Several UCLA students were supposed to move into an off-campus apartment on Glenrock Avenue for the 2025-26 school year. The building’s developer, however, told them weeks before the start of fall that the property was not ready – the students would have to find another building to live in for the school year.
The Hive – located at 535 Glenrock Ave. in Westwood – was set to be finished by September 2025 and originally began construction halfway through 2023.
Adam Stein, the property’s owner, said it became clear as the summer came to an end that construction would not be completed. Stein attributed the construction delays to disruptions in the greater Los Angeles area, such as the January 2025 fires and increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, which impacted some workers.
“There’s a lot of things in construction that dictate whether or not a project can be completed,” Stein said. “Some of those things are out of our control.”
Stein added that the Hive notified residents of the situation before fall, let them out of their leases and offered them assistance with finding alternative housing arrangements.
Jacob Lawson, the undergraduate student board member of the North Westwood Neighborhood Council, said legal and financial issues also delayed the Hive’s construction.
Public records show a number of parties have filed mechanic’s liens – legal claims filed by contractors, subcontractors or suppliers who haven’t been paid – against the property. Mechanic’s liens place a “hold” against the property. If unpaid, they can result in foreclosure, according to the California Contractors State Licensing Board website.
Lawson added that he believes LA has a slow permitting and approval system, which pushed back the timeline for the completion of the complex. The property used a density bonus, which allowed them to build taller in exchange for offering some affordable housing, Lawson said. He added that the permitting processes, for such projects are often rigorous.
“The City of Los Angeles is notoriously slow for permits and approvals,” Lawson said. “This property uses what’s called the density bonus, so by having some affordable housing, they’re allowed to build a little bit taller. But currently in Los Angeles, you have to go to so many different departments for approvals, and it’s just a very rigorous process.”
The Hive advertised amenities on its website such as in-unit laundry, keyless building access through facial recognition and private balconies. The six-story building will contain 18 fully furnished three-to-four-bedroom units and 10 underground parking spaces, according to Urbanize LA. The complex features six different floor plans, with rent starting at $1,250 per month.
A number of students have already signed lease agreements at the Hive for the 2026-27 school year, including Nikita Rogaski, a third-year environmental science student. Rogaski said she initially decided to live at the Hive because of the fact that it could accommodate eight people in one apartment.
“There aren’t very many apartments in Westwood that can fit that many girls,” Rogaski said. “We also appreciated its proximity to Westwood. It’s a good distance in between campus and anything you need in the neighborhood.”
She added that the building’s amenities, such as the view from the roof and safety features like using facial recognition technology to enter the building, influenced her decision to sign a lease.
Rogaski said the Hive’s management was transparent about the construction delays, leaving her with no reservations about moving into the building in the fall.
“They assured us that everything would be ready by the time we moved in. They told us all the finishing touches would be done basically within a month,” Rogaski said.
Stein said students can begin moving in once the property receives its Final Occupancy Certificate – which he predicted will happen around spring.
“I would tell residents that they should feel really confident that as a property where they’re going to reside, that ownership is extremely invested in their safety, security, comfortability and happiness.”
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