Two developers have joined forces to build a hotel on the site of the Barney’s Beanery restaurant on Holloway Drive and Hacienda Place in West Hollywood. The lot is located just west of 8447 Santa Monica Blvd.
The proposed hotel would have 113 rooms with a below-grade live music space and recording studio. It would replace the existing surface parking lot with approximately 244 underground parking spaces. The project also would include the existing Barney’s Beanery, which will be disassembled and then restored to its current location at the center of the site. The site now also houses the Niko Niko sushi restaurant.
Barney’s, which opened in 1927, is known for customers such as musicians Jim Morrison of the Doors and Janis Joplin, poet Charles Bukowski and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino, who is said to have written the script for “Pulp Fiction” at Barney’s. It also is known for a sign that read “Fagots Stay Out.” That sign was removed in December 1984, days after West Hollywood was incorporated as its own city, by then-mayor Valerie Terrigno and the city council.
The developer is Barneys VE LLC, a partnership of VE Equities and Plus Development Group. Photos of the proposed project were displayed to neighbors at a meeting last night at the Palihouse hotel on Holloway.
“The building floors above the Barney’s building are cut back and angled in a faceted fashion to highlight the restaurant’s connection to the pedestrian experience on Santa Monica Boulevard,” said project architect Christian Robert of R&A Architecture + Design Inc. “I am especially pleased that we are able to both celebrate our community’s history and give this structure new life.”
To reduce potential traffic congestion, all drop off and pick up areas for the hotel are located below grade. The upper floors configure the hotel rooms along a heavily landscaped U-shaped courtyard that opens towards Santa Monica Boulevard.
Above the first floor, the courtyard divides the building into two distinct sections that will be clad in different materials to provide articulation and visual interest while reducing overall massing. The project’s five-and-one-half story height is similar in scale to the five-story condominium building to the north, the four-story Palihouse hotel across Hacienda Place to the west and other nearby buildings. The seven-story Emser Tile building is located one-half block to the east.
“8447 Santa Monica Boulevard is still in early planning stages,” said project spokesman Steven Afriat, referring to the project by its official name. “Our team will continue to engage and dialogue with our neighbors to move forward with a unique, only-in-WeHo project.”
The project has not yet been submitted for approval to the City of West Hollywood. Currently eight new hotels are under construction, have been approved for construction or are being reviewed by city planners. The new hotels approved for construction in West Hollywood will increase the 2,058 hotel rooms in the city by nearly 50 percent in the next few years. And the several other projects in WeHo that are not yet approved but under discussion would boost that increase to 62 percent. The city council in July 2015 authorized a study of the impact of new hotels on the city’s existing hotel business.
Further information about the 8447 Santa Monica Boulevard project and future plans for the original Barney’s Beanery restaurant can be found online.
Dear Don, agree. I lived here 40 years ago with a lover. Barneys always had the redneck bikers tattoos and dirty Levi’s, Hangin at the door and bikes parked everywhere. We could use some restoration of existing buildings and some cool Shops and restaurants. Anyone remember Propinquity ? Great place, happy people and cool things. The bars were pretty much the same except “The Farm” is gone peanut barrels, $1 beer. We packed in danced all night and got kicked at 2:00PM. We also have to remember the amazing architecture, restore it. I still have high hopes and posits City… Read more »
“West Hotelville, the city that really cares about its residents”
Frankly the quicker BARNEY’S BEANERY disappears the better. We don’t need a daily reminder of the hate mongering, bigotry that once prevailed, even in the West Hollywood area. It is NOT worthy of being a landmark nor part of any new structure. MOVE ON!!!
TOO FAR!!! All I’ve heard from the city is the need to build low income and affordable housing. BUT here yet again ANOTHER new hotel. Where’s the affordable housing the city babbles on about for years, with NO action taken?? What’s in it for all theses new hotels and hotel rooms to the City??? Apart from a very very steep per night HOTEL TAX, a percentage, per room, per night occupied … and based on the price of the room. Now all these new LUXURY and most expensive rooms are flying through city hall – it’s like a mini windstorm… Read more »
Let’s hear from Steve Afriat after he consults with his client in this “yet to be presented” venture. Perhaps he an his client would be enlightened by a short course about Janet Witkin and her benevolent efforts. This would surely be a trend setting enterprise……”for others before ourselves”.
@Miles Kennedy I feel you, buddy. The dearth of choice at this intersection: Between the Palihouse, Holloway Motel, Alta La Cienega, and Sunset Marquis, (all within a literal stones throw), I can’t find anywhere nearby for them to stay bar illegal AirBnB rentals. God knows they would have to walk 10-15 minutes in literally any direction and still be in quandary about where to stay: The Charlie, Le Parc Suite, Ramada Plaza, Chamberlain, Andaz, Grafron, Best Western, Mondrian, Sunset Tower, Tower Hotel, Standard, Chateau Marmont, or Petit Ermitage aside, there’s no capacity for out of town visitors. It’s a shame… Read more »
Good for you Miles!
We could look at the positive side. All this hyper-trendy wind swept, wobbly, collapsing architectural style will be right in place when all around it collapses during the next big shaker……..except the steel reinforced concrete true architectural landmark buildings. Then we get to start over AGAIN with the next trendy concept. Will it be inflatable buildings that bounce?
This is the heart of metropolitan LA. Between the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Blvd. Great place for a boutique hotel and music venue with some new restaurants. I can’t find anywhere nearby for friends to stay unless they find an apartment or house on AirB&B.
Geez folks, relax!……This project has NOT been submitted to the city…..NOTHING has been approved!
Not a single planner, city manager, planning commissioner or council member has been asked to review it……and for all we know, it may never be submitted.
Finally someone is doing something interesting at this corner. It is begging for an edgy design. Keeping Barney’s is a great move given the LGBT struggles at the site.
Thank you WeHoVille for having a piece on this, I saw it somewhere else online and my reaction was “oh hell no!” I’m glad to see others for the most part in agreement. Enough with the density and hotel projects. If you really need to put another hotel in West Hollywood, push it down towards LaBrea. But I think even that is unnecessary. Barney’s Beanery does have a lot of cool history, while I fully acknowledge the former owner’s bigoted stance. It was a favorite hangout for a lot of counter culture types in the 60’s-70’s including Janis Joplin and… Read more »
I think it’s a cool design, and I look forward to increasing density in West Hollywood — this will help make the argument for improved transit. As for the traffic growth, the population of LA County has increased by 2 million people since 1984, and the state has increased by 12 million people; yet, we’ve hardly increase transit or road capacity. This has far more of an impact on traffic in LA that a few hotels.We keep hearing the a majority of the traffic in West Hollywood is people driving through, not going to West Hollywood. This is obvious since… Read more »
Thanks Andrew Gage. My sentiments exactly.