Developer plans resi complex on site of speakeasy

The 38-unit building would have four affordable units

Photo illustration, with complex at 10057 Riverside Drive
Photo illustration, with complex at 10057 Riverside Drive

The owner of a cocktail bar in Toluca Lake is hoping to stir things up on his property on Riverside Drive.

An entity named “Burbank Boys II” has filed plans requesting approvals to build a 38-unit apartment complex at 10057 W. Riverside Drive, according to documents published by the Department of City Planning.

The Red Door, a speakeasy lounge, would be demolished in the process.

Out of 38 units, four will be set aside as affordable. The developer is also seeking increased flexibility with height limits and open-space requirements, as part of the Transit-Oriented Communities program.

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The Burbank Boys II LLC, controlled by a Glendale resident named Brandon Varon, purchased the property in October 2003 for $911,000, property records show.

In the San Fernando Valley, where cars and suburban sprawl are key characteristics, city officials have been encouraging and incentivizing transit-oriented housing.

The council signed off on a 170-unit apartment building in January, set to rise near the Orange Line station. City planners are also working on two new transportation developments — the East San Fernando Valley and Sepulveda Pass transit corridors — that are expected to improve the area’s public transit.