Apartments, third story under review for former Rhino Records

Claremont’s Planning Commission will review plans for a substantial remodel of the former Rhino Records location at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18 at Claremont City Hall. Plans include the addition of five residential loft units ranging from 518 to 828 square feet, according to the commission’s agenda report.

The new units will be created through use of an existing second floor and the addition of a new second and third floor above the former Video Paradiso. The five residential units will be accessed through a doorway to be created between the former Rhino and Video Paradiso buildings, with a stairwell and landing area that leads to a penthouse unit on the third floor. Additionally, a 450-square-foot rooftop deck would be accessible from the penthouse unit.

At the rear of the building, which is located at the southwest corner of Yale and Bonita Avenues, the owner, Bentley Family Trust, intends to create a 254-square-foot outdoor seating area for a future coffee shop or alternative food business that would one day occupy Video Paradiso. No additional parking beyond the 18 existing parking spaces is proposed or required by the city.

The former Rhino building is currently under remodel for La Poplar restaurant, which will offer authentic Mexican cuisine. The existing Art Moderne building was built in 1938 and is listed on the city’s Register of Structures of Historic and Architectural Merit. La Popular restaurant obtained CUP approval from the planning and architectural commission in 2022, which includes an outdoor dining patio on the north side of the building facing Bonita Avenue.

Should the conditional use permit be approved Tuesday night, the proposed designs would be reviewed by the Architectural Commission at an upcoming meeting.

To read the entire agenda report, click here.

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