Erewhon is usually in the news for ridiculous headlines like $20 celebrity smoothies and $40 hot sauce, but now the upscale grocery is making legal news. The company has filed an environmental lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles in an attempt to stop the redevelopment of the iconic Sportsmen’s Lodge hotel into apartments.
Erewhon operates a location next store to the planned Studio City site.
As we previously reported, the L.A. City Council approved a new Studio City plans for the development last month, which calls for the demolition of the Sportsmen’s Lodge. In it’s place, the mixed-use new build will include 520 apartment units, including 78 for very-low income tenants; as well as 45,000 square feet of commercial space.
Erewhon’s parent company is arguing that the city failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, intended to increase the public’s awareness of the potential environmental effects of proposed developments. The suit states that the city violated the act by forgoing an exhaustive Environmental Impact Report in favor of a less rigorous assessment.
Rendering courtesy of Midwood Investment & Development