West Hollywood-based Faring has taken another step in its effort to construct an office building around the iconic French Market at 7985 Santa Monica Boulevard.
The proposed development, which was reviewed last week by the West Hollywood Planning Commission's Design Review Subcommittee, is billed as the city's first ground-up office building since the completion of the Pacific Design Center's Red Building. Plans call for razing an existing surface parking lot surrounding the French Market to construct a four-story edifice that would feature featuring 83,455 square feet of offices and 18,350 square feet of ground-floor retail space atop 269 parking stalls on three basement levels.
The design by R&A Architecture + Design showcases the historic 1930s building by setting the new construction back from Santa Monica Boulevard. Staggered masses would be used to create a series of outdoor terrace decks at the four-story structure.
The project has already received praise from the West Hollywood Preservation Alliance, a sentiment that was echoed by architect Gwynne Pugh in his review of the French Market development for the Design Review Subcommittee. Pugh called Faring's development an "extraordinary project that merits approval."
Faring, which mostly operates within West Hollywood city limits, is currently wrapping up construction at the Harland condo development on Doheny Drive, and recently received approvals to construct a hotel centered around the iconic Factory nightclub.
West Hollywood has seen a string of new developments that incorporate historic buildings, including a new proposal for a hotel and residential complex at the site of Barney's Beanery.
