The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one step closer to becoming more pedestrian friendly after funds were approved for a revamp that may attract more economic development along the faded star-studded stretch.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2023 on streetscape improvements between Orange Drive and Gower Street along Hollywood Boulevard, where more than 2,700 Walk of Fame stars draw millions of tourists annually, according to a statement by Los Angeles Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell. It's part of the larger “Heart of Hollywood” initiative to breathe new life along a more than 1-mile stretch of Hollywood Boulevard known for its hotels, celebrity bus tours, red carpet premieres and historic movie theaters.
The planned streetscape improvements include:
- Converting a parking lane into an expanded pedestrian zone between Orange Drive and Gower Street.
- Building out areas for sidewalk dining, bus shelters, bike racks, transit kiosks, benches and waste cans.
- Adding planters and landscaping, including shade trees.
- Creating more space for sidewalk vending, art, music and performances.
The improvements are being funded through a $7.2 million grant from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and $4 million from the city of Los Angeles, along with other sources, according to the statement. Construction is expected to last through 2024, according to the project's website.
That phase would be followed by work to trim traffic from two lanes in each direction to one, add protected bike lanes in each direction and create dedicated areas for pickup and drop-off. That construction may wrap up by 2026.
The total project, which will take years to complete, may cost more than $60 million, according to a representative from Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell's office.
These improvements will bring a "huge shot in the arm" for the area, said Nicole Mihalka, managing director of JLL and a member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce board. Further, this construction is expected to excite institutional capital and developers that want to build alongside the new improvements and bring innovative concepts to Hollywood Boulevard.
"I'm encouraged by the institutional players in the area that will bring capital and the ability to do improvements for tenants," Mihalka said. "There's nowhere to go but up."
Some developers are already lining up sites.
In July, Houston developer Hines bought four parcels totaling 1.2 acres at Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue for roughly $39.2 million for a property entitled for 260 apartments and nearly 18,000 square feet of commercial space. Also last month, Los Angeles-based Hudson Pacific Properties said it's considering converting a 205,000-square-foot office building at 6922 Hollywood Blvd. into hotel and residential uses. In June, 633 apartments and more than 100,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space were proposed on multiple parcels near Las Palmas Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.
(This story was updated Aug. 3 to include an estimated total cost of the project.)