Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica scales back height of redesign

UPDATED: April 12, 3:08p.m.: Plans for the redesigned Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica call for a much smaller tower than had been originally proposed at the iconic beach-side resort.

The owner, operating through Ocean Avenue LLC, revealed the new plans on Thursday. They include two new hotel buildings with 312 rooms, and up to 60 condominium units. One of the buildings will rise to 130 feet. The design is a major shift from the one presented in 2013 that centered on a 320-foot-tall tower that proved unpopular with locals. The city recently capped all Downtown projects at 130 feet.

The redesign also includes 475 parking spaces, large meeting spaces, and ground-floor retail at the hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard. The FIG and The Bungalow restaurants will both get new second-story spaces. The hotel will be renamed “The Miramar Santa Monica.”

The curving design is by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and includes a renovation of the historic Palisades Building. Half of the property will be kept open and an event space will be built adjacent to the landmark Moreton Bay Fig Tree, which will sit at the center of an open garden space facing Ocean Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. The hotel will also build up to 30 affordable units at a parking lot across Second Street.

The project will take three years to complete, but the new design will have to go before the public and get approval from numerous Santa Monica city officials before work can begin. The Miramar celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021.