A six-story boutique hotel proposed in downtown Glendale was unanimously approved by the city’s Design Review Board earlier this month. The 85-room hotel along 1100-1108 N. Brand Blvd. would require the demolition of several existing buildings including the Recess Eatery, a bistro that serves craft beer and cocktails at 1102 N. Brand Blvd., according to the Burbank Leader. Because of this, the project required design board approval, though no other variances were required. “This is still very early (in the planning process). The design review board looked at what the proposed design will be to make sure they’re not taking a square peg and forcing it into a round hole,” said Tom Lorenz, Glendale public information officer. “With the design review board approved, now it’ll go into the plan check phase.” Proposed by Glendale’s Alajajian Marcoosi Architects Inc., the 65,000-square-foot hotel will feature a contemporary design, and have a primarily glass bottom floor. Typical amenities will include a restaurant, meeting rooms, a gym and a rooftop deck. It will also include a 15,500-square-foot parking lot that can hold 85 vehicles. After going through the proper channels with the city, the boutique hotel will be one of several hotels currently under construction in Glendale. A $13 million Hampton Inn at 315 S. Brand Blvd. has been under construction since 2014 and is projected to be completed this year. Following behind that project is a Hyatt Place valued at $12 million that is scheduled to begin construction this year. In other Glendale news, retail developer Caruso Affiliated has announced the remaining five tenants for its strip of street retail on South Brand Boulevard adjacent to the Masonic Temple and across from Caruso’s Americana at Brand. The one-story, 9,750-square-foot building will accommodate five tenants, all national eateries. New York-based Shake Shack Inc. already opened at 252 S. Brand Blvd. in December. The burger and milkshake chain is known for its antibiotic-free Angus beef burgers, an assortment of hand-spun shakes as well as beer and wine. Prices range from $5 for a shake to $10 for burgers. In addition to Shake Shack, tenants will include Philz Coffee, a coffee shop that features 20 customized blends of coffee beans; Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, an organic salad and sandwich shop; fresh sushi restaurant Mainland Poke; and Eggslut, a chef-driven classic food eatery. “Both the Americana and the Masonic Temple, signature properties in Caruso Affiliated’s portfolio, have played pivotal roles in revitalizing downtown Glendale and the company is building upon this momentum,” Paula Devine, mayor of Glendale, said in a statement. “By welcoming these innovative dining options for residents and visitors alike, Caruso Affiliated has again proven to have a unique understanding of the new energy of Glendale.” According to Caruso, the shops will open this fall and patrons should be able to grab a meal at any eatery for $15 or less. Caruso’s expansion along South Brand was approved and streamlined by the city in accordance with its Glendale Downtown Specific Plan, a set of standards for the revitalization of the area, according to Lorenz, the public information officer. The city of Glendale has pushed to revitalize downtown, increase foot traffic and boost business and residential density. Caruso’s retail project could help those goals. “Yes, it’s very good in Glendale right now. Glendale City Council has long had a vision for the downtown area in regards to a specific plan,” Lorenz said. “Since coming out of the recession, the city has been very aggressive in establishing goals and with that we see an influx of businesses and residential and transient properties coming online making Glendale more of a destination and that is why there is such a need for these hotels.” Market Growth Freshii, a health-inspired fast-casual restaurant based in Canada, is strengthening its market share in Southern California. The franchise is expanding its presence in Los Angeles by opening eight new outlets this year, one of which is in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills – in addition to restaurants in Irvine, Pasadena, West Hollywood, Culver City and Brea. According to the company, this expansion will make Los Angeles its fifth biggest market in the country. Freshii was founded in 2005 and has since grown to more than 200 locations in the states and 15 other countries. Staff Reporter Champaign Williams can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].
