Fresh renderings revealed for Frank Gehry’s Ocean Avenue project

The hotel has been reduced from 22 stories to 12

Rendering of hotel tower (OceanAvenueProject.com)
Rendering of hotel tower (OceanAvenueProject.com)

The man who once called New York’s High Line “a rusty rail bridge” with “some plants on it” is hoping his latest project in Santa Monica will be much more than that.

New details of the Frank Gehry-designed hotel project slated for Ocean Avenue were just released by developer Jeff Worthe, marking a revitalization of the proposed project after it was briefly put on hold, Curbed reported.

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Due to a change in Santa Monica’s height rules and building guidelines, the hotel’s height has been reduced by nearly half, from the initial 22 stories proposed five years ago to a much shorter 12 stories, or 130 feet. The tower is a part of a larger complex set to include a museum, street-level retail and 79 apartments.

New renderings suggest the modern-looking building clad in white would face Ocean Avenue. An expansive rooftop deck can be seen on top.

Gehry has previously said the project “has the potential to reinvigorate Ocean Avenue, and could be a catalyst for more public amenities along Ocean Avenue.” If approved, the development would join two others of his put on hold — the renovation of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel on Ocean Avenue and the mixed-use Plaza at Santa Monica project. [Curbed] — Natalie Hoberman