Luxury retailer Tiffany & Co. is moving ahead with plans to take over the former site of the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel following a vote taken by the Beverly Hills Planning Commission at its Nov. 13 meeting.
The commission voted unanimously to approve a request for a development plan review to allow the construction of a new three-story commercial building with rooftop uses at 360 N. Rodeo Drive, and to find the project exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Commissioner Gary Ross was not present at the meeting.
Calling the project “well thought-out,” Commissioner Terri Kaplan thanked the applicants for their proposal and expressed her enthusiasm for the project.
“I think this is, as it’s pictured, a beautiful building,” she said. “I think it will be a wonderful, wonderful addition to Rodeo Drive. It follows on what seems to be a wave of new flagships for various luxury vendors.”
The existing building at 360 N. Rodeo Drive was constructed in 1960 and most recently housed the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel. The Luxe closed in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered tourism across the globe.
The proposed project by Tiffany & Co. parent company LVMH would include the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new, 30,468-square-foot structure. The project would include two levels of retail, a third-floor restaurant and a rooftop with an outdoor terrace area reserved for VIP clients.
The retail store and restaurant would be open to the public between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily, with access to the restaurant available only through the building’s interior.
In addition to private VIP appointments, the rooftop would also be used for occasional invitation-only special events, such as private product launches or video shoots, with a maximum guest list of approximately 60. The applicant anticipates those events taking place roughly two to three times per month. They would be held between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The project would include one level of subterranean parking and a surface parking lot with 14 spaces located at the rear of the property. Employees would be provided with monthly parking at garages in the Two Rodeo Drive structure to ensure that on-site spaces are available for clients, and that street parking does not become overcrowded.
All rooftop events and appointments would utilize on-site valet, and at least three valet attendants would be on duty during operating hours and special events.
The developer hopes to have a plan check complete by the end of the year, and construction is expected to take about 28 months.
The project is consistent with the city’s general plan, and its height, scale and design are compatible with the character of the neighborhood.
Sean Devine, Tiffany & Co.’s vice president of store planning and construction, said at the Nov. 13 meeting that the Rodeo Drive shop would be the second-largest Tiffany & Co. retail store in the U.S., with the largest being the flagship location in New York City.
“Tiffany has been in the city of Beverly Hills for 50 or 60 years now,” he said. “We are looking to expand our presence with this project.”
Ashok Vanmali, a partner at the architecture and design firm Gruen Associates, which is working on the project, said neighboring tenants on the street are looking forward to the new development.
“Most of the adjacent properties are very aware of this project, because I’m involved in quite a few projects on the street, and they seem to be very excited, because they’re tired of seeing that empty building for so long,” he said. “It will generate more business for them too, and so there’s this excitement.”
The location is flanked by Tory Burch on the north and Tom Ford on the south.
LVMH, which currently operates more than 15 storefronts on Rodeo Drive and in the Business Triangle, is also planning to break ground on a three-story Louis Vuitton flagship store at 458 N. Rodeo Drive in 2026. That project is being designed by Frank Gehry and, like the Tiffany & Co. location, will house retail, private space for VIP clients and rooftop uses.
At the commission’s meeting, Commissioner Myra Demeter, who called herself “a real fan” of the developer, expressed her hope that the Tiffany & Co. project will bring more foot traffic to Rodeo Drive.
“I think that people coming to Tiffany’s will go up the entire block of Rodeo … this is an enhancement,” she said. “Your firm … has been a very, very strong member of our community for many years. You have brought elegance and a clientele into Beverly Hills, and I think that the project fits all the requirements.”
The project will now enter a 14-day appeal period.
