Developer Plans 96-Unit Apartment Building on La Cienega

Developer Stark Enterprises has revealed its plans for the lot housing Mikey’s Car Wash at 431 N. La Cienega Boulevard.

The quarter-acre lot, which lies just south of West Hollywood, will contain a building with 96 apartment units, 5,500 square feet of retail space and up to 8,500 square feet of restaurant space. The details were first reported by Curbed LA.

The Ohio-based developer has agreed to set aside nine apartment units for very-low income people in exchange for a density bonus of 40% over what the City of Los Angeles’ planning regulations now allow.

Stark Enterprises bought the property $21.25 million, one of the most expensive property deals, on a square foot basis, in the area.

The L.A. City Council already has approved a proposal by Rick Caruso to erect a 16-story tower at 333 La Cienega Blvd., near the Stark property and just south of the Beverly Center. That property borders the West Hollywood West neighborhood. Caruso hopes to have it completed in 2020.

Caruso’s project was supported then opposed then supported by L.A. City Councilmember Paul Koretz, whose 5th District encompasses the project. Koretz finally blessed it after Caruso agreed to reduce its height from 245 to 185 feet. The area’s zoning code limits buildings to a height of 45 feet. Caruso also has agreed to put a half million dollars into the City of Los Angeles’s affordable housing trust fund. Also, he agreed to make 10 of the building’s 154 units available to low- or moderate-income people.

Caruso’s Caruso Affiliated is perhaps best known for its ownership of The Grove shopping complex.