The One Beverly Hills project may bring multiple towers to the western portion of Beverly Hills. (rendering © DBOX for Alagem Capital Group)

In the first of what could be three meetings on the project, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission began positive momentum for the One Beverly Hills project on April 8.

One Beverly Hills, a 17.5-acre mixed-use project that will include hotels – including the existing Waldorf Astoria and the Beverly Hilton – residences, retail and restaurant space, and botanical gardens on both sides of Merv Griffin Way, received some preliminary approvals, including for the environmental impact report, in a pair of 4-0 votes. Commissioner Thomas Hudnut recused himself from discussions because he has “an equity investment in property adjacent to the project.”

The April 8 meeting did not result in the Planning Commission’s full approval of the project, which is likely to be considered at two future planned meetings on the project on April 19 and 22. Instead, the commission heard a presentation from city staff and from the developers, heard public comment on the project and asked dozens of questions to be answered in future meetings. If One Beverly Hills receives the Planning Commission’s approval, it will be referred to the City Council for final consideration.

In the presentation, Ted Kahan, president of the One Beverly Hills project, which an undertaking of the Beverly Hills-based Alagem Capital Group in partnership with Cain International, and multiple other members of the project team highlighted some of the changes to the project since it was approved in earlier iterations in 2008 and 2016.

“It will probably one day be one of the nine wonders of the world, because the design is just incredible, and it will be in the best location in Beverly Hills … It will serve the city well for generations,” Beny Alagem said.

The current project will be constructed on a podium that spans Merv Griffin Way, allowing the project site to connect on both sides of the street while traffic can continue unimpeded. The development team is also expecting to build three buildings – they had initially planned for four – to limit the footprint of the buildings, but “the tradeoff was height,” Kahan said. The 500,000-square-foot Santa Monica Residences building is expected to be 32 stories or 410 feet tall. It will contain 162 residential units. The Garden Residences building will be 28 stories or 369 feet tall. The 424,000-square-foot structure will contain 141 residential units. The 214,000-square-foot Wilshire Building will be 11 stories or 124 feet tall, and it will contain 37 residential units and 42 hotel rooms.

“To accomplish our goals, including maintaining the approved square footage, the option was to increase the height of the buildings. But remember what you get in return: more openness, more gardens, more blue space and I should mention, much better architecture,” Kahan said.

One Beverly Hills is also expected to be environmentally friendly, with the developers pursuing LEED Gold and WELL certifications. In addition, the 8 acres of botanical gardens – 4.5 acres of which will be open to the public; the remainder will be for residents and guests of the complex and members of an amenities-access program – will feature many native plants among its 40 tree types and 250 plant types, landscape architect Mark Rios said. The gardens will be watered using “100% recycled water produced on site,” he added.

“It will be a destination and a link to the other gardens of the city’s park system. I think we’ve designed something pretty remarkable,” Rios said.

The commissioners and the vast majority of public comment – much of which came from people who formerly served on the city’s boards and commissions – was overwhelmingly positive, though the questions from commissioners indicated there may be some tweaks coming.

“I think this is a spectacular project, and I commend everyone involved, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some issues that we want to deal with,” Planning Commission Chair Peter Ostroff said.

“I think this is just an extraordinary project. Our job is to make it even more extraordinary and better for the city,” Vice Chair Lori Greene Gordon added.

For instance, while the commissioners expressed support for public access to the gardens, Commissioner Myra Demeter pointed out that pedestrian access was limited to three entrances.

“I believe you are not providing the necessary access to this new development for people on the south side who don’t want to get in their cars and drive,” Demeter said.

In addition, the one member of the public who expressed concern about the project, Mark Elliot, pointed out that the project would only pay into an affordable housing trust fund instead of creating affordable units on site.

“A project of this magnitude should provide affordable units to address unmet needs for affordable housing, rather than simply contribute to an affordable housing trust fund,” Elliot said.

Ostroff said Elliot may have a point, and changes may be forthcoming, though Elliot may not get everything for which he asked.

“I, in part, agree with Mr. Elliot in that [the developers] should address specifically affordable housing as part of the development agreement. I agree with him in part, in that I don’t agree that it has to be on the site,” Ostroff said.

Answers to the commissioners’ questions and concerns will come back during the April 19 meeting, when Ostroff said he hopes to put “a ribbon” on the project and send it to the City Council. Ostroff added that if approval isn’t given by April 19, it must be done by April 22 to remain on schedule.

“Thanks for putting such a nice project on our plates,” Ostroff said to the development team.