Hodgetts + Fung Project Finds Opposition in Two Cities

Shimahara Illustration
Now this is interesting. You're looking at a proposed eight-story building at 8497 and 8499 Sunset Blvd, a Hodgetts + Fung-designed 34-condo project that straddles West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The Park La Brea News has been covering the project, which would knock down an existing 31-unit housing complex and put up the condos plus 9,200 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Boy, West Hollywood likes to knock down things and put up new, shiny buildings. Oh wait, this is LA, too.

Score card so far: Some West Hollywood residents are up in arms given their estimations of--what else? increased traffic--in front of the building, which is located at La Cienega Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and Miller Drive.

Aside from some West Hollywood residents having issues, the paper reports that depending on the type of appeals filed by those fighting it, LA City Councilmember Paul Koretz, "wants the City of Los Angeles to push for jurisdiction over it because the changes directly affect community members in the area."

Meanwhile, the WeHo News also has been covering the appeals. Here's an LA resident who isn't a fan: "LA neighbor John Ferraro of Miller Place just above the development site, spoke out against the project at the hearing and to media organizations on behalf of his 30-neighbor coalition. As often happens, Los Angeles residents failed to hear of the proceedings surrounding the project’s development application; apparently city mailings of public notices exclude them."

The building being developed by Karma Development, LLC, which is really Frank Damavandi, according to the Park La Brea News. The developer is hoping to start construction next fall.