Century City Chamber of Commerce’s second annual State of the City has been hailed a success, bringing together dignitaries, residents, and the business community to discuss the development of Century City’s skyline.
The panel discussion held at the Century Plaza Towers, March 24, focused on the burgeoning construction projects peppering the area: California Rehabilitation Institute, Century Plaza Hotel, One Beverly Hills, Westfield Century City, and 20th Century Fox.
Insights into the projects came from the developments’ top authorities.
John Marshall of Westfield discussed Century City’s mall and its current $800-million overhaul. Although the Senior Vice President of Development kept mum on the leases in line for the new mall, Marshall did reveal that Westfield is working with Metro to create an escalator from the Purple Line subway station to the mall’s terrace space.
Rohan a`Beckett, deputy general manager of Wanda Beverly Hills Properties, LLC, talked One Beverly Hills, a luxury hotel and residential project located at the former Robinsons-May property. Getty architects Richard Meier & Partners will design the property, he said. The group plans to release the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) in the next one-to-two months and hopes to have this completed by the end of the summer.
Bill Christopher of 20th Century Fox said that the studio also plans to release its DEIR in April and optimistically anticipates approval by late 2017. Christopher said 20th Century Fox’s motives for redevelopment stem from competition with high-tech campuses like Apple and Google. Last year, Fox filed for new facilities with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, indicating that improvements include creative office space; a specialty stage; and facility support, retail amenities and utility buildings. Fox has also applied for a master conditional-use permit that would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at three new restaurants planned on the lot, as well as four existing venues.
Chief Executive Officer John Behzad of the California Rehabilitation Institute said the 138-bed acute
inpatient rehabilitation hospital is set to open in the next few months.
Michael Rosenfeld, CEO of Woodridge Capital Partners who is leading the $2.5-billion redevelopment of the Century Plaza Hotel, revealed retail plans for the project, working in tandem with its mall-neighbor, not in competition, he said. The new Century Plaza Hotel project features two 46-story luxury residential towers, restaurants, retail shops and a newly designed 400 room 5-star hotel, keeping Minoru Yamasaki’s crescent-shaped design.
