De la Cruz Predicts Demolition for Bel-Air Mega-Mansion May 30, 2017 Celebrity Developer Pleads No Contest to Bel-Air Mega-Mansion Charges. But What Happens to the 30,000-Square-Foot Estate? – Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles Times interviewed Victor De la Cruz, co-chair of the firm’s land use practice, on what he expects to happen to a partially-constructed Bel-Air mega-mansion now that its owner, luxury developer Mohamed Hadid, has pleaded no contest to charges over allegations of municipal code violations at the property. The newspaper reports that three years ago, Los Angeles city officials demanded builders halt work on the mansion, saying it was bigger and taller than allowed, and it included entire areas that the city never approved. Officials yanked the building permits and charged Hadid, who after more than a year of legal wrangling, pleaded no contest to the charges. “The only path that I see is demolition,” said De la Cruz, who represents residents living below the mansion. Although Hadid has turned in revised plans that remove some unapproved features, “he is trying to keep the overwhelming majority of the work that he already illegally constructed.” “It’s too little and it’s way too late,” added De la Cruz. Read the article here.
