A little over a month after informing residents of future demolition and shoring, real estate developer Kilroy Realty has finally started work on the Academy in Hollywood. The long-awaited plans have been in the works for three years, with the new development expected to bring a new residential tower, retail center, and corporate offices to a 3.5-acre site on Vine Street. 

According to Urbanize, the project will feature approximately 250 residential units, 37,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, and 235,000 square feet of commercial offices. Shimoda Design Group, an architecture firm headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles, will design the luxury property.

The upcoming structures will join the likes of the reputable Los Angeles Film School, which was built almost two decades earlier, and the Hollywood Palladium, which was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Unlike these nearby fixtures, the new Academy represents a wave of modern development that has been gradually making its way into the historic neighborhood.

A video walk-through of the project illustrates a contemporary design focused around a mid-block paseo extending between Vine and Ivar Avenue. Surrounding the central walking areas will be a 23-story, high-rise luxury residential tower, two concrete mid-rise structures, and a translucent town hall area located on the development’s ground level. Other street-level amenities will include outdoor seating, a large fountain with a statue, and several landscaped community spaces. 

The future mixed-use square will bring much-needed industry back to the once-industrial neighborhood, which has experienced economic decline since the 1980s. During this time, many prominent preservationists fought against the demolition of several Hollywood landmarks, including the El Capitan Theater and the Cinerama Dome. As a result of their efforts, the city of Los Angeles aimed to jumpstart the neighborhood’s revitalization in 2000, leading to a rebirth of Hollywood.

Although Hollywood continues to serve as a top tourist destination, many longtime residents moved out of the once-glamorous district in favor of adjacent neighborhoods, including Larchmont, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, West Hollywood, and Los Feliz. These new developments aim to bring residents back to the world-famous neighborhood.

In 2012, Kilroy led the way with its redevelopment of Columbia Square, which revitalized and transformed the area’s historic CBS station with apartments, retail, and office buildings. Kilroy’s similarly designed Academy property will be the company’s third major mixed-use project in Hollywood.

Although the timeline for the Academy is still unclear, the massive project will be divided into two phases. The first phase of construction will target the development’s walking paseo and surrounding mid-rise structures. According to the developer, the project’s first phase is expected to be finished by summer 2018. The project’s second phase will focus on the high-rise residential tower.