clubhouse sits on four acres near the 10 Freeway south of Century City.
The almost 90-year-old Beverly Hills Country Club, newly acquired by Singerman Real Estate and Meriwether Companies, will undergo a $10 million renovation with major construction starting in 2016.
Their first joint-venture, Singerman Real Estate, Chicago-based investment firm and majority owner, and Meriwether Cos., hospitality and resort development firm that also manages clubs in Texas and Colorado, plan to make minor improvements in the coming weeks, but a timeline of renovations on the pool area, club house and landscape will be released in the next few months. Meriwether Cos. will be responsible for day-to-day club operations and remodeling.
After pursuing the club for a couple years, the new owners were eager for their first acquisition in Los Angeles from Gene Axelrod’s L.A. Partners, which has owned the property since 1985.
The property will undergo complete renovations, but the new owners’ ultimate goal is to build on its destination as a friends and family scene.
“We really want people to come here not just to exercise or play tennis but to come here to do those things and then socialize with friends or have dinner or host private events here,” said Meriwether Cos. Managing Partner Graham Culp.
Apart from amplifying the family and social programming, Culp also was proud to announce the hiring of Teresa MacPherson as food and beverage director, adding that it was important to them to improve that part of the club.
“We’re excited about applying what we’ve learned in resort markets to an in-town private club,” Culp said.
The owners said that they intend to keep membership dues the same until they can make significant improvements.
“We really want existing members and new members to be active participants in not only helping create the improvements to the club but also improve the foundation of the club, which is the membership,” Culp said. “Of course we want to be a great place, a nice place, but we really want to be a neighborhood place for West Los Angeles.”
The rich pedigree of the Beverly Hills Country Club dates back to 1926 when Elmer Griffin, uncle of celebrity businessman Merv Griffin, sought out a place where Twentieth Century Fox and MGM executives could meet, socialize, conduct business and play tennis.
At the time, other clubs would not admit entertainers, and it quickly became a haven for those in the entertainment industry. Today, with about 1,500 members, the club boasts a more diverse affiliation, including celebrities, athletes and executives.
The 34,000 square-foot clubhouse sits on four acres near the Santa Monica Freeway south of Century City. Their amenities include ten lighted championship tennis courts, dining, and social facilities, a gym with personal fitness, and classes and an aquatic center with a Junior Olympic heated swimming pool and two others.
The Beverly Hills Country Club is located at 3084 Motor Ave. For more information, including how to join, visit beverlyhillscc.com.
