the project still needs final mapping, building permits and other clearances, and it remains subject to California Environmental Quality Act review and possible legal challenges. Public notices and staff records list the tract and environmental case numbers linked to the proposal, and City materials spell out the density-bonus and waiver findings that underpin the approvals. A notice in the Daily Journal references ENV-2025-5698-SE and related case identifiers associated with the Riverwalk filings.
For now, the site remains stuck in the entitlement phase, and the development team says renderings and project documents are available to the public. Neighbors and advocacy groups have signaled they will keep a close eye on the review process and are prepared to pursue further administrative appeals or litigation if they decide the project still goes too far.
