Hollywood : Galaxy Project Wins OK

The developer of the Hollywood Galaxy project has won Community Redevelopment Agency approval for his plans to build a movie complex that will include an outdoor stage, shops and fast-food outlets, at Hollywood Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue.

The action last Thursday came three days after the proposal was approved by the Hollywood Project Area Committee, a citizens panel mandated by state law to advise the Community Redevelopment Agency on the $1-billion redevelopment of the Hollywood area.

It was the panel’s last action before elections were held Monday night, when development-minded representatives led by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce lost a majority on the committee for the first time since it was founded in 1983. Swing votes and slow-growth advocates now appear to dominate the panel.

The Galaxy site, now an empty lot, was previously occupied by the New Garden Court, an apartment building that was home to movie business notables in earlier decades. It later became a den for vagrants and was known as “Hotel Hell.”

Developer Joseph Kornwasser still needs a zoning change and approval of detailed design drawings before construction can begin, a spokesman for the Community Redevelopment Agency said.