A mixed-use building with six housing units and ground-floor retail won unanimous approval from the La Jolla Community Planning Association on Thursday, Sept. 3.

The LJCPA voted at the La Jolla Recreation Center to support The Pearl, a three-story, 17,172-square-foot development proposed for the corner of Pearl Street and Girard Avenue. The project, designed by Safdie Rabines Architects, would replace the existing 2,980-square-foot single-story commercial building at 1941-1945 Pearl St. The site previously housed Ogden's One Hour Cleaners, which closed in 2024.

The building would include five market-rate units and one deed-restricted affordable unit on the second and third floors, ranging from 1,300 to 1,600 square feet with two bedrooms each. Ground-level retail space would face the street with planters and sliding glass doors. 10 underground parking spaces, accessed by two car lifts off Drury Lane, round out the plan.

LJCPA trustee Glen Rasmussen, who also sits on the La Jolla Development Permit Review (DPR) committee, said the revised design won him over. "My objection to this project when it first came through was that it looked like a wall on Pearl Street, but the articulation that has been added with the setbacks (make it) a gorgeous project," Rasmussen said at the Sept. 3 meeting.

Fellow trustee Harry Bubbins called the proposal refreshing, saying he was glad to see multi-unit development and more housing in La Jolla.

Because the project includes an affordable unit, applicant representative Taal Safdie of Safdie Rabines is seeking four code waivers from the city of San Diego. Those include deviations from the required street corner setback on all three floors, the plumb line height measurement, street facade envelope requirements and the maximum floor-to-area ratio (FAR), which would rise from the standard 1.7 to 2.4.

The building meets the 30-foot coastal height limit, but because the lot slopes downward, the overall height may exceed 30 feet in spots. Safdie told the LJCPA that without the height waiver, the retail space would have to be sunk three to four feet below grade, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The Pearl previously went before the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance committee on Aug. 10 and the DPR committee on Aug. 11 and Aug. 18. The DPR committee recommended approval. The Planned District Ordinance committee did not vote on the project.

With the LJCPA's support, The Pearl now advances to the city of San Diego for additional review. A construction timeline has not been announced.