Downtown development king Onni plans massive hotel in Glendale

Onni Group could soon become Glendale’s largest hotelier.

The Canadian developer, best known for building commercial and residential towers in Downtown Los Angeles, now wants to construct an 857-unit hotel at 611 North Brand Boulevard, according to Urbanize.

The hotel project is a change of direction from its original plans, which called for constructing a 600-unit apartment building. Currently, a 400,000-square-foot office tower that has WeWork as a tenant exists on the site. Onni bought the property for $83 million two years ago, and would demolish the building to make way for the new structure.

Planning applications published by Glendale city officials reveal the project is in the design review stage, and would include two new buildings connected by a podium. There would be 7,500 square feet of retail space, including a restaurant.

Onni’s hotel project would far eclipse other hotels in the area. The largest, a Hyatt Place, is 173 rooms.

The developer has been on an expansion tear, picking up properties and making redevelopment plans across L.A. and Orange counties. Earlier this year, Onni acquired the massive Wilshire Courtyard in Miracle Mile. Though its purchase price remains unknown, the firm secured a $550 million acquisition loan for its acquisition in June.

In recent years, its bread and butter has been multifamily development. As of February, the firm was on track to deliver about 1,250 units by the end of the year in Downtown alone, including a 700-unit, 60-story residential tower at 1000 S. Hill Street. [Urbanize] — Natalie Hoberman