An additional 100,000 square feet office space, modern exterior planned.
By Sam Catanzaro
The Los Angeles Planning Commission has approved a proposal by developers to expand the Trident Center near Sawtell Boulevard in West Los Angeles.
The Trident Center, which is located at 11355 and 11377 W. Olympic Boulevard, is composed of two 10-story office buildings joined by a parking garage and courtyard. The owner, McCarthy Cook, wants to connect and revamp the two buildings. Gensler, the architecture firm behind the project, plans to reclad the buildings with glass and metal to give them a modern look.
The project, which has been branded as Lumen West LA, calls for increasing the existing 330,000 square feet of office space with 115,000 square feet of new rental space, plus creating 5,000 square feet of restaurant uses to the ground-floor commercial space.
“The community benefits of this project are tremendous,” said Jamie Keaton, Chair of the West LA, Sawtell Neighborhood Council. “This project came before various committees in our council and the council itself on numerous occasions. As a council, we considered the item at our May 19th meeting and voted to approve it.”
While the Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal, at the hearing, there were some residents who expressed concern and opposition. Rosie Kato, a community advocate and lifetime resident of the West L.A. Sawtell area believes that the two 10-story buildings should have never been built in the first place and that this development will further impact nearby residents like herself.
“This project covers the entire block and towers over the entire community. The towers should not be allowed to increase,” Cato said. “The towers are surrounded on three sides by mostly single family homes. I live a block away from these looming towers. I see them every day from my front yard and from my backyard. In fact, so does everyone else who lives within blocks of these towers. Residents are concerned about the dust and debris that will impact air quality and their health. Residents are concerned about the glaring building lights that keep them up at night and the daytime glare from the windows.”
Construction of the development is expected to begin in 2019.
