A three-story mixed-use building proposed for one of La Jolla's busiest corners will face its biggest community test on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, when the La Jolla Community Planning Association takes up The Pearl as a major project.
The six-unit development at 1941-1945 Pearl St., designed by Safdie Rabines Architects, cleared the La Jolla Development Permit Review committee on Tuesday, Aug. 18, after the design team added articulation to break up the facade, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The LJCPA hearing is the next step before the project moves to city-level review.
The site sits at the corner of Pearl Street and Girard Avenue, stretching west to Drury Lane. It previously housed Ogden's One Hour Cleaners, a longtime La Jolla business that closed in 2024.
What's planned
Architect Taal Safdie of Safdie Rabines presented the project to the DPR committee on Aug. 11. Plans call for demolishing the existing 2,980-square-foot single-story commercial building and replacing it with a 17,172-square-foot structure. The building would include six residential units on the second and third floors, ranging from 1,300 to 1,600 square feet with two bedrooms each, plus ground-level retail space the applicant hopes will become a restaurant. Ten underground parking spaces would be accessed by two car lifts off Drury Lane.
One unit would be deed-restricted affordable housing, and that inclusion enables the code modifications Safdie Rabines is requesting from the city.
Code waivers at stake
The firm is seeking one incentive and three waivers: a reduced street-corner setback; permission for the building's vertical height to approach or exceed 30 feet while maintaining the coastal height limit; an increase in floor area ratio from 1.7 to 2.4; and allowance for an angled third-floor setback.
The LJCPA will consider those requests at its Sept. 3 hearing.
How it got here
The Pearl first went before the DPR committee on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Trustee Glen Rasmussen called the design "attractive and beautiful" but raised concerns about the building's articulation along Pearl Street. La Jolla resident Sally Miller objected to the lack of articulation on the Pearl Street side, reduced visibility for cars exiting Drury Lane and the impact of lengthy construction on the intersection.
The applicant team returned a week later with updated plans that broke up the massing on exterior and street-facing areas. Trustees John Shannon and Rasmussen said they appreciated the changes, and the committee voted to recommend city approval.
DPR chair Brian Will spoke in favor of the project at the Aug. 11 hearing. "I think we all have to remember we want walkability in our city. We want folks who work in our town to be able to live in our town … I don't know a better place to start that trend of some more density," Will said, as lajolla.ca reported Aug. 14.
The LJCPA meets Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Meeting time and location have not been posted; agendas are available 72 hours in advance at lajollacpa.org. After the LJCPA vote, the project is expected to undergo additional city of San Diego reviews before any construction can begin.
