Westfield adds affordable units to $1.5B Promenade redevelopment

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s ambitious redevelopment of the decaying Promenade mall in Warner Center will include a new element — affordable housing.

According to recently revised plans submitted to the City of Los Angeles, the developer plans to build more than 150 units of affordable housing in the first phase. That amounts to about 15 percent of the residential units planned for the initial phase of the project, according to Urbanize.

The ambitious 32-acre redevelopment, which includes a stadium, has been in the works since 2016.

The mixed use project, called “Promenade 2035,” calls for a total of 1,430 residential units, a 572-key hotel, 244,000 square feet of retail space and 629,000 square feet of office space. It’s the largest development project planned in the 1.5-square-mile Warner Center Specific Plan area.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield officials had originally asked the city for permission to build 15,000-seat stadium at the site, but planning department officials cut the number of seats to 7,500 last July — amid concerns from residents about traffic in the area.

When the project was first proposed to replace the Promenade Mall, the city rezoned the area to allow for a mixed-use development that could serve as a walkable gathering place for area residents. The San Fernando Valley in general — and Warner Center in particular — has become a key area for redevelopment. The city expects 24,000 new residential units and 28 million square feet of office and retail space there over the next 14 years. [Urbanize] — Tina Daunt