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Los Angeles

Neighborhood council says ‘no thanks’ to Villa Carlotta hotel conversion

The Villa Carlotta at 5959 Franklin Avenue (credit: Martin Turnbull)
The Villa Carlotta at 5959 Franklin Avenue (credit: Martin Turnbull)

The Hollywood United Neighborhood Council flashed a big thumbs-down to developer CGI Properties’ proposed conversion of the famous Villa Carlotta from rent-controlled apartments into a boutique hotel, Curbed reported.

In a victory to tenants displaced from the property, HUNC stressed the importance of maintaining affordable units in a city facing a housing crisis.

“We see on one hand the mayor very concerned about homelessness, and on the other hand, residents being displaced,” HUNC president Susan Swan told Curbed. “The Carlotta is the canary in the coal mine.”

The neighborhood council’s vote is only a recommendation, and it will be up to the Los Angeles City Council to give the final approval.

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The residents of Villa Carlotta’s apartments have already moved as of last week. The property owner was able to evict them under the Ellis Act, which permits landlords to kick out their tenants if they are taking the property off the rental market.

Nearby, on the other side of the 101, the rent-controlled building at 1850 North Cherokee Avenue received the go-ahead from City Council last week to be turned into a boutique hotel.

Located at 5959 Franklin Avenue, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style Villa Carlotta was built in 1926 and once housed some of Tinseltown’s biggest names, including actress and comedian Marion Davies, “My Fair Lady” director George Cukor and “Gone With the Wind” producer David Selznick.

CGI already started renovating the famed landmark’s lobby and the kitchens in the units. [Curbed] — Cathaleen Chen