This article was updated at 1:24 p.m. October 21.
The Sunset Strip is always changing: it’s been a celebrity magnet, a counter-culture hub, a rock 'n’ roll capital, and, more recently, a high-end development zone. Now West Hollywood is aiming to define its next phase, says WeHoville. The local news outlet reports the City Council is looking to hire a consultant who will "begin a project to define the future of the Sunset Strip."
According to WeHoville, city officials don't want to say what the Strip should be, rather they're looking "guide the process and help establish the ‘next big idea’ for the 21st Century Sunset Strip."
The plan, as it’s outlined in city documents, is for the consultant to figure out ways to bolster, "the identity and experience of the Sunset Strip" and to examine how zoning and planning guidelines in effect on the Strip help or harm its hotels and the music, entertainment, dining spots.
The consultant would also look into making the Sunset Strip more welcoming to pedestrians by identifying opportunities to add elements to Sunset Boulevard that will make the area seem more "interesting from the street." To get the ball rolling, a report accompanying the plan includes suggestions:
- New and additional benches and street furniture
- Temporary parklets or temporary vending opportunities
- New and additional temporary art installations
- Landscaping and shade structures
- Public safety efforts
- Transportation and transit efforts
- Signs alerting visitors to available parking
- Paving markings celebrating the Sunset Strip and its rich history
WeHo’s city council will decide next month whether or not to allot $300,000 to fund the project, which is required to begin within 60 days.
The push to help plan the Strip's future comes "at a time when the Strip is becoming known more for its growing number of hotels than for the rock music clubs that used to define it," says WeHoville. It's not wrong. The Sunset Strip is the site of a handful of fancy new developments, including not just hotels but also a private club, mixed-use projects, and a Frank Gehry-designed multi-use development.
Correction: An earlier version of this story in WeHoville said the City Council had approved the Sunset Strip project. In fact, that Council meeting ended abruptly because of a fire alarm in council chambers, and the item was moved to the November 7 agenda. Our story has been corrected to reflect that.
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