Homeowners Clash Over Impact Of Proposed High-Rise Near Beverly Center

WEST LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It's a glimpse of what could be the future of the area surrounding the Beverly Center.

It's one of the latest proposed projects from billionaire developer Rick Caruso: a 19-story apartment building, which includes a restaurant, a market and a small park with a fountain and outdoor seating.

But some people living nearby held a news conference Thursday to say, "Hold on".

Diana Plotkin, president of the Beverly Wilshire Homes Association, says the proposed 240-foot building is just too tall. She'd like to see one closer to about half that size, similar to another Caruso-built luxury apartment building across the street.

"We would accept the project at the height of the building across the street and we've told him that," said Plotkin.

And while Plotkin says the proposed project would hurt the quality of life, Philippe Cohanin says just the opposite.

Cohanin is president of the homeowners association for Westbury Terrace, a condominium high-rise that will be located directly across from the new Caruso project.

"The neighborhood needs to be cleaned up and it needs to be made safer," Cohanin said. "We're all in support of this project."

Roughly 15 of the 145 apartments will be provided as affordable housing for low-income tenants.

The project - with an estimated price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars - is now in the hands of the L.A. City Council for final approval.