I would expect the Silverstein NIMBYs to come out in force against this one, citing shadows on Hollywood High (think of the children!!!) as one of their main concerns. But this would be a major, major boon to the area, and is close enough to Hollywood & Highland (at least the most northwest tower), to almost consider this transit-oriented. We should as a pro-development group, follow when the public comment periods come out and fight against them.
My only real gripe with their plan is the amount of affordable housing included. They are replacing 80 rent-controlled units with 80 units of affordable housing. With something this large, we should be getting closer to 180 (or even more like 230), which would be a net gain of 100-150 affordable units. If we want this area to grow - and it should because it's near transit - we will need some workforce housing for the people who work at the hotels and restaurants nearby. When developers go in with ambitious projects like this, they should come to the table with these kinds of offers to help make that case for density bonuses and rezoning (which this project needs). Otherwise, it's far too easy for Silverstein to win. And we need workforce housing anyway.
Architecturally I think this is pretty decent. I'm kind of sick of the alternating glass fenestration patterns, but this still looks relatively nice, and I like the paseo it would create.
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"Then each time Fleetwood would be not so much overcome by remorse as bedazzled at having been shown the secret backlands of wealth, and how sooner or later it depended on some act of murder, seldom limited to once."
Against the Day, Thomas Pynchon
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