Burbank's Pickwick Bowl and Gardens appears destined for redevelopment with multifamily housing.

MyBurbank reports that Laguna Beach-based MW Investment Group (MWI) is in the process of acquiring the property the local landmark at 921 W. Riverside Drive, with the intention of building 98 townhomes on the site.  Pickwick Ice, a sister facility located to the west, is not part of the company's plans, which were submitted to the City of Burbank in May.

MWI proposes to set aside 10 of the new townhomes for purchase by low-income households, a provision which makes the project eligible for the streamlined approvals process enacted by SB 35 in 2018.  The statewide legislation limits the ability of cities, counties, and other jurisdictions with land use authority to deny multifamily residential developments that set aside a certain percentage of units for purchase or rent by lower-income households.

921 W Riverside DriveGoogle Maps

MyBurbank's reporting points to objections to the streamlining provisions of SB 35 and the potential loss of Pickwick Bowl from several current and former city officials.  MW's proposal comes four years after the owners of the business attempted to partner with developer Shea Homes on a similar redevelopment plan.  That project would ultimately not move forward.

Regardless of what may happen with the Pickwick Bowl site, Burbank ranks among the most aggressive cities in Los Angeles County in its approach to increasing housing production in recent years, setting a citywide goal of developing 12,000 residential units over 15 years.  The city is considering rezoning broad swaths of its Downtown core to accommodate larger buildings, as well as some of the communities on which surround Hollywood Burbank Airport.