BEVERLY HILLS (KNX) - Voters in Beverly Hills will go to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a controversial hotel project.
The ultra-high-end Beverly Hills Cheval Blanc hotel, which was approved by the Beverly Hills City Council last fall, would replace several buildings near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, including the former site of the Paley Center for Media.
In addition to 115 rooms — which would go for an average of $1,925 a night — the hotel would include a spa, retail stores, restaurants, and a members-only club.
The project is backed by French billionaire Bernard Arnault and his luxury conglomerate, which owns the brands Tiffany, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton.
Supporters say the hotel could generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the city over the next 30 years. But Unite Here Local 11, a union representing service workers, objects to the opulent project’s development agreement, which doesn’t set aside any funds for affordable housing.
The union launched a petition asking for a referendum on the project, which collected enough signatures to put the issues before voters.
In a guest editorial for the Beverly Hills Courier, Mayor Lili Bosse said the Cheval Blanc project “ensures the heart and soul of our future.” She denounced the petition as “union driven” rather than resident driven.
Meanwhile, the ballot arguments against the project say the hotel will block views and increase traffic, sacrificing residents’ quality of life to create an “exclusionary enclave for billionaires.”
Residents will get a chance to decide for themselves during the special election on Tuesday. Information on vote center locations and hours can be found here.
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