LOS FELIZ—On the corner of Hillhurst Avenue and Russell Avenue, two new restaurants will be replacing the office of the late Dr. Paul Fleiss, located in a 100-year-old bungalow.
Dr. Fleiss, a pediatrician, passed away last year at the age of 80. He was popular with local residents, known for being open to treating unvaccinated children. In 1995, he garnered controversy after pleading guilty to three felony counts related to helping his daughter, Heidi Fleiss, run a prostitution ring.
The 3,000-square-foot building that housed the office was sold by Dr. Fleiss’s estate last year for $2.2 million. According to documents from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, a company by the name of 1824 Hillhurst, LLC filed for a change of use from “the existing medical office to two proposed restaurants” on August 19.
The documents state that the LLC’s representative is Ryan Neman, the former Senior Real Estate Manager for Sweetgreen, an east coast restaurant chain that recently opened up a store in Santa Monica. Canyon News was contacted by a representative from Sweetgreen, who informed us that there are no plans to open up a new location in Los Feliz.
Neman founded RYDA Ventures last year with his brother Daniel. The company has a goal of “transforming buildings into foundations of progress within a community,” according to its website. RYDA Ventures does not list 1824 Hillhurst as one of their properties.
The documents also state the applicant for the permit to be Elizabeth Peterson Group, Inc., a land-use consulting firm based in downtown LA. The firm has been involved in many urban development projects and restaurants, such as Umami Burger, The Ace Hotel and STK Steakhouse.
A Loopnet listing for the property, updated 42 days ago, shows that the building was up for rent at $20,000 a month. The listing is still active and states that the space will be available September 2015.
