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Voters will decide fate of Arts Club in West Hollywood
With Gwyneth Paltrow as investor, City Council approved project in August
The posh members-only Arts Club is now in the hands of West Hollywood voters.
The West Hollywood City Council approved a measure that will allow residents to vote in the city’s March election on whether they want to proceed with the project, Curbed reported.
Unite Here Local 11, a hotel and restaurant workers union, has been fighting the project since October. They gathered more than 2,800 signatures on a petition, forcing the council to either put the issue to a vote or rescind its earlier approvals.
In their argument, they claim the project is a “radical rezoning,” since it allows the developers to build a commercial site on an area zoned for residential uses. They also say that it will contribute to the privatization of the Sunset Strip, and favor luxury development over much-needed affordable housing.
The council gave final approvals for the Arts Club in August, with all but one councilmember signing off. The West Hollywood Planning Commission had already approved the project in early June.
London & Regional Properties, a firm based in the U.K., and VE Equities, are the developers behind the 120,000-square-foot project, which is slated for 8920 Sunset Boulevard, the site of the Hustler adult store. With Gwyneth Paltrow as an investor, the Arts Club will feature private restaurants, a fitness center, public art gallery, swimming pool and other amenities. [Curbed] – Natalie Hoberman