Schools
UCLA Hotel, Conference Center Gets OK From Regents' Panel
A university panel approves the plan, though some local activists remain skeptical of the center.
A project that would bring a 250-room hotel and conference center to campus was OK'd by a university panel Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The full University of California Board of Regents on Thursday will likely approve the vote by the regents' grounds and buildings committee, according to The Times report.
Click here to read previous Patch coverage of the UCLA hotel and conference center.
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The Times quoted UCLA Chancellor Gene Block saying, "I'm happy because we are moving ahead. We want to get this built."
However, some are skeptical of the university's plans for the $152 million Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference and Guest Center, The Times reports:
Find out what's happening in Westwood-Century Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A potential hurdle, however, remains: Nearby hoteliers and Westwood activists contend the UCLA center will pose unfair competition since it will not charge occupancy taxes. They also say the project will clog the area with extra traffic.
Local hotels in the Westwood market.
Construction could begin next summer and be completed by 2016, according to the report.
What do you think of the project? Tell us in the comments section below.
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