West Hollywood's long-delayed Melrose Triangle project is back in motion after years of setbacks, legal disputes and a now-infamous construction pit dubbed 'Lake WeHo' by frustrated residents. The site has remained largely inactive for years amid legal troubles involving developer leadership.
In 2022, Arman Gabaee, co-managing partner at The Charles Company, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison after being convicted of fraud tied to an attempt to secure a $45 million county lease, according to reporting. By 2025, city officials ordered the developer to backfill the excavation after project approvals expired, a process involving roughly 270,000 cubic feet of fill, according to WeHo Online. But developers are now pushing to fast-track new entitlements in hopes of restarting construction before being forced to refill the site entirely.
Revised Proposal Details
The revised Melrose Triangle project was presented at a May 27 community meeting and outlines a major mixed-use redevelopment of the long-stalled site. Plans call for three interconnected seven-story buildings containing 282 apartments, including 66 affordable housing units reserved for seniors. The proposal also includes about 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, along with 528 parking spaces spread across three underground levels.
Under the latest proposal, about 61 percent of the apartments would be one-bedroom units, with the remaining 39 percent designated as two-bedroom layouts. The ground floor would include a 1,300-square-foot courtyard café and a separate 1,000-square-foot food venue. On the sixth floor, plans call for two large restaurants totaling roughly 8,500 square feet. The project also includes about 58,000 square feet of open common space - well above the city's minimum requirement of 2,000 square feet.
Design and Public Space
Renderings by Corbel Architects and landscape architects SWA Group envision the Melrose Triangle redevelopment as a pedestrian-focused destination anchored by a large open-air central courtyard. The design includes multiple public entry points, with access planned along Santa Monica Boulevard as well as at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Almont Drive, aiming to create a more connected and walkable urban space.
'The open space at Melrose Triangle is envisioned as a curated outdoor gallery - where landscape, materials, art, and social life are intentionally designed as a sequence of outdoor 'rooms,'' the presentation states. Rather than a single central plaza, designers say the project will unfold as a series of walkable zones - including arrival spaces, social gathering areas, flexible exhibition spots and quieter garden retreats - each with its own distinct character and level of activity. The team also stated the layout will help attract seasonal pop-ups and other public activations, according to official presentation materials.
History and Next Steps
If the project goes through, it would mark over a decade of attempts to get it out of limbo. The city previously approved a version of the project for the 2.7-acre Melrose Triangle site, but repeated redesigns and shifting market conditions led to years of delays. The Charles Company began excavation in 2021, but construction soon stalled as permits expired, leaving a large unfinished pit in a key West Hollywood retail and nightlife district while legal issues involving the developer unfolded. If approved by the city, it would mark the first time the parcel has been developed since the original project was approved in 2014. The plan still must complete the city's approval process before any construction can proceed.
