Update on Gladstones on upcoming PPCC agenda
By Sam Catanzaro
The upcoming Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) meeting will include an update on the Frank Gehry-Wolfgang Puck redevelopment of Gladstones.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, June 24 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. via Zoom (Zoom.us/j/9146619026, Meeting ID: 914-661-9026, Audio Only/Dial-In: 1-669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 914-661-9026).
Included in the agenda is an update on a proposed redevelopment Gladstones. The update will be from Thomas Tellefsen, a representative of the concessionaire.
Under the plan, Gladstones, the longtime seafood staple at Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) would be redeveloped with renown architect Frank Gehry as the designer and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck as the operator.
“We are honored for the opportunity to partner together on such an iconic California property. Drawing inspiration from the communities and landscapes that make Southern California a world-renowned destination, we will work together to deliver approachable, high-quality cuisine in a distinct architectural setting,” Puck said.
In 2018, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to allow the County’s Department of Beaches and Harbors to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with PCH Beach Associates, LLC (PCH Beach) to develop and operate a new restaurant and related amenities at the Pacific Palisades site. PCH Beach’s proposal was selected after a competitive process that began in April 2017, when the County asked for proposals to redevelop the 2.8-acre site at 17300 Pacific Coast Highway, north of Sunset Boulevard.
The proposed project calls for an architecturally attractive waterfront dining destination with easy access to public transit, including the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. Preliminary plans include casual dining areas serving a changing menu of locally-sourced, farm-to-table cuisine, a lounge, a rooftop bar, a public deck, small retailers including an ice cream shop, and a monument to the site’s well-known current tenant, Gladstones.
The exclusive negotiating agreement is only the first step in a redevelopment effort anticipated to take several years. In the meantime, Gladstones will continue to operate under a two-five year agreement until the execution of the PCH Beach concession contract. That final contract will require approval from the Board of Supervisors.