Hollywood angst
Construction cranes soar above the landmark corner of Hollywood and Vine. More than a dozen multimillion-dollar projects have been announced, launched or just completed in Hollywood that promise new stores, restaurants, apartments and towers of glass and steel.
The love-hate battle over development that is playing out in neighborhoods all over the Southland is amplified in Hollywood.
Residents and business owners prize the lingering charm of Hollywoods golden past and fear the place they love is slipping away. My worst-case scenario is that it loses the special flavor that is unique to Hollywood, said neighborhood activist Cheryl Holland.
When owner Michael Viscuso opens the Kress a $12.5-million refurbishment of the Art Deco-style former Kress dime store in a few weeks, it will house a nightclub, restaurant, sushi bar, banquet room and rooftop bar. Viscuso has assembled other property nearby with plans to add more stores and build a 15-story hotel-condominium.
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With traffic already awful at many hours, fears multiply that congestion will make Hollywood truly unbearable if developers arent reined in.
