Hollywood’s La Piazza Complex to Make Way for Luxury Apartments
Introduction to the La Piazza Complex
Locals strolling Hollywood’s Young Circle may have noticed changes afoot within the aging La Piazza complex, a low-slung shopping strip crowned with apartments on Hollywood Boulevard. A Cricket phone retailer is shuttered. The FedEx facility is gone, too, having moved to Tyler Street. And one of La Piazza’s last holdouts, J28 Sandwich Bar — an 11-year-old Peruvian eatery and TV-famous favorite of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri — is expected to close its location by the end of May.
The Reason Behind the Closures
So what’s happening here? Answer: They’re clearing out to make way for a long-promised demolition. In La Piazza’s place will rise Soleste Young Circle, a sleek, 23-story apartment tower and the latest luxury residences to spring up along the busy traffic circle.
Features of the New Apartment Tower
At 1845 Hollywood Boulevard, Soleste Young Circle will feature 378 units, swanky spas, resort-style pools with cabanas, a fitness center and roughly 7,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurants and shops. It joins the fleet of new and under-construction high-rises now ringing Young Circle, and if you ask Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, the project represents one of the final puzzle pieces helping the city realize its urban vision of a vibrant downtown.
Urban Vision for Young Circle
“With high-rises like these, we wanted to transform Young Circle into a center of economic growth, and that plan is succeeding,” Levy said. “We need more density. All the restaurants down there can’t just survive on Friday and Saturday night dinner business. They need breakfast and lunch clientele and people who live at the doorstep of those commercial spaces.”
The Transformation of La Piazza
Which is why the transformation of La Piazza into Soleste Young Circle has been a long time coming, said Raelin Storey, Hollywood’s assistant city manager. “The La Piazza parcel has been a gap in the redevelopment around Young Circle and the vision for the area that was put in place 20 years ago,” Storey says. “The new residents who will live at Soleste Young Circle will add to the vitality of the local economy.”
Impact on Local Businesses
Soleste’s developer, Miami-based The Estate Cos., hasn’t announced when it plans to demolish La Piazza or break ground, but city records show it applied for 12 building permits on Dec. 4, all awaiting approval. A demolition permit wasn’t among them. Developer Robert-James Suris, a partner at The Estate Cos., could not be reached for comment about the Soleste project’s timeline despite multiple attempts by email, phone calls and texts.
The Fate of J28 Sandwich Bar
Though some businesses have already cleared out ahead of La Piazza’s expected teardown, a few remain, including a dry cleaner, a salon-spa and an independent coffeehouse, Le Cafe In. A Papa John’s pizzeria is still there but its franchisee, Coastal City Pizza LLC, recently registered for a new space a block north at 1860 Radius Drive, in the Radius Hollywood condo. Also hanging on are Marco and Javier Rondon, the chef-owners behind the acclaimed J28 Sandwich Bar, who have fretted over the Soleste project ever since the city gave the green light in 2023.
Relocation Efforts
The goal is to relocate, Javier Rondon told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, though soaring rents nearby and a “lack of turnkey spaces” have delayed the move-out, leaving the restaurant in limbo. For now, J28 is operating on a month-to-month “verbal agreement” with its landlord after the 10-year lease ran out a year ago, he said. Brothers, chefs and co-owners Javier, left, and Marco Rondon are shown at their Hollywood restaurant, J28 Sandwich Bar, on April 24, 2025.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the transformation of La Piazza into Soleste Young Circle is a significant step towards realizing Hollywood’s urban vision of a vibrant downtown. While it brings new luxury residences and amenities, it also poses challenges for local businesses like J28 Sandwich Bar. The city’s efforts to support displaced tenants and find new locations for them are crucial in maintaining the area’s economic vitality.
FAQs
Q: What is happening to the La Piazza complex in Hollywood?
A: The La Piazza complex is being demolished to make way for a new luxury apartment tower called Soleste Young Circle.
Q: What businesses are affected by the demolition?
A: Several businesses, including J28 Sandwich Bar, a Cricket phone retailer, and a FedEx facility, are affected by the demolition.
Q: What is the city doing to support displaced tenants?
A: The city is working to find new locations for displaced tenants and is providing support to help them relocate.
Q: When is the demolition expected to take place?
A: The demolition permit has not been issued yet, but it is expected to happen soon.
Q: What will the new Soleste Young Circle apartment tower feature?
A: The new apartment tower will feature 378 units, swanky spas, resort-style pools with cabanas, a fitness center, and roughly 7,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurants and shops.
