Design Control Board Approves Killer Shrimp Signs

The Los Angeles County Design Control Board on Wednesday approved two exterior signs for the Killer Shrimp restaurant and bar scheduled to return to Marina del Rey next month.

The board voted 4-0 in favor of the designs for a two-sided, pole-mounted sign on Admiralty Way near the intersection of Palawan Way and a roof sign for Killer Shrimp. The new Killer Shrimp restaurant and bar will be located at the old Organic Panificio site at 4211 Admiralty Way.

The restaurant is slated for an Aug. 19 grand opening, said owner Kevin Michaels.

Killer Shrimp previously had a low-key restaurant on the second-floor of a strip mall in the 500 block of Washington Boulevard and its simple menu featured Cajun-style spicy shrimp with bread, pasta or rice. The restaurant closed in 2008, but not before becoming a favorite among locals.

The new restaurant will feature an expanded menu with soups, salads and a few more entreés and also will include a bar with drinks designed by well regarded Los Angeles cocktail mixologist Marcos Tello, Michaels said.

Derek Jones, chief operating officer of real estate developer Legado, said Killer Shrimp will be part of his company's redevelopment plans that previously called for 292 apartments and more than 32,000 square feet of retail space at the southeast corner of Admiralty and Palawan.

The proposed redevelopment on parcels 33 and NR was one of the county's "pipeline projects" that were bundled together for regulatory consideration, but was removed due to concerns over parking that mostly were raised by rowers and kayakers who use Mother's Beach. The other "pipeline projects" have been approved by the county and are awaiting final approval from the California Coastal Commission.

Jones said Legado still hopes to have the area redeveloped in the next few years.

"We're very enthusiastic about what Killer Shrimp brings to the table, literally and figuratively," Jones told the Design Control Board. "We would very much like to see Kevin and his [Killer Shrimp] team be part of our redevelopment. The fact is they have a very loyal fan base in the Marina and other coastal communities. And I think with a larger space here than they've ever had before and with a bigger menu than they've ever had before, I think they're going to absolutely knock it out of the park here."

The new signs for Killer Shrimp still need approval from the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission before they can be installed.