In a 4-0-1 vote, the Culver City Council has approved plans from Sandstone Properties to redevelop a strip mall near the interchange of the 405 and 90 freeways with a boutique hotel.

Interior courtyard of The JeffNakada Partners

The project, named "The Jeff," a strip mall at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Slauson Avenue.  The proposed hotel, called The Jeff, would consist of a five-story building featuring 175 guest rooms, amenities, and restaurant space above a two-level, 138-car subterranean parking garage.

Nakada Partners is designing the project, which would have an amorphous exterior of glass and metal facing Jefferson and Slauson, and a softer exterior of landscaped terraces toward the Sunkist Park neighborhood to the north.  The guest room would have an O-shaped footprint, wrapping a central courtyard area that is described in a design narrative as an "oculus."  The top floor of the building would include a pool deck and a rooftop bar.

According an environmental study conducted for the project, construction of The Jeff is expected to occur over a 30-month period beginning in the first quarter of 2022 and concluding in 2024.  Springboard Hospitality - which runs the Chamberlain West Hollywood and Grafton on Sunset - is expected to operate The Jeff upon opening, according to a project website.

Aerial view of The Jeff HotelNakada Partners

The approval of the hotel came against the objection of two appellants, labor union UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility, an El Monte-based entity affiliated with Laborers International Union of North America.  Both appellants argued that the mitigated negative declaration conducted for the project failed to consider potential impacts to air quality, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Multiple callers into the Council hearing on July 12, identifying themselves as residents of the surrounding neighborhood, expressed opposition to the project, citing a need for housing in lieu of hotel rooms, while also expressing concerns about potential impacts to traffic congestion, the availability of parking, and traffic congestion.

While the Council echoed a desire to bring more housing to the Sunkist neighborhood - specifically deed-restricted affordable housing - Vice Mayor Daniel Lee also acknowledged the potential hazards of placing residential units in close proximity to the nearby freeway interchange.  Lee ultimately abstained from the vote to deny the two appeals and adopt the findings of the environmental study.

Aerial view of the project siteSandstone Properties

Sandstone Properties is developing several large mixed-use and multifamily residential developments in the Los Angeles area, including a proposed hotel tower in Pico-Union and a high-rise apartment complex slated for the Warner Center community.  The company broke ground last year on a five-story residential building in Westchester, not far from the site of the future Culver City hotel.