By VICTORIA TALBOT
The Beverly Hills City Council voted 3-2 to adopt a city land-use amendment for zoning rules that would enable the Beverly Hilton to proceed with a $500 million plan to build two high-rise condominiums on a nine-acre site at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The plan would create the first West Coast Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and would incorporate 110 luxury condos. The Waldorf-Astoria will be joined with the Beverly Hilton, which recently completed an $80 million renovation. Each hotel would be separate but would be managed by the Hilton Hotel Corporation.
The vision incorporates a sustainable program, which would include open spaces and gardens, a destination pool area and a new conference center. The developers, Oasis West Realty, LLC, are seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation for meeting specific environmental engineering criteria. Efficient use of water, storm and water reclamation for irrigation, efficient lighting and extensive recycling would be incorporated.
The 8.97-acre site still requires a rezoning permit to allow for construction. Beverly Hills City Mayor Barry Brucker said he is expecting completion of the permit process in a matter of weeks.
