Construction began this week on the Supreme store on the Sunset Strip, at the former Tower Records site. (photo by Carlos De Loera)

Construction began on Feb. 14 at the former Tower Records store for an incoming Supreme store located at 8801 Sunset Blvd.

In a Jan. 27 community Zoom meeting led by Aaron Green of Afriat Consulting Group, which is overseeing the project, the timeline and components for the store’s construction were discussed. The site will remain a single-story retail space, with portions of the roof raised approximately four feet and no changes to the building’s total area. Work on the store’s foundation will take place through April. The interior build-out is also set to begin this month and will continue into July. From April to June, roof repairs will take place, with exterior glazing also beginning in April. Construction is scheduled to conclude in August. The work crew’s hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Green said.

While many of the participants in the meeting hoped that concerns would be addressed about store operations, potential traffic issues and community safety, given the incidents that have occurred at the Supreme Fairfax location, Green’s focus was on construction.

West Rubenstein, Supreme’s senior vice president, attempted to ease community concerns during the meeting.

“We don’t do pop-ups, we don’t do flash mobs,” Rubenstein said. “We don’t allow people to camp in our space overnight. We have a pretty developed system for allowing people to make appointments and we have a very regulated line system. … We pride ourselves on running safe, clean shops, not just in L.A. but New York, the country and around the world.”

Rubenstein did not field any questions from the meeting participants. Representatives of Supreme did not respond to repeated requests for further comment.

“[Supreme] obviously doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to deal with all the people that will be coming into the store, if you look at the Fairfax location,” West Hollywood resident Jerome Cleary said after the lack of answers provided at the meeting. “There is always a long line outside it. What is Supreme going to be able to do about those crowds? Residents want answers.”

Lt. Bill Moulder, of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said that the department is aware of residents’ concerns regarding the store and that they will work closely with the city to “ensure success for that business and serenity for [the] community.”

According to John Keho, West Hollywood’s planning and development services director, Supreme was issued a ministerial permit in the same manner that would be provided for any applicant for a retail store. A ministerial permit means the store will agree to all zoning and building standards and not be subject to any additional discretionary approval by a governing body. Regarding any concerns about potential events held at the store, Supreme would need to obtain separate special event permits from the city.

A commercial permit for the building approved on Feb. 9 allows for changes to the façade, a lifting of 2,645 square feet of the roof by nearly four feet, interior renovations and the installation of sculptural artwork.

Community members who have concerns about the business or construction at the site can submit a complaint at weho.org/code or call the city’s code enforcement hotline at (323)848-6516.