A Builder’s Remedy development on South Linden Drive has nearly doubled its proposed height. The move comes on the heels of a Los Angeles Superior Court judge’s ruling to require Beverly Hills to process the building’s application.
The project at 125-129 South Linden Drive was previously proposed as a 19-story structure containing 65 housing units, 73 hotel rooms and a restaurant. On Aug. 27, the developer announced that the contemplated project is now 36 stories tall, with 185 new residences and 80 hotel rooms.
“This project represents a bold vision for the future of Beverly Hills,” said developer Leo Pustilnikov in a statement. “We are proud to deliver both market-rate and affordable housing, as well as a new luxury hotel that will strengthen the local economy. With the court’s green light, we are prepared to move swiftly toward breaking ground.”
A statement announcing the new scale of the development said the project has been “re-envisioned at a transformative scale,” citing the impact of AB 1893. That statute, signed into law in September 2024, broadens the allowable scope of Builder’s Remedy projects.
“Builder’s Remedy law provides the city extremely limited discretion to deny a project and if the city violates the law in denying or delaying a project, the penalties are potentially very steep,” Dave Rand, an attorney representing Pustilnikov, told the Courier.
In response to the amended plans for the South Linden Drive project, Michael Forbes, Beverly Hills Director of Community Development, said in a statement to the Courier, “We have not yet received an application for the revised project, and are not in a position to comment on it until we have received an application and had a chance to review it.”
Pustilnikov and 9300 Wilshire, LLC submitted a preliminary application for 125-129 South Linden Drive in October 2022, followed by a Developmental Plan Review (DPR) application in April 2023. The DPR was deemed incomplete by the city on the grounds that it contained changes to the preliminary application, initiating a sequence of communications between the developer and city staff.
Two lawsuits were filed against the city regarding the development, in June 2024 and September 2024. After consolidating the complaints, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin on Aug. 12 ordered Beverly Hills to process the developer’s application. Kin also found the city to be in violation of the state’s Housing Accountability and Permit Streamlining Acts.
The city is currently reviewing 14 Builder’s Remedy applications. Of those, at least six have filed lawsuits against the city. Others received notices that their applications were incomplete, and still more are involved in discussions with the city concerning Environmental Impact Reviews.
Kin’s decision regarding South Linden Drive is expected to set a precedent for other, similar complaints.
