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DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES ON WILSHIRE BLVD.
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Suzan Filipek
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A store Harry Potter would love, vegan cuisine and a BMW showroom. It’s not A.W. Ross’ 1920s Miracle Mile anymore.
ENTRANCE at the Dominguez Wilshire Building is true to its 1931 design.
Set designers have been busy working for the opening of Whimsic Alley, “a shopping haven for wizards of distinction,” set for this month at 5464 Wilshire Blvd. The Dominquez Wilshire Building at 5410 Wishire retains its historic 1931 character but with all the modern conveniences. A 5,400-square foot restaurant is planned to open with outdoor seating, said building owner Daniel Farasat. Another 6,000 square feet are available for ground floor retail with curbside views.
ECO-GOURMET foods are served at Mixt Greens. It opened in February.
The lunch crowd can watch the people go by and get their organic fix at Mixt Greens, an "eco-gourmet" restaurant with a cornucopian-style salad bar at Museum Square, 5757 Wilshire Blvd.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS include Legacy's mixed-use project at 5550 Wilshire Blvd., a stylish display of Art Deco Moderne style says MMRA president Jim O'Sullivan.
“It’s a bit of good news; it’s quite exciting,” Jim O’Sullivan, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association, said of the new life on the Mile.
Celebrating its 27th year, the group’s members reside between Fairfax Ave. to La Brea Ave. on residential streets on both sides of Wilshire. Members keep an eye on development and meet with city planners to keep their concerns in check, from traffic to maintaining the Mile’s Art Deco look.
The Legacy's 5550 Wilshire Art Deco curved lines will add to the Mile's stylish looks—if the results are anything like the "stunning" design plans, says O'Sullivan. Association members worked closely with the developer to morph early sketches reminiscent of Miami Beach to more in keeping with Art Deco Moderne.
While design can be negotiated, the sky’s the limit with the number of stories that can be built on Wilshire, according to city zoning laws. So watching over projects is key, say area watchdogs.
Developments in the works include BRE Properties’ 482-residential unit and 40,000 feet of ground floor retail at Wilshire and La Brea Ave.
Set to also make a significant impact on the west end—present home to Wells Fargo Bank—is the 21-story, 158-residential units and commercial project at the northeast corner of Wilshire and Crescent Heights boulevards. The project includes six-and-a-half parking levels with 422 spaces. “Getting around this place is going to be insane,” said O’Sullivan.
The MMRA’s annual meeting is targeted for the fall. Board meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at Berch Lounge, Westside Jewish Community Center, 5870 Olympic Blvd.
MMRA boundaries are Wilshire Blvd. on the north, La Brea on the east; and San Vicente (from Hauser to Fairfax) at the south, and Fairfax Ave. on the west.
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