^^ construction has stopped?

IT'S DONE! Ok, it's not done :)

From SSP:

New proposal???

http://www.gdsarchitects.com/flash/index.html

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2512072818_19c34fe928_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2339/2512072640_5a2a0efff1_o.jpg



The website has an additional rendering of a 40 story tower.

Here's an alternative design...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2512446396_4fdfe12131_o.jpg

Definately like the twin tower design better. Adds more mass to the skyline.

Ever wonder where they come up with the billboards on the renders? :dance2:
They are pretty legit. lol

I prefer the single tower. It reminds me of the new Bank of America Tower in NYC. The other design is too prosaic for my taste.

That rendering above does a good job at exaggerating the height....only 20 & 25 stories for that render??

^^ the render should really only be a little shorter than twice the height of hotel figeuroa. must have 25 foot ceilings with two stripes of windows across on each floor.

obviously not the final renders. miami-looking hotels on golf courses and east coast masts aren't our style.

Those towers are 45 story renderings.

obviously not the final renders. miami-looking hotels on golf courses and east coast masts aren't our style.

The masts definately aren't :)

I like the alternative better especially with those set-backs.

i like the twins.

for the record, i hate the bank of america tower in ny

Even though the twins will add more mass to the SP skyline, the single tower with those twists and turns is something fresh and unexperienced in downtown LA.

Who knows how serious this proposal is anyways.

I like the second since there is a spire or w/e it's called on it. We could use one of those in Downtown. It would definitely make this building unique.

I'd have to go with the latter.

Medallion Back on Track

Developer of $125 Million Project Reverses Himself, Says
Construction Will Resume

by Richard Guzman

One week after the announcement that the Medallion project was being
halted in the midst of construction shocked Downtown, the $125
million mixed-use effort on a key plot near the Historic Core, the
Toy District and the Civic Center is back on.


Developer Saeed Farkhondehpour said he will resume construction on
the $125 million Medallion project. He had halted construction due
to concerns about the sagging economy. Photo by Gary Leonard.

Last week, project developer Saeed Farkhondehpour told Los Angeles
Downtown News that despite his previous concerns about the economy,
construction will resume. He offered no further details.

The about-face was greeted with relief by Downtown stakeholders. It
came after Farkhondehpour met his leasing agent and spoke with
developer Tom Gilmore, whose Old Bank District is just south of the
Medallion site at Fourth and Main streets. Area players sought to
persuade him that the community's retail appetite is strong enough
to support his project.

"I spoke to him and basically said anything I can do to help, I'm
happy to do. We're happy to help with leasing too because we have a
great interest in making sure that it's leased up nicely and that it
adds to the neighborhood," Gilmore said.

Farkhondehpour, a longtime Downtown Los Angeles property holder,
previously told Downtown News that the sagging economy led to his
decision to halt construction for at least a year. Although the
project broke ground in July 2007, Farkhondehpour said conditions
have changed recently on wholesale projects he developed in the
Fashion and Toy districts, which caused him to lower rents for some
of the approximately 800 retail units he owns in the Toy District.

"That's been the concern for the past seven or eight months as it's
been getting worse every month. The contractor came up with some 20%
cost increases and that was like, let's just shut the damn thing
down and forget about it," Farkhondehpour said at the time.


Gilmore said he thought Farkhondehpour "had a misperception of this
micro market." He said leasing momentum is strong in the Old Bank
District.

Farkhondehpour did not take Gilmore up on his offer for help, but
called him a few days later to report that the project is back on.

"I think this will turn out to be a good decision for him. I think
he'll have a little egg on his face for six months, but once it's
all built and leased up all that egg will become cash," Gilmore said.

The two-phase development calls for 200 market-rate apartments
averaging 1,000 square feet, plus 750 parking spaces, an outdoor
plaza and an amphitheater. The key element that led Farkhondehpour
to temporarily postpone the project is its 203,000 square feet of
retail space.

Postponements and delays are common in housing and cultural
projects, but as developers search for funding, they almost always
go forward after the building breaks ground. This would likely have
been the first time in years that an under-construction Downtown
development had stopped.

Pleasant Surprise

While the project's delay caught many Downtowners by surprise, news
of the reversal had them pleasantly shocked.

"That was the shortest closure I've ever heard of," said Downtown
Los Angeles Neighborhood Council President Russell Brown. "That's a
very good project that links the Old Bank District to the Civic
Center."

Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry said she called Farkhondehpour
to set up a meeting and talk about his decision to stop the project
before she heard it was back on.

"Now that it's back on I'm just thrilled," she said. "I was very
surprised but pleased that he'll be finishing the project."

Derrick Moore, director of urban retail for CB Richard Ellis, who is
the leasing agent for the Medallion's retail space, said he was also
surprised when he heard the project was shutting down, considering
he had significant interest from businesses eyeing the space. Days
after the news broke, Moore and Farkhondehpour met to discuss the
retail leases.

"What happened [from his decision] was a huge groundswell of comment
back to him from members of the city, the local business community,
interested retailers with a strong desire to go forward," Moore said.

"I think after a lot of careful consideration, after looking at all
of the different various tenants we had with interest in the retail
space, he decided that he absolutely should and would go forward."

Contact Richard Guzman at richard@....

page 1, 5/26/2008
© Los Angeles Downtown News

:)

:)

:cheers1:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2554442638_f68fd17058.jpg

New Parking Garage Bringing Retail to 8th and Hope (http://www.angelenic.com/new-parking-garage-bringing-retail-to-8th-and-hope/)

By Eric Spamer
June 5, 2008

One of the two empty lots on 8th and Hope adjacent to the Market Lofts is now undergoing construction, confirmed today by several construction workers on site.

Demolition work on the east wall of the 830 Flower Street building has begun, and three port-a-potties on location suggest that hard work is to commence soon (or just too many stops at the Coffee Bean next door).

According to CIM Group, the lot will transform into a seven-story parking garage holding 75-100 parking spots for public use and 602 parking stalls for occupants of Market Lofts, Gas Company Lofts, and future residents of planned towers on surrounding blocks.

The most exciting aspect of the project is the 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of retail space that will be built on Hope Street and the 18,000 square feet to be added on Flower Street. Who knows what will be arriving, but the addition of that much retail will surely change the block for the better. The scheduled completion of the parking structure is not until October 2, 2009, so one can only imagine when the new tenants would open.

Let us know what you’d like to see fill in that new retail space in the comments!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2554438832_50cf45e3c6.jpg

Geeeez, I sure hope gas will be cheaper by then. At that time we may all be taking mass transit :lol:

Isn't that where Ihope is supposed to be?

^ iHope will be adjacent to the new parking structure.

Good, so it's not completely dead yet.:)

new perspectives of 8th & figueroa tower available http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2585336502_c202af8764_o.jpg
by Stephen Friday on June 16, 2008
AC Martin Partners, the architecture firm behind the “high-end hotel/residential tower” proposed for the northeast corner of 8th and Figueroa, has made public new illustrations that put the firm’s design concept into more focus.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2585369388_6600f88fb9_o.jpg

A new rendering profiling south and west elevations gives a clear portrayal of the building’s architecture — membranes of glass and reflective surfaces along a series of distinct tiers to create a landmark the firm hopes will be seen as “bold and dynamic” for the 21-century Downtown.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2585336450_d521eb7041_o.jpg

Street level retail with extensive landscaping, dramatic sky gardens and an upper-level lobby for a 5-star hotel will be other highlights of the approximate 45-story structure.

No additional details are known at this time. angelenic

ohhhh i like that!

nice

Terrible land use.

^^http://easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-fighting-smileys-569.gif (http://easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Sexy-Smileys/)

^ Creative.

They're wasting half a piece of prime real estate with that little outdoor garden. A tower of the same size could easily fit in that space.

^truth.

however, I think anyone would agree that it's an improvement on what's there now.

Where is milque getting these icons? LOLLLL

^ Creative.

They're wasting half a piece of prime real estate with that little outdoor garden. A tower of the same size could easily fit in that space.

agreed, they couldve easily fit 3 buildings of varying heights along that side of Figueroa. maybe have a stone clad building to play off of 818 7th Street building, then have the others be glass, or mixture. all with g/f retail and a big name retail space to anchor the corner of 8th.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/8thfig.jpg

I do'nt care too much about fitting another tower in this site as there is plenty other places to build in downtown. However this description I find unacceptable.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/8thfig2.jpg

The ground level identity will revolve around an auto entry court

I don't have a problem with the land use, I just think they should place the building on the corner and the garden on the north most part of the site.

What would you rather have?? three small 15 story buildings or a skyscraper?

If anything we should be glad they are looking into filling that terrible parking lot. Although I always park there to go to the bank...lol

Still, Im glad they already have some concept of whats going to fill that empty space.

Hopefully in a final realization of that lot, the tower is placed on the corner, rather than...not...I love a good corner tower!

Hey you guys im new to the forum. love the comments.
does anyone have any news on that maguire project at 7th/fig.

^ Welcome. :)

The 755 Figueroa tower is still in the planning stages. Construction won't start until 50% of the building has been leased. Given Maguire's recent financial woes, it'll be quite some time before it gets off the ground

For more information, please visit the 755 Figueroa thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=528777).

^ Creative.

They're wasting half a piece of prime real estate with that little outdoor garden. A tower of the same size could easily fit in that space.


^ So very true.... but we know how much needed open green space is needed Downtown to smoke a bowl during your lunch break.

still you could put at least two towers in that space with that area. everytime i leave the 7th/fig mall and look at that lot, i get disgusted because its a prime piece of land between a subway stop and the convention center. at least put a hotel there or something above 40 floors. it takes the urban feeling out of that part of the city.

That's Amore! Orsini Developer's Pitch For "The Lorenzo"

CurbedLA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/06/thatorsini_deve.php#reader_comments)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008, by Dakota
http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.06.lor.jpg


A reader files a report on last night's meeting on the newest Palmer project. G.H. Palmer, of course, is the developer behind the city's unfortunate rash of faux Tuscan-style buildings around the city. We'd try and confirm the report with the company but this is a developer that does not return calls. Our reader writes: "Went to an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) scoping meeting last night for the newest Palmer monstrosity. This time on 23rd between Flower and Figueroa , on 8 acres that used to be Orthopedic Hospital. Now they want to shed the permanent Q (hospital) zoning and the CRA's PF zoning to become...a 1,400 unit 50 story glass and steel luxury rental tower! Connected by a sky-walk on the 3rd or 4th floor to a six-story in the more "traditional" Palmer faux-talian style. This shall be grandly termed The Lorenzo, which is apparently his favorite name so he's been saving it for somethin' special. Just what South LA needs, luxury market rate units instead of a hospital."

Though they're "not student housing" they are banking on a lot of USC students, either from existing Palmer properties (they'd be delighted if people moved out of Orsini, which is getting a lot of interest, the EIR consultant said), or from elsewhere. While USC students desperately need more housing, I don't know that the luxury market is as big as it once was, now that Tuscany is on-line and University Gateway is underway.

This will be the first Palmer property to use a density bonus, meaning 140 of those 1,400 units might be made affordable to those earning 80% of AMI. And to get that 50 stories they would need a TFAR from the six-story building (not to mention zoning changes).

As far as details, there won't be any retail, but the CRA wants them to do something like a sit-down restaurant like a Denny's, a small grocery store, and maybe a coffee shop..."
· DestructionWatch: Downtown's Orsini III Has Its Detractors [Curbed LA]

i like those faux-italian style buildings.

luxury units are probably not the way to go if you want students to live there (at least not all 1,400 units). college drop-outs are too common already. retail should have been included anyway for students to work at.

i like those faux-italian style buildings.

luxury units are probably not the way to go if you want students to live there (at least not all 1,400 units). college drop-outs are too common already. retail should have been included anyway for students to work at.

Yeah, I don't mind them either. The people on CurbedLA absolutely hate them though...

I guess I can put up with the Crap-chitecture style of those buildings...but I can't put up with the "retail" that supposedly is incorporated into the bottom floors...it looks like a fortress! Something for the westside...not downtown.

Besides the crapchitecture look...I actually like that he's proposing some major housing for this area. A LOT of people are complaining about it's location but I think this will help to further revitalize this section of figueroa and continue moving downtown towards USC. I also hope the CRA gets there way and makes Palmer include retail. But knowing him, if he doesn't get his way then he just won't do it. Or, build it anyway and pay a fine than do what he's told to do. (I hate this guy!!) BUT!! I think he, out of many of the developers in downtown, would actually get a project done!

Seriously, a project this size will help the affordability of housing rentals in the area. Simple supply and demand. Would be great to see. There was talk about building a 30 story in the marina and of course Venice NIMBYs are outraged that they might see a tall building in the distance while on their porch. But it would do much to help the affordability of this area.

"Yeah, Buffy? I'm on my porch right now and you won't believe it...I-am-seeing-a-tall-building ....from my porch.....yes.............at the Marina.......I knoooooowwww, I mean, like...they're sailors down there- why do they need tall, scary buildings? .....Well, I'm never going south of Venice like, ever again!"

...like, EVERRRRRR

^^ some people... it's as if you gotta tell them where buildings come from

from Angelenic:

‘park 101′ vision downtown’s next big thing
by Stephen Friday on June 29, 2008

A grand proposal to cap Downtown’s half-mile stretch of the 101 Freeway was publicly presented at the Caltrans Headquarters on Friday to a large audience of government officials, area stakeholders and curious residents.

Dubbed simply ‘Park 101’, the vision was formulated by 24 summer interns of EDAW, one of the world’s leading design firms. The company’s highly-acclaimed intern program, in its twenty-eighth year, brings together students from all over the world to address issues of regional or international significance — in this case, a progressive urban planning concept adapted to the unique needs of inner city Los Angeles.

Through site visits, discussions with state and local officials, EDAW staff and other design professionals participated with the students as a team to explore possible solutions to reconnect two halves of Downtown severed by the construction of the 101 Freeway.


Built in 1950, the eight-lane highway (and its tentacles of on/off ramps) is responsible for fragmenting many original city streets and creating a pedestrian barrier between Downtown’s landmark attractions throughout the historic centers of El Pueblo and Chinatown to the north and the districts of Bunker Hill and Civic Center to the south.

The primary objective of the Park 101 project is to reclaim approximately 100 acres of land from Alameda to Grand (east and west) and Temple to Cesar Chavez (north and south), and relink the community both physically and mentally by shifting the focus away from the automobile.

Not Just a “Cap”


In explaining their design process, each of EDAW interns (some of which have never been to Los Angeles, or the United States) took turns during the presentation to touch on personal inspirations ranging from traditional European models to contemporary American examples such as Chicago’s Millennium Park and Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.

Connectivity, pedestrian detail, land use optimization, sensitivity to context, and “wow factor” are all cited as driving forces behind the design. The final product is much more than a “cap” or a park - it’s an iconic embodiment of 21st-century Los Angeles; a statement of what this city, famous for its mis-guided affinity with the automobile, can become.

In addition to creating a large amount green space atop the “Big Trench,” the Park 101 scope includes 1.9 million square-foot of mix-use development with 2,000 new residential units, office space, a grocery store and other retail, amphitheater, and a series of “grand gateway structures” anchoring the west end — one which is described as the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast.

Park 101 is also intended to integrate with the LA River Revitalization Project, create a gateway for Chinatown, and supplement Grand Avenue’s “architecture row,” while diversifying land use in an area currently dominated by civic structures.

It’s essentially a magic bullet for everything wrong with this region of Downtown today — another “lump sum fix” becoming increasingly popular in the continued reinvention of Downtown, first seen in the 1950s with the ambitious Bunker Hill redevelopment project.

Making it All Happen

Planners and designers behind Park 101 propose a three-phase implementation, the first of which is estimated to cost approximately $700 million and would include the foundation infrastructure and major park component. All mixed-use buildings and signature towers (appearing white in the photos of the model above) would follow in later phases.

The team of presenters argue that hundreds of millions of dollars produced by increased property values and taxes from the subsequent formation of “new real estate” could offset the costs of construction.

Basically, the project would pay for itself, while generating over 5,000 long-term jobs.

Sound to good to be true? It always is.

Taking what we’ve learned from the Grand Avenue Project fiasco — can it be done within the next 10 years?

from Angelenic:

‘park 101′ vision downtown’s next big thing
by Stephen Friday on June 29, 2008

A grand proposal to cap Downtown’s half-mile stretch of the 101 Freeway was publicly presented at the Caltrans Headquarters on Friday to a large audience of government officials, area stakeholders and curious residents.

Dubbed simply ‘Park 101’, the vision was formulated by 24 summer interns of EDAW, one of the world’s leading design firms. The company’s highly-acclaimed intern program, in its twenty-eighth year, brings together students from all over the world to address issues of regional or international significance — in this case, a progressive urban planning concept adapted to the unique needs of inner city Los Angeles.

Through site visits, discussions with state and local officials, EDAW staff and other design professionals participated with the students as a team to explore possible solutions to reconnect two halves of Downtown severed by the construction of the 101 Freeway.


Built in 1950, the eight-lane highway (and its tentacles of on/off ramps) is responsible for fragmenting many original city streets and creating a pedestrian barrier between Downtown’s landmark attractions throughout the historic centers of El Pueblo and Chinatown to the north and the districts of Bunker Hill and Civic Center to the south.

The primary objective of the Park 101 project is to reclaim approximately 100 acres of land from Alameda to Grand (east and west) and Temple to Cesar Chavez (north and south), and relink the community both physically and mentally by shifting the focus away from the automobile.

Not Just a “Cap”


In explaining their design process, each of EDAW interns (some of which have never been to Los Angeles, or the United States) took turns during the presentation to touch on personal inspirations ranging from traditional European models to contemporary American examples such as Chicago’s Millennium Park and Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.

Connectivity, pedestrian detail, land use optimization, sensitivity to context, and “wow factor” are all cited as driving forces behind the design. The final product is much more than a “cap” or a park - it’s an iconic embodiment of 21st-century Los Angeles; a statement of what this city, famous for its mis-guided affinity with the automobile, can become.

In addition to creating a large amount green space atop the “Big Trench,” the Park 101 scope includes 1.9 million square-foot of mix-use development with 2,000 new residential units, office space, a grocery store and other retail, amphitheater, and a series of “grand gateway structures” anchoring the west end — one which is described as the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast.

Park 101 is also intended to integrate with the LA River Revitalization Project, create a gateway for Chinatown, and supplement Grand Avenue’s “architecture row,” while diversifying land use in an area currently dominated by civic structures.

It’s essentially a magic bullet for everything wrong with this region of Downtown today — another “lump sum fix” becoming increasingly popular in the continued reinvention of Downtown, first seen in the 1950s with the ambitious Bunker Hill redevelopment project.

Making it All Happen

Planners and designers behind Park 101 propose a three-phase implementation, the first of which is estimated to cost approximately $700 million and would include the foundation infrastructure and major park component. All mixed-use buildings and signature towers (appearing white in the photos of the model above) would follow in later phases.

The team of presenters argue that hundreds of millions of dollars produced by increased property values and taxes from the subsequent formation of “new real estate” could offset the costs of construction.

Basically, the project would pay for itself, while generating over 5,000 long-term jobs.

Sound to good to be true? It always is.

Taking what we’ve learned from the Grand Avenue Project fiasco — can it be done within the next 10 years?

wonder what the height of the proposed building would be. 1500+ Ft?

^ There's already a thread discussing this project:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=649026

^^^^oh thanks didn't realize that

That's Amore! Orsini Developer's Pitch For "The Lorenzo"

CurbedLA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/06/thatorsini_deve.php#reader_comments)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008, by Dakota
http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.06.lor.jpg


A reader files a report on last night's meeting on the newest Palmer project. G.H. Palmer, of course, is the developer behind the city's unfortunate rash of faux Tuscan-style buildings around the city. We'd try and confirm the report with the company but this is a developer that does not return calls. Our reader writes: "Went to an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) scoping meeting last night for the newest Palmer monstrosity. This time on 23rd between Flower and Figueroa , on 8 acres that used to be Orthopedic Hospital. Now they want to shed the permanent Q (hospital) zoning and the CRA's PF zoning to become...a 1,400 unit 50 story glass and steel luxury rental tower! Connected by a sky-walk on the 3rd or 4th floor to a six-story in the more "traditional" Palmer faux-talian style. This shall be grandly termed The Lorenzo, which is apparently his favorite name so he's been saving it for somethin' special. Just what South LA needs, luxury market rate units instead of a hospital."

Though they're "not student housing" they are banking on a lot of USC students, either from existing Palmer properties (they'd be delighted if people moved out of Orsini, which is getting a lot of interest, the EIR consultant said), or from elsewhere. While USC students desperately need more housing, I don't know that the luxury market is as big as it once was, now that Tuscany is on-line and University Gateway is underway.

This will be the first Palmer property to use a density bonus, meaning 140 of those 1,400 units might be made affordable to those earning 80% of AMI. And to get that 50 stories they would need a TFAR from the six-story building (not to mention zoning changes).

As far as details, there won't be any retail, but the CRA wants them to do something like a sit-down restaurant like a Denny's, a small grocery store, and maybe a coffee shop..."
· DestructionWatch: Downtown's Orsini III Has Its Detractors [Curbed LA]

I remember seeing them on a freeway....

That's Amore! Orsini Developer's Pitch For "The Lorenzo"

CurbedLA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/06/thatorsini_deve.php#reader_comments)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008, by Dakota
http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.06.lor.jpg


A reader files a report on last night's meeting on the newest Palmer project. G.H. Palmer, of course, is the developer behind the city's unfortunate rash of faux Tuscan-style buildings around the city. We'd try and confirm the report with the company but this is a developer that does not return calls. Our reader writes: "Went to an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) scoping meeting last night for the newest Palmer monstrosity. This time on 23rd between Flower and Figueroa , on 8 acres that used to be Orthopedic Hospital. Now they want to shed the permanent Q (hospital) zoning and the CRA's PF zoning to become...a 1,400 unit 50 story glass and steel luxury rental tower! Connected by a sky-walk on the 3rd or 4th floor to a six-story in the more "traditional" Palmer faux-talian style. This shall be grandly termed The Lorenzo, which is apparently his favorite name so he's been saving it for somethin' special. Just what South LA needs, luxury market rate units instead of a hospital."

Though they're "not student housing" they are banking on a lot of USC students, either from existing Palmer properties (they'd be delighted if people moved out of Orsini, which is getting a lot of interest, the EIR consultant said), or from elsewhere. While USC students desperately need more housing, I don't know that the luxury market is as big as it once was, now that Tuscany is on-line and University Gateway is underway.

This will be the first Palmer property to use a density bonus, meaning 140 of those 1,400 units might be made affordable to those earning 80% of AMI. And to get that 50 stories they would need a TFAR from the six-story building (not to mention zoning changes).

As far as details, there won't be any retail, but the CRA wants them to do something like a sit-down restaurant like a Denny's, a small grocery store, and maybe a coffee shop..."
· DestructionWatch: Downtown's Orsini III Has Its Detractors [Curbed LA]

I think they must mean between Flower and Hope Streets since if it was between Flower and Figueroa it would be on top of the Harbor Freeway.

Expo will run right in front of it. If they add ground floor retail I don't have any objections....

Ultra-Modern Tower Proposed for 9th & Olive (http://www.angelenic.com/802/ultra-modern-tower-proposed-for-9th-olive/)

By Stephen Friday
July 8, 2008

Some forward-thinkers are already planning ahead to surf Downtown’s next big development wave.

Kim Benjamin, president of Laeroc Partners (and co-founder of the Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council), recently submitted an application to gain entitlements for a new 31-story tower to rise on the northeast corner of 9th and Olive.

Preliminary plans call for 283 residential condominiums, five ground-floor commercial condo units, and 669 parking spaces to replace a current parking lot surrounding the historic Coast Federal Savings Building (known today as the Washington Mutual Building), also owned by Benjamin.

Early architectural renderings show an ultra-modern style structure, a design choice which may be questionable considering the historic context of the neighborhood. (Benjamin has been contacted to release images for publication.)

The developer is concurrently seeking city approvals to convert the 12-story Washington Mutual Building, built in 1926, into 100 for-sale residential units with 40,000 square feet of office, restaurant and retail space.

Together these two projects would generate nearly 400 new condominiums in a housing market falling prey to shifting demand.

Is this a strategic decision to preempt market changes over the next three to four years?

It seems any new proposal of this scale today would have to be.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2653494084_0867443627.jpg

considering the historic context of the neighborhood.

A historic location of parking lots

^^ silly willy :lol:

anyway..I thought this guys' post wast worth re-posting here:

David { 07.09.08 at 5:40 pm }

JEremy - It will take 6 to 12 months to get entitlements, then 6 to 9 months for construction documents to be approved and get financing lined-up (maybe longer) and then around 3 years to build so this won’t be delivered for 4 to 5 years from today. The market should be back by then. If they waited until the market was “good” before starting this process, they would be almost certain to deliver this project at during a downturn.

Also, as almost any developer does, this project is maxed out - maximum number of units and maximum square footage. A developer does this because you can always make a project smaller when you go in to get your construction documents approved but you can’t make it any bigger than what was approved. So you get the biggest project approved and then downsize if you need to.

The property iz zoned residental so they can’t easily get offices built without a lot of brain damage from the City. Plus, there is virtually no new office space being built because the vacancy rate, even though it is falling, is still too high to justify new construction. But if new office space was needed, there are already a couple of other sites just waiting for office space demand to come back so they could start building and that would satisfy all the forseable new demand. So for the 9th & Olive site, offices will never make sense.

Getting entitlements at this point for a project this big is not early, it’s on-time.

Finally, to answer your last question, if they do get entitled and in the future did want to change to offices, they would have to do the entitlement process all over again. But considering the zoning and market demands, that won’t happen.

http://www.angelenic.com/802/ultra-modern-tower-proposed-for-9th-olive/

Too bad we import so much steel instead of the way it used to be when we were making it for others. Thanks India and China :)

i was looking at some spread sheets for maguire group,
and heres what i found:


PROPERTY SUB-MARKET SQUARE FEET % LEASED RENT (1) $/RSF (2)
-------- ---------- ----------- -------- -------- ---------

US Bank Tower Los Angeles Central Business District 1,371,538 90.6% $ 35,610,118 $28.67

Gas Company Tower Los Angeles Central Business District 1,335,957 96.1% 34,074,657 26.54

Wells Fargo Tower Los Angeles Central Business District 1,380,365 89.2% 20,012,258 16.25

KPMG Tower Los Angeles Central Business District 1,117,590 90.2% 18,254,307 18.11

Plaza Las Fuentes Tri-Cities 183,614 94.1% 3,228,753 18.68

Glendale Center Tri-Cities 382,888 96.8% 7,179,442 19.37

Cerritos - Phase I Cerritos Office 221,968 100.0% 5,084,054 22.90

Cerritos - Phase II Cerritos Office 104,567 100.0% 2,141,371 20.48
--------- ---- ------------ ------
TOTAL/WEIGHTED AVERAGE 6,098,487 92.4% $125,584,960 $22.29

whats the operating costs for a building like the the library tower??

for reference New York office space rents out on average $65-$75/sqf/year.
some building go for as much as $175/sqf/year.
our office rates look pretty cheap compared to theres. :)

just helped a friend move from San Luis to LA. Lookin good! I'm excited about all these projects and didn't realize the impact it would have on the skyline till seeing it. What are the 2 other projects near LA Live that are going up? I saw a couple towers approx the same height going up near by???

L.A. streetcar update

Los Angeles officials are saying that construction of the downtown streetcar they want to build here could begin as early as two years from now, reports Anna Scott in the Downtown News today. Interest has ramped up as part of the initiative by Councilman Jose Huizar to revive Broadway in downtown L.A.

Two years? That would mean the streetcar would hurdle over other L.A. projects that have spent years or decades in the planning stages. People mover at LAX, green line to LAX, L.A. River revitalization, brining back the NFL, putting a park on top of the 101 Freeway in downtown, extending the subway -- all a lot of talk to this point.

There is a little glitch with the streetcar effort: They don't have a single dime of funding yet for a project expected to cost north of $70 million. But streetcar proponents earlier this month formed a nonprofit organization to build the line, same as was done in Portland -- where the streetcar ignited the ongoing national trend to bring them back. Blogdowntown has also been diligently covering.

Something to keep in mind: About $19.4-million of the cost of the construction of Portland's $103-million streetcar was paid through new property taxes targeting those who live closest to the train, according to Portland officials.

A few minutes ago I phoned Huizar's office to see if he wants to install a local assessment district to help build the streetcar. I got a recorded message. Scott, in the Downtown News, reports that the nonprofit will be seeking donations.

I spent the weekend in San Francisco, where the city is running historic streetcars -- something Jason Burns is pushing over at Metblog Los Angeles. They're neat to look at, but I can tell you based on a short ride along the Embarcadero between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf, the streetcars are also overrun with tourists.

Two lessons I think L.A. can learn: If you put a streetcar in all the touristy places, it will be overrun by tourists. And if you assume tourists are going to know how to put $1.50 in the fare box or not stand in front of the train or not block doorways, then you have assumed wrong.

-- Steve Hymon

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/08/streetcar.html

Some of those vintage streetcars came from Los Angeles.

The Trans-America center or AT&T center is now finished. Turned out Great.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g119/surek6/2800500797_84a2f480c6_o.jpg

From Angelenic.com

Yeah it did! And the 'lighthouse' effect talked about before will drag visual interest deep into the south of 'Park' :)

i am really impressed. this used to be the building i would crop out of my photos of the downtown skyline from the 10 freeway between the 10/110 and 10/5/60/101 interchange

I remember some proposals that involved converting portions of the AON Centre and the Westin Bonaventure into condominiums. It would screw up their proper usages as an office and hotel. At first, I like the former condo conversion project, but now I don't want either project to happen.

Now there is a proposal to convert 611 Place into residential condominiums. The plans were limited to the upper floors, but all of the building should become residential since 611 Place looks like an appropriate name for a residential building (if there aren't any other tenants using any offices there as well).

The Trans-America center or AT&T center is now finished. Turned out Great.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g119/surek6/2800500797_84a2f480c6_o.jpg

From Angelenic.com

clap clap clap clap

That's sarcastic clapping

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/2824899743_7c179c7d1d_o.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2825735444_7121bd14fc_o.jpg

Slab Architects Sharpen Vision for 1340 Figueroa (http://www.angelenic.com/3834/slab-architects-sharpen-vision-for-1340-figueroa/)

By Stephen Friday
September 3, 2008

Last time we came across preliminary images for a new mixed-use high rise at 1340 Figueroa Street (opposite the Los Angeles Convention Center’s South Hall), things looked a lot different (http://www.angelenic.com/221/1340-figueroa-a-new-south-park-project/).

A new incarnation of the 43-story tower by SLAB Architects (http://www.slabarch.com/) shows a more refined design that looks like a contemporary take on William Pereira’s Transamerica Tower in San Francisco.

The 344,775 square-foot pyramid-esque structure would bring 273 residential units and 3 commercial condominiums to an L-shaped parking lot (http://www.angelenic.com/images/1340_Figueroa_Site2.jpg) between Figueroa and Flower on the block south of Pico Boulevard.

Unlike other pie-in-the-sky proposals we’ve seen tossed around the Figueroa corridor, this one may actually have some bones behind it, or at least a little cartilage: Korean-American developers acquired the site in October 2007, and site review plans (http://plncts.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=168342&caseNumber=CPC-2008-2363-GPA-ZC-HD-CU-CUB-ZV-SPR&fuseaction=case.summary) were submitted to the Planning Department in June to gain entitlements and necessary zone/height requirements for development — a process that could take years to complete.

These days, though, we’ll take any movement towards new construction we can get.

-1340 Figueroa a New South Park Project (http://www.angelenic.com/221/1340-figueroa-a-new-south-park-project/)
-1500 Figueroa Quietly Advances (http://www.angelenic.com/99/1500-figueroa-quietly-advances/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2824899861_9471389e37_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2825735684_7b29b8bf38_o.jpg

^^
I don't really know about this. The design just looks like an over sized abstract parking structure. The height is good I just wish they had kept the original design.

^ If executed properly, it could pan out quite nicely. The right set of glass needs to be chosen and the parking podium concealed.

^ If executed properly, it could pan out quite nicely. The right set of glass needs to be chosen and the parking podium concealed.

Yea now that I look at it it looks okay. At first I really only paid attention to the first photo but now that I look at the close-ups I think that glass makes it look way better. Still not too thrilled about it though.

This is nothing if not radical. Didn't know we were doing this kind of stuff anymore! I don't know how this will behave in a seismic event, but SLAB is a local joint, so I'm for it! Notice how the angle of the autopod is integrated into the base of the primary tower. I wonder if it would look as good without the podium. That's a funny statement I won't make more than once.

^^
This is actually a really good design for seismic events considering it has a pyramid like structure to it. The TransAmerica building in San Fran was designed with that in mind.

Why does this project have legs or bones right now? Would like it but The Planning Department is ridiculous here. It takes, as San Diego has revealed recently, 6 months there for new construction to pass approval. I thought we had some reform in that area.

most interesting parking structure (without advertisements) that i've ever seen. looks great for the convention center area as well as different from 4 mega blocks of the same exterior (love you LA LIVE). the restaurant addition is nice, interior is nice. the wood ceiling and floors look a little 70s, but still good. i probably like the other design, but both are too different for me to like whichever better. i have no complaints about this project... except hurry up!

Developer Plans 61-Story Tower huh?
McGregor Company Presents Proposal for Project With 225 Condominiums, 200 Hotel Rooms
by Anna Scott
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Although the housing market has slowed significantly in the past year and several Downtown Los Angeles projects have been canceled, a Westside developer is planning a mixed-use tower that, if realized, could be one of the community's tallest structures.

The McGregor Company is in the early stage of work on a 61-story, mixed-use development near Eighth Street and Grand Avenue. The company brought the project before the Community Redevelopment Agency last Thursday.

Though officials noted that designs could change, initial plans call for 225 condominium units, 200 hotel rooms, 386 parking spaces, 30,000 square feet of retail and 32,000 square feet of restaurant or bar space. The development would rise on the north side of Eighth Street, between Hope Street and Grand Avenue, where a 65-space surface parking lot and a four-story parking structure now sit.

The site is across the street from another parking lot, where developer Sonny Astani plans to build a multi-phase, $500 million project with residential and retail components. Together, the projects could bring a critical mass and tremendous investment to the southern end of the Financial District.

McGregor only recently initiated the city entitlement process for the project and has not disclosed budget information. On Sept. 4, the CRA Board of Commissioners held its first hearing on the project, giving the public an opportunity to comment on the initial draft of its Environmental Impact Report, a document that assesses the potential traffic, emissions and other impacts of the proposal.

Despite the ongoing housing and economic slump, "We believe in the future of Downtown Los Angeles and are excited to play a role in it," said McGregor Company President Bill McGregor. However, he cautioned, "It is a very early stage project and will come far more into focus in the future."

Flexibility

Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's largest real estate company, owns the site where McGregor would build its high rise.

The project was conceived when Mitsui approached McGregor approximately two years ago and asked the company to evaluate the development potential of the property, along with another parcel at Eighth and Figueroa streets. McGregor recommended leaving the Eighth and Figueroa site on the back burner while pursuing a high-density residential project at Eighth and Grand.

"There is a much higher probability that ultimately, Eighth and Figueroa would be more suited for offices or commercial development," said McGregor. The Eighth and Grand location, however, with its proximity to South Park, the rest of the Financial District and L.A. Live and Staples Center, "is an increasingly vital Downtown Los Angeles neighborhood that is becoming a 24-7 community," he said.

Though McGregor expressed confidence in the project's long-term success, he is taking some precautions to safeguard his company in the current economy.

Instead of specific architectural plans, the developer is seeking city approval of a conceptual development plan, which includes general scale and mass parameters. The idea, said McGregor, is to leave room for as much flexibility as possible, in case market conditions force a change of course.

Shane Parker, vice president of Christopher A. Joseph & Associates, the planning and research firm working on McGregor's environmental documents, said that as long as the project's scope falls within a general "outside envelope" defined in the EIR, the document should hold up.

McGregor has also asked the city to allow up to three years for the company to submit a specific project design.

Reaching for the Sky

If the project moves forward, it would be Downtown's third development to use the Transfer of Floor Rights (TFAR) Ordinance since the Council adopted it last May.

Under the ordinance, developers can purchase "unused" space above the Convention Center. Revenues from the sale go into a public benefit fund, which can be used for any number of local causes. Developers can also build public benefits into their projects in exchange for the "air rights."

McGregor has asked for approximately 259,000 additional square feet. The exact cost of the space and payment opportunities have not been worked out yet, but CRA officials last week said they would use the recently approved Park Fifth high rise - which also utilized the TFAR Ordinance, though it has yet to break ground - as a model.

The McGregor Company is also developing the $140 million One Santa Fe project in the Arts District, which obtained city approvals in February after years of delay; it is expected to break ground by the end of the year. Asked whether the developer plans to expand its presence Downtown beyond the two projects already in the pipeline, McGregor said, "We have plenty on our plate right now."
Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com. LA Downtown News

Don't like this one, it's really ugly. My main gripe is what's up w/ these stupid parking podiums? Can't you ask for a few million more to completely submerge the parking area?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/2845807907_00e093c18b_o.jpg

Adaptive-Reuse Developer Considers New Construction (http://www.angelenic.com/4292/adaptive-reuse-developer-considers-new-construction/)

By Stephen Friday
September 10, 2008

Fifth Street Funding, the developer behind several adaptive-reuse projects in the Historic Core including the Mercantile Arcade and Jewelry Trades buildings, is in pre-development planning on a new ground-up project on Spring Street.

The 13-story mixed-use proposal, designed by a David Denton Architects (http://www.daviddenton.com/) to fit the scale of its surrounding structures, would fill the parking lot (http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=pp70xf54c65z&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=6973967&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1) between the Spring Arcade Building and Alexandria Hotel on the west side of Spring, south of 5th Street.

Public records show Fifth Street Funding currently own the site, but no movement has been made to secure entitlements.

That news isn’t surprising considering the developer’s track record.

Plans to bring 142 loft-style apartments to the Mercantile Arcade Building between Broadway and Spring have languished for years (http://www.angelenic.com/800/mercantile-arcade-conversion-stuck-in-limbo/), and work on Jewelry Trade’s 62 residential units (developer of record is Mideb Nominees Inc., same group of people) is sitting on idle.

Meanwhile, conversion of Broadway and 5th’s Chester Williams Building — slated for 82 new rental units — has yet to begin.

Though to their credit, facade upgrades overseen by Fifth Street on all three structures, including those of two other buildings on Broadway, were completed with public grant allocations in recent years, and the developer has completed an upgrade of the interior retail arcade for which the Broadway and Spring Arcade buildings were named.

Greg Martin, general manager of the Mideb Nominees Inc./Fifth Street Funding partnership, declined an interview to discuss further details of his Spring Street project, though acknowledged it is still active.

Adding more density in an already dense area LOVE IT !!! Hope this happens all over the historic core

^^^^^^^^^^

nice but won't be to historic anymore.

^^^^^^^^^^

nice but won't be to historic anymore.

New modern buildings look sweet when in contrast to the older surrounding buildings. Plus they aren't tearing down an old building they are building this where a parking lot is now.

I do have to say it is impressive they are building such upscale developement about a block from skid row. it is spring and Main in considered the border btwn skid row and the historic core. which goes west to Broadway.

this is exactly what downtown needs more of. Integrated medium-sized new construction.. I don't want anymore towers on podiums.

I think it's nice !!!

Whats up with Park Place I heard the company was saying there going to build it but Im not sure yet what the plan is for that?

Last I read groundbreaking will be next year.

Let's take bets on this one. I say, NO WAY! Now that housing has crashed, the numbers are not going to make sense anymore.

Angels Flight Railway Cars Return

by Jon Regardie

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - On Saturday, Nov. 1, the two cars that long ran on Angels Flight were returned to the track that connects Bunker Hill and the Historic Core. The cars, named Olivet and Sinai, were brought to Hill Street Saturday morning and were lifted by a 275-ton crane over the arch at the bottom of the funicular and placed on the track.

It is a significant step forward for the railway, which has been closed since a deadly accident in 2001. Last year, new drive machinery was installed, and late last week, a cable for the drive was being tested. No date has been set yet for when the railway could resume operations.

"While there still are many weeks of fine-tuning and testing yet to be undertaken, we are hopeful that Angels Flight will reopen to the public late this year or early in 2009," said Dennis Luna, chairman of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation.

John Welborne, president of the Foundation, has spent significant time in recent years raising money for a renovation of the railway and the new drive system.

11/3/2008

http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2008/11/03/news/11-03-08-news01.txt

http://images.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/articles/2008/11/03/news/11-03-08-news01.jpg

Let's take bets on this one. I say, NO WAY! Now that housing has crashed, the numbers are not going to make sense anymore.

i think it will still break ground next year...by the time it's compelte and ready for move-ins, I'm sure the housing crisis will have been a thing of the past.

Okay, I don't know where to put this.

Measure "R" seems to have passed!!! It's not over, but it is passing. A miracle considering it needed to pass with a 2/3 majority. Why is this relevant to the forum? New transit lines means denser development. Denser development means more towers! Okay. Maybe not for a decade, but someday! Subway to the sea here we come! If the numbers hold, that is.

it has passed. 100 % reporting and it has the 2/3rds majority needed!

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3065/3028696850_33f84a354c_o.gif

9th and Grand: Strange Developments Afoot (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/11/chetrit.php)

By Dakota
November 13, 2008

On one side of Grand Avenue is the former Trinity Auditorium/Embassy Hotel (831 Grand) and the former stomping grounds of old friend downtown dog (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/09/exclusive_gaven.php). Following the cancellation of a Gansevoort Hotel (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/05/no_gansevoort_f.php), the owners, New York developer Chetrit, have continued to re-assure everyone (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/03/downtowns_9th_a.php) that another hotel is coming to the site. Now a reader emails this report: "I was walking by a couple of Saturdays ago, and one of the doors to the theatre was open. I walked in and they were doing a lot of work...All of the seats had been removed, and it appeared that the floor had been filled (essentially making it a flat surface, although I am not 100% sure). Something is going on..." Work inside the hotel may or may not be surprising, given there are often interior tinkerings going on at these empty buildings. But take into account this news! Across the street is 844 Grand, site of parking lot. On Tuesday, a source who works in the area told us testing had recently been done on the site. This source says engineers who did the testing told him that condos are planned for this parking lot. And the crazy part? "Chetrit is going to build a sky bridge connecting the condos with the hotels/condos across the street," he said. UPDATE: We just got word that that, yes, Chetrit is seeking entitlements for a condo project at 844 Grand.

We went down and took a photo of the place where this guy said the testing took place--it's the hole with the plastic cover thing over it. No one at Chetrit returned our calls. So it's all speculation, really. And possibly all just rumor. But that's what this source was told. And it's an excellent excuse for a Photoshop job. Also in the gallery: A couple of interiors of the old Trinity Auditorium. Hard to tell what exactly is going on.

Weedy Grand Avenue Lot Was Once A Planned Palace (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/08/weedy_lot_may_have_been_palace_hotel.php) [Curbed LA]

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3254/3027827437_8e2a48dbb1_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3002/3028660268_e11c3ed76e_o.jpg

http://curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3221/3028661224_35d8f1aecb_o.jpg

everyone go to www.downtownla.com and take the demographic survey.

it's about 5 minutes long and gives The Los Angeles Downtown Center Business Improvement District an idea of what businesses we would like to see downtown. includes groceries, restaurants, clubs, stores, and more.

i cant find it >>???

^^ on the main page, click the big "WANTED!" picture that has the Trader Joes, Target, and Whole Foods logos underneath the text. supposed to look like an old western poster.

hhaha thanks it was right in my face ...!!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/2824899743_7c179c7d1d_o.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2825735444_7121bd14fc_o.jpg

Slab Architects Sharpen Vision for 1340 Figueroa (http://www.angelenic.com/3834/slab-architects-sharpen-vision-for-1340-figueroa/)

By Stephen Friday
September 3, 2008

Last time we came across preliminary images for a new mixed-use high rise at 1340 Figueroa Street (opposite the Los Angeles Convention Center’s South Hall), things looked a lot different (http://www.angelenic.com/221/1340-figueroa-a-new-south-park-project/).

A new incarnation of the 43-story tower by SLAB Architects (http://www.slabarch.com/) shows a more refined design that looks like a contemporary take on William Pereira’s Transamerica Tower in San Francisco.

The 344,775 square-foot pyramid-esque structure would bring 273 residential units and 3 commercial condominiums to an L-shaped parking lot (http://www.angelenic.com/images/1340_Figueroa_Site2.jpg) between Figueroa and Flower on the block south of Pico Boulevard.

Unlike other pie-in-the-sky proposals we’ve seen tossed around the Figueroa corridor, this one may actually have some bones behind it, or at least a little cartilage: Korean-American developers acquired the site in October 2007, and site review plans (http://plncts.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=168342&caseNumber=CPC-2008-2363-GPA-ZC-HD-CU-CUB-ZV-SPR&fuseaction=case.summary) were submitted to the Planning Department in June to gain entitlements and necessary zone/height requirements for development — a process that could take years to complete.

These days, though, we’ll take any movement towards new construction we can get.

-1340 Figueroa a New South Park Project (http://www.angelenic.com/221/1340-figueroa-a-new-south-park-project/)
-1500 Figueroa Quietly Advances (http://www.angelenic.com/99/1500-figueroa-quietly-advances/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2824899861_9471389e37_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2825735684_7b29b8bf38_o.jpg

Whoever rendered that should be fired. That's just terrible!!!!

^^ i thought the same thing. Probably an intern. lol...though the architecture firm should never have released those renderings.

Maybe it's just an ugly building?

yeah.. it really looks like an early 90's surf/beachwear company, like gotcha or O'neill or T&C. I feel like it's supposed to have sunglasses on it.

well, i think it it was rendered properly it would look totally different. Judging by the looks of the materials, lighting, and just over all appearance, it looks like a Revit rendering from something that was created in sketchup lol. For a 43 story, possibly skyline impacting tower, they should have taken the time and thrown that into Maya to give it some better materiality and lighting effects ...

god, i have done better renders and i am still in college

and I do not know about maya... isn't 3ds max used for much architectural visualization? Although maya has but in a better tools for autocad-to-maya in its new version.

Looks kind of like something out of Blade Runner.

Has anybody heard anything about this project I found today?

South Park Towers (http://www.meruelomaddux.com/noflash/propertiesResidential.php), 12th Street and Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA (Planning)

Three distinctive residential towers are planned to rise on the nearly three acres of present parking lots adjacent to the SBC Tower. The 1,136 unit development being designed by Funes Architecture will offer 54,000 SF of commercial space, and nearly 2,000 parking stalls. Ground is expected to be broken in early 2007.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/KJLJPICS/southpark.jpg

So much is being placed on hold I'm wondering if anyone knows if this was placed on hold as well or if it was just a tease by MerueloMaddux.

why was 9th and figueroa tower cancelled?

Official name 9th and Figueroa Tower



District Central City
City Los Angeles
State California
Country U.S.A.



Height (struct.) 387 m 1,270 ft

Floors (OG) 90


Building in General
Type of construction skyscraper

^^ Economic reasons.

Someone actually did a render of what it would have looked like in the skyline:

9th and Figueroa Tower

During the building boom of the late 1980's and early 1990's, there was a proposal for what would have been Los Angeles' tallest building. Known as the 9th and Figueroa Tower, it would have eclipsed the height of the current tallest highrise, The US Bank Tower. The US Bank Tower was completed in 1989, has 73 floors, and stands at 1018 ft. The proposal for 9th and Fig Tower was designed to have 90 floors and stand at 1270 ft. However, in 1990 the project was canceled due to economic reasons. (if anyone has more information on this, please share). In the early 90's, Los Angeles had a glut of excess office space that only recently has been absorbed. Had this tower been built, it would stand where the Concerto Towers are currently under construction.


http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=9andfigueroatower-losangeles-ca-usa

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b10571

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/2418542140_84b10b0753_o.jpg
Photo Credit: SSC member LA of Anaheim (photo has been altered)

^^ eww

^^ Economic reasons.

Someone actually did a render of what it would have looked like in the skyline:

Yeah its is a kinda ugly building but why is L.A. soo slow for highrise development because NY is like a forest of highrises and chicago is like that too but why not L.A.?...

Building height restrictions in the early 1900's, the city was trying NOT to be NYC or Chicago. Not to mention how young Los Angeles is compared to NYC and Chicago.

Oh and 9th and Figueroa Tower -> :puke:

Haha yeah it really is ugly it looks as if all they used was cement,wood, and a couple of windows ha! but will L.A. ever be like that? now that they are building a couple of buildings?

Building height restrictions in the early 1900's, the city was trying NOT to be NYC or Chicago. Not to mention how young Los Angeles is compared to NYC and Chicago.

Oh and 9th and Figueroa Tower -> :puke:

Whoa our posts got mixed up, weird. When it comes to density Los Angeles has neighborhoods that exceed New York and Chicago considerably. And while we don't have as many tall skyscrapers as NYC and Chicago, we are second to NY for actual number of high-rises. Consider how many business districts we have too, our skyline is made of much more than just downtown.

Whoa our posts got mixed up, weird. When it comes to density Los Angeles has neighborhoods that exceed New York and Chicago considerably. And while we don't have as many tall skyscrapers as NYC and Chicago, we are second to NY for actual number of high-rises. Consider how many business districts we have too, our skyline is made of much more than just downtown.


so we r more advanced than NY and Chicago???

Has anybody heard anything about this project I found today?

South Park Towers (http://www.meruelomaddux.com/noflash/propertiesResidential.php), 12th Street and Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA (Planning)

Three distinctive residential towers are planned to rise on the nearly three acres of present parking lots adjacent to the SBC Tower. The 1,136 unit development being designed by Funes Architecture will offer 54,000 SF of commercial space, and nearly 2,000 parking stalls. Ground is expected to be broken in early 2007.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/KJLJPICS/southpark.jpg

So much is being placed on hold I'm wondering if anyone knows if this was placed on hold as well or if it was just a tease by MerueloMaddux.

There is a thread about that project here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=444120

^^ not even close. But, it's not fair to compare L.A. and NY. They are two completely different beasts.

What the?!?!

There is a thread about that project here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=444120

yeah tht building is nice looking but all of these buildings are going to take a while to build

Yeah its is a kinda ugly building but why is L.A. soo slow for highrise development because NY is like a forest of highrises and chicago is like that too but why not L.A.?...

while age has a factor, new york, and chicago are older, land space is the main factor. los angeles has so much space with in the city limit, and surrounding area. that there was no need for taller buildings to be built. new york out grew its self early on so they had to build up(304.8 sq mi). but now that la has reached its horizontal limit(469.1 sq mi), the number of high rises will grow because we are now forced to go vertical. give la some time and it will pass new york in density, # of skyscrapers, and overall population.

so we r more advanced than NY??? if so.. yay!

Not more advanced, but more dense as in persons per square mile. Archi is so right, they are so different from each-other it's useless to compare them.

There is a thread about that project here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=444120

Thanks Archi!! I tried searching the threads and nothing came up, thanks for the link!

Guys, This thread is for Downtown Development. Also, we are bordering on city v city and that is not allowed. lets get back on topic. thanks

Guys, This thread is for Downtown Development. Also, we are bordering on city v city and that is not allowed. lets get back on topic. thanks
chill i was just wondering which was more advanced? i was only fooling around but yeah its cool =]:)

while age has a factor, new york, and chicago are older, land space is the main factor. los angeles has so much space with in the city limit, and surrounding area. that there was no need for taller buildings to be built. new york out grew its self early on so they had to build up(304.8 sq mi). but now that la has reached its horizontal limit(469.1 sq mi), the number of high rises will grow because we are now forced to go vertical. give la some time and it will pass new york in density, # of skyscrapers, and overall population. thats pretty cool but even miami is probably not as old as L.A. and its all tall buildings... soo is a reason maybe because of the zone its in?? earthquakes??????

chill i was just wondering which was more advanced? i was only fooling around but yeah its cool =]:)

Believe me, as a mod on these boards for years, i know when a thread is headed the wrong way. Now, lets limit the off topic conversations.

Factoring in that skyscrapers here must be built to and exceed earthquake standards has lots and lots to do with it. Also as was said earlier, in LA's formative years it was to be a more mundane city than Chicago and NYC whereinwhich many of the people who emigrated from back east wanted to live in a city that wasn't overly crowded, didn't have block after block of tenemant slums like in NYC's Lower East Side and they also wanted to take advantage of the perennial springlike weather and constant sunlight. But now that we really have nowhere else to go but up we'll begin to see more of these type structures. LA is a more interesting city by not having built up so early for now we are witnessing an established city attempting to yet again mutate in response to its evolution.

Believe me, as a mod on these boards for years, i know when a thread is headed the wrong way. Now, lets limit the off topic conversations.

........alright

Factoring in that skyscrapers here must be built to and exceed earthquake standards has lots and lots to do with it. Also as was said earlier, in LA's formative years it was to be a more mundane city than Chicago and NYC whereinwhich many of the people who emigrated from back east wanted to live in a city that wasn't overly crowded, didn't have block after block of tenemant slums like in NYC's Lower East Side and they also wanted to take advantage of the perennial springlike weather and constant sunlight. But now that we really have nowhere else to go but up we'll begin to see more of these type structures. LA is a more interesting city by not having built up so early for now we are witnessing an established city attempting to yet again mutate in response to its evolution.

oooh so its kind of like a new beginning to L.A. which means we are again starting to build highrises? thts nice :)

oooh so its kind of like a new beginning to L.A.

LA has new beginnings all the time, decade to decade it's a whole new place, that's what I love about this region.

LA has new beginnings all the time, decade to decade it's a whole new place, that's what I love about this region.

LOOVE ITT =]

Factoring in that skyscrapers here must be built to and exceed earthquake standards has lots and lots to do with it. Also as was said earlier, in LA's formative years it was to be a more mundane city than Chicago and NYC whereinwhich many of the people who emigrated from back east wanted to live in a city that wasn't overly crowded, didn't have block after block of tenemant slums like in NYC's Lower East Side and they also wanted to take advantage of the perennial springlike weather and constant sunlight. But now that we really have nowhere else to go but up we'll begin to see more of these type structures. LA is a more interesting city by not having built up so early for now we are witnessing an established city attempting to yet again mutate in response to its evolution.

True, LA is famous for changing itself...but I think one of the reasons that LA doesn't have the skyscrapers is the demand for them. Attitudes are very different and ideas of space are very different. The NY attitude of space is more European in that they accept small crowded spaces where the west coast, we want more of it. I believe a few years ago, a developer considered a ny style apartment highrise (I believe he said each one was like 200-400 sq ft, basically designed for city life where all you would do is sleep in it) and bailed out because of the idea of necessary space on the west coast. Also, LA was hit hard when "suburbia" was the in thing and everyone dreamed of that lot they could call their own. Things should change now that suburbia is a total faux pas and my bet would be that in the next 5-10 yrs when the economy hopefully has changed, LA will get a massive...face lift (and no, not the people)

Los Angeles has reached it's natural boundaries, the only place left to go is up. The next couple decades will be fun in LA. I like the way klamedia put it, we are witnessing an established city attempting to yet again mutate in response to its evolution. We get to witness all this during our lifetimes, as opposed to living in a city that was developed before us, we get to be part of the development.

your asking in the wrong thread.

your asking in the wrong thread.

:? Que?

lol i didnt mean you, it was regarding Mr. Hollywood asking about Oxnard in the Downtown LA thread. :)

Los Angeles has reached it's natural boundaries, the only place left to go is up. The next couple decades will be fun in LA. I like the way klamedia put it, We get to witness all this during our lifetimes, as opposed to living in a city that was developed before us, we get to be part of the development.

But also I must say that it's not all roses and punch either. The US is in a bad way right now and LA has already felt the effects. The smartest thing this city could do is strengthen its ties with the Pacific Rim and Asian countries and I mean as if it just happens to be a part of the US. LA already gives alot to this country with little (respect)in return. No it's not an abstract financial centre but a very real 'muthafuckas in a factory downtown making shit for the rest of the country to wear and listen to' type city and you don't build shiny skyscrapers that people oggle over as a symbol of that. It is also the modern day Ellis Island....po' people arriving upon its "shores" with just the clothes on their backs looking for a new beginning...no sign of a welcoming Statue Of Liberty and no one waving American flags as the cameras catch their triumphant arrival. It also takes care of the nation's homeless and bears the brunt (which is a blessing and a curse) of operating the largest ports in N. America.

Just my opinion.........

But also I must say that it's not all roses and punch either. The US is in a bad way right now and LA has already felt the effects. The smartest thing this city could do is strengthen its ties with the Pacific Rim and Asian countries and I mean as if it just happens to be a part of the US. LA already gives alot to this country with little (respect)in return. No it's not an abstract financial centre but a very real 'muthafuckas in a factory downtown making shit for the rest of the country to wear and listen to' type city and you don't build shiny skyscrapers that people oggle over as a symbol of that. It is also the modern day Ellis Island....po' people arriving upon its "shores" with just the clothes on their backs looking for a new beginning...no sign of a welcoming Statue Of Liberty and no one waving American flags as the cameras catch their triumphant arrival. It also takes care of the nation's homeless and bears the brunt (which is a blessing and a curse) of operating the largest ports in N. America.

Just my opinion.........

When I first read that I was thinking that you were being negative, but I re-read it and can see what you are saying. LA is going through what NYC did decades and centuries ago, but without the fanfare of when it was happening there. When immigrants came to NYC they were seen, for the most part, as the people who were coming here to develop this then infant nation. In present LA they are criticized and treated like sh*t for trying to come here to succeed at the same American dream the immigrants of the 1800's hoped for. Yet with all the criticism and negative views of Los Angeles from the outside, the city has to continue to progress, grow and hopefully succeed as a power center with one of the worlds most eclectic melting-pots with what it's being given to work with. It won't all be pretty, there's always negative with the positive. But the negatives will hopefully be received as learning tools and will help the region succeed. What you said about teaming up with the pacific rim/asia, I couldn't agree more. There's much success to be had having such ties with them. You can already see a strong tie with those regions and the United Emirates forming, and that will be a great advantage to our region.

thats pretty cool but even miami is probably not as old as L.A. and its all tall buildings... soo is a reason maybe because of the zone its in?? earthquakes??????

na i still say age. earthquakes have very little to do with it. la was founded in the 1700's and there have been hundreds of earthquakes since then, with no decrease in population. i will admit earthquakes do play a minor role though, if you had the former world trade center in downtown most would not want to live or work on the upper most floors (floors 85 and up) just yet. remember la is number 3 in the u.s. in terms of # of high rises with about 558. miami has about 286 high rises ranking it # 11 it doesn't even make the top 10. if your talking the highest skylines la still beats miami. miami only looks tall because all the pictures you see are of condo buildings along the shoreline. go beyond the coast and you see suberbia.

lol i didnt mean you, it was regarding Mr. Hollywood asking about Oxnard in the Downtown LA thread. :)

Like Omg with all respect why do you always pick on me omg all skyscraper city people are like soo OCD like im sorry if i asked the wrong questin sir but why all these people hate me like one said tht i looked like his neighbor, anotherone insulted me i think, and for asking which city was more advanced u guys thought i was starting a city v city thing.. arghh!!! omg wow imma just like go lock myself in my room and let out my anger lol wooooow .....o okay im done so yeah okay new me ... imma stop being dumb and imma ask smarter questions okayyyyyyyyy is tht better? :)


alright people lets not get off subject okayy although i may have im sorry but tht was my mistake and i have an excuse cuz im new here haha
lol okay so lets talk bout development in LOS ANGELES not oxnard okay :)

have a nice day everyone :) thanks for pinting it out in a nice way :)

na i still say age. earthquakes have very little to do with it. la was founded in the 1700's and there have been hundreds of earthquakes since then, with no decrease in population. i will admit earthquakes do play a minor role though, if you had the former world trade center in downtown most would not want to live or work on the upper most floors (floors 85 and up) just yet. remember la is number 3 in the u.s. in terms of # of high rises with about 558. miami has about 286 high rises ranking it # 11 it doesn't even make the top 10. if your talking the highest skylines la still beats miami. miami only looks tall because all the pictures you see are of condo buildings along the shoreline. go beyond the coast and you see suberbia.

oohhh thats cool ..wow i learned something today :)

Like Omg with all respect why do you always pick on me omg all skyscraper city people are like soo OCD like im sorry if i asked the wrong questin sir but why all these people hate me like one said tht i looked like his neighbor, anotherone insulted me i think, and for asking which city was more advanced u guys thought i was starting a city v city thing.. arghh!!! omg wow imma just like go lock myself in my room and let out my anger lol wooooow .....o okay im done so yeah okay new me ... imma stop being dumb and imma ask smarter questions okayyyyyyyyy is tht better? :)


alright people lets not get off subject okayy although i may have im sorry but tht was my mistake and i have an excuse cuz im new here haha
lol okay so lets talk bout development in LOS ANGELES not oxnard okay :)

have a nice day everyone :) thanks for pinting it out in a nice way :)

:uh: whoa

Like Omg with all respect why do you always pick on me omg all skyscraper city people are like soo OCD like im sorry if i asked the wrong questin sir but why all these people hate me like one said tht i looked like his neighbor, anotherone insulted me i think, and for asking which city was more advanced u guys thought i was starting a city v city thing.. arghh!!! omg wow imma just like go lock myself in my room and let out my anger lol wooooow .....o okay im done so yeah okay new me ... imma stop being dumb and imma ask smarter questions okayyyyyyyyy is tht better? :)


alright people lets not get off subject okayy although i may have im sorry but tht was my mistake and i have an excuse cuz im new here haha
lol okay so lets talk bout development in LOS ANGELES not oxnard okay :)

have a nice day everyone :) thanks for pinting it out in a nice way :)

:bash::ohno::lol:

its all good man, i just need to keep things in order, hence the moderator title. The vets on this board know when a new poster comes on, the same things happen, such as posts in the wrong threads, city vs city, etc and we know the consequences. We are just trying to keep the ship in order. if you look around, you will see that most developments and projects and areas have their own threads, off topic stuff is in the interchange forum and the main board is about LA topics not specific to a project.

Welcome and enjoy.

No it's not an abstract financial centre but a very real 'muthafuckas in a factory downtown making shit for the rest of the country to wear and listen to' type city and you don't build shiny skyscrapers that people oggle over as a symbol of that. Just my opinion.........
Ta Daaa! Passionate, but there it is. Los Angeles, my hometown, should concentrate on moving its people around and improving its business ties and practises. The rest will come.

Do You Guys Have Any Detailed Info on LA Central???

^^ LA Central | 575ft | 54 fl | 455ft | 40 fl | App (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=499561)

:nuts:

hey downtown news put out there downtown updates

http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2009/02/23/development/02-23-09-estate01.txt

wow..almost a month with no updates!! :( well..here's one:

USC Plans For the Future

Brian League, USC�s director of entitlements, is working on a plan that could bring more than 2 million square feet of new student housing to the area at the southern edge of the Figueroa Corridor. Photo by Gary Leonard.

University Preps for Expansion That Would Strengthen Ties to Downtown
by Anna Scott
Published: Friday, February 20, 2009 3:12 PM PST

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - The University of Southern California is in the early stage of creating a sweeping development plan that could bring millions of square feet of new housing, retail and other amenities to the southern end of the Figueroa Corridor. It would be a major step in strengthening the ties between the university and the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.

The proposed USC Specific Plan would pave the way for up to approximately 2.5 million square feet of new academic facilities, 350,000 square feet of retail and 2.1 million square feet of mostly student housing over the next 10-20 years. The plan targets 207 acres including the USC campus, a small area east of the 110 Freeway between Jefferson and Exposition boulevards, and the USC-owned University Village shopping center just north of campus, which the school plans to replace with housing.

It is too early to determine a budget, but enacting the plan would likely exceed the approximately $100 million per year that USC currently spends on capital improvements.

"We prepared a master plan, which lays out the university's needs for the next 20 years," said USC Director of Entitlements Brian League. "The Specific Plan is the way that, in partnership with the city, we can implement those needs."

The plan also addresses community needs beyond the university, calling for more public open space, pedestrian-friendly streets and community-serving retail in the neighborhoods surrounding USC.

Despite the expansion, the school does not plan to grow its student body, officials say.

Much of the new housing and retail, League said, will be concentrated on and around Figueroa Street. Two miles to the north, Figueroa has seen a wealth of development, including the $2.5 billion L.A. Live

"From the Coliseum to USC, the Con-vention Center, L.A. Live, eventually Grand Avenue and Dodger Stadium, you will basically be confronting what we consider the educational, cultural, entertainment and sports capital of the city of Los Angeles," said City Councilman Bernard Parks, whose Eighth District encompasses the university.


Thinking Big


With more than 33,000 students and an estimated $4 billion in annual economic impact, USC sits one block north of Exposition Park.

If approved by the City Council, the USC Specific Plan would allow USC to create new housing, school facilities and commercial space in an area bounded by Vermont Avenue to the west; Hoover Street to the east, north of Jefferson Boulevard; Flower Street to the east, south of Jefferson; 30th Street to the north; and Exposition Boulevard to the south.

A sort of generalized blueprint, the Specific Plan would give USC wide latitude in using its entitlements, and construction would unfold in phases over at least 10 years.

The first priority, League said, would be building more student housing.

Currently, many students live in a mishmash of apartment complexes and sub-divided single-family homes on the streets around campus. USC offers 6,000 beds and guarantees housing to first- and second-year undergraduates. The Specific Plan would aim to add another 5,400 beds, allowing USC to guarantee housing for all four undergraduate years.

The housing would also take pressure off the surrounding neighborhood, where residents have complained for years of being encroached on.

Yolanda Jones, president of the North Area Empowerment Congress, a neighborhood group, said that her organization would also push for ground-floor retail in the new residential developments.

"We would like to see fresh food options, not just fast food. Obviously we don't need more liquor stores," she said. "And we'd like to see things related to the median income of the community, not just the student income."

Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents part of the area around USC, most of Downtown and portions of South Los Angeles, said she is attuned to the community's concerns.

"I'd like to see it balance the need for more student housing and leverage the land we have left to develop in the area," she said of the Specific Plan, "making sure we create opportunities for people to have neighborhood needs met; places to eat, shop and get services."

Perry and Parks have asked the city Planning Department to create a development agreement with USC to ensure that its plans benefit the community. The agreement would add stipulations to the Specific Plan, such as a local hiring quota, green building standards and establishing preferential parking districts in residential areas.

Aside from prioritizing new student housing with commercial components, it is not clear yet how the Specific Plan will unfold.

The proposed 2.5 million square feet of academic facilities will depend largely on future advances beyond USC's control. For example, in recent years the school has added a new molecular biology facility to stay competitive in the research arena, and grown its cinema school in part to keep up with digital film technology.

The plan also would also entitle a hotel with up to 150 rooms, and a university-affiliated K-8 school. Yet those plans could change, and flexibility will be key, said League.

"We want to create a big enough basket of development, because come 2011, it's hard to predict the future," League said


Long Timeline


One project already under way that provides a glimpse of the future is Downtown-based developer Urban Partners' University Gateway.

On the southeast corner of Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard, the $168 million project broke ground last May and, when it opens in the fall of 2010, will provide 421 apartments with 1,600 student beds. The complex's more than 80,000 square feet of retail space is still being negotiated, said Urban Partners CFO Matt Burton, but will appeal to students and non-students.

"It will include restaurants, a drug store concept that's a national retailer, and then a lot of it will just be your coffee shops, that kind of use," he said.

That project will start to extend the development energy from the campus north to Downtown. In the meantime, the Specific Plan still has several hurdles to clear.

Last Wednesday, the city hosted the second and final public meeting to gather community input before launching an environmental study of the plan. An Environmental Impact Report is expected to be complete by December and go to the City Council for approval in the summer of 2010. If approved, USC could then begin construction on projects under the Specific Plan.

It is not clear yet how long the entitlements granted under the Specific Plan will apply.

"We did our master plan through 2030, and we're looking to get as long an entitlement as we can," said League. "Ten years, we hope so. If we can get 20 years, all the better."

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

page 1, 2/23/2009
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^^ whoa...:eek2: sounds cool =] GO USC!

Thursday 19 Mar 2009

LA's Civic Center Park gets a bold facelift


Los Angeles is often seen as a disconnected city, better experienced by car than by foot. People there live in “pockets” and pretty much keep to themselves. But that is about to change with the making of a new, democratic, 12-acre park in one of the city’s prime areas, next to City Hall, that is designed to bring people of diverse backgrounds together for a host of public gatherings and activities. Dubbed the “Multicultural Garden”, the park, designed by Los Angeles based Rios Clementi Hale Studios, will have four zones - an event lawn for rallies and concerts, a community terrace with a multicultural garden, a performance space with a stage, and a large public plaza.

In its current condition the site presented many challenges. “Although originally designed as a park, it never worked well” said Tony Paradowski, a senior associate with the firm. The site was bound on both edges by buildings, thus limiting its visibility. And, it had an 80-degree grade change from one end to the other, making cross circulation difficult. With a couple of sweeping moves, the architects have transformed the failed park into a bold new civic space. “The first move was to open up the site and increase its access and visibility”, Paradowski said. “Next, we increased the green space by greening over a parking lot to create an event lawn capable of accommodating up to 30,000 people.” As envisioned, the lawn is a flexible space that could be a used for such passive activities as sunning and reading, like Central Park’s Sheep’s Meadow, or play host to large concerts, films and public rallies. To accommodate such events, the architects have incorporated 'media hydrants' throughout, which are “plug-in” power sources for lighting and sound.
Three years in the making, the project awaits schematic design approval. If approved, the park will break ground in 2010 and open in the spring of 2012.
Sharon McHugh
US Correspondent

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/11306_4_RCH_CivicPark_View-2_SD.jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/11306_3_RCH_CivicPark_View-1_SD.jpg
www.worldarchitecturenews.com

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/3349831244_afc1727be9_o-1.jpghttp://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/HPIM1199-1-2.jpg Mine's better. Much more level room, grass and mature trees exported to the site- not saplings that will produce shade 5000 years after we're all dead! It's science..

Mine's better.

Definitely agree...:)

Thanks, D :)

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/3349831244_afc1727be9_o-1.jpghttp://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/HPIM1199-1-2.jpg Mine's better. Much more level room, grass and mature trees exported to the site- not saplings that will produce shade 5000 years after we're all dead! It's science..


Milqy, there's no question your proposal is waaaay superior!! Don't spill your coffee beans now! I mean it!! In fact it reminds me of Toronto's City Hall and its twin towers designed by Finnish architect--Viljo Revell. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not trying to insinuate that your proposal is outdated because of its functionalist nature; but there are similarities there that can't be denied, albeit your proposal would have much leaner/taller buildings and be more spatially compatible with our very own beautiful City Hall. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little. :lol: I'm not a big fan of modernist architecture, but I've been to and seen Toronto's City Hall in person and they are attractive towers even after all these years. Your creations (anything decent-looking), would certainly be better than those gawd-awful county buildings, that are still sitting on that curent site!!! :)

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/future_trance011/TorontoCityHall1.jpg
www.toronto.ca

^ That looks awful...

^ That looks awful...

I was merely being facetious with Milqy. Toronto's towers actually look better in person though. You can't deny they certainly look better than those county buildings we have right now. Anything looks better than those eyesores. LOL =)

There's many things I can say here about a city with a natural setting that ain't half bad, fucking up an opportunity like this one. Kind of reminds me of the entrance to the zoo, but with a fountain added. This design is a failing effort, obviously put together by some hot shots at the firm who won some sort of city contract and have been given what- 60 million to go ahead with this 'trench'? If I went there to experience this at the invitation of the idiots who developed this in the first place, I think I'd run through it with my hands over my ears, screaming for my Mommy! You'd find me on Hill, barfing into my nose... (I don't like throwing up in public) Think I'll develop my sketch and show you what I think.

What happened to the mall on Wilshire and Vermont? i know it was supposed to be 7 stories but wasnt it denied?

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2009.03.demoedgoodbye.jpg

Breaking: Wilshire Grand Hotel to Be Destroyed for Hotel, Office Project (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/04/breaking_wilshire_grand_to_be_destroyed_hotel_office_project_coming.php)

By Dakota
April 2, 2009

Downtown's Wilshire Grand Hotel at 930 Wilshire Boulevard will be destroyed to make room for a two tower project--a hotel and condo tower and an officer tower-- numerous sources confirmed to Curbed tonight. According to one source, the project will consist of a hotel and condo tower, an office tower, and an 18,000-square public park. The development team behind the project is Los Angeles-based Thomas Properties Group and Korean Air Co. Demolition of the 50-year-old hotel is expected to begin in 2011. It's unknown who the architect is on the project.

The news follows a Downtown News story posted earlier today (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/04/downtown_news_1_billion_development_planned_for_downtown.php) on Curbed that a $1 billion project is planned (their story is expected to break on their web site at midnight). While this project is two years off, it clearly gives downtown boosters some good news following a month that saw downtown's Brockman project enter bankrutpcy (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/04/downtowns_most_beautiful_building_files_for_bankruptcy.php), downtown landlord Meruelo Maddux Properties Inc file for bankruptcy, and Related Cos work out an extension on its now-stalled Grand Ave project (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/02/grand_ave_payment_referral_approved.php). Blogdowntown also has a story on the project (http://blogdowntown.com/2009/04/4185-wilshire-grand-to-be-torn-down-replaced-with).


Downtown News: $1 Billion Development Planned for Downtown (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/04/downtown_news_1_billion_development_planned_for_downtown.php) [Curbed LA]

Wilshire Grand to be Torn Down; Replaced with Office, Hotel Towers (http://blogdowntown.com/2009/04/4185-wilshire-grand-to-be-torn-down-replaced-with) [Blogdowntown]

Here it is!

weird. i was just thinking yesterday that the wilshire grand hotel should go

South Korean firm unveils plans to put its stamp on L.A. skyline

Conglomerate Korean Air proposes building a pair of high-rises to replace the aging Wilshire Grand hotel. The project would cost $1 billion.
By Roger Vincent and Peter Pae

April 3, 2009
The aging Wilshire Grand hotel and adjoining offices in downtown Los Angeles would be demolished and replaced with a $1-billion hotel, office and retail complex under a plan by one of South Korea's largest business conglomerates.

The proposal is unexpected at a time when builders are backing away from big projects, and when the market for office space and condominiums has softened considerably because of the recession.

At 1.8 million square feet, the project is also a testament to the rising clout of L.A.'s Korean community, the largest outside of Seoul.

"This will be an icon of the Korean community for Los Angeles," said Yang Ho Cho, the chairman of Korean Air, which is developing the project.

Korean Air is the flagship company for Hanjin Group, which has $20 billion in annual revenue from its interests in land, sea and air transportation as well as construction, heavy industry, finance and information services.

Hanjin's involvement raises the project to a new level, marking the first time that a South Korean developer has engaged in an endeavor of this magnitude. The move is particularly significant because the company is what South Koreans call a chaebol, one of the family-owned conglomerates that dominate the nation's economy.

"This is on a bigger scale and it shows the growing clout" of Korean and Korean American investors, said Kyeyoung Park, associate professor of anthropology at UCLA's Center for Korean Studies.

Plans for the project, announced Thursday, call for replacing the 1950s-era Wilshire Grand -- located at Figueroa Street and Wilshire Boulevard -- with a luxurious 40-story hotel with as many as 700 rooms and topped by several floors of condominiums.

Next door would be an even taller building, a sleek 60-story tower with 1.1 million square feet of rentable office space. At ground level would be shops, a landscaped park and a public plaza.

It would be the first major high-rise office building constructed in L.A. since 1992.

The airline has hired Thomas Properties Group, one of the city's best-known developers, to oversee the project.

"It's amazing that anybody has the capacity to engage in new construction right now," said City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is familiar with the proposal and supports it so far. "I'm looking forward to engaging in the process to move it forward."

But for those familiar with Korean Air, the latest project is not surprising and is in keeping with its roots as a chaebol.

A high-end hotel fits well with the conglomerate's operations in Los Angeles: It makes parts for airplanes, flies the planes here as the busiest Asian carrier at Los Angeles International Airport, runs travel agencies that book the tickets and operates a catering business that serves the food on the planes.

It already owns several hotels in South Korea, including the Hyatt Regency next to the Incheon airport, and drives guests there in its own buses.

The daughter of the chairman of the chaebol runs its hotel division.

Korean Air eked out an operating profit of just $18 million in the fourth quarter of last year but is believed to be in a strong enough financial position to back the hotel project.

Money began flowing from South Korea to Los Angeles in the 1970s but really picked up in the late 1990s, as South Koreans built shopping malls and other projects in Koreatown, helping fuel the growth of Korean banks.

The Wilshire Grand project -- on prime downtown land and outside of Koreatown -- kicks it up a notch, said UCLA's Park.

Thomas Properties Chairman Jim Thomas, who has helped build downtown landmarks including the US Bank Tower, is currently working on a proposed $800-million, mixed-use project in Universal City that would house the new studio and West Coast headquarters of NBC Universal.

Before work can begin on Wilshire Grand, the project must win approval from the city of Los Angeles, a lengthy process. But Thomas said in an interview that if all went according to plan, construction could begin by 2011 and be complete by 2014.

The project is being proposed at a gloomy time for the commercial real estate market, when few buildings are being sold -- much less built. But Thomas said he believes that will turn around by the time the project is ready to go.

"Construction costs are going down," Thomas said. "This is the best time to get started."

Los Angeles architect David Martin, a principal at AC Martin Partners, is designing the project. Martin designed the Figueroa-at-Wilshire high-rise across the street from the Wilshire Grand in 1990 and more recently worked with Thomas building the environmentally friendly California Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Sacramento.

His modernist design calls for the towers to be situated on the site at a north-south angle to take advantage of sunlight, and may include a photovoltaic skin to create solar power. Some windows would open to an exterior clad in glass and perhaps terra cotta.

The new hotel, located across the street from a subway station, would have fewer rooms than the 896-room Wilshire Grand but would be more luxurious, Thomas said. It would also have meeting and banquet facilities supported by parking for 1,700 cars.

The Wilshire Grand, built in 1952, was originally a Hotel Statler and later a Hilton. Once one of the city's best hotels, it is now a mid-market inn catering to conventioneers and tour groups from overseas. The property is a few blocks north of Staples Center and has office wings that are 15 stories high.

Korean Air bought the hotel in 1989.

Hanjin's connection to Los Angeles runs deep. The chairman, his brother, his sister and his three children all graduated from USC. The chairman, known as Y.H. to his American friends, is on the USC board of trustees.

At LAX, Korean Air is the busiest Asian carrier, with six departures a day, all of them operated on jumbo jets such as the Boeing 747 and 777 wide-body aircraft.

Next year, the airline expects to be the first Asian carrier to operate the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger jet, at LAX.

Despite a global downturn in air travel, Korean Air is one of the few foreign carriers that have been adding flights, particularly at LAX, as it has expanded its marketing to Chinese and American passengers flying to Asia.

In an interview with The Times this week, Cho, the Korean Air chairman, said the airline had anticipated the economic downturn and began building up its cash reserves more than a year ago.

"We expected some problems and we prepared by accumulating cash," Cho said, adding that the airline also began expanding to emerging markets in Eastern Europe and Africa.

While the number of South Korean travelers fell 20% last year, overall passenger traffic increased, he said.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-downtown3-2009apr03,0,1023459,full.story

is in keeping with its roots as a chaebol.



Chaebol. I know that. Thank God for Korean chaebols!

From the article...


http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45950097.jpg
The 60- and 40-story towers, rendered in blue in this
architect’s sketch, would rise alongside the 110
freeway and house a hotel, offices and stores in 1.8
million square feet.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45954931.jpg
An artist's sketch shows a street-level view of the 40- and 60-story towers proposed for the property
now occupied by the Wilshire Grand hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Owner and developer Korean Air
unveiled plans to build a $1-billion complex that will include a hotel, offices and retail space.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45954935.jpg
The two high-rise towers, rendered in blue in this image,
would stand shoulder to shoulder with other skyscrapers
alongside the 110 freeway.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45954946.jpg
Thomas Properties Group will oversee the project,
designed by Los Angeles architect David Martin, a
principal at AC Martin Partners.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-04/45954953.jpg
The $1-billion complex would encompass 1.8 million
square feet in a 40-story hotel tower and 60-story
office tower.

Ahhh, The Hilton .. Booo Bye :) http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/jreyerman2-3.jpg

Why demolish this and not the Holiday Inn? This looks a lot better.

And doesn't the render look like the Freedom Tower in NYC? It would be cool to have a building with a spire though. :)

wow havent been here in a minute, I think the renderings look like Bank of America Tower the new one in NyC theres no denying that. and yea its cool to have a spire, now hopefully this will get 8/figueroa lot jumpstarted as well.

Looks like someone has called "Metropolis'" bluff :)

Hooray. Something to look forward to.

It would have been cool if it was a supertall (I wonder how the supertall in S.F. is progressing?) but I am excited to see this.

I think the image may be premature tho.

1. This has to be approved so it is subject to height limitations, regulations etc. (You all know how difficult it is to get a spire on a tower in Los Angeles.)

2. If you look closely, the floor count is out of whack. The shorter tower is actually rendered at about 42 floors when you count the lobby and the taller has 70ish floors plus that cap, plus the spire. (Counting all those tiny floors made me cross-eyed, but I think I am close.) SO it is probably not a render of the actual project.

By the way, can we start a thread for this instead of embedding it in this downtown dev. thread?

Okay, somebody clever, please render this into our skyline!

If the 60 storey tower does have that crown and spire, what do you think the height might be?

700 plus 100 or so for the crown/spire?

One article had this tower at 80 stories, but let's not run away with ourselves :)

And doesn't the render look like the Freedom Tower in NYC?

I want to say sorta, but I will say the architecture has a very Asian flare to it where the WTC1 doesn't at all. I want to say its very Tokyo midrise in style.

And doesn't the render look like the Freedom Tower in NYC? It would be cool to have a building with a spire though. :)

it actually looks like a carbon copy of the bank of america building in new york.

Oh yeah. I forgot about the BofA Tower. Yep. It is like its West Coast younger twin.

Affordable Housing Complex Comes Full Circle


The Michael Maltzan-designed New Carver Apartments, at 17th and Hope streets, boast a striking, circular design. The unusual shape helps cut the impacts of noise and pollution from the nearby 110 Freeway.


http://www.ladowntownnews.com/content/articles/2009/09/18/news/doc4ab42d66310ff006686480-2.jpg http://www.ladowntownnews.com/content/articles/2009/09/18/news/doc4ab42d66310ff006686480-1.jpg
Photo by Gary Leonard.



Striking New Carver Apartments Debuts This Week
by Anna Scott
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 6:09 PM PDT
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - When the developer of the New Carver Apartments celebrates the building’s grand opening this week, at least one question will not be a point of concern: how to fill the 97 units.

While the developers of market-rate projects throughout Downtown Los Angeles are scrambling to lure renters and buyers in the current economy, the New Carver’s apartments are reserved for homeless, disabled residents.

The New Carver is not the only new project providing permanent supportive housing, which in addition to a bedroom offers inhabitants a suite of services such as job training and mental health counseling. What really sets the building apart, however, is the striking, modern design by a prominent architect whose resume boasts expensive homes and museums.

A ribbon cutting and grand opening party for the project at 17th and Hope streets will take place Thursday, Sept. 24. The event will also celebrate SRHT’s 20th anniversary.

It is an appropriate venue for the occasion, as the New Carver in some ways represents the culmination of two decades of building supportive, affordable housing projects, said SRHT Executive Director Mike Alvidrez. In particular, he said, architect Michael Maltzan’s circular edifice exemplifies SRHT’s commitment to pushing the envelope in terms of affordable housing design.

“We’ve really learned the significance of design in the work that we do,” said Alvidrez. “It’s got to have a non-institutional feel, because a lot of these folks have fallen through just about every institution you can think of. Secondarily, we want to make sure that what we design and build is an asset to the community, so that people feel good because of its appearance and the way it’s maintained, whether they know what it’s there for or not.”

Highway View


Silver Lake-based Maltzan has a plethora of high-profile buildings on his resume. He has done single-family homes and commercial projects such as Pasadena’s Kidspace Children’s Museum and a temporary home for New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.

Despite that, he keeps an eye on Skid Row and regularly works with SRHT. The New Carver is the second of three collaborations with the developer: The red-flecked Rainbow Apartments on San Pedro Street opened in 2006, and the proposed Star Apartments at Sixth and Maple streets is in the early stage of development.

The curved white exterior of the New Carver, at 325 W. 17th St., was designed partly to buffer noise from the adjacent 110 Freeway and save money, said Maltzan.

“Acoustically, every foot that you get away from the noise source improves the ability to deal with that sound,” he said. “Also, we were looking at trying to create the most efficiency in terms of surface area in the building, and that had to do with costs.”

The round building also serves the more intangible goal of fostering a connection between the property and the surrounding area. To drivers on the nearby freeway, the building “becomes a very animate form,” said Maltzan. “It seems like it’s almost turning with you, and that sense of a visual connection was something we were very much trying to achieve.”

The theme of connection recurs throughout the building’s communal spaces.

The spacious lobby, which holds a security desk and offices for property managers and service providers such as case managers and nurses, leads to an open, circular courtyard in the project’s center. The building’s six floors spiral up around the courtyard, with the 270-square-foot efficiency units (there are 95, not including two apartments reserved for property managers) facing each other.

The ground floor also holds a community kitchen with industrial-quality equipment. A garden on the north side of the building will be planted and maintained by residents.

A third-floor community room, which sits level with and features a glass wall facing the freeway, is one of the New Carver’s most unusual spaces.

“It is like a front porch to the highway, to the people driving by,” said Maltzan. “I think that’s important, to forcibly not allow these buildings to become completely internal and hermetic but to look for opportunities where they can open up and encourage a sense of connection to the life of the city.”

The New Carver’s crown jewel is something normally touted in upscale apartment and condominium complexes: a sky deck. The sixth-floor space offers an expansive view of Downtown and beyond, from the Convention Center and City Hall to the Hollywood sign. Again, the goal is to encourage a feeling of community, said Alvidrez.

“The view perch and the community room facing the freeway are to continue that engagement, that you are a member of this community,” said Alvidrez. “We want people to engage in social interactions that are positive.”

By the Numbers


SRHT this month began accepting applications for the New Carver, which takes its name from the demolished Carver Hotel, a former low-income housing project on Fourth Street. Residents are expected to begin moving in next month, said Alvidrez.

Apartments will be leased on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified homeless individuals with mental or physical disabilities. To qualify, applicants must provide third-party confirmation that they are homeless, low-income and disabled and also pass a criminal background check by the Los Angeles Housing Authority that screens for serious drug-related convictions and other crimes. Rents will be based on a sliding scale in which individuals pay 30% of their income each month, said SRHT Director of Special Projects Molly Rysman.

“That allows us to target people who have really low or no incomes,” she said.

The project will have benefits beyond Downtown, said City Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose Ninth District includes the New Carver.

“I think the need is great not just in Downtown but on a citywide basis,” said Perry. “I think it’s a great model for creating support for older people who are chronically homeless, and I hope that people look at this project and realize not only is it beautiful and could fit into any neighborhood, but it fills a need.”

The financing equation for the $34 million New Carver is similar to any market-rate project. The overall budget, which was financed by tax credit equity as well as city, state and other affordable housing funds, includes construction costs and various fees, said Alvidrez.

While the building is ready to open, SRHT is not immune to the ongoing recession that is impacting so many, said Alvidrez. He noted that county and state funds for on-site services are harder to come by this year. SRHT is still trying to secure money for some services for the New Carver, including primary medical care and mental health counseling, he said.

Construction financing for future projects is also scarce. The timeline for the Maltzan-designed Star Apartments, for example, will depend on SRHT’s ability to raise money. Alvidrez declined to reveal that project’s budget.

“We are seeing that sort of logjam on the investment and lending side,” he said. “Until the economy starts to improve, it’s going to keep credit tight.

SRHT will celebrate its most recent addition to Downtown with a party on Thursday. The festivities at the New Carver will begin with a ribbon cutting, silent art auction and interior design showcase. Confirmed guests include city officials such as Perry, Hollywood glitterati including actor Tobey Maguire and folk-pop stars the Watson Twins, who will perform at the event.

“It’s special because it is our 20th year,” said Alvidrez. “Typically we’ll do a grand opening where we’ll invite people to join us in the opening of a building, but here we’re also celebrating the 20 years of work that we’ve done and what we’ve learned in that time.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

page 1, 09/21/2009

interesting, both in and out. It's good to see some development in this area, which is really developing into a health and medical center. I wonder if Trade Tech is developing its offerrings in the medical area.

Will SC eventually move it's health sciences campus into this area? That would be a nice coup for DT.

^^ I doubt SC would move it's location there. They already have a huge medical center in East L.A.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2306159368_a017e103c7_o.jpg
flickr tulane22

Trade Tech has some cool new buildings...I don't know if they're built yet.

lV1MQGv6dHs

the zooming into a location on Google Earth from all the way out in space is a bit old now. When you seen it once, it is just the same thing each time. Need better editing, takes like 30 seconds until I see the buildings.

I doubt if SC would move as well, but it would be a natural place for them to expand their presence. That whole area is quite a booming little medical zone.

County General is still quite an impressive building.

I doubt if SC would move as well, but it would be a natural place for them to expand their presence. That whole area is quite a booming little medical zone.

County General is still quite an impressive building.

impressive on the outside, but a bit dated on the inside. I was there last year, and well, it looked like every other outdated hospital in LA county. Will we ever get those modern looking hospitals like on TV shows?

i think it is a bit unfair LAPD gets a sexy new building as our hospitals deteriorate. But oh well, I am not going to start a debate.

County General was used (still is?) as the hospital in the credits for General Hospital, the long-running soap.

It's operational troubles are well known and I would guess that "bit dated" is an understatement.

Is it our next Coliseum? A historical building that is hard to update but is protected because of its architecture? Paris has really old hospitals, so I guess it can be done.

Children's Hospital at Vermont and Sunset has done quite a bit of renovating and has built new buildings. I'm sure this is the type of modern hospital that you must be referring to.

i like the new trade tech buildings, but the ones on flower st should be less intimidating (blank walls are a pedestrian turnoff). i know it's a college, but it's a big one, so there should be at least some windows and another entrance/exit for students' convenience

very true; even Washington and 23rd are pedestrian unfriendly. With the growth of activity on Washington and the numbers of students this could be a reasonable walking area, but Trade Tech isn't helping.

Recreating Vermont/Sunset in the 17th/Trade Tech area would be do-able and a great plus for the area. The SC hospital and related buildings are modern and County General is great architecture, but I am guessing the building will be hard to fully retrofit for modern hospital technology (helipads, wiring, temperature control, etc.).

AEG Asking City for Permission to Build Bigger, Add Offices and Studio Space Next to L.A. Live
By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, September 25, 2009, at 09:45AM

http://photos.blogdowntown.com/3953653142_0edf0cd519.jpg
Eric Richardson [Flickr]
The Olympic North development site is located just north of L.A. Live's Ritz Carlton tower. Plans call for a smaller hotel along with office and broadcast studio space.


DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Downtown Los Angeles has not seen a major office development since the 1980s, but L.A. Live developer AEG believes demand is returning to the neighborhood.


On Wednesday, the company will ask for permission to nearly double the permitted size of a project located across Olympic Boulevard from the entertainment complex. Included in the expanded plan are a combined 600,000 square feet of office and broadcast studio space.

AEG spokesman Michael Roth said Thursday that the changed use reflects what the company sees as needs in the market. "As we have continued to redefine our vision for L.A. Live, we realized in speaking with developers and hotel operators that there is definitely a need for more office space, including broadcast studio space," said Roth. "In order to be able to address this, we need to go back and apply for different permits.

The company is asking the City to revise the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District plan, the document that governs development around L.A. Live, to allow 897,550 square feet of development on what is known as the "Olympic North" site.


Along with approximately 200,000 square feet of previously-permitted hotel space, the company is asking to include 332,618 square feet of general office space and 269,182 square feet of broadcast studio facilities.

That studio space would be more than twice as large as the neighboring 120,000 square foot facility occupied by ESPN.

It is also requesting that the development be permitted to rise to 325 feet tall, roughly 28 stories. The current plan allows only 200 feet for the project's tower portion.

While he declined to comment on any specific tenants for the project's components, Roth emphasized that the changes are based on real interest. "This is all based on discussions that we've had, because there is interest in this for broadcast and offices," he said.

A likely tenant for the broadcast studio space would be a company like Comcast Entertainment Group, which owns E! Entertainment, the Style Network and gaming channel G4. The company currently occupies just under 300,000 square feet in 5750 Wilshire, on the Miracle Mile.


In that same building is AEG Live, the L.A. Live developer's concert arm.


Roth would not comment on whether the companies were talking, but said that a broadcaster of that profile would make a good fit.

A timetable for the project has not been set. Earlier this year, AEG CEO Tim Leiweke told blogdowntown that no new development would take place for two to three years.

The hearing takes place on Wednesday, September 30, at 9:30am in the City Hall 10th floor hearing room.

So what's the scoop here? Is this a concession that there isn't enough demand for hotels? Or that the Grand Hotel and other projects are going to fill the demand? Or is there some real belief that office space is in demand?

The broadcast space part makes sense, it being so close to high-profile venues and tourism.

GREAT NEWS!!!

Holiday Inn City Center Closing, to be Rebranded Luxe Hotel
By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, October 23, 2009, at 05:49PM

The Holiday Inn City Center will close soon, undergo a renovation and emerge next year as the Luxe City Center Hotel.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Holiday Inn City Center will close soon for renovations, emerging in Spring 2010 as the Luxe City Center Hotel. The facility is across the street from the $2.5 billion L.A. Live entertainment complex, and has long been eyed for a boutique upgrade.

Building owner Emerik Hotel Corp. will lead a multi-million renovation of the facility, and a press release says that the result will be a "four-star design-driven boutique hotel."

Luxe operates two hotel in the Los Angeles area: the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, Bel Air and the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, Beverly Hills. It also represents and manages 200 hotels worldwide.

The renovated hotel will have just under 200 rooms, down from 250 in the current configuration. An interior designer has not yet been named.

i don't think the exterior will be changed much. usually renovations start from the inside-out

Great! I don't think we'll see a complete exterior renovation, but it will be changed. The current exterior just doesn't fit the look of a Luxe hotel. It should be a great change to the area, plus I think we'll see Holiday Inn return to the area before long. With the convention center bringing in so many shows and the need for hotels, I think the Holiday Inn will want to be a part of it, just maybe not on Fig where everything is much more valuable. Down on Grand or Olive would make more sense for it and I think it would fit in well there, while providing a level of hotel the convention center needs.

i think a holiday inn can fit into figueroa... just not the current one in it's current state... someone (anyone) who has something great to offer the neighborhood should really develop over all that parking by the holiday inn... right now, the lot doesn't make staples/la live look very times square west-ish.

GREAT NEWS!!!

Holiday Inn City Center Closing, to be Rebranded Luxe Hotel
By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, October 23, 2009, at 05:49PM

The Holiday Inn City Center will close soon, undergo a renovation and emerge next year as the Luxe City Center Hotel.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Holiday Inn City Center will close soon for renovations, emerging in Spring 2010 as the Luxe City Center Hotel. The facility is across the street from the $2.5 billion L.A. Live entertainment complex, and has long been eyed for a boutique upgrade.

Building owner Emerik Hotel Corp. will lead a multi-million renovation of the facility, and a press release says that the result will be a "four-star design-driven boutique hotel."

Luxe operates two hotel in the Los Angeles area: the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, Bel Air and the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, Beverly Hills. It also represents and manages 200 hotels worldwide.

The renovated hotel will have just under 200 rooms, down from 250 in the current configuration. An interior designer has not yet been named.

:banana::banana:
awsome news about the update. im just concerned about the loss of so many hotel rooms. with the the new whilshire grand hotel losing 100 rooms when complete, now this one losing 50. its great that were getting the ritz and marriot, we need more hotel rooms. i believe the occupancy rate for this year so far is 65% to 70%. imagine when the economy recovers. :ohno:

Great news!

Emerging Spring 2010? That's 6-8 months; I hope they plan to re-open while work is in progress. While anything is good, I would like to see some extensive exterior work and work on the whole block it sits on.

i think a holiday inn can fit into figueroa... just not the current one in it's current state... someone (anyone) who has something great to offer the neighborhood should really develop over all that parking by the holiday inn... right now, the lot doesn't make staples/la live look very times square west-ish.

Does anyone know who owns that plot of land? I doubt we'll see much built in this economy, but it would be nice to know who owns it so we might have some sort of an idea of they plan on selling when the economy recovers or what type of project they would likely build there.

I think the renovation of the Holiday-Inn is great because, as stated before, the occupancy rates going up (while in the recession!), and rooms being lost as we speak, means something. Sooner or later, we'll hear another hotel proposal.
I hope the Luxe hotel does something to that ugly drive way/ballet parking crap and especially to the actual corner (where a fence now stands).
And for those who care about LA Live looking "time square-ish", it won't. I think in order for the successful ambient resembling Time Square to be possible, the center of life, the plaza, had to be situated in the corner, not where it is right now. The way they designed LA Live actually takes people away from the street.

Los Angeles Needs more Modernized Looking buildings The skyline is too plain. i want buildings more as the ones in Dubai by design

im just concerned about the loss of so many hotel rooms. with the the new whilshire grand hotel losing 100 rooms when complete, now this one losing 50. its great that were getting the ritz and marriot, we need more hotel rooms. i believe the occupancy rate for this year so far is 65% to 70%. imagine when the economy recovers. :ohno:

I think that's not something to worry about it all. If the demand is there for hotel rooms, I guarantee more hotels will spring up to satisfy it. Those hotels will either (A) fix up derelict buildings or (B) erase surface lots.

And for those who care about LA Live looking "time square-ish", it won't. I think in order for the successful ambient resembling Time Square to be possible, the center of life, the plaza, had to be situated in the corner, not where it is right now. The way they designed LA Live actually takes people away from the street.

i'm not talking about the floor plans or footprints of plazas (or even trying to be like NYC). i'm saying that this is an entertainment district, yet there are surface lots growing weeds across the street of the best use of land in the city covered (or soon to be even more covered) in high-tech advertising. they can even put a plaza on that corner if they want... as long as the lights are bright and the sounds are booming.

I agree; if you have to build, at least make the building "H" shaped so that there is plenty of open space at ground level. LA Live closes up a bit but the rest of the area can be more open. Again, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin showed one thing that can be done with large enclosed areas arranged around large open areas. Maybe a thin dome-like covering spanning Fig would help define the area while keeping openness.

BTW, now that I think of it, the Holiday Inn re-do is going to be disappointing unless something really creative is done with the whole block. Here's where the city has to exercise some authority in granting permits to remodel.

remember once the economy picks up, there are several hotels planned in the immediate area. off the top of my head

1) LA Live phase 2 hotel
2) LA central hotel
3) Metropolis Hotel
4) Wilshire Grand new hotel
5) Old Embassy building hotel

and more.

remember once the economy picks up, there are several hotels planned in the immediate area. off the top of my head

1) LA Live phase 2 hotel
2) LA central hotel
3) Metropolis Hotel
4) Wilshire Grand new hotel
5) Old Embassy building hotel

and more.

I guarantee you the Holiday Inn moves back in somewhere. With the increase in conventions, they can't afford to not be a part of it. It is their market.

I guarantee you the Holiday Inn moves back in somewhere. With the increase in conventions, they can't afford to not be a part of it. It is their market.

if a new not-as-luxurious hotel is needed for convention or similar uses, why not directly across either the 10 or 110? The convention center is right at the interchange of both freeways anyways, and that would leave the rest of downtown able to be redeveloped. Or are there hopes to not have the skyline confined to the freeway boundaries as it seems to be now?

looks like the Arts District is active again. Charlie Woo's Megatoy warehouse is supposed to become mixed residential and now 1 Santa Fe has permits AND funding and is going to start next year. On the ground, there are lots of repair and local projects going on in the warehouses, so it looks like a functioning arts neighborhood. R23 was doing decent business but Zip Fusion looked quiet. The Gold Line stop is on 1st, right in the 'hood and Union Station is 1 stop away. Clientele at the restaurants included suits and pony-tails and elegant Japanese matrons.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of tracks between the area and the LA River, so you have to wonder what is going to happen there with HSR and the river restoration.

Across Alameda, Jtown looked like fortresses that don't speak to each other. There has to be more openness to the street for these buildings; you can't tell if they're crowded or deserted unless you go in. Now that the homeless population is further south, street life should be encouraged more.

^^ Everytime i've been to LIttle Tokyo it's always been busy. This is one place were I like the outdoor/indoor plaza. Oh, and R23 is very, very good. Do they still have the Frank Gehry cardboard chairs? I haven't been there is years.

I forgot all about the chairs. As I recall, they were normal chairs and didn't stick in my mind at all. Food was first rate although not cheap.

Jtown was busy enough, but the streets were nearly empty. I am not talking about 1st St. near City Hall; but as you head toward Alameda and south from Caltrans, the shopping centers and condos are too self-enclosed.

Luxe Hotels are pretty stylish; an upgrade of the exterior isn't out of the question. While I'd rather see the thing completely razed, this is a nice improvement.

This is the Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd.

http://www.venere.com/img/hotel/0/8/7/3/223780/image_hall_lobby_1.jpg
http://www.losangeles.com/luxe-hotel-sunset-boulevard/gifs/luxe-hotel-sunset-boulevard-pic1.jpg
http://www.pointclickhome.com/files/web/images/ED1007_whLA_01.jpg
http://images.magellanvacations.com/images/roomtypes/BeverlyHills-Luxe-Hotel-Sunset-Boulevard-Luxe-Suite-luxesunsetbeverlyhillsbath.jpg

What does downtown need?
Now is your chance to weigh in!

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2009/11/25/forum/doc4b05c79a04a3f012482294.txt

what ever happened to Jan Perry and her annoucement re Grand Ave?

Some green space (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-downtown-street6-2010jan06,0,5458088.story) in South Park would be awesome.

Stretch of Grand Avenue may be transformed into a park
The street would be narrowed between 9th and Olympic in downtown L.A.'s South Park neighborhood to create green space for residents.

In a city that spent the last century paving over the natural landscape, the idea that a small swath of asphalt might be going green is a bit of an anomaly.

But that's what the Community Redevelopment Agency is proposing for a stretch of Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles' South Park neighborhood. The idea is to narrow the street between 9th Street and Olympic by two lanes -- and use the extra land for open space.

Reclaiming street space as recreational space is fairly rare in L.A., and it reflects the changes afoot in downtown. The area, once a mostly business and light-industrial district, is now home to thousands of new residents who inhabit the high-rise buildings around Staples Center and L.A. Live.

Other ingenious placements for parks have been proposed in recent years, including "caps" on top of the Hollywood and Santa Monica freeways for open space. But Lillian Burkenheim, the redevelopment agency's project manager for downtown, said it was the first time she could recall when city leaders considered turning blacktop back to green.

Creating a linear park along Grand Avenue would achieve two goals, the city says: It would make the avenue narrower and more pedestrian-oriented, and it would offer more green space for residents, their dogs and their children. Some hope the Grand Avenue plan is repeated elsewhere.

"The bottom line is, we need more park space," said Mike Pfeiffer, president of the South Park Stakeholders Group. "We have to be more creative in a part of the city where the available land to build a park is becoming very hard to come by."

Burkenheim said the agency would look at either building two small strips of park, one on each side of Grand, or something much larger on the south side of the street, where the Federal Reserve is located. That would also provide an opportunity to upgrade the streetscape in front of the federal building, which has been ringed by security bollards since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Although the upscale South Park district has benefited in recent years from a vast upgrade of many of the sidewalks, with new benches, lamps and other amenities added, residents have long complained about a lack of open space in an area that for decades was a light industrial zone.

Susana Benavidez, a downtown resident and mother who has been organizing regular play dates with other downtown families at Grand Hope Park, said, "Any green space is a great idea. . . . It would be great to have green space in the historic core."

She said one idea might be to give over part of the new park to dogs, which are kept out of many green spaces downtown, including nearby Grand Hope Park.

"It's such a dead block anyway," she added. A park, she said, "is a great way to turn [around] a dead street, and put some life into it."

Burkenheim said the idea of introducing a linear park to downtown's streetscape came about after a revamping of the standards for downtown streets. The Grand Avenue stretch involved in the plan, she said, had been built to highway standards -- much wider than any other part of the street in downtown, and its size is no longer necessary. That section of downtown, she said, is now a destination rather than a traffic corridor.

"We decided with the city that we could close some of the lanes on the street and create a new street that was smaller and more pedestrian-friendly," Burkenheim said. "As we did that, we could actually get between 20 and 25 feet out of the street that we could use for a park."

Narrowing wide streets has become an increasingly popular idea in cities across the country. Advocates point out that such streets can be safer because motorists drive slower, making the streets more appealing to pedestrians. Some cities have narrowed streets to add bike lanes.

And the Grand Avenue project may not be the last park in the area. A few blocks away, at Hill and 9th streets, some loft residents want to convert a parking lot behind the Eastern Columbia building into a neighborhood park.

Downtown L.A. is officially a contender for Eli Broad's art museum
January 25, 2010 | 4:02 pm
-- Mike Boehm, Ari B. Bloomekatz and Cara DiMassa
The Los Angeles Times

Here's the latest installment in the courtship of Eli Broad -- and the art museum he aims to plunk somewhere in the Los Angeles Basin, complete with big-name architecture, a spiffy $200 million endowment and the 2,000 works of contemporary art held by his Broad Art Foundation.

Downtown L.A. is officially making a play, courtesy of the Grand Avenue Authority, which today authorized negotiations with Broad toward a possible deal that would wrest the museum from Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, which are also in the running.

After a closed session today of the Grand Avenue Authority, L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry, a member of the joint city-county authority that's overseeing development of vacant land and parking lots in the heart of downtown's arts district, said it will deploy a negotiating team "to proceed with discussions with the Broad Foundation to consider his proposal and reach a mutual agreement."

The Grand Avenue project, of which Broad himself has been a leading advocate, is considered the centerpiece of downtown's revitalization. Designed by Frank Gehry, it includes two towers, condos, hotel rooms and a shopping center. The project, which involves public land and a private developer, stalled last year after the developer was unable to secure a multibillion-dollar construction loan amid the global credit crunch. A Broad Museum launch there would be a coup that could help rebuild momentum for the plan.

Until recently, Broad, who has painted a redeveloped Grand Avenue as L.A.'s answer to Paris' Champs-Elysees as a cultural hub, was a member of the committee overseeing the project on behalf of the Grand Avenue Authority. Officials said today that Broad had resigned from the committee in November in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest as the negotiations move forward.

Broad has said that he deliberately has kept his options open for a museum site, hoping that competition will prevent plans from getting bogged down by bureaucratic delays in any single government jurisdiction. Beverly Hills was the first contender to surface publicly, in 2008, with talks centering on a parcel at Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, and Santa Monica stepped forward late last year with what appears to be the most advanced plan: the City Council is expected to vote in February on a nonbinding "agreement in principle" that would allow the planning, permitting and environmental review process for the museum to go forward.

The basic outline of the proposed deal: the Broad Foundation would get a $1 a year, 99-year lease on 2.5 acres of city-owned land next to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, plus $2.7 million from the city in project funding and site-work. Broad would pay to build and operate a museum costing an estimated $40 million to $60 million to build and $12 million annually to run.

It would house at least 30,000 square feet of exhibition space for his collection, plus space for storing the art not on display or out on loan to other museums. The museum building also would include offices of the three-pronged Broad Foundations for art, science and education, which now occupy a 1927 vintage building in Santa Monica that lacks the parking needed for a public museum.

Jeffrey Deitch, recently announced as the next director of L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art, where Broad is the leading donor, is among those who have asked the billionaire philanthropist to locate his museum on Grand Avenue, where its cultural neighbors would include MOCA, Walt Disney Concert Hall and the rest of the Music Center, the Colburn School of Music, and the Los Angeles Unified School District's new arts high school.

Reiterating past statements from Broad's camp, Broad Foundation spokeswoman Karen Denne said today that “we are considering multiple locations and look forward to making a decision this spring.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/01/downtown-la-is-officially-a-contender-for-eli-broads-art-museum.html

First, apologies to Jan. She is definitely talking big tamales if this is what she was alluding to last month.

Second, SM is going to take 3 days to get the permits and processes done to get this museum. How long will it take LA? Does Mayor V have the wherewithal to set fire to the bureaucrats and push them out the windows?

Third, this has got to make the hotel people excited. Their guests are now walking distance to high-rises, government and the greatest concentration of cultural institutions in three blocks in the world. To say nothing of dining, a subway, Bway, sports, etc.

mmmmmm.... tamales! Perry will have a fire lit under her by V, but, of course, is there room in the L. A. budget to go after this? Can't have Broad paying for every damned thing in his life! (He did give 400 million to some Chicago university though ..)

Maybe for 1/2 billion they can rename Grand "BROAD-way".

Who, what, where and why does it take so long to get things built in L.A.? A friend of mine was going to build a house here (he's from Michigan), but was persuaded not to after being in the permit process for over 1 year!! For a single family residence!! I guess I'll find out when I start building my own house.

First, apologies to Jan. She is definitely talking big tamales if this is what she was alluding to last month.

Second, SM is going to take 3 days to get the permits and processes done to get this museum. How long will it take LA? Does Mayor V have the wherewithal to set fire to the bureaucrats and push them out the windows?

Third, this has got to make the hotel people excited. Their guests are now walking distance to high-rises, government and the greatest concentration of cultural institutions in three blocks in the world. To say nothing of dining, a subway, Bway, sports, etc.

Would this really be the "greatest concentration of cultural institutions in three blocks in the world"?
What's the feeling out there of the impact this would have on Downtown LA?

^^
over all it will be a good thing for downtown. along with elevating downtown's place on the world stage for cultural landmarks and areas, it will help with tourism, and create a few jobs along the way.

the bad things are that the entire grand ave master plan except for the park will have to be redesigned. and it will not help with making grand ave and the entire north east section of downtown a 24 hour area. unless that was not the original plan.
but overall a good addition to downtown.

^^ The Grand Ave Park would have to be redesigned from the get go anyway...

Would this really be the "greatest concentration of cultural institutions in three blocks in the world"?
What's the feeling out there of the impact this would have on Downtown LA?

It would surely put LA's reputation of a culture mecca stamped on the map along with cities such as London, Paris, New York, Barcelona, ect. Look what's already on Bunker Hill: Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA, Colburn School for the Arts, Mark Taper Forum, Dorthy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Our Lady of the Angels, the LA School for the Preforming Arts.

I wish LA would commission Zaha Hadid to design the museum. If ever a city needed a Hadid, it's Los Angeles.

http://www.architecturelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1582zahasinnovativehongkong.jpg

Klam/soup: I can't think of any that would be greater: 3 major theaters; the LA Phil and other avant garde and classical groups at the Disney; LA Opera; REDCAT experimental music theater; the Broad; MOCA; the REDCAT contemporary gallery; an arts college and an arts high school.

Sure NY, Paris, London and others have more overall, but I don't think they do in a 3 block area. NY for example is scattered among the upper east side, Bway, MOCA, Lincoln Center, etc. DC has no theater, symphony or opera in the vicinity of the mall, although I will certainly concede museums and art galleries are dense.

Berlin has a lot along Unter den Linden and Museum Island but that is more than 3 blocks. The symphony and major art gallery are at Potsdam Platz but I can't think of anything else in the immediate area.

redesign: asuming this happens, it really should reopen the discussion for the whole area, clear to Union Station.

I don't think the 24 hr. scenario is workable; LA Live and Bway and Hollywood seem more appropriate and are building that kind of scene.

The question to me is whether to go toward more arts and risk getting mediocre or tacky; or stick with the mixed commercial/housing and bold architecture. The park for sure needs to be rethought and the cap park as well. Hotels seems like an obvious winner, given the proximity to business, govt. and the arts. Housing depends on demand and I'm not sure about that.

Gehry and Broad seem to be friends so I would expect something interesting would come from it. And, yes, Hadid or other bold thinkers would be very cool. Bring it on.

What a disaster if this doesn't happen!

Well it may not so buy up your Kleenex from the 99 cent store.

It kinda sounds like a fairytale with downtown being Cinderella, Broad being the prince and his museum the glass slipper.

So this guy wants to build a giant fountain near L.A. Live in the middle the 110/10 freeway interchange. Read on:


Gushing over downtown L.A. fountain proposal (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-freeway-fountain28-2010jan28,0,2354793.story?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal%20(L.A.%20Times%20-%20California%20|%20Local%20News)&utm_content=Google%20Reader&utm_source=feedburner)

http://www.latimes.com/media/graphic/2010-01/51894371.gif

Like cars in a freeway pileup, art and reality will collide spectacularly in downtown Los Angeles if Luther Thie gets his way.

Thie is an Oakland-based sculptor who wants to construct a 100-foot-high fountain at a major freeway interchange that will pay simultaneous homage to Los Angeles' car culture and to victims of California traffic accidents.

The fountain's spurting column of water would be electronically programmed to change height and color, reflecting the severity of accidents under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

The higher and darker the spurt, the more serious the accident, Thie said.

A large digital signboard listing details and the location of the incident would be incorporated into the fountain and flash information in real time, he said.

Thie wants to build the fountain in the middle of a large loop formed by curving connector ramps that link the 110 and 10 freeways near the Los Angeles Convention Center.

"This would be a real-time memorial. It would really try to be respectful in honoring those who have died in traffic accidents. But there is a Ballard-esque fascination with highway catastrophes," said Thie, referring to author J.G. Ballard's controversial 1973 novel that centers around car crashes.

"I don't want to be flippant about it," Thie said. "I think there could be a spiritual element to this."

The fountain would also serve as a constantly changing reminder to motorists to slow down -- even though the 531,000 vehicles that funnel through the interchange each day often move at a mere crawl.

Thie, 45, grew up in Los Angeles. He lived in the Mid-Wilshire area and taught third grade at Norwood Street Elementary School a few blocks from the interchange before moving to Oakland in 1990.

It was traffic congestion that chased him out of Southern California, he said.

"I moved to Oakland to get away from commuting. In Los Angeles, my life was constantly commuting," Thie said.

He began drawing up plans for the fountain -- which he calls "L.A. Interchange: A Real-Time Memorial" -- about seven years ago. He has built an 8-foot functioning prototype, complete with spurting water, colored lighting and a small CHP incident readout sign.

During frequent visits to L.A. to see his family, Thie has scouted for an appropriate site for a full-size installation. He became enamored with the elevated 110-10 interchange after driving surface streets beneath its transition ramps and elevated traffic lanes.

"The interchange has the shape of a figure eight. It's where the oldest freeway in California meets the one that connects the Eastside with the Westside. It's the hub of L.A," he said.

"The L.A. mentality has created the modern freeway concept, an interactive, spreading organism. Los Angeles was built as a car city, and now all the traffic has negated that original benefit. The world is experiencing what L.A. already has experienced."

Thie has explored the area beneath the interchange on foot. Near Venice Boulevard and Wright Street, he found half a dozen privately owned buildings -- some unoccupied -- that are surrounded by one of the connector loops. A CHP office sits within the figure eight's second loop.

"When I saw the CHP office there, that made it perfect," he said.

Under Thie's proposal, the structures beneath the ramp would be removed and the fountain would be installed in the center of a park that would be dedicated to victims of traffic accidents.

The fountain's computer and its digital sign would be connected to the CHP's real-time incident website. The computer would automatically evaluate the seriousness of each call, ranking the severity on a scale of one to five and determining the height of the spurting water and the color of ground-level lights that illuminate it.

"It would be incredibly dramatic at night. I think it would be very contemplative and reflective. People will think about slowing down, about the fragility of life," he said.

It would be expensive too.

Thie estimates that the fountain would cost several million dollars. Land acquisition and development of the park would cost millions more. He doesn't know where he will get the money but hopes it will come from a variety of public and private sources.

"I know that relocation of businesses and tenants there now would be quite costly. But I think it could be well worth the cost," he said.

Thie has contacted some of the property owners directly about the availability of their land and plans to use county assessor's office records to track down the others. He said he hopes to involve the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. "I know they're doing a lot of redevelopment along Figueroa between the Staples Center and USC," he said.

CRA spokeswoman Kiara Harris said her agency has plans to develop several new parks near downtown with the use of Proposition 84 funds. She said she will alert the CRA board to expect a call from Thie.

Although two small apartment buildings at the proposed fountain site are for sale and several other industrial buildings there are unoccupied, at least two business owners said they are reluctant to vacate their centrally located properties.

"We're not interested in selling," said Gui Patusco, manager of City Fare Catering at Venice and Wright. His company employs more than 30 people.

Neighbor Robert Read's digital printing supply firm has 15 workers. His 73-year-old, third-generation family-run business might be willing to relocate if the price was right, Read said. "We're not going to be donating our property," he said.

At the CHP office on the other side of the interchange, Sgt. Doug Young said his agency appreciates anyone who recognizes the work that its officers do. But he predicted that a thorough study of the fountain's environmental and safety impact would be required before it got his department's endorsement.

"I can see it being distracting to motorists. But that's something engineering studies will have to address," Young said.

As to the appropriateness of using CHP real-time accident data to cause the fountain to dance: "That's for the artist and for society to determine," he said.


He has an entire website dedicated to it: http://lainterchange.com/

Some renderings...

http://lainterchange.com/images/la_interchange_freeway_night.jpg

http://lainterchange.com/images/4_IMG_6989_533x800.jpg

Dear Mr. Thie:
Thank you for your interesting proposal. We will be considering it carefully in the near future.

Please, and I cannot emphasize this too strongly, please do no contact us again. We will contact you when we feel the need to communicate with you.

vty, etc.

I think it'll cause more traffic accidents and deaths... but pretty damn cool

:lol: I can't help but laugh. I know he is serious, but really...:lol:

The video of the model is too much! :lol: Water is splashing everywhere! :lol:

The more I think about this the more I don't like it.

I like the concept of putting something between the freeway interchanges, but this... :dunno: IDK man. I'm just not feeling it.

It's a good looking fountain and I like the look of fountains, but I don't like the location. Find a good area in downtown for it.

My main beef with it is how you need somebody to die to see the fountain at it's highest peak. :ohno:

That and it uses water when we don't have enough water as is.

I like the concept, he just has to rethink and repackage it.

Interesting proposal, but flawed concept...

Let me try to grasp this...so the more intense the color and the higher the water spurt, the more severe the accident? I'm sure it would be visually spectacular, but I'm not exactly sure how I'd react to this if it actually came to fruition. So hypothetically, when this fountain spurts at its highest level (indicating a severity level 5 accident and a possible fatality), are we supposed to be in awe at such a beautiful sight or are we supposed to feel sadness or even a sense of guilt that someone, somewhere out there is fighting for his/her life while the rest of us are whizzing by in our cars on the same California freeway system where that accident occurred? All I know is that, if I were driving by and saw this, I'd have conflicting feelings about it.

Also it's not an ideal location, since it'll be too much of a distraction to drivers, especially to our out-of-town visitors. Maybe if it were located elsewhere I wouldn't have a problem with it. Heck, I can envision this being built in Pershing Square, where people might actually get a chance to sit down and reflect upon the water fountain's significance.

^^^^ROFL:banana::lol::lol:!!!!!!!!!!



OMG this shit made my day!:nuts:

Why don't we just line up a bunch of cannons and fire them into the freeway?

This is someone who has only seen LA from behind his windshield and relates to the city in that artificial detached kind of way. LA was not built by or for the car it was built primarily by and for the extensive streetcar system that it had. I guess that 'built for the car' argument could be made about the majority of American cities, all of which but a few ripped out their streetcars, widened their streets and built parkways which later became free/expressways. Face it, it's not just LA but America is a car culture society.

A fountain of this caliber would do well where humans could reach it on foot and spend time around it.

The 95% of visitors will be like this, pay more attention to stunning fountain>pay more attention to traffic. Hell, this would be more distracting than putting up a billboard with boobs flashing along the interstate! I know, surprising but true!

AEG's chief is a force in L.A.
Tim Leiweke has driven vast changes in the texture of downtown L.A.'s cityscape.
By Cara Mia DiMassa
The Los Angeles Times
February 7, 2010

With a hard hat perched on his head and an orange safety vest enveloping his burly figure, Tim Leiweke leaned against a window 52 stories up. He peered north, taking in a vista from downtown to the San Gabriel Mountains. "It's amazing, the view, eh?" he asked.

With the ease of an urban planner and the affection of a doting uncle, Leiweke pointed out symbols of downtown's revitalization. There, he gestured enthusiastically: a Ralphs supermarket, the refurbished Eastern Columbia building, and finally, the light-filled and logo-emblazoned L.A. Live district that his company, Anschutz Entertainment Group, has built.

But at ground level, Leiweke, the president and chief executive of AEG, was more reserved. The sleek, glass-encased tower in which he had been standing represents something dramatic for Los Angeles. The tower, which includes 1,001 hotel rooms to serve the nearby Convention Center as well as 224 luxury condos, is downtown's first new skyscraper in 18 years. But it also represents a major gamble.

"It scares the hell out of me," Leiweke said. "It's the hardest thing we've ever done, and we are going right into the eye of the storm."

At a time when City Hall is reeling from financial woes, big public works projects remain stalled and private developments have been canceled, Leiweke as much as any other individual is driving the transformation of a major part of Los Angeles.

Those who praise him see Leiweke as an exemplar of what Los Angeles has long lacked -- a smart, savvy player who can link arms with financial backers, politicians and unionized workers with equal gusto. In an era when the city can do little development on its own, he and AEG have helped fill a major civic void, doing what many would consider city-building on mostly private land.

"No one has built a center like that in the history of this city -- or many other cities for that matter, and he has clearly been the leader," said philanthropist and civic booster Eli Broad. Leiweke "didn't do it himself, but it wouldn't have happened without him." Indeed, other major projects, including the Grand Avenue development that Broad has touted, have stalled in the recession.

To critics, however, Leiweke is a classic example of an influence peddler who curries favor with lawmakers through huge financial donations and gets, in turn, handouts in the form of tax breaks and a rubber stamp on his vision. The company received approximately $246 million in tax breaks on the L.A. Live project alone -- plus a grant of $5 million from redevelopment funds.

"There is a feeling that things are out of balance in the attention the city is paying to that area, to downtown in general and in particular to that area around Staples [Center] and L.A. Live," said Dennis Hathaway, of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight, which has tangled repeatedly with AEG. "And there's a perception that AEG has kind of become the tail that is wagging the dog of the city."

Under the radar

For most of the time he has lived in Los Angeles, Leiweke has been an under-the-radar figure, someone who can hang with celebrities, politicians and sports figures but rarely gets noticed, even in his own buildings.

That began to shift last year, after singer Michael Jackson died days before beginning an AEG-backed comeback show in London. The ensuing controversy, largely over the costs of Jackson's memorial service, raised Leiweke's public profile. It will rise further with the inauguration this month of AEG's hotel skyscraper.

In the years since the last skyscraper opened downtown, in 1992, the area has become a residential hub while its fortune as a corporate center has waned.

Buildings that once served as worldwide headquarters now house branch offices. Gone are the business executives who in past generations used wealth and influence behind the scenes to guide the city.

Leiweke, 52, is among a handful of people who have stepped in to fill that void, articulating visions of what the city should look like.

For Leiweke and AEG, that has meant L.A. Live, the sports and entertainment district built around Staples Center. The zone's sea of flashing big-screen TVs and corporate logos might not be for everyone. But with bustling foot traffic, it looks a lot like the vibrant destination critics have long complained downtown lacked.

Still, Leiweke is opening the nearly $1-billion skyscraper, which includes Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels, in the midst of a recession. And he worries that Los Angeles has done little to encourage tourists and conventions to consider the area.

"We are a city that has no plan of attack about how to defend ourselves for the No. 1 generator of our economy, which is tourism," Leiweke said. "We have no plan. We spend no money; we have no infrastructure; we have no focus."

What Tim Leiweke thinks Los Angeles is -- and isn't -- doing for its future holds enormous weight. He maintains personal friendships with a number of politicians, including City Councilwoman Jan Perry, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. They make regular appearances at company events and have benefited from AEG's political machine, which has given more than $1.8 million to political candidates and causes over the last five years.

He and his company are among L.A.'s biggest boosters -- and its biggest beneficiaries.

All of which makes the tower, which Leiweke can see from the window of his office in the heart of L.A. Live, a symbol.

The meaning, however, is open to interpretation.

Arriving in L.A.

Tim Leiweke arrived in Los Angeles in 1996, hired by billionaire Philip Anschutz and real estate magnate Ed Roski Jr. (Though Leiweke is the public face of his company, he still answers to the reclusive Anschutz, who lives in Colorado.) Anschutz and Roski had recently purchased the L.A. Kings, and they wanted Leiweke to turn around the flailing organization and build an arena.

Leiweke, who had been working in professional sports since his early 20s, got on the phone and personally urged season ticket holders to renew subscriptions for the Kings' first year without star Wayne Gretzky. He offered them a full refund if they were dissatisfied. And as Roski and Anschutz narrowed down possible sites for their arena, eventually settling on a downtown parcel that included parking lots as well as the Convention Center North Hall, Leiweke lobbied City Council members, rallied the city's labor unions and pushed for public support.

Complex land deal

The result was one of the most complicated land deals that L.A. had ever seen, which gave the developer $58 million in city bonds and $12 million in redevelopment grants for what became Staples Center.

Rob Light, managing partner and head of music at Creative Artists Agency, met Leiweke when he went to look at architectural models of Staples Center, then in the planning phase. Leiweke, Light said, "struck me as the most confident man I'd ever met. He talked as if he was already putting the first hoe into the ground. It was going to get built. He was a force of nature."

Fernando Guerra, director of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said Leiweke and Anschutz carefully targeted their pitch to developers and people in sports and entertainment.

"They were able to capture the different sectors, not because they integrated them, but because they sliced them up," said Guerra, who consulted for the company from 1998 to 2001. "They had different talking points for different sectors. Very few people can do that."

After the center was built, AEG sold land around the arena to hand-picked developers, who began building condo and retail projects. The area, known as South Park, is now one of downtown's most successful neighborhoods.

More than four years ago, when construction crews were about to turn the first shovel for L.A. Live, Leiweke likened his project to New York's Times Square, saying that the award shows, live broadcasts and fan fests planned for the site would help establish Los Angeles as the "event capital of the world."

AEG has managed to bring some high-profile events to the Nokia Theatre, including the Emmys and the "American Idol" finale. And people are going to the zone -- and, by extension, to downtown.

On a weekday afternoon, tourists and Angelenos alike circle the property. Weekend nights bring large crowds, drawn by a confluence of sporting events, musical acts at Nokia Theatre and several clubs on the property.

But the 30,000-square-foot Grammy Museum, an integral part of L.A. Live, has struggled to find an audience. (At a premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the film of the pop star's last rehearsals, ushers handed out free tickets to the museum.) Some buyers backed out of the tower's condos as the economy foundered, and hotel bookings have lagged behind projections.

That has meant that Leiweke has been rolling up his sleeves to sell the venue, giving tours of the hotel tower to pretty much anyone with an interest and using unusual methods to lure events to L.A. Live.

He enlisted celebrities Steve Carell and Ryan Seacrest to film videos supporting his effort to bring the National Hockey League draft to L.A. It worked.

The showmanship, said Leiweke, is necessary because L.A. is losing conventions and championship games to Las Vegas and other cities that invest civic funds to sell themselves.

"Every other city that we would be in, the city would come to us and say, 'Are you guys OK? Can we help you?' " Leiweke said. "I told the mayor, 'You are damn lucky it is us. Because if it were anyone else, they would be out of business.' "

Dealing with other cities, where a solid base of businesses and families supports philanthropic causes and rallies behind political causes, said Leiweke, makes him realize how much is missing in Los Angeles.

"We are not a community," he said. "We are a series of communities that happen to be in a city. But the reality is that people in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, think very differently about downtown than people that live in and around downtown. There's a disconnect in L.A."

That's one reason, Leiweke said, his firm has been so politically active and gives money to sometimes unpopular causes, including a 2007 telephone utility tax opposed by many of AEG's partners. "At some point or another, you have to get involved and make it a better system."

Leiweke largely sidestepped questions about whether the company's donations have bought it untoward influence.

"I would think that any logical human being would sit back and say, 'This is a company that doesn't need to make political donations to get influence,' " he said.

"The more relevant question is do we have more of an impact and get more of a reaction from the politicians because of the billion dollars" the company has spent on the hotel tower, he added. "Of course we do. And by the way, I think that's OK, because . . . we are going to employ hundreds and hundreds of people."

But the criticism has not abated. After Jackson's death, Leiweke went on television to announce that his company would host a public memorial service for the pop star -- and was criticized by some of the singer's fans, who asserted that Leiweke and AEG shared culpability in Jackson's death.

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich demanded that AEG repay the city for costs associated with the memorial, and as the two men publicly quarreled over the amount, Trutanich tried to block AEG's installation of mega-signs at L.A. Live.

Trutanich, in an interview, called Leiweke "a very personable guy. . . . He does a good job for his company, and I likewise want to do a good job for my city."

AEG eventually recouped its investment in the Jackson tour, mostly by selling rights to "This Is It." But the events took an emotional toll. Leiweke said it took weeks to "finally, kind of, get back to functioning properly."

So the glass-and-steel tower soaring over L.A. Live can also be seen as AEG's hope for rehabilitation, if not redemption. That was on view during a well-choreographed series of fundraising efforts in December and January, culminating in a black-tie event benefiting the City of Hope hospital.

Like so many Leiweke-orchestrated events, the benefit had a dual purpose: to raise money for cancer research by honoring AEG's chief executive, and to inaugurate the L.A. Live hotel ballroom.

At a VIP party on the tower's pool deck, Leiweke posed side by side with Villaraigosa and Schwarzenegger, while servers passed trays of Diet Coke -- Leiweke's favorite drink and the product of an AEG partner.

Later, downstairs, he tried to deflect some of the praise the mayor and governor had heaped on him. "I just went out and gave speeches and fought the city attorney," he said.

Then he looked around the ballroom, where guests included five members of the City Council, the mayor and the city controller, and suggested that with so many politicians in attendance, AEG could work out a deal to reimburse the city for costs associated with the Jackson memorial. "We could do a quick session and agree to terms," Leiweke joked.

And he reminded another guest, Magic Johnson, of a pledge the former basketball star had made:

"He's promised me I will be working at a Starbucks if this hotel goes to hell in a handbasket."

He is surprisingly very candid and forthcoming. One of the basic issues that I have is the continued thinking of LA the city as the entire county. His quote that people in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach don't think about downtown LA is very telling unfortunately since those places are not part of the City of LA. We are still thinking in 'LA as a county' terms which never serves LA the city ultimately very well.

from ladowntownnews.com Do you believe?

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – The long-closed Angels Flight railway will be open to the public on April 15, John Welborne, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, told Los Angeles Downtown News this afternoon. His comments came after the California Public Utilities Commission sent a letter saying the project had cleared its final safety tests.

So this guy wants to build a giant fountain near L.A. Live in the middle the 110/10 freeway interchange. Read on:


Gushing over downtown L.A. fountain proposal (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-freeway-fountain28-2010jan28,0,2354793.story?page=1&utm_medium=feed&track=rss&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal%20(L.A.%20Times%20-%20California%20|%20Local%20News)&utm_content=Google%20Reader&utm_source=feedburner)

http://www.latimes.com/media/graphic/2010-01/51894371.gif



He has an entire website dedicated to it: http://lainterchange.com/

Some renderings...

http://lainterchange.com/images/la_interchange_freeway_night.jpg

http://lainterchange.com/images/4_IMG_6989_533x800.jpg

That is ridiculous, no sir, i don't like it.

Also it's not an ideal location, since it'll be too much of a distraction to drivers, especially to our out-of-town visitors.

I stare at things all the time even though I've seen them hazoogle times already

i swear on a windy day everyone's car will be wet. Heck the convention center might get wet too, lol.

This is about, if not more ridiculous, as the gothic development that was going to be built downtown. It aerates the water! Los Angeles won't go for it! It sure as hell wouldn't be built here in the desert- where the fountains at Bellagio come up in discussion from time to time.

While doing business today in Downtown, I came across this small apartment building right on Wilshire right smack next to the 100 fwy.

Does anyone know hold old is this sucker? Is it a renovation of an existing one?

Looking West
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4458227511_0993b515ba_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4458227735_1ca2d212ae_b.jpg

(I always have my cam handy)


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4458227907_f09839a71f_b.jpg

the building was just renovated a couple of years ago... 1010 wilshire is pretty popular (and expensive). i think it's been rated number one forr best rooftop design.

i don't know how old the building is.

My mother used to work in 1010 Wilshire (back then it was called the Pacific Bell Building or Plaza or Center or whatever). Her office was one of the corner offices on the 13th floor so I used to go in there all the time when I was a kid. I think it was built sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. This is what it used to look like.
http://www.emporis.com/img/6/2004/03/249727.jpg

From BlogDowntown (http://blogdowntown.com/2010/03/5210-korean-air-chairman-says-city-could-move).

http://photos.blogdowntown.com/3409114085_b31abcab71_m.jpg

Korean Air Chairman Says City Could Move Faster on Wilshire Grand Project

By ERIC RICHARDSON
Published: Thursday, March 25, 2010, at 04:01PM

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Redevelopment of the Wilshire Grand hotel site with a pair of high-rise towers is moving forward, but the head of Korean Air today told a Downtown audience that the city could be doing more to speed up the project.

"We would like to see the development process go a little quicker," said Y. H. Cho, the airline's Chairman. "We understand that balancing the city budget is a priority at this time. But your city leaders must not let today’s challenges slow down tomorrow’s gains."

Budget issues and the City's early retirement program have left the Planning Department extremely understaffed, with only a few people in key approval positions such as Zoning Administrator.

Cho's remarks came nearly one year after the project was first announced. The 1952 hotel will be replaced by a pair of high-rises, one a 65-story office tower and the other a 560-room luxury hotel with a condo component.

The design will include a park space, Cho said. He emphasized the towers' green design and promised to exceed Green Building Council standards.

The 1952 Statler hotel was Downtown's finest, but Cho said its time has passed.

"For everything there is a season, and this grand hotel’s season has come to an end," he said. "The building’s infrastructure is obsolete and the rooms don’t work anymore."

A timetable for the hotel's closing has not been set, and will depend on the city's permitting process.

^^ That seems to be everyones complaint. City is too slow for almost everything. What can we do as LA citizens to improve this?

They say they have financing lined up! Come on city hall.

New Megacomplex at Wilshire Grand Likely to Go Forward

Korean Air Chairman & CEO Yang Ho Cho Speaks at Town Hall
by Sue Laris
Published: Friday, March 26, 2010 9:25 AM PDT
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Notes from the March 25 Town Hall luncheon: A $1 billion project in Downtown Los Angeles is poised to go forward, with financing apparently in place and city approvals the last hurdle. Korean Air Chairman and CEO Yang Ho Cho gave a rousing speech to a sold-old crowd at the Wilshire Grand Thursday. I hope to be able to add the text from his speech to this story later today or tomorrow. In the meantime here are a few highlights. The $1 billion investment in a new hotel to replace the Wilshire Grand at the corner of Wilshire and Figueroa will be accompanied by 100 condominiums and a 1.5 million-square-foot office building, assuming City approvals. The project needs some “F.A.R.” (permission from the CRA and City Council for extra development density) to be able to go forward. The project would bring 8,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs. There would be a park at 7th and Fig.

L.A. Downtown News originally reported on the project on April 3, 2009, link here.

In his speech at Town Hall today Cho emphasized his deep connection with Los Angeles. He called Los Angeles his family’s second home, and they do own a home here. He received his MBA from USC.

He spoke in some detail about his business philosophy, which emphasizes a long-term look at business opportunities. He is the second generation to own Korean Air, and he pointed out the third generation in the audience: two of his children, now grown, were in attendance. He quoted his father, who told him, “Be creative. Not part of the pack.”

In addition to hoping the city agencies could move more quickly, Cho discussed the need to upgrade LAX. (He is, after all, primarily an airline CEO, not a land develolper.)

In response to a question from audience member Bill Allen, president of Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, about the level of service LAX should aspire to, Cho described the stark contrast between landing at LAX and landing at Inchon Airport: the time from wheels touching down to making it through security and customs in Inchon, Korea, is 11 minutes. Just a little bit different than LAX.

The developer of the project is Thomas Properties Group, lead by long-time Downtown stalwart Jim Thomas. The architect is David Martin of AC Martin Partners.

Current guess at groundbreaking for the new Wilshire Grand project is January, 2012.