The Beverly Hills Planning Commission at its Sept. 25 meeting unanimously approved a Development Plan Review, Conditional Use Permit and Rooftop Dining Use Permit for a three-story Louis Vuitton flagship store and exhibition space project. As the Courier reported in its May 1 issue, the project is designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. Located on Rodeo Drive, it will span the block of South Santa Monica Boulevard between Rodeo and Beverly Drive.
All members of the commission voiced their enthusiasm about the project.
“I think it’s a beautiful project,” said Commissioner Gary Ross. “It’s within the scope and scale of our zoning laws, and it will activate that part of our city.”
Commissioner Demeter added that the project will represent an improvement to the head of the Golden Triangle.
“I want to thank everybody for all the different points of view and all the different ideas, because you’ve come up with a very creative concept, very different … I love it, “she said. “I think it’s great.”
The Louis Vuitton Rodeo Drive Experiential Flagship store will encompass 105,214 square feet. It will include rooftop open-air dining, subterranean parking, two pedestrian bridges and a pedestrian tunnel, and will reach a maximum height of 60 feet.
The project is separated into two components, one with an entrance on Rodeo Drive (the “Rodeo portion”) and the other with an entrance on Beverly Drive (the “Beverly portion”).
At 45,433 square feet, the Rodeo portion is designated for retail use and will include over 6,000 square feet carved out for important clients. Special events will be hosted on the rooftop of the Rodeo portion.
The Beverly portion, at 54,723 square feet, will feature the exhibition space, a gift shop, a café, a fine dining restaurant and operational space. The first of its kind in the U.S., the exhibition space will spotlight Louis Vuitton’s history as a leader of culture, art and design.
Access to the exhibition space will be by reservation only, with a maximum of 1,500 admissions per day Monday through Saturday and 1,169 on Sundays. The fine dining restaurant is also planned to be reservation only.
LVMH has owned the project site since 2018. The site, which is comprised of four separate legal parcels and is currently comprised of four existing commercial buildings, was originally proposed to house the Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills.
During the Sept. 25 meeting, the Planning Commission requested that the developer create a designated drop-off spot for individuals with disabilities, to which the developer agreed. The commission also requested that employees of the new development be discouraged from parking on residential streets, acknowledging that it may be difficult to enforce.
Discussing the private loading drive located on North Beverly Drive, commissioners added a requirement that passenger vehicles may only exit southbound, and that a warning system will be installed to ensure pedestrian safety.
Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2026 and conclude in the second quarter of 2029.
