When completed, 9908 S. Santa Monica Blvd. will offer ground floor retail and 17 condominium units. (rendering courtesy of GPI Companies)

The Friars Club project at 9908 S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills has broken ground, and city officials are hopeful that the mixed-use development will be a boon for the city once it is completed.

According to the city, building permits were issued for the four-story, 90,000-square-foot project on June 20, and the work will include re-striping on South Santa Monica Boulevard and moving some parking meters onto Moreno Drive during construction.

The development will offer ground floor retail and restaurant space, as well as 17 condominium units. During the approval process, the city received a $5 million contribution and lobbied for 54 public parking spaces.

“I think it’s very exciting,” Mayor Lili Bosse said. “That particular lot has been empty for a long time, and it will be wonderful to see [the project finished].”

She added that the project will “revitalize and invigorate” the intersection of South Santa Monica and Charleville boulevards and “create a wonderful, thriving environment for our city.”

“I think there’s a lot of excitement that construction has begun, and there were significant mitigations put in place to address construction impacts,” Bosse said.

She said the council, the city’s Planning Commission and the applicant worked diligently with the neighborhood to ensure that the project’s incorporation into the community is smooth and easy.

Prior to the council’s approval on Feb. 18, 2020, representatives of Belvedere Hotel Group, which owns the Peninsula Beverly Hills near the project site, expressed concerns about construction noise and short-term home rentals.

However, the hotel group and the developer, GPI Companies, reached a deal to lessen construction impacts and to penalize residents who rent their homes on a short-term basis.

Mixed-use projects have been a contentious subject in Beverly Hills since the City Council passed a mixed-use ordinance in late 2020. Opponents have argued that the ordinance would reshape the city and give developers too much leeway.

“But, we haven’t, thus far, seen an influx of applications whatsoever,” Bosse said. “We can’t, at this point, point to any negative impacts. I think this project will be a wonderful opportunity to see the positive impact that I believe this project – as a mixed-use project – will have to our community.”

Councilman John Mirisch voted against the mixed-use ordinance and the project, but he supported the development agreement reached between GPI and Belvedere Hotel Group. He said he continues to believe that the project is not the right fit for Beverly Hills.

“My thought was that the council majority approved the project, so it made sense to get the best deal for our community,” Mirisch said, adding that he helped negotiate the agreement. “I would still vote against it today, but it is happening, and I hope it turns out well for the community.”

The timeline for the construction is unclear. GPI representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment.