Dinah’s Family Restaurant is a Googie-style diner known for its fried chicken — their red and white paper buckets were even used in Little Miss Sunshine’s iconic dinner table scene.
The Westside mainstay could be getting a new neighbor, an eight-story mixed-use building comprising 326 apartments and 3,700 square feet of ground-floor restaurant space. According to a development proposal submitted to Los Angeles City Planning on Monday, Dinah’s and all of its “character-defining features” would be retained with a few minor cosmetic tweaks like removing rooftop equipment and the take-out department at the rear of the building.
The proposed project by Fairfield Residential, referred to as Sepulveda and Centinela in planning documents, calls for 126 studio, 110 one-bedroom and 126 two-bedroom apartments. Forty-one of those units would be set aside for very low income households. Floorplans range from approximately 565 to 1,127 square feet in size and select units boast private patios or balconies.
Four levels of subterranean and above-grade parking would provide 520 automobile spaces, plus long- and short-term storage for 182 bicycles. The leasing office and residential lobby are to be situated off Centinela Avenue. A findings document notes that a dog care center would also be found on the ground floor, although it’s not clear from the architectural drawings where that business would be located.
The fourth floor houses a landscaped courtyard featuring a swimming pool and spa, sitting adjacent to an indoor fitness center and clubhouse. Additional amenities include an eighth-floor clubhouse spanning 2,150 square feet that opens onto an outdoor recreation area.
The roughly 2.2-acre site is currently occupied by a strip mall, a single-story industrial building and surface parking lots, all of which would be razed to make way for the new mixed-use development.
Envisioned by Carrier Johnson + CULTURE, the mid-rise building showcases contemporary architecture with an almost arrowhead-shaped design. The navy blue, gray and white façade appears to incorporate protruding rectangular frames, dark-trimmed windows and varied balcony designs. The roofline comes to a peak at the corner of Centinela and Arizona.
Sepulveda Boulevard is served by Metro Bus local lines and Culver City Rapid 6 bus, providing future residents with a handful of transportation options. Those who prefer to get around on two wheels will benefit from easy access to the 405 and Marina Freeway.
Westfield Culver City, a large shopping mall featuring tenants like Target, Nordstrom Rack, Trader Joe’s, Macy’s and JCPenny, is a six-minute walk from the proposed development site. Among the other nearby attractions are Fox Hills Parks, Howard Hughs Center, Loyola Marymount University and the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.
