A 20-story building with a corner facade designed to look like a vintage microphone has been proposed at the corner of Argyle and Selma Avenues in Hollywood.

The Ametron Electronics building would have a design feature at its corner that resembles a vintage microphone. (photo courtesy of Joey Shimoda)

The building would be located on property owned by Ametron Electronics, a family-owned business specializing in audio and video equipment that has been located in Hollywood since 1953. The proposed building, which would also be the new headquarters for Ametron, is across the street from the new W Hollywood Hotel and Residences. It is also located just a block from other high-rise buildings such as the House of Blues corporate headquarters and the Sunset/Vine Tower, and near the location of the proposed 28-story Columbia Square project on Sunset Boulevard. Fred Rosenthal, the owner of Ametron electronics, said the project has been planned for the past three years. He believes it would be well suited to the area because the site is near other high-rise buildings, public transportation hubs, and it will fill the need for office space in Hollywood.

“There is a lot of housing all around, but it seems it is office space that is needed right now,” Rosenthal said. “I think the land, the way it is right now, is not being used to its full potential, and the time is right to move forward with this project.”

The building would include 220,000 square feet of office space, as well as ground-floor retail space. The office space would be built over a seven-story garage with 770 parking spaces. An architectural design has been completed, and the next step will be to open discussions with the local neighborhood councils and submit formal plans to the city’s planning department. Rosenthal has already submitted the plan to the Office of Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, 13th District.

Rosenthal said the design pays tribute to the history of the audio/video industry, with a corner facade constructed to look like the wind screen of a vintage microphone, and an exhibit in the lobby featuring an extensive collection of vintage microphones and sound equipment that Rosenthal has collected over the years. Joey Shimoda, CEO of Shimoda Design Corporation, which designed the building, said he believes the building will fit well in the community.

“It’s a little taller than the W project, but in scale, it is very similar to the other buildings in the area,” Shimoda said. “We wanted to create an identifiable building that will add to the skyline, not just a generic box.”

Shimoda added that it would be a LEED-certified building with environmentally friendly features. Rosenthal said the building would be suited to tenants from the entertainment industry, and because it is located one block from Metro’s Hollywood/Vine Station, would be easily accessible.

“The city wants to build around the Metro stations, and they want high-density, so we incorporated that vision in our plan,” Rosenthal added. “We have some very tall buildings around us, so we think this corner lends itself to a very iconic, high-level tower.”

Yusef Robb, a deputy for Garcetti, confirmed that Ametron had submitted  preliminary plans, but Garcetti has not made a decision on whether to support the project. Robb added, however, that the council president does support building near transportation hubs.

Rosenthal said he may seek a collaboration with a development company for the project, and hopes to have the building completed within the next couple of years.

“We are  in the electronics business, but we happen to own a lot of real estate. We may do it on our own, or we may seek a joint venture,” Rosenthal added. “We are going to go out to the neighborhood councils, talk to the city some more. We want to make sure our development is consistent with the Hollywood community plan, and that is something that will benefit the entire community.”