East Hollywood’s 24-hour-a-day Mexican eatery El Gran Burrito will soon permanently close the doors to its home of 30 years as developers move forward with plans to erect a residential development in its place. While an exact timeline for the LA mainstay going dark has not been announced, El Gran Burrito’s impending closure is expected within the next few months, according to a thoughtful report Thursday from the Los Angeles Times. Owners Pedro and Guadalupe Davila, first took claim to the space, at 4716 Santa Monica Blvd, in 1990.
The planned 185-unit residential mid-rise is being developed by Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) Community Development Corporation in partnership with Metro — the site is situated adjacent to the Vermont/Santa Monica Station. LTSC’s current proposal calls for 91 units restricted to households earning 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less and 94 units designated for special needs tenants earning 30 percent of AMI or less. The development proposal also includes approximately 22,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 69 parking spaces.
As part of the project, Metro will add new shaded seating to the station. “Overall, the proposed development offers opportunities to make improvements to the Metro plaza, enhance the pedestrian experience and improve transit connectivity,” Metro writes of the project on its website.
Purchase of the site by LTSC for $7,140,000 — which included a 30 percent, or $3,060,000 discount because of the affordable housing designation — was approved by planning officials in August. LTSC is expected to secure the final Metro and City of Los Angeles approvals in early-2021 with construction commencing shortly thereafter in the spring. The project is expected to open in mid-2023.
The Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line Station opened in 1999 and connects patrons between North Hollywood and DTLA. It is about an acre in size and includes a public plaza, the station entrance, and vacant lots currently used for parking.
