The 418-foot project will be the tallest building in Beverly Hills. (rendering courtesy of Millenium Partners)

Beverly Hills city staff on June 23 approved a 34-story mixed-use project that will rise at 8300 Wilshire Blvd. The 418-foot tower, dubbed “The Eastern” by its developers Millenium Partners, will be the tallest in the neighborhood and the tallest in the entire city of Beverly Hills.

The development will include 211 residential units – 179 market-rate condominiums and 32 affordable units, including 16 for very low-income households and 16 for moderate-income households – as well as ground-floor commercial space and 473 parking spaces in four above-ground and three subterranean parking levels. Plans call for the demolition of the mini-mall currently at the site – which is currently home to several local businesses and a restaurant.

While a development of The Eastern’s scale would typically involve an extensive review period with public hearings, the project was submitted under Assembly Bill 2011, which took effect in 2023 and allows qualifying housing developments on commercially zoned properties to receive streamlined, ministerial approval if they meet objective local standards and include affordable housing. Because the approvals are ministerial rather than discretionary, projects are not subject to public hearings or review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

The site is on the eastern border of Beverly Hills with Los Angeles, adjacent to a sign with the city shield signifying the perimeter. Additionally, the site is four blocks east of the Wilshire/La Cienega subway station, which opened in May.

“The city of Beverly Hills’ approval of The Eastern is an important milestone for the future of housing in one of Southern California’s most sought-after communities,” Mario Palumbo Jr., managing partner of Millennium Partners, said in a statement. “With 211 new homes, including 32 affordable residences, The Eastern will bring new investment and energy to the eastern gateway of Beverly Hills as an architecturally significant addition to the neighborhood. Approved under Assembly Bill 2011, the project expands homeownership opportunities for a broad range of buyers – from young professionals and first-time buyers to downsizing residents and those looking to establish long-term roots in the city on a site adjacent to transit at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard. We appreciate the city’s leadership and look forward to transforming this site into a destination that reflects Beverly Hills’ vision for thoughtful growth and reinvestment.”

Though the developer celebrated the project, Beverly Hills City Manager Ryan Gohlich said it is an example of the city’s lack of local control over new developments due to state housing laws.

“That’s a project that is far larger – and I say larger in terms of density and square footage – but it’s larger and taller than anything that would have previously been expected in Beverly Hills – and it’s a result of state law, and it’s something that we don’t have discretion over,” Gohlich said.

Some nearby residents had previously expressed concerns over the project’s size and the demolition of the mini-mall, while others had expressed optimism about the plans.

“That mini-mall is crucial to our neighborhood,” said Amy Amsterdam, a resident of Schumacher Drive in Los Angeles on the same block as the development. “We have a pharmacy there, and the printer and even the store – all the services there are so crucial and used by our neighborhood, and we need them.”

“I think it’s going to be nice,” said Egal Meida, who lives in the house on Schumacher Drive nearest to the project. “As long as it doesn’t bother me.”

It is unclear when construction will begin or how long it is expected to last, though the developer said it will be completed “on an expedited timeline.”