The giant, partially complete Target at Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue has been stuck in limbo since a 2014 ruling got its permits revoked and froze construction. In October, there was a small glimmer of hope for those who'd like to see it finished (and a glove slap to the face of those who want to see it torn down): there was talk of tweaking the planning guidelines to allow for the 75-foot-tall retail center. Now, reports the LA Times, "city officials are recommending that a council committee change the planning rules for the Target site, lifting the height limit for the property and increasing the number of parking spaces allowed there."
The project has its advocates. Council Mitch O'Farrell says the completed Target would bring jobs (more than 200) where they're needed. But some of the opponents who sued to halt the construction of the Target in the first place are incensed and gearing up for yet another legal battle. A member of the famed NIMBY coalition the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Association tells the Times he's ready to go back to court if the Target proceeds.
And that's troubling for Target fans because the court was good to La Mirada the last time they (and their lawyer Robert Silverstein) faced off against the Target project. In August 2014, a judge agreed with them that the Target shouldn't have been allowed to be constructed (it's 74 feet tall and the limit in the area's 35 feet) and took away the project's permits.
In case we never see it built out, the shopping center containing the Target was supposed to be about 200,000 square feet total, with parking, a handful of shops, and a three-level Target. Previous reports had indicated that the proposed change to planning rules still has to be heard by the full Planning Commission, though, so the drama is far from over.
· 'Zombie' Target project in Hollywood may get new life from L.A. City Council [LAT]
· Big, Half-Built Hollywood Target Might Be Finished Instead of Torn Down [Curbed LA]