Hollywood Boulevard

For 25 years John Kaliski has contributed to the shaping of a landmark district through participatory trust-building and urban design.

When Hollywood redevelopment was implemented in 1986, the community expressed concerned that historic settings would be destroyed. Kaliski, as the Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) Principal Architect, was tasked to prepare a plan that would build trust and balance conservation with new development.

Through four years and more than 120 meetings, Kaliski established stakeholder confidence. He facilitated a vision, standards, and guidelines with his CRA team. Adopted by the City Planning Commission, the Plan is utilized to this day to shape key projects including the $150M Hollywood-Highland/Kodak Theater project and restoration of the historic Egyptian Theater.

By the mid-2000s, the community felt the Plan needed updating to address oversized towers. They requested that Kaliski, now in private practice, be retained. Working again with the community he crafted revised guidelines that constrained larger developments while promoting the existing neighborhood scale. But the Great Recession deferred adoption.

As the economy improved, stakeholders requested that JKA finish the work. In the 2019 draft update, emphasis is placed on concentrating taller, reduced footprint buildings in specific corridors, directing retail along Hollywood Boulevard frontages, and clarifying standards for historic structures, ensuring an enduring fit between older and newer buildings.