What's That Big Project at Ventura and Hazeltine?

Barone's was one of Sherman Oaks' most popular restaurants before it closed nearly six years ago. The property near the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Hazeltine Avenue was then vacant until this year when a construction crew built a fence around it and began digging a big hole in the ground.

Many residents have emailed us asking what's going on.

Here's the answer: The development under construction is creating 113 residential units and it will also include more than 16,000 square feet of retail space on Ventura Boulevard. Plans call for restaurants, according to the developer, BW Brody.

The Spanish Colonial project is scheduled to open early in 2013.

Meantime, Barone's has moved to its new location on Oxnard Street in Valley Glen, where the deep dish pizza is a popular favorite.