An initial study published by the City of Los Angeles sheds new light on plans from Relevant Group to construct a mixed-use development around the historic Morrison Hotel in South Park.

The project, which would span an approximately 1.27-acre property at 1220-1246 S. Hope Street, would begin with the adaptive reuse of the existing Morrison Hotel - an SRO building which dates to 1914 - as well as the construction of a 14-story building at the site of an adjoining parking lot.  This would be followed with the demolition of several small commercial buildings along Hope Street, which would make way for a 27-story hotel and residential tower.  A full buildout of the Morrison development would result in a total of 450 hotel rooms, 135 residential units, and approximately 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

The new buildings, designed by Steinberg Hart, would be contemporary in appearance and rise to heights of 315 feet and 172 feet.  Both are stepped down in scale toward Hope Street, with the tiered heights used to create outdoor decks for hotel guests and residents.  Additional open space would be provided in the form of a public paseo, which is intended to provide mid-block pedestrian access between Hope Street and the alleyway at the eastern property line.  The passageway would connect proposed outdoor dining areas with interior restaurant spaces, lobbies, and retail establishments.

Relevant Group has requested a 20 percent reduction in required parking for the Morrison project, with plans calling for 267 vehicle stalls in lieu of the code-mandated 334 stalls.  Access to the garage - which would be located on three basement levels - would be provided via a driveway at the northern portion of the site along Hope Street, and through the existing alleyway to the east.

Construction of the Morrison is anticipated to occur over approximately 36 months, beginning in 2020 and finishing in 2023.

The Morrison Hotel was made famous in the 1970s by The Doors, which produced an album of the same name, and featured the four-story building in its cover art.  Relevant Group has been pursuing the adaptive reuse of the historic structure since at least 2016.

Relevant Group is best known for its slew of new hotels now rising in Hollywood, including Thompson and Tommie hotels, both of which followed the already-completed Dream Hollywood.  Their project in Downtown Los Angeles is located a block east of Metro's Pico Station, and just south of two apartment towers now being built by Onni Group.