Post-Fire Palisades Site Tees Up Mixed-Use Comeback

A fire-scarred commercial property along Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades could soon get a mixed-use reset, as developers begin to test how far Los Angeles’ post-wildfire rebuilding push can go beyond single-family homes.

Keyes Real Estate filed plans to redevelop 15113 West Sunset Boulevard with a three-story building featuring six apartments atop roughly 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to Urbanize Los Angeles. The site has sat vacant since the Palisades wildfire in January, which along with the Eaton fire damaged or destroyed billions of dollars of property damage.

The proposal calls for a contemporary low-rise structure designed by DesignARC, with a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units stacked above retail space fronting Sunset. Parking would be tucked behind the building using mechanical lifts, a common workaround in space-constrained infill projects.

To unlock additional density beyond what zoning would normally allow, Keyes is seeking incentives under the city’s density bonus program. In exchange, one of the six apartments would be reserved for a very low-income household — a modest affordability component, but one that reflects the city’s push to pair recovery with housing production.

The project will require approval from the city planning commission and lands amid heightened scrutiny of post-fire cleanup and redevelopment in the Palisades. Earlier this month, the city council targeted the last 11 parcels that had not completed debris removal, signaling a tougher stance after repeated notices to property owners.

At the same time, Mayor Karen Bass has been rolling out a series of emergency orders aimed at speeding reconstruction. Emergency Executive Order 10, issued in October, streamlined permitting for commercial and business properties damaged in the fire, extended land-use entitlements and allowed licensed architects and engineers to self-certify certain code and site conditions. That followed an earlier July order focused on expediting residential rebuilding.

Bass has also floated financial relief, including calling for exemptions from Measure ULA — the city’s so-called mansion tax on sales over $5 million — for Palisades homeowners affected by the fires, a move closely watched by brokers and owners in the luxury-heavy enclave.

City data suggests the fast-track approach is having an impact. Rebuilding permits for single-family homes in Pacific Palisades are now being approved nearly three times faster than before the fires. As of Dec. 22, Los Angeles had approved more than 1,670 rebuilding plans and issued 1,354 permits covering 644 addresses, according to the city’s rebuilding dashboard.

— Eric Weilbacher