This will highlight some of the new development projects in downtown LA. Most of these projects are either approved, planned or in development, however some of these project's status is unknown... but are possible given the revitalization of downtown and the increase in demand for both residential and office space.

In addition to these projects there are many adaptive re-use projects of historic buildings being renovated as lofts/condos/apartments. These projects are numerous and at various stages. As new projects are added or new renderings are available I will update this post.

LA Central (45 and 33 story towers)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/LA%20Central/LACentral.jpg

Lucia Tower (31 Story Condo Tower)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/5981B5EB-08CD-4F4B-B905-6AFF096EC47.jpg
Architect: Archeon Group
Developer: The Cimmarustis

1027 Wilshire (48 Story Tower)
http://www.amidigroup.com/images/1027_wilshire2Large.jpg

St. Vibiana Lofts (41 Story Tower)
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/5720/vibiana200607113hb.jpg

Ritz-Carlton / Marriott Marquis (54 Story Hotel/Condo)
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/picture/153015024.gif

Trinity Towers (31 stories)
http://www.trinitytowersla.com/pics/7.jpg

Concerto at Figueroa and 9th street (Two Towers, 27-story towers and a 5-story building)
Developer: Sonny Astani
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/newconcerto.jpg

The City House (60 stories)
http://www.robertsonpartners.net/images/och3---8.5x11-ch.jpg

The Olympic (50 stories)
http://www.robertsonpartners.net/images/och11---8.5x11.jpg

8th & Grand (40 story tower, 24 story tower, and 15 story tower)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/8th%20and%20Grand/8grand1copy.jpg

Fig South
Developer: Williams & Dame Development Inc
Description: 2 towers, 34 and 24 stories with 300+ total condos.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Fig%20South/FigSouth6.jpg

Metropolis (Tower 1 - 30 story condo, Tower 2 - 30 story condo, Tower 3 - 30 story hotel, and Tower 4 - 45 story office building)
Developer: IDS
Architect: Arquitectonica
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/3876/metropolis39pc.jpg

Grand Avenue (Four to Six Towers from 25-65 Stories)
http://www.theslatinreport.com/content/pictures/Grand+Avenue_overall+view.JPG

Glass Tower (25 stories)
Northeast corner of 11th and Grand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Models/glasstower.jpg

Pacific Stock Exchange Towers (30 stories each)
http://www.downtownnews.com/content/articles/2005/02/07/news/news02.jpg

Olive Street Tower (35 stories) (on hold?)
http://www.osarch.com/1_olive_full.jpg

LAPD Headquarters
http://www.dmjmhn.aecom.com/media/4311.jpg

Federal Courthouse (16 stories, but over 400 ft)
http://www.perkinswill.com/images/projects/lg/lg-77a.jpg

8th & Figeroa Office Tower
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Models/8thFigeroa.jpg

Park Lofts - 9th & Hope (41 Story Tower)
http://www.cimgroup.com/imgs/props/9th_&_Hope_lg1.jpg

Zen Tower (50 stories)
http://static.flickr.com/1/189636478_c4bef13788_o.jpg
Developer: Kawada Group

Residences at 9th & Flower (37 stories)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/9th%20and%20Flower/residencies3.bmp

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Tower (19 Stories)
NW corner of Flower and Olympic
Description: 110 dormitory apartments and 65,000 square feet northeast corner of Flower Street and Olympic Boulevard.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Models/2iql4z.jpg

Hanover Tower (27 stories)
Northeast corner of Olympic and Figueroa
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Models/2iqkxe.jpg

755 Tower
http://www.rtkl.com/images/portfolio_images/755.jpg

Elleven (13 stories)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Models/elleventower.jpg

Evo (24 stories)
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/4509/evo17wo.jpg

Luma (17 stories)
http://www.kylefritz.com/ELLEVEN1.jpg

Hope Street Condominiums (25 stories)
http://www.downtownnews.com/content/articles/2005/01/10/news/news04.jpg

The Medallion (Two 11 Story Towers)
http://m2a-architects.com/media/480/4m-M2A_view1_082605.jpg

The Colburn (10 Story Tower)
http://www.crala.net/internet-site/Projects/Bunker_Hill/images/ColburnSchoolPhase2.jpg


California Plaza 3rd Tower
http://californiaskyscrapers.50megs.com/images/losangeles/caliplazamasterplan.jpg

Little Tokyo Block Eight Project (20 story apartment tower)
Developer: Related Companies
http://www.tca-arch.com/ontheboardsf/block8/elev2.jpg

Sci-Arc Towers (Two 50 stories each)
No Image
Developer: Merco Group LLC (Richard Meruelo and Daniel Villanueva)

12th & Fig Tower (15 stories)
No Image
Developer: Trammell Crow Residential Services
Description: 200-unit apartment building that will rise 15 stories above the corner of 12th and Figueroa streets.

Alexan Savoy Phase 2 (18 stories)
No Image
Developer: Trammell Crow

Alexan Savoy Phase 3 (25 stories)
No Image
Developer: Trammell Crow

iHope Tower (14 stories)
http://www.cimgroup.com/imgs/props/8th_&_Hope_lg1.jpg
Developer: CIM

Herald Examiner Residential Tower (24 stories)
http://urbanpartnersllc.com/images/projects/proj_herold2.jpg

Wow! Thanks for posting the pics. Some of these developments Ive never even heard before or seen before. Amazing how much is going on in just downtown LA alone. Especially looking forward to the Police Headquarters and the High school which are architecturally fantastic.

On the 3rd California plaza pic, which tower are we supposed to be looking at? Is it the one on the far right?

No problem! As for Calif Plaza - The tall white tower on the left (foreground).


If all these project get built, we're looking at 45+ projects in total!!! Also, there are probably just as many adaptive reuse projects... its crazy, some people don't realize how much is going on in such a small area.

Thanks for posting that. We needed that in this forum. I love the momentum in DTLA right now and hopefully it will continue, actually im very confident it will, hopefully we will see some new mega projects! Cant wait to move there in a couple of years.

It looked like there was an abundant amount of Office towers in there, are they needed or are they building them for status?

DAMN!!! thank you so very much for posting all of this. i really enjoy this. please keep up the good work. some of this i have not heard of yet. i really appreciate it.
I'm telling you; in a couple years from now downtown will be known as BOOMTOWN. once the retail and restaurant sector gets on track - there will be no stopping...

DAMN!!! thank you so very much for posting all of this. i really enjoy this. please keep up the good work. some of this i have not heard of yet. i really appreciate it.
I'm telling you; in a couple years from now downtown will be known as BOOMTOWN. once the retail and restaurant sector gets on track - there will be no stopping...


I agree and your welcome! I think this is just the beginning, the most interesting thing to me is what is just around the corner... projects that have not yet been announced!

It looked like there was an abundant amount of Office towers in there, are they needed or are they building them for status?


This is LA. It would take winter in Hell to get the city to pay for something. My guess is that all of them are private developments of rich companies trying to get richer. Except for of course, the courthouse and police department.

If for some chance L.A. gets the Summer Olympics again, do you think the 755 tower will be closer to being built? Since it is to incorporiate a hotel?

I doubt it Moneyman. They'd probably lose more money forcing it through early , then if they just the construction go ahead as planned. BUt LA is not going to get the Summer Olympics.

the new lapd headquarters looks pretty good. imagine it side by side with the caltrans building.... and the new courthouse just one block away.... and disney hall just a few steps up the hill... and............

Thanks for this thread, vicecityguy. it's looking like i imagined, Los Angeles is going to join the mixeduse tower club. i find the 755 tower proposal highly interesting, narrow and sleek, but as tall as the 777 tower (700'+) my floor count is 54 (to plaza) and at least 6 under (tho i'm betting 8) i believe there is about 650,000 sq. ft. left on the original development permit,. visability is a major factor with this tower, (this would look outstanding with the figuroa at 8th tower behind, from the 110 FWY).....also cal plaza tower 3 at least 60 storys, (it's enterence on hill st. is at least 200' below cal plaza tower 1's entery on grand ave.) i wonder mixeduse also?......and if you look to the right of the model two res. towers in the 30 to 45 story range (next to metropolitan tower, 22 storys)...... also i'm going to search for more info on the sci-arc towers project. do we have a location on this one ???.... its looking great for LA this next few years!

WOW!! AWESOME photos! As a resident of Downtown I approve :pepper: :banana:


The LAPD Headquarters look awesome!!!

Let's hope the residnets of the Higgins Building don't get in the way of it's construction :weird:

Great projects for Downtown LA, I Hope they build them all

Thanks for this thread, vicecityguy. it's looking like i imagined, Los Angeles is going to join the mixeduse tower club. i find the 755 tower proposal highly interesting, narrow and sleek, but as tall as the 777 tower (700'+) my floor count is 54 (to plaza) and at least 6 under (tho i'm betting 8) i believe there is about 650,000 sq. ft. left on the original development permit,. visability is a major factor with this tower, (this would look outstanding with the figuroa at 8th tower behind, from the 110 FWY).....also cal plaza tower 3 at least 60 storys, (it's enterence on hill st. is at least 200' below cal plaza tower 1's entery on grand ave.) i wonder mixeduse also?......and if you look to the right of the model two res. towers in the 30 to 45 story range (next to metropolitan tower, 22 storys)...... also i'm going to search for more info on the sci-arc towers project. do we have a location on this one ???.... its looking great for LA this next few years!


Your welcome! As for the location of the sci-arc towers... right behind the sci-arc school there is a parking lot... that is the site. In the past, students of sci-arc used to park there for free but the the developers purchased the lot and put up a fence. I agree, I can't wait for some of these projects to break ground! LA will look and feel different within the next few years!

BADTZ, since i want to move DT in the next couple of years, i wanted to know how your experience is going. When did you move in? what part do you live in? and how has the area changed since you moved there? Good or bad? Hows the nightlife? of course you dont have to answer but i will greatly appreciate it.

Greetings LosAngelesSportsFan,

I moved here a little over two years ago.

I've lived at two different locatioons:

Location #1: Broadway/3rd St. (near Angel's Flight/Grand Central Market)

The area was very nice, but the one huge drawback in my case was that I lived facing broadway, and the street noise from the buses were driving me insane. ;) Otherwise, the area was perfectly fine with me. Right in the heart of the Historic Core, and above the Million Dollar theatre.

Location #2: 7th/Los Angeles (nearby Flower Mart)

The location is in the very north/west corner of the Fashion District. At the new loft project [SanteeCourt.com].......

The location is not bad per-se, could be better, but it's not bad at all. Very quiet, and overall, a very ambitious and exciting project (the new Rite-Aid just finished below one of the buildings, a 6-9 restaurant food court is in the works, a gym, dry cleaners and a food court, are all in the works).


The nightlife in downtown (excluding the loft/house parties in the Arts District) is pretty low at the moment, but it's picking up. There's parties that occassionally occur in downtown (for instance, Giant has had their New Year's party in Downtown for the past 3 years. This year, they're blocking off FOUR blocks of downtown to have a big 12,000 capacity outdoor party). Other than the one-off events, there's a couple new bars that are being developed at the moment. The most recent FINISHED project is the Golden Gopher on 8th street in between Olive and Grand I believe. There's one that's being built (by the same developers) above the Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway. As far as permanent club locations, there's countless, but usually the clubs are not consistently held there, again, only one-off events (though they happen fairly often).

If there's anything else, please let me know :)

Thanks a lot for answering, it looks like the area i really headed in the right direction. i know the owner of the golder gopher is planning 6 or 7 bars in the area, so thats a good sign. its good to hear your enjoying your time down there and once again thanks for the info.

This project is in a couple of long-range transportation plans the MTA has drawn up. I am merely providing a first talk about it to get the ball rolling so this plan becomes a reality. I don't know anyone in the MTA or City Staff. But I hope this provides a subtle grassroots effort that will get this project some light.

Potential alignment of the Downtown Connector (DC): . The purpose of this line is to run the Gold and Blue Line LRT lines together into one system.

http://image20.webshots.com/20/4/77/26/213347726YzRhkZ_fs.jpg
http://image20.webshots.com/20/4/77/26/213347726YzRhkZ_fs.jpg

Starting from the 7th Street Metro Center station, the DC would continue north along Flower Street in an underground alignment until 3rd St, where a portal will emerge.

From 3rd/Flower, the route will continue at-grade utilizing the existing 23’ wide northbound Bus Only lane along Flower Street where it merges with northbound Hope Street. The route will continue on Hope Street until First Street. The DC will then turn east onto First Street.

Continuing on First Street, the DC will run along the median of First Street -with Signal Prioritization, similar to what is used on the Blue Line on Washington Blvd- until Alameda where it connects with the future Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station.

Only one station is necessary for this DC alignment and it should be located between 1st and 2nd Street on Hope. This location is within walking distance of the Music Center, Disney Concert Hall, Grand Avenue and other existing and future attractions on Bunker Hill. This is the best possible location for an at-grade station within the Bunker Hill area since the East-West blocks along 1st Street between Hope and Hill Streets cannot berth a 3-car Light Rail train and the street grades on Bunker Hill would conflict with ADA compliance if an at-grade platform were built.

Estimated Cost (utilizing MTA reported estimates in 1/04 Fixed Guideway Planning)
Total Downtown Connector Length: 1.5 Miles
Length in tunnel: 0.375 mi. (@300M/mi +/- 10% = $112.5-125M)
Length at-grade: 1.125 mi. (@60M/mi= $67.5M)

TOTAL Estimated Cost: $180-192.5 M
Cost per mile: $120-128.3M/mile

Now mind you this is just a rough estimate of the possible cost this figure may actually be lower through further more detailed analysis.

Thanks for the last post, its great to know the planning department of this city is starting to get it's shit together on some workable centralization projects, all tho i heard about this line about 15 years ago, it was said to be cancelled. any news on the blue line / expo line allingment from washington/ flower to exposition blvd.? also if i remember correctly the metropolis project is supposed to have 3 towers, has it been updated?, are there any new designs, or photos?. i'm not much the Micheal Graves fan as i think his work is to "solid". but i found his idea for this project not great, but OK.

They definitely need some type of link out to the Westside.

But with the proposed Exposition line, it seems to fall quite short, and going "no where" .... they should find a way to connect it up to the Santa Monica area [which is where most people will want to go if they take the line towards the westside, my guess].

The expo is going to Santa Monica, in the Second phase which will be completed in 2012 -13. I wish they would do it faster but i guess funding is holding it back from being a one time project.

bump

(updated with small picture of the Elleven Project with all 3 towers).

http://www.planningreport.com/tpr/photos/00000304.jpg

nice, i really like how elleven is looking. critical mass of residents in that area will definitley enhance the chances that that area takes off. by the way, where did you find the pic?

nice, i really like how elleven is looking. critical mass of residents in that area will definitley enhance the chances that that area takes off. by the way, where did you find the pic?


I found it here! I don't have access to the articles, if anyone does... please post all relevant LA articles... there are lots!!!

http://www.planningreport.com

thanks vice, too bad that paper costs so much, those articles sound interesting

Dubbed L.A FACE. 200 business condos in development in the fashion district.


http://www.downtownnews.com/content/articles/2004/11/15/news/news02.jpg

It would be neat to see a virtual skyline with all these planned towers included.

"They definitely need some type of link out to the Westside.

But with the proposed Exposition line, it seems to fall quite short, and going "no where" .... they should find a way to connect it up to the Santa Monica area [which is where most people will want to go if they take the line towards the westside, my guess]."

:) If there's a will there's a way!
From the LA Times December 4, 2004

Westward Ho

December 4, 2004

Each day, 400,000 motorists form a snaking red ribbon of brake lights along the Santa Monica Freeway. Yet even as this freeway, one of the nation's busiest, grew steadily more clogged in recent decades, uninterested politicians and a knot of vocal opponents kept a planned light-rail line between Santa Monica and downtown on ice. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is finally poised to give a green light to the first 9.6-mile stretch of what's called the Exposition Boulevard line. That action could get trains rolling in 2010, four years ahead of schedule — and not a moment too soon.

The MTA, sometimes partnering with other transit agencies, has built rail or subway links to nearly every region in the county in recent years, but not the Westside. The biggest losers have been thousands of working people from Boyle Heights or Compton who travel west every day to jobs. But Westside commuters also have suffered.

Years of dogged lobbying by local rail advocates and city officials are finally paying off. The MTA has put aside the local, state and federal dollars needed to cover the $490-million tab. If the agency's board signs off on the project's environmental review next month as expected, bulldozers should be moving dirt by 2007.

Original plans called for a 17-mile line to Santa Monica mostly along Exposition Boulevard. Years ago, the MTA bought up the right of way, an old Red Car route. But fierce resistance from some Cheviot Hills homeowners who feared the trains would bring noise and crime stalled the project.

Now, a first phase will run south from the MTA's transit hub at 7th and Figueroa streets to Exposition, then west to Robertson Boulevard in Culver City. At stops along the way, riders will be able to transfer to existing bus lines, and expanded parking facilities are in the works. For the estimated 45,000 daily riders, the trip time of 27 minutes will be faster and far more pleasant than the freeway's creep and crawl or lurching street buses.

MTA planners say they have learned from problems that surfaced when the Pasadena Gold Line opened in 2003, including noisy trains and fears for pedestrian safety. The Exposition right of way is wider than that of the Gold Line, naturally buffering some train noise and vibrations. Also, the Westside route is straighter, meaning fewer metal-screeching turns. Finally, the trains will carry new, softer bells and benefit from better-designed grade crossings.

Support for the project's second phase to Santa Monica probably will ride on the success of these technical improvements and on Westside leaders who realize that riding the rails to work is not so wild a notion.

I am praying for anything to be built in front of the Disney Concert Halls
That pretty shabby parking tructure right on the other side of Grand St, looks just hideous!!!!

I could learn to live with something like this :D
http://www.pcglory.com/downtownLA.gif

I was at the Disney Center last night (not there..just driving around). I would love to see that empty hole between the Disney Hall and DTLA to be completely filled. C'mon Grand Ave.

I was thinking about this. I know LA is in the midst of a construction boom not unlike what San Deigo is going through. But if you look at the skyline of DTLA at night, you will notice that's it's kinda dark. IMO, DTLA needs like 3 or 4 buildings that illumanate the whole facade of the building. Only building that I can think of that does that is the Staples Center (Think something the size of the Palms in Vegas..it changes color.) That would look really cool. Either that or add some more

grand ave is suppose to break ground by 2006 and be completed by 2009 so its all coming together hopefully. the project is specifically aimed at those two empty lots next to and across from disney hall.

All i know is that i'd like to see at least one 600' to 700' tower go in this Grand ave. project, the financial district has not seen anything higher than 801 tower,(around 300') since 1991, and we're due for another pinnicle downtown.

I don't think a 1.5 million sq.ft. 55 story office tower on that big parking lot adjacent to union station is a bad idea either. (dreams don't cost anything!!!!!)

For all these big hopes and dreams to happen LA would need to organize a campaign to move companies out of it's vast suburbs and make it more attractive for companies to compete with low office rent cities like Atlanta or Dallas. Otherwise you will be sitting on some cobweb infested abandoned buildings.

All i know is that i'd like to see at least one 600' to 700' tower go in this Grand ave. project, the financial district has not seen anything higher than 801 tower,(around 300') since 1991, and we're due for another pinnicle downtown.

I don't think a 1.5 million sq.ft. 55 story office tower on that big parking lot adjacent to union station is a bad idea either. (dreams don't cost anything!!!!!)
'
Oh god. I hope not. Large towers are not going to look good around Disney Hall. Instead of a tower, I think they should save there money and build smaller midsize buildings instead. Nothing bigger than what is in San Francisco.

Good news about Grand Ave - They seem to be listening.

An 'Eiffel' idea for downtown?

Report: Public demands iconic architecture

By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer

If the $1.2 billion transformation of downtown's Grand Avenue goes forward, the public wants to see a "real urban district" with an icon like the Eiffel Tower or the Barcelona Fish to attract visitors, a report released Tuesday says.

"People want to have really bold and iconic architecture, even to the point of creating a visual identity for the district -- either through a tower or some other thing -- so you really signal that you are in the Grand Avenue district," said Bill Witte, president of The Related Companies of California, the firm developing the project.

"The recurring themes were heard consistently were to be bold, be urban, be dense. And that is striking because oftentimes, certainly in neighborhood settings, you hear the opposite.

"But this is a stand-alone area. It's not in the heart of a residential district. People seem to be saying, If you are going to do this and be successful, you have to create a real urban district."

At community meetings held throughout Los Angeles in the past two months, people have suggested that it include an icon like the Eiffel Tower or the Barcelona Fish, an ice rink and a jogging path, according to the new report.

Some people suggested that developers enlarge a proposed park between City Hall and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters by relocating the earthquake-damaged county Hall of Administration and Stanley Mosk Courthouse buildings.

Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen said the county has been in litigation since the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, attempting to collect $100 million from various insurance companies to repair or replace the badly damaged County Hall.

Replacing the seat of county government by building on a county-owned lot in Chinatown or another downtown parcel co-owned by the state and county would cost about $200 million, Janssen said. It would cost less to repair the Temple Street structure, but officials declined to release an estimate range, citing the pending litigation.

"Part of the Grand Avenue plan is to build or create a mall -- a public space between the DWP building and City Hall," Janssen said. "The original thinking was to do it with the existing (county hall) on the hill.

"For whatever reason, if we moved (the county hall) off the hill it would make for a very dramatic park and a statement downtown, if that is what resulted."

Preliminary proposals call for the creation of a 16-acre park in the Civic Center, surrounded by 2,500 housing units -- 1,500 of them rental units, with the remaining to be sold as condominiums. It also would include some 350,000 square feet of commercial and retail development.

Some members of the Grand Avenue Authority have expressed concern about where they would obtain the $300 million needed to develop the park, underground parking structures and street improvements, saying they don't want taxpayers to get stuck with the tab.

At the community meetings, people suggested that the overall vision of the project includes such as making it "green," a world-class destination, pedestrian-friendly and to create a 24-hour environment.

People said they wanted the park to have places to sit, relax and hang out; large trees; public art; and a beautiful garden. They also suggested that it include a sculpture garden, skate park, places for pets and chess tables.

Some of the ideas for special events at the park included New Year's Eve and July 4 celebrations, Mardi Gras festivities, concerts, outdoor theater, jazz festivals, art exhibits, political protests and sports championship celebrations.

People said they wanted the four parcels slated for development to be "trendy and stylish" and include active street fronts, affordable parking options, views of City Hall and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, cultural venues and boutiques that feature local fashion designers.

I thought Disney Hall was our Eiffel tower? Anyway, what I want is architecture that takes risks and is significant and original. Nothing boring or stodgy or corporate.

http://www.grandavenuecommittee.org/ideas.html

Also, as much as the people don't want Grand avenue to be 'Hollywood,' the Academy of Motion Pictures is planning to unload a cash surplus for a Film and TV museum (why LA doesn't have one already, who knows?) that would, I assume, be the biggest and most significant in the world. It wouldn't be so crazy to place it on Grand Avenue. A more appropriate location would be Hollywood boulevard, but if not Hollywood then Grand Avenue would be the perfect location.

Oh, and I don't like the idea of an ice rink. Unless they are talking about a temporary one like what is already in Pershing Square during Christmas. By the way, doesn't Staples Center already have an ice rink? I know Michelle Kwan used to practice there a couple years ago.

Wow, I am really excited to see all these projects going on in L.A

Very nice projects for Los Angeles! :) :cucumber: :banana: :cucumber: :banana:

Hope Street to Get $60 Million Residential Tower

Condo Project Is Second Large-Scale Downtown Venture for Venice Development

by Kathryn Maese

Los Angeles-based Venice Development Group said last week it will break ground this spring on Hope Lofts, a $60 million condominium project at Hope Street and Olympic Boulevard.


A $60 million condominium high-rise on Hope Street, just south of Olympic Boulevard, will produce 156 condos. Rendering courtesy of Killefer Flammang.
The project is the firm's second mega-development on the block bounded by Hope, Olympic, 11th and Grand. Venice Development is also converting a former Packard dealership into 116 apartments. That $40 million project is scheduled to open this July.

Hope Lofts will feature 156 condos divided among three side-by-side high-rises. Designed by architect Killefer Flammang, the project calls for lofts ranging from 1,000 to 1,450 square feet. The condos will range in price from $450,000 to $1 million, and pre-sales will start in February.

Each tower will use different fa?ade materials - one made of glass, one of resin-reinforced panels and the third, metal panels. "This varied approach will break down the scale of the building and give it a more residential feelingâ" said architect Wade Killefer, whose past Downtown projects include the Old Bank District lofts and Pegasus Apartments.

The structures will front a tree-lined portion of Hope Street a block south of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Sean Marouf, development manager for Venice Development, said the firm expects renters to be attracted to the built-in community, which includes Grand Hope Park, restaurants and several of South Park's original condo developments such as the Metropolitan and Renaissance Tower.

The high-rise living trend has caught on in the district, as developers compete to capture skyline views that include Staples Center and a planned entertainment district. Beverly Hills-based developer Sonny Astani last year announced plans to build two 15-story residential towers with a combined 400 units. One will contain condos and the other apartments. Astani is also planning to construct 235 apartments on Wilshire between Bixel and Whitmer, just west of the 110 Freeway.


Likewise, Portland, Oregon-based developers Gerding Edlen, and Williams & Dame are building Elleven, an $85 million complex with 417 condos in two towers fronting opposite ends of the same block - one at 11th and Grand Avenue, and the other at 11th and Hope.

When fashion designer Linya Rothschild moved downtown five months ago from a leafy Westwood neighborhood, she traded a bucolic tree-lined street for a concrete jungle.

What she didn’t leave behind were sky-high home prices. On a square-footage basis, Rothschild, who has decided to buy a penthouse in the Grand Street lofts, is paying $491 a foot for her new condominium.

That’s more expensive than condos in her former Westwood neighborhood and – except for five exclusive Westside neighborhoods – higher than the median per foot price of condos in every ZIP Code in L.A. County.

“It’s going to be a great investment,” she said. “If it was going to stay the way it is I would still think seriously about buying here. But with all this development going on I think prices are only going to keep going and going and going.”

Rothschild is among the growing number of L.A. homebuyers who are betting big on downtown’s revival. Buyers and developers alike have flooded into the market, banking on a Manhattan-like ending to a story that began with some abandoned bank buildings.

There remain some uncertainties, such as the upward movement of interest rates and pending city approval of a retail and entertainment complex surrounding Staples Center that involves a public financing package totaling $150 million. Still, the area is already priced as if success were a slam-dunk.

Resale asking prices at the Flower Street Lofts near Staples Center are higher on a per-foot basis than the median prices for condos in Brentwood’s 90049, Beverly Hills’ 90210 or Marina del Rey’s 90012. Only beach cities such as Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Malibu and Santa Monica’s 90403, along with Century City’s 90067, are priced higher, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

“Are these prices sustainable? I don’t know how to answer that,” said Kevin Ratner, a senior vice president with Forest City West, a division of Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises Inc. “The desire to live downtown will only continue to grow as it becomes more of a neighborhood and a viable place to live in people’s minds.”

Transformation

Until seven years ago, Rothschild’s South Park neighborhood was a grimy industrial landscape of parking lots, warehouses and the underused Los Angeles Convention Center.

That began to change when Staples Center opened. Restaurants followed and two years ago condo developer Lee Group Inc. and partner CIM Group Inc. sold out their 91-unit Flower Street Lofts across from the arena, proving people would pay in the $400,000 range to live downtown.

Now it is a construction zone. There are close to 3,000 condos and apartment units being built or planned in South Park alone, much of them ringing the proposed $1 billion sports and entertainment district that will be built on the surface parking lots flanking Staples Center.

Demand for condos in the neighborhood has been so strong that developers of a 164-unit condominium building at 1111 S. Grand Ave. recently pre-sold 80 percent of their project 14 hours after their sales office began accepting reservations.“We’ve been extremely optimistic,” said Mike Pfeiffer, one of the project’s developers, “but we’re floored at this response.” He said prices varied throughout the building, ranging from $300,000 to $1 million.

Resales are another indication of demand. Several of the original buyers of Flower Street Lofts have flipped their units and reaped huge gains in a little over a year. One owner who bought a two-bedroom unit for $458,000 has the property under contract to be sold for $699,000 – a profit of $241,000.

Another owner of a ground-floor, two-story condo with two bedrooms has the 1,560-square-foot unit listed on the market for $749,000, which would represent a gain of $289,000.

In a few years, Rothschild – who is paying about $750,000 for her loft – believes the 1,527-square-foot unit will be worth more than $1 million. “These prices are going to appreciate immensely once everything gets built,” she said.

Developers, initially cautious in pricing new units, have become more aggressive.

The 66 two-bedroom units in the Grand Lofts at 330 W. 11th St. will start in the mid-$500,000 range and be priced between $380 and $500 a foot, said Jeff Lee, president of Lee Group.

Lee was able to take into account Flower Street resale prices and how much units at 1111 S. Grand Ave. fetched when setting rates for Grand Lofts.

“When we sold Flower we were really pioneering but we’re not pioneering so much anymore,” he said. “It’s not a perfect science yet but we have some better information available to us.”

Developing market

Developer Tom Gilmore believes rates will eventually level out between $450 and $500 a foot and only increase marginally afterwards.

Like other builders, Gilmore – who is converting the former El Dorado hotel on Spring Street into a 66-unit condo building with partners Goodwin Gaw’s Downtown Properties Holdings LLC and Morgan Stanley – said that over the next three years prices will begin to differentiate themselves by neighborhood and building.

“The variation isn’t there yet because we’re still establishing a market,” he said. “In the next two or three years we’re going to see multimillion-dollar apartments but we’ll also have places selling for $350,000. That will be an expression of a healthy market.”

With more than 10,000 downtown apartment and condominium units coming online in the next three years – from the Staples Center and the Fashion District through the historic core and Bunker Hill – the other concern is the depth of the market.

As the supply increases, prices are expected to begin leveling off as prospective buyers have more options. “It’s like musical chairs,” said Ratner, whose firm is converting 1100 Wilshire Blvd. into 230 condos. “You have to hope your project is done before the music stops.”

Developers say they are most worried about speculators who either rent out their units or flip the properties quickly. Both can have a detrimental effect on a new community.

“As a condo developer, you have to always be aware of speculative buyers,” Ratner said. “What you want to create is an environment that people who own the units will enjoy. You want to get people in there who invest in the community and care about it.”

To ensure buyers of its Grand Lofts were the right fit, the Lee Group interviewed potential purchasers and took them on weekend “hard hat” tours of the site while it was under construction.

Rothschild went through one of the interviews before buying her unit. “They want people who live and work downtown,” she said. “(They) want to create a sense of community.”

thanks for pics .i have been in los angeles for 3 years.L.A is a beautiful city.just like a graceful lady.even though.my friend from L.A always said that i was out of my mind.'cause he felt that L.A .is not so clean as long time ago.now.he has moved to BEIJING.CHINA.married a chinese lady.enjoying his own life with happiness.but i still like Los angeles.just as the feeling what my hometown gave me .

wow... I'm absolutely blown away... to be honest I've never seen a downtown as dismal as the one we have here... Downtown is dead pretty much year round, except weekdays during rush hours... it's time to put some pedestrians there!

however hving said tht, I'm not too optimistic about the above projects... hving been here for 5 years, I realized that the rich and famous in LA is more powerful than u think... they ALWAYS find a way to block a project or downgrade it... my theory is LA is: Don't believe it until it's under construction!

^ Downtown LA wakes up ever 15 years or so. From 1989 to 1992, the US Bank Tower, Cal Plaza 1 and 2, and the Gas Company Tower were built (Actually, I think the US Bank Tower was finished in 89). All of which are significant buildings.

And people who have lived in LA almost all of their lives know what I'm talking about. It takes awhile for LA to get moving but when it does, it's a avalanche.

wow... I'm absolutely blown away... to be honest I've never seen a downtown as dismal as the one we have here... Downtown is dead pretty much year round, except weekdays during rush hours... it's time to put some pedestrians there!

however hving said tht, I'm not too optimistic about the above projects... hving been here for 5 years, I realized that the rich and famous in LA is more powerful than u think... they ALWAYS find a way to block a project or downgrade it... my theory is LA is: Don't believe it until it's under construction!
I could not disagree more with the first part of this statement. I find DTLA thriving. It has a workday population base larger than any CBD in the US other than Manhattan and Chicago. Staples, lots of restaurants, MOCA, Music Center, Disney Hall, Broadway, Chinatown...need I go on? Walk down Broadway any day of the week...any pedestrians there? This old saw about "dismal Downtown LA" is lame, tired, not based in reality. Guess people are inclined to see what they want or what east coast writers tell them to see rather than look for the truth.

Everyone interested in the Downtown LA Loft boom should check out this months Los Angeles Magazine, which has a 50 page spread on all the buildings that will open this year. Very very cool, with a page dedicated to each building.

26 Story Hanover Residential Tower

http://www.cajaeir.com/images/hanover3.jpg

http://www.cajaeir.com/images/hanover4.jpg

Client: Hanover
Lead Agency: City of Los Angeles
Date Completed: In Progress

Northeast corner of W. Olympic Boulevard and S. Figueroa Street

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Random/hanovertower.bmp

The project site occupies an approximately 0.5-acre property at the northeast corner of W. Olympic Boulevard and S. Figueroa Street, in the downtown area of the City of Los Angeles. The project site is located within the Central City Community Plan Area as well as the City Center Redevelopment Project Area. The project site is part of the South Park Area, a mixed-use community with a significant concentration of housing. The project site also falls within the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District Specific Plan (LASED) EIR Project Area. The project site, located at the northeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, occupies approximately 37% of the LASED Figueroa North Properties lot.

The proposed project includes the demolition/removal of all existing surface parking operations occupying the project site and the construction of a 26-floor mixed-use tower providing residential, ground-floor commercial, and parking uses. The base of the tower would consist of a seven-level parking structure, providing parking within one subterranean level and six above-grade levels, for a total of approximately 257 parking stalls. The ground floor level would provide commercial floor area for general commercial uses such as a restaurant or retail shops, as well as a residential lobby providing street access for residential tenants. Above the parking structure would be a 19-floor, 156-unit residential tower, providing approximately 122 one-bedroom units, and 34 two-bedroom units. The amenity deck on the eight floor of the structure would provide a more formal residential lobby area (for residents entering from one of the parking levels), as well as an outdoor pool, residential lounge, fitness room, and landscaped deck/lawn open space area. In total, the proposed project would include approximately 172,026 sf of residential floor area and 7,499 sf of ground floor commercial floor area, for a total building floor area of 179,525 sf.

Nice. when was this announced? looks good for south park. It replaces my parking lot for Lakers and Kings games. Also, do you know the timetable for this project?

Sorry, I don't know the time table... but hopefully it will break ground soon!

Glad to see development like this occur downtown. Where did you obtain this info from?

Glad to see development like this occur downtown. Where did you obtain this info from?

http://www.cajaeir.com

Vice, can you add the renderings for the Pacific Stock Exchange Building on this thread? we should really keep it going. there are so many new pojects, that we need a thread like this to keep everyone up to date. The drawings are on LA DOWNTOWN NEWS online. Thanks

Done!

Thanks

Great thread. :)

I've got one like this, except it's on NY and is nowhere near complete. ;) Great job, and these projects are great, hopefully it's only the tip of the iceberg! Keep us posted!

You know, aside from all these great buildings, the Grand Ave. Project also calls for the completion of a "civic park" described as the "front lawn" for city hall. It's supposed to be 16 acres...not much, but it seems like it could be that central meeting area that L.A. has lacked all these years...

yup that is a very important part of the project. what is also important is for them to relocate the county buildings on either side of the proposed park and it looks as thought the developer has listened to the masses and will push to have those relocated.

Yeah, how much bigger will the park be if those county buildings are removed? I'm guessing it will jump from 16 acres to 25?

Wow, that's great! I'm sure you guys are aware of these projects, but I just found out about another park area that the city is trying to complete in the old railyard fields just northeast of DTLA, on the edge of Chinatown. Known as the Cornfield and Taylor Yard, the two areas combined would be more than 130 acres!!! Plus, the Cornfield actually contains the old aqueduct that used to supply the original Pueblo of Los Angeles! How could would that be to have all these skyscrapers go up PLUS some open space within walking distance....I hope it happens....

^ ya those are very important to the area. They need to be completed soon.

SportsFan, do you have any info on why there's a hold-up with these park projects? I thought they had the land already...

i think its a funding issue, but i believe that they are moving forward. if i hear anything ill post it.

LA LIVE UPDATE _ BREAKS GROUND IN MAY OR JUNE! new rendering on ladowntownnews.com, nokia theater first to go up, residential on the top 10 floors of the hotel, ESPN STUDIOS west, etc etc.

New Details Emerge on LA Live Plan

Developers Explore Selling Convention Center Hotel's Naming Rights

by Jon Regardie

Top executives of the LA Live project last week unveiled intriguing new details about the $1 billion development that will change the southern portion of Downtown. Among the most notable elements set to occur in the so-called "sports and entertainment district" are a 15-screen movie theater complex, a cluster of condominiums atop the Convention Center headquarters hotel, and a plan to possibly name the hotel after a shoe company, a furniture store, or another business that pays millions for naming rights.
LA Live developers are talking to about 12 restaurants. Outdoor dining will be a priority. Rendering courtesy of AEG.

The announcements came from Ted Tanner, senior vice president of real estate for Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the developer of Staples Center and LA Live, and Lew Wolff, the chair and CEO of Wolff Urban Development, which is a partner in the headquarters hotel. The two spoke to about 300 Downtown business leaders at a Tuesday luncheon sponsored by the Los Angeles Headquarters Association.

Even before Staples Center opened in 1999, AEG was exploring plans to create a massive district mixing restaurants, retail, housing and entertainment venues along six blocks north of the arena. Tanner reiterated on Tuesday that AEG aims to break ground on the initial phase of construction by May or June. The first major piece to go up, he said, will be the Nokia Theatre, an $85 million-$90 million, 7,100-seat venue that will host approximately 110 events a year; about two-thirds will be concerts, with the remainder comprised of award shows, short-run productions and similar events. Also part of the first phase is the Nokia Plaza and some underground parking. The project would ultimately include about 4,000 underground parking spaces.

Plans call for the entire LA Live to encompass around 4 million square feet of development space. The centerpiece continues to be the Convention Center headquarters hotel, a proposed 55-story structure that would house 1,200 rooms. Its price has been pegged at about $350 million, though Wolff said that is still being perfected. City incentives include a loan of about $20 million, infrastructure improvements, fee waivers and a proposal to exempt the hotel owners from a 14% bed tax that other hotels pay. The exemption would last 20 years and could be worth around $100 million.

Area officials have long claimed that such a structure is necessary to save the city's ailing convention industry, which repeatedly loses major business gatherings to other cities that have thousands of hotel rooms within a few minutes walk of their convention centers. The situation has turned the Los Angeles Convention Center into a money loser.

"The lynchpin for this has always been the hotel. We want to make that absolutely clear," said Tanner.

Wolff announced that the hotel would also have about 100 condominiums on the upper floors, probably between levels 45 and 55. "I'm told they're going to sell like hotcakes," he said.

Red Carpet Premieres


Although the hotel will be operated by Hilton, Wolff said he and AEG are exploring branding partnerships for the 1.5 million-square-foot structure. "We might have the Nike Hilton," he said by way of example. "We might, hypothetically again, go to Ikea. We might say here is the Hilton specifications for their hotel. If you want to give us a really knockout discount, or gift if you will, we're not opposed to having Ikea's name sketched into the wood frame of every bed."

Wolff said such a partnership could be worth up to $5 million for the hotel developers. It follows a nearby precedent: Before the Downtown arena opened, AEG and Staples signed a 20-year, $100 million naming rights deal.

Tanner delivered additional information on the long-anticipated megaplex, saying that it will be operated by the Regal Entertainment Group and will include 15 state-of-the-art theaters with thousands of seats. The biggest single theater will hold 700 seats, he said.

As part of the movie push, he said AEG will seek to host 10 to 15 red carpet premieres a year, with the films screened in the theater and large after-parties taking place in spacious ballrooms within walking distance.

Tanner said AEG is holding discussions with about 12 restaurants. He said an important element of the eateries will be outdoor and terrace dining, which could help activate the street. "Our whole goal here is to create a pedestrianized environment," he said.

Another element would be built around ESPN. Tanner said AEG is talking with the Bristol, Conn.-based sports behemoth about creating an entire broadcasting facility in LA Live as part of the Nokia Plaza.

"This would represent an extraordinary commitment on the part of ESPN, to actually build a second major TV broadcast studio production facility," he said. "So instead of having the 11 o'clock sports report emanating from Bristol, Conn., it will be live from Nokia Plaza."

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

Ok time for an Update on all the projects and towers in Downtown. Feel Free to add on and correct me, in fact please do.


New Towers:

Elleven Phase 1 - 13 stories - 2006
Elleven Phase 2 - 19 stories - 2007
Elleven Phase 3 - 27 stories - 2007
Elelven Part 2 - Several Towers yet to be determined, 2008

LA LIVE Hotel - 55 stories - 2007-08
LA LIVE Residential - 20 + ?
LA LIVE Residential - 20 + ?

Grand Ave Towers - 5 - 6 Towers, from 25 - 65 Stories, by 2009

SCI ARC Tower 1 - 50 Stories - ?
SCI ARC Tower 2 - 50 Stories - ?

9th and Fig Tower 1 - 15 Stories - ?
9th and Fig Tower 2 - 25 Stories - ?

9th and Olympic - 26 Stories - ?

Metropolis Tower 1 - 53 + Stories - ?
Metropolis Tower 2 - 47 + Stories - ?
Metropolis Tower 3 - 38 + Stories - ?

Federal Building - 17 Stories - ?

Olive Street Tower - 35 Stories - ?

Stock Exch. Tower 1 - 30 Stories - ?
Stock Exch. Tower 2 - 30 Stories - ?

9th and Flower - 33 Stories - ?

Hope Street Condos - 17 Stories - ?

Grand Hope Park Lofts - 14 Stories - ?

Medallion 1 - 11 Stories - ? Might Be Taller?
Medallion 2 - 11 Stories - ? Might Be Taller?

Subway Terminal - 20 Stories - ?

Alexan Savoy Phase 2 - 18 Stories - ?
Alexan Savoy Phase 3 - 25 Stories - ?

Little Tokyo Block 8 - 20 Stories - ?
Little Tokyo Block 8 - 20 Stories - ?

12th and Fig - 15 Stories - ?



Ok Guys, let me know if im missing any and completion dates as well as the number of units if you want.

Where exactly are the Grand Ave. towers going to be? Is it going to be between Cal Plaza and that new high school? Or just around the Disney Center?

And any news on Cal Plaza 3? 755 Tower? Hell, the LA Megastructure?

I think those three projects are dead, but i might be wrong. i really like the 755 tower and i hope its for real, cause that would add a lot to LA's skyline. Im not sure of the locations of the Grand Ave Towers, but i think initial renderings will be released soon by Related Co. there are three parcels, one across Disney Hall that is the main area, one next to Disney hall that will have residential and one parcel below the parking lot across from Disney hall that will have a mix. I would think the 65 story tower would be on the main parcel across from Disney hall.

Thanks for all the info on these projects, heres my two cents worth of info, the original bunker hill redevelopment plan, (in regards to the grand ave project) proposed residential on the blocks southwest of the disney concert hall, (between grand and hope, two original plan, never built condo towers were to be 27 storys each.) the two other sites, southeast on first st. one; (between grand and olive) was zoned for office, between 750.000 and 1.2 million sq.ft.( i.e. 65 story tower) the next, two;(between olive and hill on first), also zoned for office, if i remember correctly somewhere around 500.000 sq.ft. (i.e. new courthouse) the retail aspect of this development is a new addition, as a result of the disney concert hall, i assume. if i were to be realistic i don't beleave the way the office market stands at present that a lease of 500.000 sq. ft. could be found to make a 65 story tower feasable, but i would like to see a signature tower go on that site, i'm quite sure an architect can be found to design a complementery tower to the disney concert hall, (letting as much sunlight as possible reach the work) also the Los Angeles megastructure, is certainly dead, the site in the mid wilshire district, (the ambassador hotel) now belongs to the LAUSD, 15 years ago Donald Trump had an option to buy the property, but gave up on the idea. also i beleve that Richard Keating ( once of SOM) was involved in the design of the 125 story tower (it would have been awsume too, as you could have seen it from the san fernando valley)

This is great information!!! I was conducting some research on DTLA and came across this site. I registered immediately.

LA Sports Guy, where do you find all of your information???

^ the info is from this site and mostly from Skyscraperpage.com (similar forum with many more LA area posters who are on top of things). Also i got some of the info from LADowntownnewsonline and te LA Business journal as well as Google searches.

Welcome to the board.

How much of this is actually approved?

other than sci arc, they are either under construction or are going to start soon.

I updated the post with the floor counts.

here is the latest development update for Downtown LA from LA DOWNTOWN NEWS ONLINE.

Loft and Found

With 122 Developments, Downtown Is Abuzz in the North, South, East and West

by Chris Coates and Kathryn Maese

What was a murmur and then a buzz is now nothing less than a roar: Everywhere you look, and listen, is the sound of development in Downtown.
The former St. Vibiana's Cathedral will contain a residential element, along with a hotel and restaurant. Photo by Gary Leonard.

The happenings are literally in every corner of the community. In the north, near Chinatown, there is progress on the new Cornfield State Park, while South Park is witnessing ground-up condominium construction for the first time in decades. The Vista Hermosa school and public park is underway in City West, while more lofts are being developed in the east near the Los Angeles River and the Arts District.

The loudest sound comes from the thousands of construction workers who are continuing the adaptive reuse rush, turning defunct buildings into new lofts with state-of-the-art amenities. People are flocking into the Historic Core, into South Park, into the Financial District: The new catchphrase might as well be, wherever there's a building, there's a way to make it into housing.

All the evidence indicates that the momentum will continue. Rising players such as the South Group are announcing three-phase projects, following other multi-phase developments like Santee Court and South Village. There is also a burgeoning buying power: A recent survey revealed that half of the housing units being developed are for sale, and half are for rent. The study by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District also found that the median household income of residents in the new Downtown buildings is an amazing $90,000.

Need more proof? Just check out the following pages, where Los Angeles Downtown News details the latest updates on 122 projects. These developments are changing the present, and the future, of Downtown.

NEW PROJECTS

These projects were announced or garnered public interest within the last five months.

CIVIC CENTER FIRE STATION NO. 4
Designs for a new seven-bay fire station on the south side of Temple Street at Alameda Street are nearing completion, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The 40,000-square-foot Fire Station No. 4 will also include a dispatch center. The project has been funded through past bond measures approved by voters. GKK Dommer and Fluor/HOK are the architects.

EMERALD TERRACE
Work crews last month tore down three apartment buildings on the corner of Lucas Avenue and Emerald Street on Crown Hill to make way for the 85-unit Emerald Terrace Housing complex. Construction is set to start May 5 on the four-story apartment building being developed by Westwood-based Meta Housing and Culver City-based Century Housing. Nancy Morris, a spokeswoman for Meta, said the $21 million multifamily development will be entirely affordable housing. The project should be complete by November 2006, she said. Meta is also behind the Northwest Gateway apartment complex one block north, on the corner of Lucas Avenue and Glendale Boulevard.

HOLIDAY INN
The 205-room Holiday Inn at 750 Garland Ave. is leaving the hotel business. Newport Beach-based owner MKT Community Development is turning the six-story, 1960s-era structure into 205 studio apartments; an opening is scheduled for March. The developer is considering providing hotel-like amenities such as room service, a restaurant, a salon and even a bartender who can pour a martini for a resident who's had a long day. About 85% of the apartments will be priced at $1,200 a month, though some will cost up to $2,000.

HOPE LOFTS
Los Angeles-based Venice Development Group will break ground this spring on Hope Lofts, a $60 million condominium project at Hope Street and Olympic Boulevard. The Killefer Flammang-designed project will feature 156 condos in three side-by-side high-rises. The units will range from 1,000 to 1,450 square feet, and start at $450,000. Pre-sales begin in February.

HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE
Construction is set to start in June on a $19 million expansion next to the House Ear Institute at Third and Alvarado streets, said spokeswoman Christa Spieth Nuber. A three-story, 30,000-square-foot building will house the group's research division and offices. The Annenberg Foundation donated $10 million. Downtown-based architects Perkins + Will will design the project, which is set to wrap in October 2006.

LA FASHION CENTER
A development team headed by City West-based LA Properties Investment and Management Group broke ground in November on the ground-up construction of LA Fashion Center, also known as LA Face. The 560,000-square-foot structure at 1444 S. San Pedro St. will house 200 for-purchase retail spaces and showrooms for garment wholesalers and manufacturers. The concept allows small business owners to make permanent investments rather than monthly rental payments. An average store will cost about $360,000; ground floor units will start at $640,000. Los Angeles-based MAI Architects designed the project.

LINDA LEA THEATER
The long-dark Linda Lea Theater at 251 S. Main St. was purchased by an anonymous owner in late December and will be brought back as a 500-seat theater with independent film screenings, festivals, community events and possibly a rooftop bar. A group of local arts leaders will program and operate the space, and in keeping with the theater's Japanese history, a concessions stand will include items such as Japanese sweets, edamame, sake, soju and beer. The operators are applying for a $1.5 million grant from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment to help restore the dilapidated property. The 7,700-square-foot Linda Lea, which closed in the 1980s, was one of only three theaters in Los Angeles to screen Japanese language films. During its heyday in the 1960s, visitors would flock to see the latest samurai dramas produced by the Toei film company.

MAYFAIR HOTEL
The Best Western Mayfair hotel at 1256 W. Seventh St. will be converted into 250 condos. Craig Lawson, a land use consultant at Craig Lawson & Co., is moving forward with the entitlement package. The developer, Mayfair LLC, is planning a groundbreaking in September. The architect is Killefer Flammang.

PACIFIC EXCHANGE BUILDING
Golden Hills Properties plans to convert the Pacific Exchange building into residential and construct two 30-story towers near the City West plot at Third Street and Beaudry Avenue, said General Manager Michael Delijani. West Los Angeles-based Nadel Architects is designing plans for the 850-condominium and apartment project. Golden Hills Properties purchased the boxy, 10-story white building, the former home of the Pacific Stock Exchange, in the late 1990s. It consists of eight levels of parking, the trading floor and a single level of offices. The developers have not secured permits. Delijani said they are aiming for a groundbreaking by early 2006.

SEVEN WEST
Developer Bret Mosher of Seven West LLC said he plans to break ground in late November on 62 market-rate condos at 1401 W. Seventh St. The five-story building will also hold 3,000 square feet of retail space. No cost has been disclosed. Killefer Flammang Architects is designing the project.

1010 WILSHIRE BUILDING
Redwood City-based Amidi Real Estate Group is planning to convert the 17-story office building at 1010 Wilshire Blvd. in City West into as many as 250 for-sale units. The first-time Downtown developers are working on designs that call for turning 13 floors into 800- to 1,200-square-foot condominiums with 15% priced as affordable housing. Included will be four levels of parking, a swimming pool, recreation area and possibly a health club. The developers have completed most of the designs and are working to obtain city permits. Construction will not start until at least 2006. Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang is the architect. Telecommunications company SBC currently leases the entire building from Amidi. The lease expires in July when the company finishes moving its 850 employees to the SBC Tower in South Park.

1010 WOOD APARTMENTS
1010 Development Corp. plans to start building 61 affordable family apartments in March. The project will be called 1010 Wood Apartments and will include 40 two-bedroom units, 21 three-bedroom units and a childcare center for 45 children. The apartments will be divided between two plots on opposite sides of the street; one at 1322 and the other at 1405 James M. Wood Blvd. Pasadena-based Ken Kurose Architects is designing the $16.7 million development. They hope to complete the project by mid-2006.

RESIDENTIAL


FOR SALE

BARRY'S LOFTS II
Construction started earlier this month on the residential conversion of the building at 548 S. Spring St. (formerly known as the Wilson Building and the 548 Building) into 84 condominiums, said developer Barry Shy, who is partnering with Albion Pacific on the $25 million project. Plans call for units ranging from 700 to 1,100 square feet. Shy said the project is pegged for a February 2006 completion.

BARTLETT BUILDING
Developer Barry Shy said the $15 million conversion of the Bartlett Building at 215 W. Seventh St. in the Jewelry District is nearly complete. All 140 condominiums have been sold, he said, and tenants will start moving in early next month. Units range from 700 to 1,000 square feet. Shy purchased the 14-story former home of Union Oil in 2002.

BISCUIT COMPANY LOFTS
Development firm Linear City is turning the former National Biscuit Company factory at 673 S. Mateo St. in the Industrial District into residential units. Plans for the 167,745-square-foot building call for 200 live/work condominium lofts on seven floors and more than 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail. The 1925 building includes hardwood floors, brick walls, oversized windows and 11-foot ceilings. Crews have started demolition on the interior of the existing factory and principal Yuval Bar-Zemer said construction should wrap by July 2006. The property, which Linear City purchased last year, will also include a development known as Sky Lofts, a seven-story building with 120 lofts. Construction on the ground-up development is scheduled to begin in November and finish in March 2007, Bar-Zemer said. Santa Monica-based KoningEizenberg is the architect.

BROADWAY EXCHANGE
The residential conversion of the 12-story Broadway Exchange building at 219 W. Seventh St. should be complete by the first quarter of 2006, said project manager Gabriel Frig. Plans call for turning the former office building into 72 condominiums. Construction is about 35% complete. Frig would not discuss the square footage and said the developers are waiting to announce how much they will charge for the units. The developer is Broadway Exchange Building, LLC.

BROCKMAN BUILDING
The conversion of the Brockman Building at 530 W. Seventh St. into 76 units should be complete by fall, said Dana Yogel, senior project manager for developer Urban Pacific, which partnered with Salter Company/West Millennium Homes on the deal. The 12-story edifice, also known as the Brooks Brothers Building, is undergoing a $21 million conversion. The project in the Financial District will include a rooftop deck with an Infinity pool, gym and community rooms with barbecues and fireplaces. Though the condos will start in the high $200,000 range, some units will be among the priciest Downtown: A two-story, 2,300-square-foot penthouse with a private rooftop deck will likely sell for more than $1 million.

CHASE PLAZA
The Lee Group and CIM Group are turning the top 10 floors of the 22-story Chase Plaza at 801 S. Grand Ave. into 132 condominiums. The rest of the 440,000-square-foot, Class A building will remain office space. Floor plans will average 1,500 square feet and prices will range from $500,000 to more than $1 million. John Given, senior vice president of CIM, said construction will start sometime this year. He said the developers are hoping to finish in 2006. Santa Monica-based Van Tilburg, Banvard and Soderbergh is the architect.

DOUGLAS BUILDING
Move-in will start at the end of March for the renovated 1898 office building at 257 S. Spring St., said Bill Stevenson, a partner in the project. All 50 condominiums in the Old Bank District property have been sold, Stevenson said. Developers - who include Goodwin Gaw of Downtown Properties - also plan to install 20,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor. The project's anticipated February opening was delayed about a month because of last month's rainstorms; the unfinished roof was damaged. Rockefeller Architects designed the project.

EASTERN COLUMBIA LOFTS
The conversion of the Eastern Columbia Building at 849 S. Broadway into 147 condominiums and apartments should be complete by early 2006, said Dennis Allen, an analyst with developer the Kor Group. Plans for the Fashion District structure call for units averaging 1,200 square feet with 11- to 14-foot ceilings. Amenities are set to include a rooftop fitness center, sundeck, pool, spa and fireplace. The development will also have retail space and possibly a restaurant. Hancock Park-based Kor Group purchased the turquoise blue and gold terra cotta edifice in August for nearly $20 million. The building constructed in 1930 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

EL DORADO HOTEL
Vacant since 1998, the El Dorado Hotel at Fourth and Spring streets is slated for conversion into for-sale condos. Old Bank District developer Tom Gilmore has finalized a partnership with investor Goodwin Gaw and Morgan Stanley to finance and build the $20 million project, which will contain 66 units priced from $275,000 to $425,000. Gilmore said construction will start in May.

1100 GRAND LOFTS
Developers said the conversion of the 81-year-old building at 330 W. 11th St. should wrap up by spring. Headed by Marina del Rey-based the Lee Group and CIM Group of Hollywood, the 105,000-square-foot South Park structure that will be known as the 1100 Grand Lofts is being converted into 66 mostly two-bedroom condominiums. Floor plans range from 1,151 to 2,609 square feet. The $15 million conversion, which started in November 2003, includes the addition of three floors to the four-story structure. Prices will start in the mid-$400,000 range. Lee paid $4.5 million for the property in the late 1990s, a few years after the UCLA Extension program moved out. Killefer Flammang of Santa Monica is the architect.

1100 WILSHIRE
Crews began working earlier this month on plans to turn the top half of the wedge-shaped office-tower at Bixel Street and Wilshire Boulevard into 230 condominiums. The project by developers Hampton Development, TMG Partners and Forest City Residential West calls for a mix of dual-level (ranging from 660 to 1,980 square feet) and single-level, 700- to 1,200-square-foot condominiums. The City West tower - a 27-story, triangular office structure atop a 15-level, nearly windowless parking garage - has been largely vacant since it was constructed in 1987. Kevin Ratner, senior project manager with Forest City, said the project is slated for completion by May 2006.

ELLEVEN/SOUTH
This three-phase collection of South Park condo towers will include more than 700 units and will be completed by 2007. The first phase is Elleven, an $85 million ground-up construction slated for a March 2006 opening, said Tom Cody, a principal with developer The South Group. The project includes 417 condominiums in two towers - a 13-story, 194-unit building at Eleventh Street and Grand Avenue and a 17-story, 233-unit building at Eleventh and Hope streets. Floor plans range from 850 to 2,800 square feet and will cost from $300,000 to more than $1 million.

The $80 million second phase dubbed Luma will feature a sophisticated, upscale design. It's set to break ground in April and will include 236 live-work condos with 10 two-story townhouses. The 19-story structure will occupy the southeast corner of 11th and Hope streets. Completion is expected in fall 2006, said Cody.

The final $100 million phase (currently unnamed) immediately south of Elleven will begin in September, and will include up to 350 condos and eight two-story townhouses in a 27-story building. It will share the entire block with Elleven, and is set for occupancy by summer 2007.

HIGGINS BUILDING
The transition of the Higgins Building from apartments to condominiums is nearly complete, said developer Barry Shy. All but two penthouses are left. When Shy finished the residential conversion of the building at Second and Main streets last summer, he marketed the 135 units as apartments. In the fall, he informed residents that the building was being turned into condominiums, drawing ire from some inhabitants who said they were being forced out. Some have decided to purchase their units. At least one lawsuit has been filed alleging unfair housing practices.

IRVINE BYRNE BUILDING
Urban Pacific Builders and Phoenix Realty Group closed escrow in December on this five-story, 90-year-old building at the northwest corner of Third Street and Broadway. The partners began converting it last month into 40 loft-style condominiums; the project is expected to wrap by early 2006. Floor plans range from 500 to 1,200 square feet. The building will feature a recreation room and gym, as well as historic features like copper elevators. The departure of longtime tenant the Giant Penny will allow the developer to reclaim some of the historic lobby. It also opens up space for additional retail. The ground floor currently contains a wedding chapel and a wedding apparel business. The Beaux Arts-style building was designed by Sumner Hunt, and in the 1940s housed a Mexican consulate.

MOLINO STREET LOFTS
Development firm the Kor Group is adding 30 new lofts to an existing artist-in-residence structure at Fourth and Mateo streets in the Arts District. Developers are turning the building, which currently contains 61 live-work rental units in two adjoining 1920s warehouse buildings, into condominiums. The Molino Street Lofts will feature units ranging from 900 to 3,700 square feet. Construction is set to wrap by the end of this year.

NINTH AND FIGUEROA
Beverly Hills-based developer Sonny Astani's plans for a 450-condominium complex at the southeast corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets near Staples Center are moving ahead. Brenda Rodriguez, a representative from Astani's office, said the developers are working on plans for the site, which will include 40,000 square feet of retail. Astani purchased the lot in October for $29 million from Equitable Life Assurance Society. Early proposals called for two, 15-story apartment and condominium towers, 1,000 square feet of retail and 1,200 parking spaces.

OLIVE STREET LOFTS
John Given, senior vice president of developer CIM Group, said construction on the $35 million Olive Street Lofts will start this summer. The developers, who are partnered in the project with the Lee Group, will erect the building on a vacant parking lot at 11th and Olive streets adjacent to a former UCLA Extension building. The property will contain 106 for-sale units. Given said construction will last 15 to 18 months.

ROWAN BUILDING
Gilmore Associates and Goodwin Gaw's Downtown Properties are developing 209 loft apartments at 458 S. Spring St. The residences will range from 450 to 1,200 square feet. Twenty percent of the units will be priced as affordable housing. Developer Tom Gilmore said he received financing for the project last month and construction will start soon. The development will include a new parking garage next to the building. The Beaux Arts-style Rowan Building was constructed in 1912 and once housed stock brokerages and law firms. The architect is Killefer Flammang.

TERAMACHI SENIOR HOUSING
The rains in early January delayed construction of the $35 million Teramachi Senior Housing project by about a month, said developer Thomas Wong. The 127-condominium project on the northwest corner of Third and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo will offer upscale housing for people 55 and older. Units range from 775 to 2,100 square feet. Amenities include a swimming pool and spa, exercise room and courtyard gardens. The structure will contain three retail tenants on the ground floor and one level of subterranean parking. Some tenants will be from the nearby Senshin Buddhist Temple. The project is scheduled for completion in October 2006.

RESIDENTIAL


FOR RENT

ALEXAN SAVOY
The initial phase of the $66 million Alexan Savoy at First and Alameda streets is slated for a July opening, said Alex Wong, project manager for Costa Mesa-based developer Trammell Crow Residential. The second phase of the Little Tokyo development was pushed back three weeks due to last month's rain. A third phase is scheduled to break ground in late 2005. The project also earmarks about 30,000 square feet for retail. Rents start at $1,400. The entire project will add 868 housing units to Little Tokyo.

ARCADE BUILDING
The $15 million conversion of the 12-story Arcade Building at 541 S. Spring St. into 143 market-rate loft apartments is scheduled to be completed by the summer. The Beaux Arts-style building's owner, Fifth Street Funding, is converting the property and extensively renovating existing retail. David Denton designed the project. Each of the building's two towers, which are separated by an interior retail arcade that stretches from Spring Street to Broadway, will house six one- and two-bedroom apartments per floor. The 195,000-square-foot edifice will function as a mixed-use project, a concept common when the structure was built in 1924.

BROADWAY PLAZA LOFTS
Increases in the cost of materials have pushed back the conversion of the Blackstone Department Store into 82 lofts, said Wolfgang Kupka, president of developer Vista Realty Advisors. The developers now hope to wrap construction by June. Blueprints call for converting the 89-year-old complex at 901 E. Broadway into 400- to 1,200-square-foot units ranging from $700 to $2,300. About 16 will be set aside for affordable housing. Plans also call for keeping the ground floor businesses, which include a cellular telephone store, an accounting firm, a florist and a travel agent, and restoring the building's façade and sidewalks. The project is about 60% complete, Kupka said. The setback stems from the rising costs of steel, sheetrock and concrete, he said, as well as from damage due to last month's rains. Last year, the Los Angeles Conservancy awarded Vista Realty Advisors $100,000 to rehabilitate the building. The 1916 structure was designed by John Parkinson, who drafted plans for Union Station, the Coliseum and City Hall.

COULTER AND MANDELL BUILDINGS
Tenants should begin moving into the converted Coulter and Mandell Buildings in April, said Eddie Peykar, a partner on the project. Fashion District property owner George Peykar purchased the Jewelry District structures at 500 and 518 W. Seventh St. in early 2003. The listing price was $8 million. Plans call for 55 live-work lofts and possibly a ground floor restaurant and convenience store. The property is a former office building and dry goods store. Combined, the buildings comprise 137,000 square feet.

HARTFORD PROJECT
Construction will begin in September on a 54-unit affordable housing complex at Fourth and San Lucas streets, just west of the 110 (Harbor) Freeway, said Dora Leong Gallo, chief executive officer of the nonprofit A Community of Friends. The development will contain mostly three- and four-bedroom units, as well as a Boys & Girls Club to serve the students of an elementary school being built next door. Construction should wrap up in September 2006. Killefer Flammang is the architect.

HERALD EXAMINER BUILDING
Plans are still up in the air for the three-building complex that housed the city's last afternoon newspaper. Devan Pailet, a development executive for Urban Partners, said the company is exploring plans for a mix of for-rent residential and retail in the 1914 property at 11th Street and Broadway. He said the firm is working with the building's owner, San Francisco-based Hearst Corporation, on the project. The 90-year-old building has largely sat empty for the past 15 years, though it is occasionally used for filming.

LIBRARY COURT
The $20 million conversion of the University Club building at 630 W. Sixth St. into 90 units is scheduled for completion by this summer. Plans by Newport Beach-based developer the Greystone Group call for high-end one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as five townhouses with a private entrance on Hope Street. Units will rent from $1,500 to $2,600 a month. Named Library Court for its proximity to the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, the building's exterior features a new glass curtain wall in combination with the existing marble. The property also includes an 11,000-square-foot retail space that could house a restaurant. The complex will contain two levels of underground parking.

LOFTS AT THE SECURITY BUILDING
Construction is scheduled to finish by July on the $28 million conversion of the Security Bank building at 510 S. Spring St. in the Historic Core. Developers Simpson Housing Solutions are turning the 99-year-old edifice into 153 rental lofts ranging from 630 to 1,850 square feet. Twenty-percent of the units will be priced as affordable housing. The project was originally scheduled to finish in December 2003.

LORENZO
Plans are in the works for a 600-unit apartment complex on Sixth between Bixel and St. Paul streets, said Peter Novak, executive vice president of Brentwood-based developer GH Palmer Associates. Novak said the company is working on conceptual designs; the project is slated to come online in summer 2007.

MAIN MERCANTILE BUILDING
The loft conversion of the six-story building at 620 S. Main St. is about 70% complete, said Dwight Kulman, director of Oxford Street Properties. The developer is adding 35 to 40 housing units as part of an $8 million conversion of the 75,060-square-foot structure. The industrial-style lofts will average 1,200 to 1,300 square feet and rent for $1,100 to $2,200. Kulman said construction is scheduled for a May finish.

METRO 417
The $60 million conversion of the Subway Terminal Building at 417 S. Hill St. into 277 luxury live-work lofts is scheduled for a June completion, said Kevin Ratner, senior project manager for developer Forest City Residential West. Ratner said construction was delayed when crews found an oil well in the structure's basement parking garage. The well, which Ratner said was not indicated in city records, forced crews to drill down more than 500 feet and remove the contaminated soil. The 1925, 500,000-square-foot building was once the underground terminus of the Pacific Electric Railroad and held 600 offices. The new units range from 450 to 2,200 square feet. Pre-leasing is set to start in April, Ratner said.

METROPOLITAN LOFTS
The $50 million Metropolitan Lofts at Flower and Eleventh streets is scheduled for a July opening, said Kevin Ratner, project manager for developer Forest City Residential West. Plans for the structure next to the Palm restaurant call for 264 units ranging from 700 to 1,400 square feet. Market-rate apartments will go for $1,400 to $2,800; 52 affordable housing units will have rents beginning at $500. The F-shaped structure, with a courtyard, also has 11,500 square feet of retail space. Ratner said pre-leasing will start in May. Johnson Fain Partners is the architect.

NORTHWEST GATEWAY
Construction could start this month on the 276-unit, mixed-income Northwest Gateway apartments on the site of a former train yard at Second Street and Glendale Boulevard. The $55 million development will include studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, and such amenities as a community room, computer lab, pool, spa, dog park, fitness center and two levels of underground parking. Developer Meta Housing hopes to complete construction by April 2006, said spokeswoman Nancy Morris. Construction has been delayed twice because of permit filing errors. Community groups failed in efforts to turn the site - the former Toluca train yard and Belmont tunnel, which runs beneath Bunker Hill - into an art park. A mechanic's garage, demolished in January, also sat on the plot. In September, the city's Cultural Heritage Commission designated the tunnel a Historical Cultural Monument. Developers said they will keep the tunnel intact, although it will not be open to the public.

OLYMPIC LOFTS
The $13 million conversion of the nine-story Federal Reserve Bank building at Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street in South Park should be complete by May, said developer Maz Gilardian. Plans call for 79 luxury live-work lofts with an average of about 1,000 square feet and 17-foot-high ceilings. Rent will be $2,000, Gilardian said. A restaurant and bar are planned on the ground floor of the 85-year-old structure.

ORSINI II
Construction could start as soon as April on the 600-unit Orsini II at 505 N. Figueroa St., said Peter Novak, executive vice president of Brentwood-based developer GH Palmer Associates. The complex will include luxury studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Rents will start at $1,250 for studios and $1,725 for two-bedroom units. Construction is scheduled to finish in spring 2006. The development is part of Palmer's three-phase Orsini project; the final phase will include 300 units. Novak said they hope to complete it by spring 2007.

PACIFIC ELECTRIC BUILDING
The $22 million conversion of the Pacific Electric Building at 610 S. Main St. into 314 lofts should be complete by mid-March, said Alex Moradi, president of Beverly Hills-based developer ICO Investment Group. Construction is about 95% complete, he said. Built in 1908, the nine-story Historic Core structure will feature lofts ranging from 550 to 3,700 square feet, as well as a gym and roof garden. Once a terminal for the Pacific Electric Railway, the 482,000-square-foot building also houses Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet. Moradi said the project is about 20% pre-leased. Killefer Flammang is the architect.

PACKARD LOFTS
The loft conversion of the former Packard car dealership at Hope Street and Olympic Boulevard is on track and set for completion in July, according to project manager Sean Marouf of Venice Investments. The developers are constructing 116 market-rate lofts, ranging from 750 to 2,000 square feet. Rents will range from $1,400 to $2,800. Marouf said he is hoping to attract a restaurant to the building's 25,000-square-foot ground floor storefront space. The development will also include a 450-car indoor parking garage.

SCI-ARC LOT
Richard Meruelo did not return calls seeking information about plans for a 15-acre Arts District plot he and developer Daniel Villanueva purchased for more than $12.5 million. The developers, operating under the name Merco Group LLC, are said to be considering building two towers of up to 50 stories each, with more than 300 units. They have not been granted building permits from the city. The property, which sits west of the Southern California Institute of Architecture, has become a battleground. SCI-Arc Director Eric Owen Moss said that discussions about the property are being held, and he is hopeful a solution can be worked out.

SECOND AND CENTRAL
Construction on the six-story, 128-unit complex on a small plot in Little Tokyo should be complete by March 2006, said Gino Canori, project manager for the Related Companies. The development will contain studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The luxury complex will include a pool, spa, fitness center and 12,500 square feet of retail. Units will range from 400 to 1,100 square feet, with the average apartment renting for $2.45 per square foot. About 20 of the units will be priced as low-income housing. The development broke ground last June and is aimed at students from USC and SCI-Arc, empty nesters and young professionals working in the nearby Financial District and Civic Center. The project is a joint venture between New York-based Related and San Francisco-based MacFarlane Partners.

SKYLINE VILLAGE
Skyline Village, a 73-unit affordable housing complex at Fourth and Lucas streets, is scheduled to open by April, said project manager Andrew Gross. Developed by Brentwood-based Thomas Safran Associates and the Housing Corporation of America, the nearly $14 million complex will feature one- to four-bedroom rental units, computer lab, recreational area and picnicking park. Torrance-based Withee Malcolm Partnership is the architect.

TEXERE PLAZA
Fortuna Asset Management is turning three Figueroa Corridor buildings on the block bounded by Flower, Figueroa, 22nd and 23rd streets into a $10 million mixed-use complex. The development includes 62 lofts in a three-story building fronting 23rd Street. Units range from 520 to 1,106 square feet. The plot also includes a one-story warehouse, retail buildings and a 200-space parking lot at 23rd and Figueroa streets. Several businesses have secured leases. The development is set for an April opening, said Letty Bernardino, a representative for the company.

THE UNION
Construction started in December on the conversion of the former Union Bank headquarters at 325 W. Eighth St. It should be complete in the first quarter of 2006, said Rob McRitchie, a partner with developer the Heisman Company. McRitchie said crews are finishing demolition inside the 68-year-old office building. Plans call for 91 concrete-floored apartments ranging from 450 to 1,400 square feet and renting for an average $1,600 a month. Killefer Flammang is the architect.

TITLE GUARANTEE BUILDING
Developer John Swartz and Philadelphia-based financial firm Lubert-Adler have teamed up to convert the Title Guarantee Building at 411 W. Fifth St. into 74 loft apartments. Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang Architects is overseeing the conversion. Principal Wade Killefer said construction is scheduled to start in June and finish a year later. Swartz, who purchased the 12-story structure in 1983 for $9 million, bought out his investors' interest in the property. Swartz has said units in the building would start at 800 square feet, and rents in most lofts would range from $1,500 to $3,000 a month. The project will also feature one 4,000-square-foot unit in the building's tower that would rent for up to $9,000 a month. Ceilings would be exposed concrete and vary from 10 to 14 feet, said the developer. Architects John and David Parkinson modeled the Art Deco- and Gothic-inspired edifice after the Tribune Tower in Chicago. Built in 1930, the property is perhaps best known for Hugo Ballin's murals in the lobby. The structure, the former home of Spanish language newspaper La Opinión, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

TUSCANY
Los Angles-based Conquest Student Housing is building a 300,000-square-foot, 120-unit student apartment complex at 3760 S. Figueroa St. near USC. Construction on the $40 million project began in July and should be complete by summer 2006, said principal Alan Smolinisky. The five-story complex will house 512 students in one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Amenities will include steam rooms, saunas, tanning beds, satellite television, a gym, sundeck, study lounge, dry cleaning, and maid and tutoring services. Smolinisky said Conquest has also secured leases for the project's 15,000 square feet of retail space from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Coldstone Creamery, Quiznos Subs, Pick Up Stix and Robek's. Rent will be $600 per student. Conquest owns 18 apartment buildings around USC.

UNION STATION VILLAGE
Construction on the $34 million, 278-unit housing complex at Union Station is set for completion by August. The 2.75-acre parcel on the northwest corner of the land was purchased by Newport Beach-based Lincoln Property Company from Catellus Corporation. Plans call for two five-story structures at the corner of Alameda and Cesar Chavez. Sixty percent of the rental units will be one bedroom and the remainder will be two bedrooms, all ranging from 640 to 1,400 square feet. The building will feature a rooftop pool and spa, along with a ground floor exercise facility and computer center. A bridge will connect the housing complex to Union Station.

USC TOWER
Plans for a $180 million apartment building at 11th and Flower streets have been cancelled, said John Vawter, chief operating officer for Alabama-based Capstone Development. Vawter would not say why the proposed structure was cut short. He said the developers do not own the land. The apartment complex was intended for graduate students from nearby USC. No future plans have been announced.

VERONA
Developer Sonny Astani hopes to construct 235 apartments on Wilshire Boulevard between Bixel and Witmer streets, just west of the 110 (Harbor) Freeway. The project, dubbed Verona, would feature 234 lofts, 10,000 square feet of retail and 450 parking spots. A representative from Astani's Beverly Hills office said construction is slated to begin in July 2006.

VICTOR CLOTHING LOFTS
The non-profit developer heading the conversion of the Victor Clothing Lofts into residential units said construction will start this month. Allen Gross, executive director of the non-profit Neighborhood Efforts, said construction should take about 14 months. Plans call for 38 live-works lofts in the five-story former home of the Victor Clothing Co. The building is perhaps best known for its exterior wall mural of Anthony Quinn as Zorba the Greek. The developers hope to restore the mural.

VISCONTI
The $45 million, 297-unit Visconti at Third and Bixel streets should be complete by the second quarter of 2006, said Peter Novak, executive vice president of Brentwood-based developer GH Palmer Associates. Last year, the developer agreed to pay $2.8 million to the city; this will exempt them from including low-income units in the Visconti, and allow them to convert 60 low-income units in another Downtown project, the Medici, into market-rate units.

WILSHIRE COURT
First-time Downtown developer Holland Partners of Vancouver, Wash., plans to build a two-tower ground-up apartment complex in City West. The four-story building at Bixel Street and Wilshire Boulevard will house 108 units. A second, five-story, 93-unit tower will rise just south, at Bixel and Ingraham streets. The two buildings will be linked with a skybridge. The development will include two- and three-bedroom units averaging 800 square feet. Principal Tom Warren said work crews are grading the site and construction on the underground parking garage should start in March. Warren said the project is scheduled for an early summer 2006 opening.

MIXED USE


BLOSSOM PLAZA
A groundbreaking is scheduled for next summer on the site of the former Little Joe's restaurant (it closed in 1998) at Alameda and College streets; the property will be turned into a mixed-use complex known as Blossom Plaza. The development is a collaboration between the city and private developers. The city purchased the plot for $4.7 million from owners Laeroc Partners and Bond Companies. Plans call for a parking garage, as well as a pedestrian bridge linking the adjacent Chinatown Gold Line station to Broadway. Construction on the parking garage is set to begin by mid-2005 and last a year. Laeroc and Bond retained the air rights to build on top of the garage. Larry Bond, who heads Bond Companies, said the housing will be compatible with Chinatown's design. Construction will last about two years, he said.

CAPITOL MILLING BUILDING
Steve Riboli and his family are reworking plans to renovate the 60,000-square-foot Capitol Milling Company building into a mix of residential and commercial spaces. Riboli said the project at 1231 N. Spring St. is in the conceptual stage, although plans call for converting the building into mixed-use with add-on elements. He is meeting with the city this month to discuss the proposal. Riboli said he is working with Larry Bond, who is developing the nearby multi-million dollar mixed-use Blossom Plaza, on creating a public space that would fuse the two sites. Riboli said he would not begin construction until Blossom Plaza is completed. The structure, built in 1831, is a former grain mill and silo. The Riboli family also owns the San Antonio Winery north of Chinatown.

GRAND AVENUE PLAN
The development team headed by New York-based Related Companies is conducting the final round of community meetings on preliminary plans for the Grand Avenue redevelopment project. The Related team was selected to implement a $1.2 billion plan to reinvent a strip of Grand Avenue - from Cesar Chavez on the north to the Richard J. Riordon Central Library at Fifth Street on the south - into promenades, high-rise apartments, hotels, offices, clubs and cafes. The developers are scheduled to present a preliminary proposal for the project next month. The team's architects include David Childs, who designed the proposed Freedom Tower on the site of the World Trade Center in New York, and Thom Mayne of Morphosis, who designed the new Caltrans headquarters on First Street. A concept released last year by a Joint Powers Authority established by the Community Redevelopment Agency and the County Board of Supervisors calls for the development of 3 million square feet of space - mainly two county-owned parcels and two city-owned.

MEDALLION
Developers Saeed Farkhondehpour and Morad Neman hope to break ground as early as June on the $125 million, 207,000-square-foot mixed-use project at Fourth and Main streets in the Historic Core. Farkhondehpour said the developers have met with city officials to iron out a plan for the project, which includes 375 market-rate rental units and 200,000 square feet of retail space in two 11-story towers. One would rise on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main, across the street from Pete's Café and Bar, and the other at Third and Main. The developer said the units would average 850 square feet, with 11-foot ceilings. He estimated that rents could range from $2 to $3 per square foot. The complex would include three commercial structures, ranging from two to three stories. Farkhondehpour said about 25 housing units fronting Main and Los Angeles streets would be scattered on the upper floors. The project would also include a two-acre courtyard and park. M2A Architects and Leo A Daly are the architects. Farkhondehpour said the aim is for construction to wrap in 2007.

METROPOLIS
Plans for a mixed-use project on a 6.3-acre plot bounded by Ninth and Francisco streets and the 110 (Harbor) Freeway have been submitted to the city, said John Vallance, executive vice president of City Centre Development Company. Phase one of the construction process includes a 53-story building with 548 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail. Phase two calls for a 47-story structure with 288 apartments, a 480-room hotel and 10,000 square feet of retail. The third phase envisions a 38-story tower with more than 893,000 square feet of office space, 11,000 square feet of retail and a 95,000-square-foot space for a cultural institution. The project originally had a larger office component and retail elements, but was downsized after negotiations with the Community Redevelopment Agency in favor of more residential units, Vallance said. The developers, who have been working on various forms of the project for more than a decade, hope to start construction in the first quarter of 2006.

SANTEE COURT
Construction started in January on the second phase of Santee Court, a $130 million conversion of nine former garment factories in the Fashion District. Crews last month started demolishing the interiors of the Textile Center Building at 315 E. Eighth St. and the Gray Building at 824 S. Los Angeles St. to make way for 299 apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail, said developer Mark Weinstein of Santa Monica-based MJW Investments. Construction should wrap in December. The three-phase mixed-use and mixed-income project will eventually add 578 units to three blocks bounded by Los Angeles, Seventh and Ninth streets and Maple Avenue. The first portion, with 165 units, opened in May. Rite Aid opened a store in the 12,000-square-foot ground floor space and Weinstein said about 85% of the food court vendors have been secured. Construction on the final 80-condominium phase should start in March, with construction scheduled to wrap in September 2006. The entire project includes about 780,000 square feet of live-work lofts, shops and restaurants, with such amenities as a basketball court and a golf driving range. MJW Investments has secured a 70-year lease allowing it to build a parking structure on Maple for Santee Court tenants. The lot would also serve as a staging area for MTA buses.

SOUTH VILLAGE/RALPHS
CIM Group is building a $220 million, 7.2-acre, multi-block project that will contain 1,200 residential units and a 50,000-square-foot Ralphs grocery store. The first phase, the 251-unit Gas Company Lofts at 800, 810 and 820 S. Flower St., opened last year. Work on the $60 million second phase is set to get underway this month; it was delayed late last year by soaring construction costs. CIM has since redesigned the housing component planned atop the supermarket. Previously set to become rental units, the project will now hold 267 condominiums. The phase will be completed in December 2006. The Lee Group will take over as the housing developer, while CIM will oversee financing and the development of 10,000 square feet of retail along Ninth Street.

Phase 3, estimated at $21 million, would develop 152 rental lofts and 25,000 square feet of retail on the southwest corner of Eighth and Hope streets. Phase 4, estimated at $90 million, would develop sites that flank the supermarket on the northwest corner of Ninth and Flower, as well as a vacant parcel on the northeast corner of that block. Two new buildings would be constructed with 520 for-sale condominiums and another 30,000 square feet of retail.

CIVIC


CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PLAN
City officials continue to contest a decision by a Superior Court judge last summer that rejected the $2.4 billion City Center Redevelopment Project. The judge ruled that the 879-acre project area, which includes portions of South Park, the Historic Core, and the Fashion, Jewelry, Flower and Toy districts, could not go forward because it overlapped significantly with the Central Business District redevelopment area, established in 1977. The project is expected, over its 30-year life, to create as many as 12,900 housing units (at least a quarter of them affordable) and up to 6.7 million square feet of commercial and industrial development. The plan also seeks to attract businesses and jobs, help the homeless and rehab historic buildings. The general boundaries of the project area are Second Street on the north, San Pedro Street on the east, the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway on the south, and the 110 (Harbor) Freeway on the west, excluding the Convention Center and high-rises of the Financial District.

CORNFIELD STATE PARK
Crews earlier this month started construction on a temporary 10-acre park near Chinatown. The $1.2 million project is funded through Proposition 40 and will turn a quarter-mile piece of vacant land into a large, shaded lawn. The green space is the first element in the 32-acre Cornfield State Park; the former train yard was purchased by the state in 2001 for $30 million. The site is bounded by North Broadway, North Spring Street and the Los Angeles River. Community leaders and an advisory committee have hammered out a 15-page general plan for the site, which they are submitting to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission this summer. The temporary park, state officials said, will serve the community while the larger park is being approved and constructed.

EAST LOS ANGELES LIGHT RAIL PROJECTPresident Bush's budget proposals released earlier this month include $60 million for a six-mile light-rail transit line between Little Tokyo and East Los Angeles. Crews started construction in July on the $899 million Metro Gold Line extension from Union Station to Pomona/Atlantic. It is scheduled to open in late 2009. Residents of the densely populated corridor have waited for the line for nearly a decade; transit officials say it could carry as many as 23,000 daily riders. The Little Tokyo station would be at First and Alameda streets. Bush's budget also included $2 million for the Alameda Corridor East, an extension that would link Downtown with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

FEDERAL BUILDING
Crews are working on upgrading the elevators in the federal building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. as part of a $90 million renovation of the 37-year-old structure, said Mary Filippini, a spokeswoman for the General Services Administration. The first $4.6 million phase should be complete by November. The designs for the rest of the building's upgrades should be ready by this summer, with construction scheduled to start in October or November, Filippini said. Slated improvements include new fire safety systems, ceilings, energy-efficient lighting, signage, security systems and elevators; the removal of hazardous materials such as lead and asbestos; and the seismic strengthening of the building's foundation and columns. The entire project will take about four years, Filippini said. The building houses more than 8,000 employees of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

FEDERAL COURTHOUSE
The fiscal 2005 budget included $314 million for a new Downtown Federal Courthouse at First Street and Broadway. Coupled with $50 million from last year's budget, the General Services Administration is looking for design-build contractors for the project, said spokeswoman Mary Filippini. Plans call for a 17-story building with about 1 million square feet that will house 41 courtrooms, 40 judges' chambers and office space for federal agencies. The government purchased the 3.6-acre site from the state of California for $2.5 million. Plans for the new courthouse have been on hold while funds were secured. Filippini said the design and construction of the building could take as long as five years. Last summer, federal officials capped the project at $314 million, about $80 million less than originally projected, resulting in downsized plans for the edifice.

HALL OF JUSTICE
Plans for the renovation and seismic upgrade of the 400,000-square-foot Hall of Justice are slowly moving ahead. The County Board of Supervisors last summer decided to break up the approval and construction process over a three-year period. Supervisors must approve each phase of the construction. The board in August granted approval for demolishing portions of the existing structure at 500 W. Temple St. John Edmisten of the county's Chief Administrative Office said an environment impact report has been commissioned and should be in front of the board by this summer. Renderings would take about six months to prepare before approval could be given and construction could start. Edmisten said the entire construction process would take about two years, putting its earliest completion date at winter 2008. The Hall of Justice, bounded by Temple, Spring, Broadway and the 101 (Hollywood) Freeway, was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Estimates for converting the structure into a modern government office building are $127 million; it would be funded by the county and through bonds. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also provided grants for the upgrade.

POLICE HEADQUARTERS
The former Caltrans site at First and Spring streets was identified last year as the future site of the new police headquarters. During a recent hearing of the Cultural Affairs Commission, however, the location was rejected. Though the commissioners only have the jurisdiction to approve the project's architectural design, they voted to send a message of disapproval to the City Council and ask that it reopen the public comment process, which some charge was initially flawed. Some area residents have complained the location was chosen without their input, and urged the city to follow through with earlier plans to build a park on the site. The Council is expected to overrule the vote and move forward with the plan to build a replacement for the earthquake damaged Parker Center.

TAYLOR YARD
Construction started earlier this month on a 40-acre park in Cypress Park near the Los Angeles River, said Sean Woods, a spokesman for the State Parks Department. Crews are grading the site a short drive north of Downtown and construction should begin in August, Woods said. Plans call for green spaces, hiking trails and wildlife habitats. The state is also leasing portions of the park to the city to build recreational fields and courts. The property, a former Union Pacific Railroad yard, cost $26 million to acquire in 2001 and the state has spent about $8 million to develop the park, Woods said. The project is slated for a summer 2006 completion.

SCHOOLS


AMBASSADOR HOTEL
The Los Angeles Conservancy in November filed a lawsuit to overturn an Oct. 12 Board of Education decision to build three schools on the site of the Ambassador Hotel. The preservation group, along with several community organizations, wants to save the main hotel building and move LAUSD construction to another part of the 24-acre site. After a decade of legal battles, bankruptcies and a two-year environmental review, the board voted to build schools to accommodate 4,200 students in the overcrowded area along the Wilshire corridor. School Board President José Huizar said the lawsuit could delay construction on the $324 million plan by up to a year, but said he expects the district to prevail. If successful, the schools could open in 2010. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the pantry of the historic hotel. The LAUSD plan would preserve the pantry, along with the storied Cocoanut Grove nightclub and a coffee shop designed by Paul Williams.

BELMONT NEW PRIMARY CENTER NO. 11
Construction on a 532-student, year-round elementary school at Olympic Boulevard between Albany and Blaine streets is scheduled to finish by July 2005, according to an LAUSD timeline for the project. The facility will serve students in kindergarten through second grade. The project on a two-acre site is being designed by architect Gonzalez/Goodale and will feature a library, playground and underground parking.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW HIGH SCHOOL NO. 9
The $87 million project at 450 N. Grand Ave. is on schedule for completion in the third quarter of 2006. The year-round school, with an emphasis on performing arts, will house more than 1,500 students in 64 classrooms. It is being built on a 10-acre site that formerly housed the LAUSD headquarters. HMC/Coop Himmelblau is the architect.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW HIGH SCHOOL NO. 10
Construction on a 2,000-seat school at Third and Bixel streets on Crown Hill is scheduled to be completed in 2006. The 19-acre campus will hold a library, student store, gym, auditorium and athletic fields. The school will relieve overcrowding at Belmont and Marshall high schools. Johnson Fain is the architect.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL NO. 4
The construction of a 1,200-student middle school on nine acres near Exposition Park is set for completion this spring. The project will create 63 classrooms, a courtyard, library, offices, a multipurpose room and food service area. Culver City-based Steven Ehrlich Architects is designing the project.

COLBURN SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS
Construction on the $80 million expansion of the Colburn School of Performing Arts at 200 S. Grand Ave. is scheduled for completion in 2008. Work is ongoing on a 300,000-square-foot, 13-story high-rise next to the existing private school. Plans include a four-story academic building and three residential towers (one five-story building and two seven-story structures). The educational facility will house Colburn's new post-secondary music program and expanded pre-college program, and will feature a 200-seat performance venue plus classrooms, 4,000-square-foot rehearsal studios, 50 practice rooms, a cafeteria and offices. The CRA will lease the land to Colburn for $99 until 2082. Downtown-based Pfeiffer Partners Inc. is the architect.

LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Construction is moving ahead on the $240 million four-phase renovation and expansion of the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College at Washington Street and Grand Avenue. The plans include a 700-car subterranean parking garage and a $1.2 million Child Development Center; they are set for completion in October. Eight campus buildings will also receive $75 million in renovations. The most visible structures will be two five-story classroom buildings set for construction along Grand Avenue. At 128,000 square feet each, they will house 33 classrooms and the administrative and student service offices; they will also frame a new entrance for the college. The construction is funded through Proposition A and AA funds and is scheduled for completion in 2008. Trade-Tech's 29-acre campus and 14 buildings have not seen a major upgrade in more than 25 years.

VISTA HERMOSA
In late December work crews demolished two structures sitting on an earthquake fault at First and Beaudry streets. The Los Angeles Unified School District plans to turn the half-finished Belmont Learning Center into a multi-school project renamed Vista Hermosa. It could open in 2007. The complex will include 2,600 seats and a 14-acre public park. Though concerns over dangerous gases and the earthquake fault have delayed the school for years, most school board and project officials say the problems can be mitigated. Four of the six buildings will be converted into a 2,100-seat school. A separate 500-seat academy, cafeteria, library, student union and parents' center will also be developed on the 34-acre site. A 12-acre public park will be developed and maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. LAUSD officials estimate the cost of the entire project at $111 million - on top of the $172 million already invested in the facility.

CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT


CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
Fundraising efforts have netted the California Science Center $97 million for the expansion of the museum, said William Harris, senior vice president of developing and marketing. The $110 million expansion will house the World of Ecology, a series of interactive exhibits and live habitats. Designs for the building are complete, Harris said, and officials are ready to accept bids from contractors. Construction should wrap in 2008. This is the second of three phases of expansion for the Exposition Park museum. The first phase, completed last year, included the construction of the main museum, a parking facility and a school. The third phase will house the air and space collection. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2013.

CENTRAL AVENUE ART PARK
Plans for a three-acre public art park on a block bounded by First, Judge John Aiso, Temple and Alameda streets have stalled, said Gerry Miller, executive officer at the chief legislative analyst's office. City officials for years have discussed building an art park on the site, but a complex series of master planning issues - involving debate over the location of the new police headquarters - have delayed the project. While the headquarters is now slated to rise at First and Spring streets, Miller said plans for the park have not moved forward. The earliest construction could start is mid-2006, he said. Michael Maltzman Architecture completed designs for the park several years ago.

FOOTBALL STADIUM
The National Football League hopes to have a rough agreement in place by May that would allow a team to begin playing in the Los Angeles area, possibly within four years. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said earlier this month he would like the league to return to Los Angeles by 2010 at the latest. The Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park is competing to host a team, along with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, a site in Carson and land around Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Coliseum officials and Eighth District City Councilman Bernard Parks, whose territory includes Exposition Park, are touting a proposed $500 million upgrade of the facility. In late 2003, the Coliseum Commission approved an environmental impact report on the renovation. Reconfiguring the stadium into an NFL-suitable venue would reduce the number of seats from 92,500 to 78,000. The plan would create some 200 luxury suites, plus club level seating, new locker rooms, restrooms and concession stands.

LA LIVE
The City Council earlier this month approved plans to give the developer of a $350 million Convention Center hotel up to $180 million in incentives. They come in the form of a $22 million loan, $10 million in improvements to the South Park site and up to $147 million in deferred hotel occupancy taxes and fees over 20 years. The 55-story hotel is the centerpiece of LA Live, a $1 billion entertainment complex spearheaded by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the Denver-based company that owns Staples Center. Plans call for the transformation of six square blocks north of the arena into a 7,000-seat theater, street-level stores, restaurants and bars, a 15-screen Regal movie complex, a 4,000-space parking garage, up to 1,000 housing units, office space and a second, smaller hotel. Wolff Urban Development is overseeing the Convention Center headquarters hotel, which will have 1,200 rooms, and about 100 condominiums on upper floors. The developers have said they hope to break ground by May, and finish the entire complex, in stages, by 2014.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF DEMOCRACY
Construction delays partially due to last month's rainstorms have pushed back the opening of the $7.5 million National Center for the Preservation of Democracy indefinitely, said Chris Komai, a spokesman for the Japanese American National Museum, which is overseeing the project. The center will be housed in an historic Little Tokyo building, the Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, at 369 E. First St. next to the museum. Portions of the building will be open for an April 22 preview, but a grand opening date has not been set. The center was originally scheduled to open last fall. In 2000, Congress allocated $20 million for the project.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
The redesign and expansion of the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park is on hold until at least 2006, said museum spokeswoman Jennifer Westfall. The museum is ironing out a timetable and looking to secure funding. The project was initially pegged at $300 million, although Westfall said the budget will likely change. A master plan by architect Stephen Holl envisions renovating a 410,000-square-foot building to make the museum's expansive collections and research resources - more than 33 million specimens - more accessible.

VARIETY ARTS CENTER
The company behind Staples Center and the $1 billion LA Live entertainment district may refurbish the historic Variety Arts Center at 940 S. Figueroa St. Anschutz Entertainment Group purchased the 1924 property last August from the Sehdeva family. The company is rumored to be interested in converting the five-story Italian Renaissance-inspired building into a live entertainment venue. A registered historic cultural monument, it contains a 1,000-seat theater, a smaller theater, nightclub space, a lounge, a library and offices. It was built as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Friday Morning Club, a women's organization.

VIBIANA PLACE
The $4 million Little Tokyo Branch Library is scheduled to open next month at Vibiana Place, the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral at Second and Main streets that once served as the headquarters of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Beyond that, Old Bank District developer Tom Gilmore said some of the plans have changed for the earthquake-damaged structure. Gilmore would not disclose final details for the site, but did say it would contain a residential element, along with a hotel and restaurant. The 1876 structure is also being converted into a performing arts center for California State University-Los Angeles. No timeline for the project has been disclosed.

NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY


CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
Crews in December completed the steel frame of the $62 million California Endowment headquarters on a 6.5-acre plot at Alameda and Main streets. Construction started in June and is on schedule for a first quarter 2006 completion, said Jeffrey Okey, a spokesman for the group. Plans call for an office building, parking structure and meeting center on the plot near Terminal Annex. The nine-year-old healthcare foundation, one of the country's largest, will leave Woodland Hills for Downtown. L.A.-based Rios Clementi Hale Studios is the design architect. Downtown-based Urban Partners is no longer the development manager on the project; it has been taken in-house by California Endowment.

FIRST 5 LA HEADQUARTERS
Employees are scheduled to move into the new headquarters of First 5 LA this week, said spokesman Victor Abalos. The new facility is a three-story, 47,000-square-foot building at Alameda Street and the Santa Ana (101) Freeway. Catellus Development Corporation, which owns the land that houses Union Station, is building the office structure on a former parking lot on the southwest corner of the property. The building, set to house offices for other companies as well, coordinates with the style and master plan for nearby Union Station. First 5 LA funds children's groups and will leave a home at 333 S. Beaudry Ave.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Construction is scheduled to start in early 2006 on the $5 million First United Methodist Church in South Park, said fundraising manager James Hong. The new building at Olympic and Flower will include a modern sanctuary, fellowship hall, a meditation garden and four floors of office space for nonprofit social service organizations. Hong said construction will take about 14 months.

FRANK RICE SAFEHAVEN
On Nov. 23, homeless services provider Lamp Community completed the $1.2 million renovation of its Central City East headquarters, which is being renamed the Frank Rice Safehaven. Crews worked for more than six months to renovate the 35-year-old, 4,300-square-foot building at 627 San Julian St. that Lamp Community has occupied for 19 years. A 6,400-square-foot top floor increased capacity by 25% and provides organizers additional office and meeting space. A team of a dozen students from the Southern California Institute of Architecture designed a new sun shelter for the residents. The center is named after Frank Rice, a former vice president of Bullocks department store who, with homeless advocate Mollie Lowery, founded Lamp Community in 1985. The project was funded privately, with help from the Weingart and Ahmanson foundations, which donated a total of $250,000.

JACCC EXPANSION
The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo has backed off from plans for a $15 million expansion in time for JACCC's 25th anniversary this year. The board of directors has instead decided to upgrade its existing facilities at 244 S. San Pedro St. by repairing elevators and electrical systems while fundraising continues, said spokesman Robert Hori. He said the planning process has gone slower than expected and the board has not created a timetable for the project. Plans for the 24,000-square-foot addition call for a digital education and learning center, a lecture and reception hall with state-of-the-art technical equipment, a 3,000-square-foot community gallery, a terrace bridge linking JACCC's main building with the Japan America Theatre, and a glass curtain wall that will provide the center with a contemporary facade. The project's architects are Japan-based Toyo Ito & Associates and Los Angeles-based Widom Wein O'Leary Terasawa.

LAC+USC MEDICAL CENTER REPLACEMENT FACILITY
Construction of the $820 million hospital on a 25-acre parcel at Merengo and Chicago streets is about halfway done, said Brad Bolger, project director for the County of Los Angeles. The 1.5 million-square-foot facility northeast of Downtown will include a seven-story outpatient structure; a five-story diagnostic and treatment building; an eight-story inpatient tower; and a central energy plant. The 750-bed complex will replace a nearby facility damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Office of Emergency Services and county bonds are financing the project. Los Angeles based-HOK and Santa Monica-based LBL Associated Architects are handling the designs. Bolger said the project should be complete by March 2007.

LITTLE TOKYO RECREATION CENTER
Officials from the city and the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) are close to inking a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a $16 million recreation center south of the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral, said LTSC Executive Director Bill Watanabe. The site is a city-owned parking lot at Second and Main streets. Plans include a multi-court gymnasium large enough to host major events; it will also serve as a community center. Watanabe said the new facility is envisioned as an economic driver for Little Tokyo. Watanabe said he hopes construction will be complete by 2008.

MIDNIGHT MISSION
Material shortages and last month's rainstorms have delayed the opening of the $17 million Midnight Mission at Sixth and San Pedro streets. Mission spokesman Orlando Ward said a Feb. 27 opening has been pushed back to April 10. Ward said the rain destroyed portions of the building's interior and delayed the concrete pouring schedule. The project was previously delayed due to a shortage of steel. Designed by Gin Wong Associates, the 90,000-square-foot, three-level structure will resemble a sprawling, modern office complex with glass paneling and concrete masonry; a visually striking piece of architecture will rise from the building's center. Built on 1.4 acres, the facility will include a 6,000-square-foot gym, a cafeteria and dining area, healthcare center, two-level administrative suite, day area and sitting room, computer lab, library and children's room. The mission will relocate from its current space at Fourth and Los Angeles streets. The move will allow the social services provider to triple its number of beds to 300, feed more than 2,000 people daily, and expand its rehabilitation and job services.

SENIOR NURSING FACILITY
The construction of a nursing facility on Hill Street between Alpine and Ord streets in Chinatown has been put on hold indefinitely, said Hector Cruz, project manager for Ontario-based architects HMC Group. Cruz said the decision was made by the proposed operator, the Pacific Alliance Medical Center Health Foundation, but would not provide a reason for the delay. The facility would have been a 57,000-square-foot medical center with space for 129 beds.

WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
The $150 million renovation of the White Memorial Medical Center at 1720 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. in Boyle Heights is moving ahead. Crews are working on the focal point of the renovation, the 167-bed, six-story Acute Care Tower. The renovation will bring larger patient rooms, improved nurses' stations and additional labor, delivery and recovery rooms. Construction is set for completion this December. Crews are also renovating the three-story east tower, which houses rehabilitation units, and the four-story north tower, which hold the hospital's cancer center, medical library, resident lounge and administrative offices. A 90,000-square-foot Medical Office Building housing orthopedic care and a heart and diabetes center opened in August 2004 and an adjacent 507-car garage in front of the hospital debuted in January 2004. The 350-bed hospital serves about 165,000 people every year. The entire project should be complete by December 2007.

OPENED IN PAST YEAR


A.G. BARTLETT BUILDING
Construction finished earlier this month on the $15 million conversion of the Beaux Arts building at 215 W. Seventh St. The 140 condominiums range from 700 to 1,000 square feet. Developer Barry Shy said all of the units have been sold. Built in 1911, the 200,000-square-foot former office building was the home of Union Oil Company. Shy's Woodland Hills-based Mini LLC development company bought the Jewelry District building in 2001 for $5 million.

ALEGRIA APARTMENTS
Non-profit developer Esperanza Housing Corporation in November opened the $3.6 million, 15-unit affordable housing apartment complex at 801 W. 23rd St. The refurbished three-story structure, now called Alegria Apartments, includes an onsite manager's office, a recreation room and a laundry facility.

BARRY'S LOFTS
Construction finished in December on the residential conversion of the building at 312 W. Fifth St./501 S. Broadway (also referred to as the Fifth and Broadway building) into 280 condominiums. Developer Barry Shy said the $20 million project, which features a ground floor Rite-Aid pharmacy, has for-sale units ranging from 500 to more than 1,000 square feet. Shy had originally planned to offer the units as apartments.

CALTRANS HEADQUARTERS
The District Seven Caltrans headquarters opened in late September after a 30-month, $200 million construction process. The block-long project, bounded by First, Second, Main and Los Angeles streets houses nearly 2,000 state and city transportation employees. The 700,000-square-foot, 13-story glass and steel-lined building also includes a 1,142-space parking garage, daycare center, healthcare facility and a mechanic's garage for the state's transportation fleet. The project was designed by Thom Mayne of Santa Monica-based Morphosis.

CESAR CHAVEZ GARDENS
All 47 units in the affordable housing project at 555 W. Cesar Chavez Ave. are occupied. The multifamily units opened last May. Developed by the Chinatown and Little Tokyo service centers, the $10.2 million project also includes a childcare center, family health and education clinic and offices for senior, youth and social services, counseling and workforce development.

CITY LOFTS
Construction wrapped up in November on the $8 million, 35-unit City Lofts at 626 S. Spring St. in the Historic Core. Developers Izek Shomof and Eli Dromy turned the six-story Sassony Building (also known as the Mortgage Guarantee Building) into 35 one-bedroom and studio apartments, with two 15,000-square-foot retail storefronts. Rents in the 700-1,100-square-foot apartments range from $1,190 to more than $2,000. The 82-year-old building features 16-foot tall ceilings and a rooftop garden and fireplace. About half of the units have been leased, said leasing manager Bernard Montana. Last fall, 626 Gallery signed a lease for one of the storefronts, he said.

CITY VIEW LOFTS
Construction wrapped in August on the conversion of the 81-year-old former Young's Market Company at Union and Seventh streets; the project was undertaken by Santa Monica-based Fred Leeds Property Management. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building's 44 loft apartments range from 655 to more than 3,000 square feet. The former terra cotta warehouse features 64-foot-tall archways and skylights, as well as marble and granite countertops. Leasing agent Matthew Phillips said the property is about 90% leased. The project also includes a 20,000-square-foot ground floor retail space.

CITYLIFE DOWNTOWN CHARTER SCHOOL
Last September, the 80-student CityLife Charter School opened on the second level of the World Trade Center at Figueroa and Third streets. The school, founded by Jacki Breger, teaches sixth grade students with an emphasis on learning in an urban setting. Breger said she hopes to add one grade each year until CityLife serves grades six through 12. Earlier this month the school received a $10,000 grant from the Los Angeles Conservancy for an educational program studying religious sites along Wilshire Boulevard.

GAS COMPANY LOFTS
Crews finished construction last May on the $48 million Gas Company Lofts at 800, 810 and 820 S. Flower St. The former headquarters of the Southern California Gas Company now houses 251 rental lofts ranging from 600-square-foot studios to 1,400-square-foot two-bedroom units to 2,000-square-foot penthouses. Rents in the 13-story building range from $1,250 to $3,000. Amenities include granite counters and an on-site concierge. The buildings also contain 22,500 square feet of street-fronting retail, including an International House of Pancakes. The lofts are part of Hollywood-based CIM Group's $220 million, 7.2-acre, multi-block project called South Village, which includes plans for a Ralphs grocery store.

GOLD LINE
The Los Angeles-Pasadena Metro Gold Line opened last July on time and under budget. The nearly 14-mile light rail travels from Downtown's Union Station to Pasadena. The 13 stations include Chinatown, Lincoln Heights, Mt. Washington, Highland Park, South Pasadena and Pasadena. The Gold Line operates from 3:35 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, with trains running every 10 to 20 minutes. The Los Angeles to Pasadena Construction Authority built the $859 million railway. Plans are in the works for a second, 11-station phase that will extend into East Los Angeles. It will include a Little Tokyo/Arts District station and a Mariachi Plaza stop.

MAIN STREET APARTMENTS
The $6 million conversion of the former Rutland Apartments at 1821-1829 S. Main St. was unveiled Jan. 31. The new 135-unit Main Street Apartments include studio and one-bedroom units; 62 have been rented and half of the residences are designated affordable housing, said Laura Kaufman, a spokeswoman for developer Playa Vista Property Management. The 100,000-square-foot development includes 30,000 square feet of retail space. The project is part of Playa Vista's Genesis 2000 plan, a blueprint for creating affordable housing in underutilized Downtown buildings

MANUAL ARTS NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NO. 1 (SCIENCE CENTER SCHOOL)
The 28-classroom Manual Arts New Elementary School No. 1 opened in September on the campus of the California Science Center. Situated on five acres at the corner of Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa Street, the school includes the $27 million Amgen Center for Science Learning. A Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, as well as state and education bond money, funded the construction of the school, which focuses on math and science. Santa Monica-based Morphosis designed the campus building.

ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL HIGH SCHOOL
Nearly 800 students are now attending the high school at 300 W. 23rd St. near Adams Boulevard, which opened last September. The year-round magnet school is part of a medical studies program guided by the neighboring Orthopaedic Hospital. The hospital donated a 4.27-acre plot of land for the 32-classroom school's construction. Facilities include a library, cafeteria, science labs and administrative offices. Roughly half the students attending the school live in the nearby Jefferson High School district, while the remainder applied through the school district's magnet schools program.

PEGASUS
The conversion of the former Mobil Oil building at 612 S. Flower St. into 322 apartments finished on time and opened last June. The development includes studios, live-work spaces, one- and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses. Rents range from about $1,300 for 500-square-foot studios to nearly $7,000 for penthouses with skyline views. The roof also holds a fitness center, pool and garden. The Kor Group and Kennedy Wilson International undertook the $53 million venture. Future additions include 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail; a restaurant or a high-end yoga studio are possibilities. The 500,000-square-foot, 13-story structure built in 1949 was designed by Welton Beckett.

PIERO
GH Palmer Associates' 225-apartment complex at 616 S. St. Paul St. was completed in October. The $38-million project includes studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units and 10,000 square feet of commercial space. Palmer is developing numerous Italian-themed apartments buildings in Downtown.

ROBERT TUTOR HALL
Construction finished in January on the $50 million, six-story Robert Tutor Hall, part of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The 103,000-square-foot building houses engineering offices, student lounges, cafes and classrooms. Named after USC Trustee Ronald N. Tutor, the Romanesque complex houses the research divisions of biomedical technology, information technology and nanotechnology. Designed by AC Martin Partners, it opened Feb. 2.

SANTA FE ANNEX
Construction wrapped earlier this year on the eight-story Santa Fe Annex at Sixth and Main streets, said Dennis Allen, an analyst for developer the Kor Group. The firm converted the 1917 building into 103 new lofts.

TOMAHAWK BUILDING
Flatiron Development, headed by Santa Monica-based David Gray, completed the $1.1 million residential conversion of the Tomahawk Building at 814 S. Spring St. last June. Each of the building's seven floors features a single 1,800-square-foot loft and accommodates two bedrooms. Prices range from $2,500 to $3,500. Units are partially furnished with built-in bookcases and cabinets. The development also includes two storefront retail spaces. Gray dubbed the structure the Tomahawk Building for the tomahawk embedded in the facade between the second and third floors. The city's Cultural Heritage Commission in 2003 earmarked the Fashion District structure a historical landmark.

TOY FACTORY LOFTS
All but one of the 119 condominiums in the Toy Factory Lofts have been sold. Developer Linear City opened the project last July after spending $25 million to convert an 81-year-old former toy factory at 1855 E. Industrial St. into units ranging from 750 to more than 2,000 square feet. The condominiums start in the mid-$200,000 range. A rooftop garden and ground floor retail are also planned.

VISTA DEL SOL/PUEBLO DEL SOL
Construction wrapped in December on the three-phase, $103 million mixed-income projects known as Vista del Sol and Pueblo del Sol. Headed by the Lee Group, the Related Companies of California and McCormack Baron Salazar, the development created 435 rental and for-sale units on a 35-acre parcel on the eastern edge of Downtown. The development includes 93 three- and four- bedroom homes ranging from 1,430 square feet to 1,578 square feet; they start at $415,000. Affordably priced houses go for an average $190,000. The complex's 377 apartments range from $368 to $948 for two- to four-bedroom units. The project replaces the former Aliso Village public housing complex, which was partially torn down in 1998

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Awesome pictures of Elleven.

qw

It looks Awesome

Thanks for posting this. I love what they are doing with Downtown and I hope these go up. I'm a new Downtown LA resident and I must say it is a great place to live.

these all look like great projects for Downtown Los Angeles and i hope more projects like these will continue in Downtown L.A,and besides if Los Angeles is running out of land,then they will eventually have to build upwards...Los Angeles has a very bright future ahead of it.

Hey guys I found this great website that has up to date information on all of the projects downtown.. It just launched.. check it out...

www.LALoftNews.com

If there is any information that you know of that isn't on there, go to the feedback part of the site and let them now. Thanks..

Wow, I just check out the site in full.. and you can post questions on there, and have a discussion forum just like this one.. We should collectively try to get all of the people on this discussion board to start talking on that site... That is way cool.. check it out... once again the url is:

www.LALoftNews.com

Thanks thats a great site.

Please support to Mexico and vote in this thread:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=189027

Let's try to get this forum to start using that site and speaking out on it...

http://www.laloftnews.com

Good to hear there's something going on.
The downtown area is going to be a few year project and it doesnt take alot to have a new look.
Yet if they only could get rid of those parking lofts, turn them into towers and start building proper subway system especially in downtown and close by neighbourhoods.

It sure is looking good.

edit

I updated the first page of this thread to included the new images of various projects in downtown LA!

Thanks to LosAngelesBeauty for some of the new and exciting photos!!!

who is the architect for the LAPD headquarters? It looks exatly like the Central City tower in Surrey BC

Wow, a lot of great buildings there.

IDS Seeking to Move In on City Centre's Downtown Site
LABJ 4/18/05

IDS Equities LLC has agreed to pay City Centre Development Ltd. about $50 million for a 6.3 acre parcel norht of Staples Center.

IDS would continue with plans hatched by City Centre more than a decade ago to build a massive condominium, retail and hotel project at the downtown LA site that could cost more than $750 million. The project would be one of the largest residential mixed use projects in Los Angeles.

Martha Jordan, representing City Centre, confirmed a deal is in the works but, citing confidentiality agreements, wouldn't disclosed terms.

While IDS has the site under contract, the deal could still fall aprt if the firm can't raise financing or gain approval fromt he city's CRA, sources said.

Jordan said if the deal can be reached, it will likely be completed this fall. If the deal cannot be completed, City Centre wants to start construction by year's end or early 2006.

City Centre began assembling the site in the mid 1980s. In 1993 the company received entitlements for a 2.6 million sq ft office, hotel and retail project called Metropolis. (In October, the company asked the city to allow it to build condos instead of offices.)

With the LA economy in turmoil, City Centre couldn't get the project off the ground and the site has been used as overflow parking for Staples Center events.

If a sale is finalized, IDS plans to ask the city to allow it to build the same project envisioned by City Centre--except with condominiums instead of office space.

So which of these buildings are actually under construction?

Elleven, Grand Ave Lofts, the Colburn Expansion, High School 9, Ralphs Market, Met Lofts, Hope Street starts soon, as does LA Live (next couple of months), and Luma (elleven Phase 2)

IDS Seeking to Move In on City Centre's Downtown Site
LABJ 4/18/05

IDS Equities LLC has agreed to pay City Centre Development Ltd. about $50 million for a 6.3 acre parcel norht of Staples Center.

If a sale is finalized, IDS plans to ask the city to allow it to build the same project envisioned by City Centre--except with condominiums instead of office space.

Has anyone ever heard of these guys? Google turned up nothing. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence that this project will get built. I do hope I am wrong tho.

who is the architect for the LAPD headquarters? It looks exatly like the Central City tower in Surrey BC

Here is some recent stuff I have found:
http://www.lapdonline.org/pdf_files/news/05_02_beat.pdf
http://eng.lacity.org/techdocs/emg/PHF_NOP_Initial_Study.pdf

It looks like a new design for the new location.

aw man...the new design is BORING. nowhere near as cool as the original LAPD headquarters design

yeah I hate the new design. I wish it was more urban too.

...agree with you

ya... ew.

All i know about IDS, is that it's Headquarters is in Minniapolis, MInn. I think IDS stands for Investors, Diversified, Securitys. but i'm not sure. I am sure of one thing, they have alot of money/equities. There headquarters tower in Minniapolis was built in the mid 70's and at the time was the tallest in the city,( IDS is one of, if not the largest company in that city) 52 storys at 700+ foot tall, it was designed by the late Phillip Johnson, Around the same time he designed Pennzoil Place, in Houston Tx. these buildings marked the beginning of his departure from the international style, glass box, and a few years later he teamed up with John Burgee, to develop what is now known as the postmodern style, that was the predominent design/style used throughout the 1980's

Cant wait for all of dis to be done... itll be great

All i know about IDS, is that it's Headquarters is in Minniapolis, MInn. I think IDS stands for Investors, Diversified, Securitys. but i'm not sure. I am sure of one thing, they have alot of money/equities. There headquarters tower in Minniapolis was built in the mid 70's and at the time was the tallest in the city,( IDS is one of, if not the largest company in that city) 52 storys at 700+ foot tall, it was designed by the late Phillip Johnson, Around the same time he designed Pennzoil Place, in Houston Tx. these buildings marked the beginning of his departure from the international style, glass box, and a few years later he teamed up with John Burgee, to develop what is now known as the postmodern style, that was the predominent design/style used throughout the 1980's
Was called IDS for Investor's Diversified Services, which was bought by AmEx and is, I think, long defunct. For those that haven't seen this building, it's one of the most striking and timeless designs around.

Was called IDS for Investor's Diversified Services, which was bought by AmEx and is, I think, long defunct. For those that haven't seen this building, it's one of the most striking and timeless designs around.
Oh, and there's no way it's the same company (IDS) discussed in the prior posts.

Full Speed Ahead

From Schools to Housing to Entertainment, Downtown Blazes With 123 Projects

by Chris Coates

Although some expected winter rains and the steadily spiking costs of raw materials to chill the pace of development in Downtown, nothing is further from the truth. In fact, more cranes, more constructions crews, and more creative new concepts than ever are spreading through Downtown Los Angeles.
Vibiana Place. Photo by Gary Leonard.

As proof, consider the 13 projects that have either been announced or gained prominence in just the last three months. There are plans for everything from new condominium towers (such as 1717 Olympic High Rise in City West) to light rail (an MTA proposal to connect Downtown to Culver City) to a big-budget bar (Bills, in the Historic Core). Lenders are ever more convinced that Downtown is a safe place to invest, and developers are following the money, while hoping to make some of their own.

Meanwhile, new construction is sprouting out of the ground and cranes are beginning to dot the skyline. Progress is continuing on the schools that will seat thousands of students, and throughout the entire community, apartment and condominium complexes are getting closer to completion. In just the next few months alone, residents will begin to move into Little Tokyo (at the Alexan Savoy), the Historic Core (Douglas Building), South Park (Metropolitan Lofts), City West (The Flats LA, in a renovated Holiday Inn) and other neighborhoods.

Need more? Just consider that along with the housing, there are cultural and entertainment projects underway. Perhaps the most exciting in the next few months will be the groundbreaking of the $1 billion LA Live development near Staples Center.

Of course, that is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In the following pages Los Angeles Downtown News details the 123 projects that are forever altering the community.

NEW PROJECTS

These projects were announced or garnered public interest within the last three months.

ANGELS FLIGHT RECONSTRUCTION
Slow fundraising has stalled the start of the reconstruction of Angels Flight, the funicular railway linking Bunker Hill and the Historic Core. Construction now will likely start by July and finish in spring 2006, said John Welborne, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation. The short railway, which opened in its current location in 1996, closed after a Feb. 1, 2001 accident in which one car slid down the track and crashed into the other, killing one person and injuring seven. The two cars have been restored and are in storage. Volunteers recently started re-painting the railway's two station houses.

BILLS
The basement of the Los Angeles Trust and Savings Bank Building at 215 W. Sixth St. is being converted into a "speakeasy-style" bar by Two One Three, the company behind the popular Golden Gopher bar at Eighth and Olive streets. Bills, as it will be called, is being constructed in an immense bank vault that features 12-inch thick circular doors that were thought to be the thickest, strongest and largest in the world. The intricate inner workings can be viewed through a glass cover. The 6,000-square-foot basement will also feature white marble floors, walnut wood paneling, polished stainless steel walls and much of the original architecture. The $1 million cocktail lounge is expected to open in late summer, said owner Marc Smith. The bank building above is vacant, and is being proposed for residential use.

CHAPMAN BUILDING
Developer All Pacific Financial, Inc. plans to convert the 1913 Chapman Building at the northeast corner of Eighth Street and Broadway into condominiums. The 13-story building formerly housed garment businesses, and currently leases ground-floor space to retail tenants including a jewelry store. The developer is considering affordable units ranging from 500 to 600 square feet to meet demand from people making less than $100,000 a year. Plans include restoring the historic marble and columns throughout the building; construction could start by the end of the year. Architect Wade Killefer is designing the project.

ECO-VILLE
A developer is raising funds to create 40 live-work spaces on a 2.5-acre plot at Main and Llewellyn streets east of Cornfield State Park, said Jennifer Siegal, whose Office of Mobile Design is behind the project. The residential units, pitched to artists, would be fashioned out of prefabricated and converted shipping containers, stacked and arranged in an "S" pattern, with roof gardens and communal areas. Siegal said the developer, who does not want to be identified, is creating a master plan for the site.

EXPOSITION LIGHT RAIL
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board of directors last month approved up to $640 million for the Exposition Light Rail Transit Project. The eight-station, 9.6-mile line would run from the Metro Center at Seventh and Flower streets south through Exposition Park, then head west to a terminus at Venice and Robertson boulevards in Culver City. Construction could begin as soon as next year. The MTA is also proposing a second phase that would extend the line from Culver City to Santa Monica.

FOURTH STREET LOFTS
Construction could start as soon as this month on a 10-unit for-rent loft structure at Fourth Street and Lucas Avenue in City West. Brentwood-based Thomas Safran Associates is planning an 8,000-square-foot structure with four stories of residential units above a floor of parking, said project manager Andrew Gross. The one-bedroom apartments will range from 800 to 1,000 square feet and cost up to $2,000. The project sits on the staging area for Skyline Village, an affordable housing project the developer and Housing Corporation of America finished earlier this year. Construction is scheduled for a May 2006 completion.

HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES
Boyle Heights-based Homeboy Industries, a pioneering gang prevention program founded by Father Gregory Boyle, plans to break ground in August on a 20,000-square-foot building at Alameda and Bruno streets in Chinatown, said spokesman Michael Baca. The two-story building will house the entity's headquarters, a bakery and the 3,000-square-foot Homegirl Café and Catering. Homeboy Industries helps former and at-risk gang members with job training, counseling and job placement. The project is scheduled for a fall 2006 completion.

1717 OLYMPIC HIGH RISE
First-time Downtown developer the Hanover Company is building a 156-unit, ground-up project at 1717 W. Olympic Blvd. in City West. Plans from the Houston-based entity call for a 28-story tower with one- and two-bedroom market-rate apartments, said Kevin Batchelor, the development partner in charge of the project. The units will average 1,061 square feet; the company is still working on rental rates, Batchelor said. The project is being designed by RTKL Architects. Construction is scheduled to start this September, with a September 2007 completion, Batchelor said.

SHYBARRY TOWER
Developer Barry Shy said he plans to convert the 122,000-square-foot building at 215 W. Sixth St. into 84 condominiums. Units would range from 600 to 1,200 square feet. The project would include about 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Construction, which Shy pegged at $20 million, would last a year and could start as soon as June.

UNIVERSITY GATEWAY
Urban Partners is working on plans to turn a former used car lot at Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard into a $130 million mixed-use residential center for USC undergrads. University Gateway will house 1,658 students in 421 units. The building will also feature 83,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 1,029 parking spots. USC alumni Glenn Togawa and Timothy Smith of Pasadena-based Togawa & Smith are designing the project. Construction is scheduled to start in spring 2006 with a fall 2008 completion, said Fred Jackson, a development associate with Urban Partners.

USC HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS
USC is tackling two projects on its Health Sciences Campus north of Downtown. Construction is scheduled to finish in April 2007 on the Harlyne Norris Cancer Research Tower, a 172,400-square-foot medical office building at Biggy Street and Eastlake Avenue. The eight-story building will serve the Keck School of Medicine, with five floors for research, two for preventive medicine, a conference center, atrium, lobby and landscaped courtyard. Additionally, crews will break ground next summer on the Institute for Genetic Medicine, a 225,000-square-foot biomedical research building. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2009, according to a USC timeline.

USC UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS
USC has committed $288 million to construction projects on its campus south of Downtown. The largest is the $70 million Galen Center, a 255,000-square-foot arena at Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard that broke ground in December. The 10,258-seat venue also includes a 45,000-square-foot pavilion with offices and practice courts. It is scheduled to open next summer. Other campus projects include the 17,750-square-foot Fine Arts Graduate Building at 3001 S. Flower St., set for a September completion, and the 100,000-square-foot Molecular and Computation Biology building near Vermont Avenue and 36th Place, which opened this month. In addition, the university is adding a new USC Credit Union branch at Flower Street and Exposition Boulevard and a 1,200-car parking structure. Another project, a 143,000-square-foot residential center for 440 students, will break ground in October, with completion scheduled in July 2007.

VERMONT SENIOR HOUSING
Construction is scheduled to start this month on a four-story building at 39th Street and Exposition Boulevard. The project by Century City-based developer Century Housing Corporation will add 140 mostly one-bedroom units, said spokesman Shelby Jordan. The development, for seniors over 62, includes ground-floor parking and common areas. The project is partly funded by a 2002 Housing and Urban Development grant. Completion is scheduled for September 2006.

RESIDENTIAL

FOR SALE

BISCUIT COMPANY LOFTS
Demolition is underway on Linear City's second condo project, and a building permit is expected in late June, said principal Yuval Bar-Zemer. The 1925 National Biscuit Company factory at 673 S. Mateo St. will contain 104 live-work units ranging from 750 square feet to 3,779 square feet. There will also be some three-level units with 1,500-square-foot gardens and private elevators. Features include hardwood floors, brick walls, oversized windows, 11-foot ceilings and a pool. Prices have not been determined. The seven-story project will set aside more than 3,000 square feet for retail, and is expected to open in July 2006. It is being designed by Santa Monica-based Aleks Istanbullu Architects.

BROADWAY EXCHANGE
Construction is about 70% complete on 69 units at the Broadway Exchange Building, said Project Manager Gabriel Frig. The 12-story structure at 219 W. Seventh St. was built in 1911 as the headquarters for the Bank of Italy, but retains almost none of its original Art Deco façade and architecture. Only the marble corridor and wooden doors on the sixth and seventh floors will be preserved, while the dark steel façade will be updated with a contemporary finish. Pricing has yet to be determined on the open loft-style studios and one-bedroom units. Construction crews are currently installing plumbing, electrical and drywall. Pre-sales are set to begin in the fall, with completion in the first quarter of 2006. The developer is Broadway Exchange Building, LLC. Architect Lucas Rios-Giordano & Associates is leading the design.

BROCKMAN BUILDING
Construction of the historic Brockman Building is about 65% complete, with the project's 80 condos expected to open in late fall, said Senior Project Manager Dan Yogel. Urban Pacific Builders has partnered with West Millennium Homes to develop the $21 million project at 530 W. Seventh St. Units in the 12-story edifice, also known as the Brooks Brothers Building, will start in the mid-$300,000 range, while penthouses with private rooftop decks and views of South Park could fetch more than $1 million. The project will include a spa and fitness center, community rooms and barbecues.

DOUGLAS BUILDING
Construction on the five-story Douglas Building at Third and Spring streets is nearing completion. The developer, Downtown Properties, plans to secure a temporary certificate of occupancy for four of the completed floors, with move-in expected by the end of May. The former office building, constructed in 1898 by prominent developer Thomas D. Stimson, is being converted into 50 high-end condos with German kitchens, hardwood floors and brick walls. The common areas will include an atrium, a dog park and 20,000 square feet of retail. The project has been delayed several months due to rainstorms and lengthy preservation of historic features. Units were sold out within the first few weeks. Rockefeller Architecture led the design.

EASTERN COLUMBIA LOFTS
A sales office and model unit are set to open June 1 for the striking Eastern Columbia Lofts at 849 S. Broadway. The Art Deco turquoise-and-gold terra cotta structure, which is being developed by the Kor Group, will be converted from offices into 147 condominiums by early 2006. Units will average 1,200 square feet with 11- to 14-foot ceilings. Amenities will include a rooftop fitness studio, leisure terrace, pool deck and fireplace. The development will also have retail space and possibly a restaurant. Kelly Wearstler Interior Design and Killefer Flammang Architects are spearheading the redesign. The building was constructed in 1930 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

810 GRAND LOFTS
As part of the existing 22-story Chase Plaza office complex at 801 S. Grand Ave., the Lee Group and CIM Group plan to redevelop floors 12-22 into 132 live-work condos. The units will have an open floor plan and will average about 1,500 square feet. Pricing has not been determined. Construction began a month ago and demolition of the upper floors is underway, said Jonathan Lonner, director of development for the Lee Group. A sales office for the lofts is scheduled to open on the bottom floor in the next few months, and prices are expected to be upwards of $500 per square foot. The ground floor will remain a lobby and will hold restaurant and retail space, while floors two through 11 will house offices. A new residential entrance will be crafted on the building's west side. Completion is set for the end of the year. Santa Monica-based Van Tilburg, Banvard and Soderbergh is the architect.

EL DORADO HOTEL
Downtown Properties, a consortium that includes investor Goodwin Gaw and developer Tom Gilmore, plans to begin construction in the fall on 65 condos. The units will start in the mid-$300,000s and exceed $1 million; sizes start at 850 square feet and top 1,700 square feet. The 12-story structure, vacant since 1998, once housed 264 rooms for low-income occupants. The distinct Gothic Revival design with Art Nouveau touches, ornate columns and grand staircases will be restored and modernized by Rockefeller Architecture.

1100 GRAND LOFTS
This 66-unit condo project is set to open in July, and is nearly sold out, said Jonathan Lonner, director of development for the Lee Group. The 81-year-old building at 330 W. 11th St. is being converted by developers the Lee Group and CIM Group. Most units in the $15 million project will consist of two bedrooms and will range from 1,151 to 2,609 square feet. Three additional floors have been added to the four-story structure, which once housed the UCLA Extension program. Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang is the architect.

1100 WILSHIRE
Construction is underway on turning the top half of the wedge-shaped office tower at Bixel Street and Wilshire Boulevard into 228 condominiums. Developed by Hampton Development, TMG Partners and Forest City Residential West, plans call for a mix of dual-level (660 to 1,980 square feet) and single-level (700 to 1,200 square feet) condominiums. The 27-story, triangular office tower atop a 15-level, nearly windowless parking garage has been largely vacant since it was constructed in 1987. The project is slated for completion in spring 2006, though the first phase of occupancy will begin late this year, said senior project manager Greg Lebon.

HOPE CONDOS
Los Angeles-based Venice Development Group is in the planning stages for a $60 million ground-up condominium tower at Hope Street and Olympic Boulevard, said General Manager Sean Marouf. The Killefer Flammang-designed development would feature 200 condominiums in 18 stories, with two floors of parking. The building would total about 300,000 square feet and take 18 months to build, Marouf said.

MAYFAIR HOTEL
Officials from L.A. Property Investment & Management Group did not return calls regarding the residential conversion of the Best Western Mayfair hotel at 1256 W. Seventh St. in City West. Past accounts said the developers are looking to convert the 294-room hotel into 250 condominiums.

MOLINO STREET LOFTS
Most of the 30 lofts being constructed by the Kor Group in an existing artist-in-residence structure at Fourth and Mateo streets were reserved early this month. The Arts District development currently contains 61 live-work rental units in two adjoining 1920s warehouse buildings. The Molino Street Lofts will feature condominiums ranging from 900 to 3,700 square feet. Construction is set to wrap by the end of this year.

OLIVE STREET LOFTS
Developers CIM Group and the Lee Group are still in the entitlement process for this 17-story, ground-up condo tower. Plans call for the $35 million project at 11th and Olive streets to rise on a vacant lot; it will feature 105 units ranging from 700 square feet to 1,500 square feet. Olive Lofts will include ground floor retail and a skycourt. Construction is expected to last 15 to 18 months. This is the fourth Downtown project on which the developers have partnered.

PAN AMERICAN LOFTS
Urban Pacific Builders is developing 40 high-end lofts at the northwest corner of Third Street and Broadway. Phoenix Realty Group and Bank of America are financing the $13 million project, which is expected to come online by January 2006. Demolition is complete and crews are beginning interior framing and structural retrofitting. Floor plans range from 675 to 1,300 square feet, and prices will start in the low $300,000 range. The edifice, formerly known as the Irvine Byrne Building, will feature a recreation room and gym, as well as historic features like copper elevators, brick walls and hardwood floors. Ten penthouses will come with private roof decks. The Beaux Arts-style structure was designed by Sumner Hunt, and in the 1940s housed a Mexican consulate. It is just north of Grand Central Market and the Million Dollar Theatre.

ROWAN BUILDING
The Beaux Arts-style building at 458 S. Spring St. will be converted into more than 200 units beginning this fall, with condominiums ranging from 500 square feet to more than 1,000 square feet. Developer Downtown Properties is pricing the units from the high $200,000s to $700,000. Built in 1912, the Rowan once housed stock brokerages and law firms. Killefer Flammang is the architect.

SEVEN WEST
Developer Bret Mosher of Seven West LLC said he is awaiting permits from the city for a 62-unit condominium project at 1401 W. Seventh St. in City West. Mosher said he hopes to start construction by January 2006, with completion by early 2008. Plans are still being worked out, he said, but designs call for the five-story building to hold 3,000 square feet of retail space. Mosher would not give a cost for the project. Killefer Flammang is the architect.

SHYBARRY LOFTS
Demolition is complete in the residential conversion of the building at 548 S. Spring St. (known at times as Barry's Lofts II, the Wilson Building, and the 548 Building). Developer Barry Shy, who is partnering with Albion Pacific on the $25 million project, is turning the property into 84 condominiums with units ranging from 700 to 1,100 square feet. The Historic Core project is slated for completion in May 2006.

SKY LOFTS
Developer Linear City plans to start construction in the first quarter of 2006 on 125 condos, said principal Yuval Bar-Zemer. The 12-story, ground-up project will be built on the same plot as the company's Biscuit Company Lofts at 673 S. Mateo St. Units will start at 600 square feet and will top out at 1,800 square feet. Pricing for the contemporary-style lofts has not yet been determined. The project will include terraced roof gardens, a swimming pool and a landscaped breezeway that cuts through the building's center. Construction is expected to last 18 months. German architect Behnisch, Behnisch and Partner will design the Sky Lofts.

SOUTH/ELLEVEN
The first of three ground-up condo towers being developed by the South Group near Staples Center, the $85 million Elleven is expected to be completed in April 2006. The 13-story tower at 11th Street and Grand Avenue will feature 176 lofts and four live-work townhomes, most of which have been sold. Floor plans range from 850 to 2,800 square feet and units will cost from $300,000 to more than $1 million. The project broke ground last year, and the basement through fourth floors have been completed, with the fifth floor underway. Elleven is Downtown's first new residential building to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

SOUTH/LUMA
Construction on the second phase of South - a tower called Luma - is scheduled to start this month, with occupancy set for early 2007, according to developer the South Group. The 19-story, ground-up tower at the southeast corner of Eleventh and Hope streets will house 236 condominiums, including two-story live-work townhomes, as well as four levels of parking. The $80 million endeavor will feature a more sophisticated, upscale urban design than the project's first phase, though the two will share some amenities. Building permits are expected in the next few months.

SOUTH/THIRD PHASE
Construction on the final phase of South is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2005, with anticipated occupancy in fourth quarter 2007, according to developer the South Group. About 311 loft-style condominiums, including two-story live-work townhomes accessible from the street, will be constructed in a 23-story building at the northwest corner of 12th Street and Grand Avenue. The $100 million project (currently unnamed) will include five levels of secured parking above and below ground. It will share almost the entire block with the previous phases, Elleven and Luma, and will include an 8,500-square-foot pedestrian mid-block connection.

TERAMACHI SENIOR HOUSING
Framing is complete on the first floor of the $35 million Teramachi Senior Housing, said developer Thomas Wong. The 127-condominium project on the northwest corner of Third and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo will offer upscale housing for people 55 and older. Units range from 775 to 2,100 square feet. Amenities include a swimming pool, spa, exercise room and courtyard gardens. The structure will contain three retail tenants on the ground floor and one level of subterranean parking. Some tenants will be from the nearby Senshin Buddhist Temple. The project is scheduled for completion in November 2006.

1010 WILSHIRE BUILDING
Construction could start in October on the residential conversion of the building at 1010 Wilshire Blvd. in City West, said project manager Ali Afshar. Redwood City-based Amidi Real Estate Group plans to convert portions of the 17-story office building into as many as 250 for-sale units. Designs by Santa Monica-based architect Killefer Flammang call for turning 13 floors into 800- to 1,200-square-foot condominiums with 15% priced as affordable housing. The project will include four levels of parking, a swimming pool, a recreation area and possibly a health club. Telecommunications company SBC currently leases the entire building from Amidi. The lease expires in July when the company finishes moving 850 employees to the SBC Tower in South Park. Afshar said the project is in the entitlement phase. They hope to finish by February 2006.

RESIDENTIAL

FOR RENT

ALEXAN SAVOY
Construction of the first phase of the $65 million Alexan Savoy at First and Alameda streets near Little Tokyo is nearly complete, said Alex Wong, project manager for Costa Mesa-based developer Trammell Crow Residential. Early move-in for the 303 apartments is scheduled for August, with full occupancy by December. Rents start at $1,400. Wong said construction of the project's second and third phases is scheduled to start this summer. The second phase will add 117 condominiums; the third will create 210 condominiums.

BROADWAY PLAZA LOFTS
The conversion of the Blackstone Department Store into 82 lofts is about 65% complete, said Wolfgang Kupka, president of developer Vista Realty Advisors. He said the project at 901 E. Broadway should be finished by November. Designs call for converting the 89-year-old complex into 400- to 1,200-square-foot units ranging from $700 to $2,300. About 16 will be set aside for affordable housing. Plans also call for keeping the ground floor businesses, which include a cellular phone store, an accounting firm, a florist and a travel agent, and restoring the buildings façade and sidewalks. Last year, the Los Angeles Conservancy awarded Vista Realty Advisors $100,000 to rehabilitate the building. The 1916 structure was designed by John Parkinson, who drafted plans for Union Station, the Coliseum and City Hall.

COULTER AND MANDELL BUILDINGS
The opening of the 137,000-square-foot Coulter and Mandell Buildings at 500-518 W. Seventh St. has been pushed back to July from April, said developer George Peykar. The 88-year-old Jewelry District properties, which once held offices and a dry-goods store, are being converted into 55 live-work lofts and 28,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Peykar purchased the structures in 2003 for $8 million.

EMERALD TERRACE
The site of the Emerald Terrace project at Lucas Avenue and Emerald Street is undergoing site clearance, said Nancy Morris, a spokeswoman for Meta Housing, a Westwood-based developer partnering on the deal with Century Housing of Culver City. Construction should start in August, Morris said. Plans call for a four-story multifamily apartment complex with 85 units, all affordable. The $21 million development is set for completion in November 2006. Meta is also behind the Northwest Gateway apartment complex one block north, on the corner of Lucas Avenue and Glendale Boulevard.

HARTFORD PROJECT
Construction is scheduled to start in September on the $13.7 million affordable housing complex at San Lucas and Fourth streets, just west of the 110 Freeway, said Dora Leong Gallo, chief executive officer of nonprofit A Community of Friends. Designed by architect Killefer Flammang, the 54-unit complex will contain mostly three- and four-bedroom units, as well as a Boys & Girls Club to serve the students of an elementary school being built next door. Construction should wrap in September 2006.

JAMES WOOD APARTMENTS
Construction could start as soon as this month on a 61-unit affordable housing project in City West. 1010 Development Corp., the development arm of First United Methodist Church, is building the project on two lots on opposite sides of the street; one at 1322 and the other at 1405 James M. Wood Blvd. The project includes 40 two-bedroom units, 21 three-bedroom units, 1,340 square feet of office space, a 1,740-square-foot community room and a childcare center for 45 students. Kelle Rose, a community liaison for the developer, said construction is scheduled to wrap in September 2006. Pasadena-based Ken Kurose Architects is designing the $16.7 million development.

LIBRARY COURT
The conversion of the University Club building in the Financial District into 90 units should be complete by September, said Jenny Cunningham, a representative of Newport Beach-based Greystone Group. The $20 million project is turning the 630 W. Sixth St. structure into high-end one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as five townhouses with a private entrance on Hope Street. Units will rent from $1,500 to $2,600 a month. Named Library Court for its proximity to the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, the building's exterior features a new glass curtain wall in combination with the existing marble. The property also includes an 11,000-square-foot retail space that could house a restaurant. The complex will contain two levels of underground parking.

LOFTS AT THE SECURITY BUILDING
Pre-leasing should start this month for units in the $28 million residential conversion of the Security Bank building, said Bernard Sandalow, a spokesman for Long Beach-based developer Simpson Housing Solutions. Construction is scheduled to finish by July. The 99-year-old structure at 510 S. Spring St. in the Historic Core has 153 lofts with floor plans ranging from 630 to 1,850 square feet. Twenty percent of the units will be priced as affordable housing.

LORENZO
Brentwood-based developer GH Palmer Associates still intends to build a 600-unit apartment complex on Sixth Street between St. Paul and Bixel streets in City West, said the company's executive vice president, Peter Novak. Although Lorenzo is in the planning stages, Novak said the developer is looking for a summer 2007 completion.

MAIN MERCANTILE BUILDING
The completion date on the loft conversion of the six-story building at 620 S. Main St. has been pushed back from May to July, said Renee Elias, director of finance for developer Oxford Street Properties. The developer is adding 35 to 40 housing units as part of an $8 million transformation of the 75,060-square-foot edifice. The industrial-style lofts will average 1,200 to 1,300 square feet and rent for $1,100 to $2,200. Construction is about 75% complete.

MERCANTILE ARCADE BUILDING
The $15 million residential conversion of the Arcade Building at 541 S. Spring St. is scheduled for completion by early 2006, said Ramon Nicolas, an accountant with Fifth Street Funding. The developer is turning the 12-story Beaux Arts-style structure, also known as the Broadway-Spring Arcade, into 143 market-rate lofts. Each of the building's two towers, which are separated by an interior retail arcade that stretches from Spring Street to Broadway, will house six one- and two-bedroom apartments per floor. The 195,000-square-foot edifice will function as a mixed-use project, a concept common when the structure was built in 1924. Architects David Denton and Killefer Flammang designed the project.

METRO 417
The $60 million residential conversion of the former Subway Terminal Building at 417 S. Hill St. is scheduled to be completed by August, said Kevin Ratner, senior project manager for developer Forest City Residential West. Plans call for 277 luxury live-work lofts in the 626,000-square-foot edifice, which was the underground terminus of the Pacific Electric Railroad and held 600 offices. The studio, one- and two-bedroom units range from 450 to 2,200 square feet. The 80-year-old structure will also feature three penthouses and a 108,000-square-foot parking garage. AC Martin Partners is the architect.

METROPOLITAN LOFTS
The $50 million Metropolitan Lofts in South Park is scheduled to finish by August, said Kevin Ratner, project manager for developer Forest City Residential West. The eight-story ground-up development will have 264 one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 700 to 1,400 square feet. Market-rate apartments will go for $1,400 to $2,800; 52 affordable units will have rents beginning at $500. The F-shaped structure at Flower and 11th streets will also have 11,500 square feet of retail space. Pre-leasing started this month. Johnson Fain Partners is the architect.

NINTH AND FIGUEROA
Developer Sonny Astani is seeking entitlements for a mixed-used complex in South Park, said Brenda Rodriguez, a representative from Astani's Beverly Hills office. Proposals call for two, 15-story apartment and condominium towers with around 450 units, 40,000 square feet of retail and 1,200 parking spaces. The project would rise at the southeast corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets near Staples Center. Astani purchased the property last October for $29 million from Equitable Life Assurance Society.

NORTHWEST GATEWAY
Crews are preparing the site at Second Street and Glendale Boulevard for the 276-unit, mixed-income Northwest Gateway apartments. Graffiti covered walls on the property have been torn down. The $55 million development will include studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans, and such amenities as a community room, computer lab, pool, spa, dog park, fitness center and two levels of underground parking. Developer Meta Housing hopes to start construction this month, with a completion by January 2007, said spokeswoman Nancy Morris. Construction has been delayed twice because of permit filing errors. Community groups failed in efforts to turn the site - the former Toluca train yard and Belmont tunnel, which runs beneath Bunker Hill - into an art park. A mechanic's garage, demolished in January, also sat on the plot. Last September, the city's Cultural Heritage Commission designated the tunnel a Historical Cultural Monument. Developers said they will keep the tunnel intact, although it will not be open to the public.

ORSINI II
GH Palmer Associates plans to break ground this month on the ground-up Orsini II at 505 N. Figueroa Street, said Peter Novak, executive vice president of the Brentwood-based developer. Plans call for 600 luxury studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $1,250 for studios to $1,725 for two-bedrooms. The development is part of Palmer's three-phase Orsini. The project is scheduled for a May 2007 opening, Novak said.

PACIFIC ELECTRIC BUILDING
Crews are working on the final phase of the $60 million conversion of the nine-story Pacific Electric Building into 314 lofts, said Lourdes Hernandez, a representative from Downtown-based developer ICO Investment Group. The project is about 90% complete, with crews working on the eighth and ninth floors of the 610 S. Main St building, Hernandez said. Plans by architect Killefer Flammang call for 650- to 3,200-square-foot lofts, a gym and roof garden. The 482,000-square-foot Historic Core structure was built in 1908 and was once the terminal for the Pacific Electric Railway. The building also houses Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet. The first phase of the project should be complete by June.
PACIFIC EXCHANGE BUILDING
Efforts to convert the Pacific Exchange building into residential and construct two 30-story towers near the City West plot at Third Street and Beaudry Avenue are still in the design phase, said Michael Delijani, general manager for developer Golden Hills Properties. West Los Angeles-based Nadel Architects is designing the 850-apartment and condominium project. The developer purchased the boxy, 10-story building, the former home of the Pacific Stock Exchange, in the late 1990s. It consists of eight levels of parking, the trading floor and a single level of offices. Although the developers have not secured permits, Delijani said construction would take place in three phases, with the first beginning in early 2006.

PACKARD LOFTS
Crews are in the final phase of construction on the $50 million conversion of a former Packard car dealership into 116 market-rate lofts, said Sean Marouf, project manager for developer Venice Investments. The development at Hope Street and Olympic Boulevard should be complete by the end of August. Units will range from 750 to 2,000 square feet and rent for $1,400 to $2,800. The project also includes a 25,000-square-foot ground-floor storefront space and a 450-car indoor garage.

RESERVE
Crews are in the final phases of construction on the $13 million residential conversion of the nine-story Federal Reserve Bank building at Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street in South Park (the project was formerly known as Olympic Lofts). Developer Maz Gilardian said crews are installing appliances, granite countertops and utility lines in the building's 79 luxury live-work lofts. The units will average about 1,000 square feet and rent for $2,000, Gilardian said. A restaurant and bar are also planned for the ground floor of the 85-year-old structure. The building is scheduled for completion at the end of this month.

SCI-ARC LOT
A hearing is scheduled for May 19 in Los Angeles Superior Court over a 15-acre plot in the Arts District just west of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) along Traction Avenue. The school had been using the empty parcel as a parking lot. In 2004, developer Merco Group paid Dynamic Builders $12.5 million for the land; Merco planned to build a mixed-use development of rental and condominium units on the site. School representatives contend there was a verbal agreement that portions of the site would be sold to SCI-Arc. Richard Meruelo of Merco Group and Dynamic officials deny an offer was made. Efforts to resolve the issue have failed. The case lists SCI-Arc as the plaintiff and Merco Group and Dynamic Builders as defendants. Elizabeth Mann, an attorney for SCI-Arc, said the bench trial should take no more than 10 days. Meruelo said that, depending on the outcome of the litigation, construction of the project could begin as soon as the end of the year.

SECOND AND CENTRAL
Crews are pouring the concrete base of the six-story, 128-unit complex on a small plot in Little Tokyo, said Gino Canori, project manager for the Related Companies. The development will contain studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The luxury complex will include a pool, spa, fitness center and 12,500 square feet of retail. Units will range from 400 to 1,100 square feet, with the average apartment renting for $2.45 per square foot. About 20 units will be priced as low-income housing. The development broke ground last June and is aimed at students from USC and SCI-Arc, empty nesters and young professionals working in the nearby Financial District and Civic Center. The project is a joint venture between New York-based Related and San Francisco-based MacFarlane Partners. Canori said the project is slated for a March 2006 completion, although crews are pushing for an earlier date.

TEXERE PLAZA
Construction finished May 1 on Texere Plaza, a project by Fortuna Asset Management that is turning three Figueroa Corridor buildings on the block bounded by Flower, Figueroa, 22nd and 23rd streets into a $10 million complex, said leasing manager Jean Bogena. The development includes 62 lofts in a three-story building fronting 23rd Street. Units range from 520 to 1,106 square feet. The plot also includes a one-story warehouse, retail buildings and a 200-space parking lot at 23rd and Figueroa streets. Several businesses have signed leases, Bogena said.

THE FLATS LA
The conversion of the 205-room Holiday Inn at 750 Garland Ave. in City West into studio apartments should be complete this month, said Stephen Shapleigh of Newport Beach-based owner MKT Community Development. About 85% of the apartments in the 1960s-era structure will be priced at $1,200 a month, though some will cost up to $2,000. The developer is also considering providing hotel-like amenities such as room service, a restaurant, a salon and even a bartender who can pour a martini for a resident who's had a long day.

THE UNION
Construction is scheduled to start this month on the conversion of the former Union Bank headquarters at 325 W. Eighth St. into 91 apartments, said Rob McRitchie, a partner with developer the Heisman Company. Plans by architect Killefer Flammang call for units ranging from 450 to 1,400 square feet and renting for an average $1,600 a month. The transformation of the 68-year-old edifice is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2006, McRitchie said.

TITLE GUARANTEE BUILDING
Construction is slated to start in June on the $25 million conversion of the Title Guarantee Building at 411 W. Fifth St., said developer Daniel Swartz. Plans are still being worked out as to whether the units will be condominiums or apartments, Swartz said. Floor plans by Killefer Flammang call for 74 lofts starting at 800 square feet with one 4,000-square-foot unit in the building's tower. Ceilings would be exposed concrete and range from 10 to 14 feet. Swartz, who purchased the 12-story structure in 1983 for $9 million, bought out his investors' interest in the property. Architects John and David Parkinson modeled the Art Deco- and Gothic-inspired edifice after the Tribune Tower in Chicago. Built in 1930, the property is perhaps best known for Hugo Ballin's murals in the lobby. The structure, the former home of Spanish language newspaper La Opinión, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Swartz said construction is scheduled to finish in the first quarter of 2006.

TUSCANY
After delays due to rains earlier this year, developers from Los Angles-based Conquest Student Housing expect to start framing next month on the 300,000-square-foot, 120-unit student apartment complex at 3760 S. Figueroa St. near USC. Construction on the $40 million project began in July and should be complete by June 2006, said principal Alan Smolinisky. The five-story complex will house 512 students in one- to four-bedroom apartments. Amenities will include steam rooms, saunas, tanning beds, satellite television, a gym, sundeck, study lounge, dry cleaning, and maid and tutoring services. Smolinisky said Conquest has also secured leases for the project's 15,000 square feet of retail space from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Coldstone Creamery, Quiznos Subs, Pick Up Stix and Robek's. Rent will be $600 per student. Conquest owns 18 apartment buildings around USC.

UNION STATION VILLAGE
Crews are in the framing stage on the first phase of a $34 million housing complex at Alameda Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue near Union Station, said John Faulk, director of development and acquisitions for Newport Beach-based Lincoln Property Company. Excavation on the 2.75-acre plot started last June; the project will consist of two, five-story structures that will house 278 units. Sixty percent of the apartments will be one bedroom and the remainder will be two bedrooms, all ranging from 640 to 1,400 square feet. The complex will feature a rooftop pool and spa, along with a ground-floor exercise facility and computer center. A bridge will connect the housing complex to Union Station. Faulk said the first phase should be ready by October, with the second phase finished by January.

VICTOR CLOTHING LOFTS
The residential conversion of the five-story former home of the Victor Clothing Co. at 242 S. Broadway was scheduled to begin in February. Representatives of the non-profit Neighborhood Efforts have discussed plans for 38 live-work lofts ranging from 900 to 1,600 square feet. The building is best known for its exterior wall mural of Anthony Quinn as Zorba the Greek. The developers have said they hope to restore the mural.

VILLA VERONA
Crews are excavating a plot on Wilshire Boulevard between Bixel and Witmer streets, just west of the 110 Freeway, for a 250,000-square-foot project. Plans by developer Sonny Astani call for a six-story structure with 234 lofts, 10,000 square feet of retail and 450 parking spots. The development includes 35 workforce apartments. Brenda Rodriguez, a representative from Beverly Hills-based Astani Enterprises, said construction should be complete by July 2006.

VISCONTI
The ground-up, $45 million construction of 297 units at Third and Bixel streets in City West is scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2006, said Peter Novak, executive vice president of developer GH Palmer Associates. The project broke ground in December and excavation was completed earlier this year. Crews are now pouring the foundation, Novak said. Last year, the developer agreed to pay $2.8 million to the city; this will exempt the firm from including low-income units in the Visconti, and allow them to convert 60 low-income units in another Downtown project, the Medici, into market-rate apartments.

WILSHIRE COURT
Developer Holland Partners of Vancouver, Wash., has begun excavation for a two-tower ground-up apartment complex in City West. The four-story building at Bixel Street and Wilshire Boulevard will house 108 units. A second, five-story, 93-unit tower will rise just south, at Bixel and Ingraham streets. The two buildings will be linked with a skybridge. The development will include two- and three-bedroom units averaging 800 square feet. Principal Tom Warren said the project is scheduled for a summer, 2006 opening. This marks Holland Partners' first project in Downtown Los Angeles.

MIXED USE


BLOSSOM PLAZA
A groundbreaking is scheduled for next summer on the site of the former Little Joe's restaurant (it closed in 1998) at Alameda and College streets; the property will be turned into a mixed-use complex known as Blossom Plaza. The development is a collaboration between the city and private developers. The city purchased the plot for $4.7 million from owners Laeroc Partners and Bond Companies. Plans call for a parking garage, as well as a pedestrian bridge linking the adjacent Chinatown Gold Line station to Broadway. Construction on the parking garage is set to begin this summer and last a year. Laeroc and Bond retained the air rights to build on top of the garage. Larry Bond, who heads Bond Companies, said the housing will be compatible with Chinatown's design. Construction will last about two years, he said. Ultimately, Blossom Plaza could connect with another mixed-use development on the site of the Capitol Milling Building.

CAPITOL MILLING BUILDING
Plans are in place to convert the 60,000-square-foot Capitol Milling Company building into a mixed-use development. Steve Riboli of S&R Partners plans to turn the 1231 N. Spring St. building into 40 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail. Riboli is working with Larry Bond, who is developing the nearby multi-million dollar mixed-use Blossom Plaza, on creating a public space to fuse the two sites. Riboli said he would not begin construction until Blossom Plaza is completed in 2006 or 2007. The structure is a former grain mill and silo. The plans are part of the large-scale Riverview Project at the Cornfield, a mixed-use development on a triangular piece of land stretching from College Street to the Los Angeles River. The four-phase project would use the Capitol Milling Building as a southern anchor and include up to 300 residential units in four four-story ground-up structures, said John Deenihan, a principal with Downtown-based Rothenberg Sawasy Architects, who is designing the project. Construction is not scheduled to start until at least 2007. The Riboli family also owns the San Antonio Winery north of Chinatown.

GRAND AVENUE PLAN
The Joint Powers Authority on May 23 is scheduled to consider the $1.2 billion plan to turn a strip of Grand Avenue into a massive multi-use project. New York-based Related Companies has conducted numerous public meetings, and is moving forward on plans to turn the street, from Cesar Chavez on the north to the Richard J. Riordan Central Library at Fifth Street on the south, into a collection of high-rise apartments, hotels, offices, clubs and cafes. The development includes what are expected to be massive structures and 3 million square feet of space, mainly rising on two county-owned and two city-owned parcels

HERALD EXAMINER BUILDING
Plans for the former home of the city's last afternoon newspaper are still in limbo. Developer Urban Partners is exploring the possibility of turning the 1914 property at 11th Street and Broadway into a mixed-use development, with retail and office space, as well as for-sale and rental properties, said Devan Pailet, a development executive for the company. The property consists of three buildings, and has been largely empty since the newspaper shut down on Nov. 2, 1989. Urban Partners is working with the building's owner, San Francisco-based Hearst Corporation, to create a plan for the complex.

MEDALLION
The groundbreaking of a 207,000-square-foot mixed-use project at Fourth and Main streets in the Historic Core has been pushed back. Developers Saeed Farkhondehpour and Morad Neman now hope to break ground in September on the $125 million Medallion, which will include 375 market-rate rental units and 200,000 square feet of retail space in two 11-story towers. One would rise on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main, across the street from Pete's Café and Bar, and the other at Third and Main. Units would average 850 square feet, with rents from $2 to $3 per square foot. The complex would include three commercial structures of up to three stories. About 25 housing units fronting Main and Los Angeles streets would be scattered on the upper floors. The project would also include a two-acre courtyard and park. M2A Architects and Leo A Daly are the architects. Farkhondehpour said he hopes construction will wrap in mid-2007.

METROPOLIS
City Centre Development Company is moving though the entitlement process for a project on a 6.3-acre plot bounded by Ninth and Francisco streets, said Executive Vice President John Vallance. Construction is expected to start in early 2006 on the first phase, which will include a 53-story building with 548 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail. Phase two calls for a 47-story structure with 288 apartments, a 480-room hotel and 10,000 square feet of retail. The third phase envisions a 38-story tower with more than 893,000 square feet of office space, 11,000 square feet of retail and a 95,000-square-foot space for a cultural institution. The project originally had a larger office component and retail elements, but was downsized after negotiations with the Community Redevelopment Agency in favor of more residential units. Construction on the first phase is expected to last two years.

SANTEE COURT
Construction is slated to wrap Dec. 17 on the second phase of Santee Court, a $130 million conversion of nine former garment factories in the Fashion District, said developer Mark Weinstein of Santa Monica-based MJW Investments. Crews in January started demolishing the interiors of the Textile Center Building at 315 E. Eighth St. and the Gray Building at 824 S. Los Angeles St. to make way for 299 apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail. The three-phase mixed-use and mixed-income project will eventually add 578 units to three blocks bounded by Los Angeles, Seventh and Ninth streets and Maple Avenue. The first portion, with 165 apartments, opened last year and is 90% leased. There is also a Rite-Aid drugstore. Construction on the final 80-condominium phase should start before July, with construction scheduled to wrap in 2007, said Weinstein. The entire project includes about 780,000 square feet of live-work lofts, shops and restaurants, with amenities including a basketball court and a golf driving range. MJW Investments has secured a 70-year lease allowing it to build a parking structure on Maple for Santee Court tenants. The lot would also serve as a staging area for MTA buses.

SOUTH VILLAGE/RALPHS
Excavation started late last month on Market Top Flats, the grocery store and condominium component of South Village, a $220 million mixed-use project that is transforming a 7.2-acre plot bounded by Eight, Ninth, Flower and Hope streets. Construction will start this summer on the six-story building, which includes the 50,000-square-foot Ralphs grocery store and 267 condominiums. The Lee Group is the project's housing developer, while CIM will oversee financing and the development of 10,000 square feet of retail along Ninth Street. The first phase, the 251-unit Gas Company Lofts at 800, 810 and 820 S. Flower St., opened last year. Phase three, estimated at $21 million, would develop 152 rental lofts and 25,000 square feet of retail on the southwest corner of Eighth and Hope streets. Phase four, estimated at $90 million, would develop sites that flank the supermarket on the northwest corner of Ninth and Flower, as well as a vacant parcel on the northeast corner of that block. Two new buildings would be constructed with 520 for-sale units and another 30,000 square feet of retail. Construction of Market Top Flats is expected to take about two years.

VIBIANA PLACE
Construction is nearly complete on the $4 million Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, which fronts Main Street. It is expected to open this month. It sits in front of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, the former headquarters of the Los Angeles Archdiocese; the 1876 structure is being converted into a performing arts center to be programmed by California State University-Los Angeles. The cathedral had been shuttered following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Future plans for the property could include a residential element, said developer Tom Gilmore of Gilmore Associates. A hotel and restaurant could also be part of the project.

CIVIC


CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PLAN
An Appellate Court ruling last month cut the proposed City Center Redevelopment Plan from 879 to 119 acres. The original area included portions of South Park, the Historic Core, and the Fashion, Jewelry, Flower and Toy districts. But last summer, a Superior Court judge ruled that the project area overlaps with the Central Business District Redevelopment Area, established in 1977; that capped out several years ago. The appellate decision will reduce the tax revenue expected to be generated during the 30-year life of the plan from $2.4 billion to an estimated $75 million. The original proposal would have produced 12,900 housing units (25% of them low-income) and 6.7 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. About 1,500 SRO housing units would have been rehabilitated. The case has been sent back to the trial courts. Proceedings could take more than a year.

CIVIC CENTER FIRE STATION NO. 4
Construction is scheduled to start by early 2006 on a seven-bay fire station on the south side of Temple Street at Alameda Street, said Eileen Espinoza, an office clerk for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The 40,000-square-foot Fire Station No. 4 will include a dispatch center. It will replace the fire station at 800 N. Main St. The project has been funded through past bond measures approved by voters. GKK Dommer and Fluor/HOK are the architects. The project should be complete by 2008, said Espinoza.

CORNFIELD STATE PARK
The installation of a temporary art exhibit is rising on the Cornfield. Santa Monica artist Lauren Bon designed the $2 million project, which is turning a 32-acre portion of the land into an exhibit that will include a field of harvest corn, a hot air balloon, a loop trail and picnic benches. The former Southern Pacific Railroad yard has been largely vacant for years; the state purchased it in 2001 for $30 million after previous attempts to turn it into an industrial park were rejected. The site is bounded by North Broadway, North Spring Street and the Los Angeles River. Community leaders and an advisory committee have hammered out a 15-page general plan for the site, which they are submitting to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission this summer. The temporary park, state officials said, will serve the community while a larger park is being approved and constructed.

FEDERAL BUILDING
The upgrade of elevators in the federal building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2006, said Bethany Rich Kirchhoff, a spokeswoman for the General Services Administration. The improvements are part of a $90 million renovation of the 37-year-old structure. The rest of the building will receive a seismic upgrade and improvements including new fire safety systems, ceilings, energy-efficient lighting, signage, security systems, elevators and the removal of hazardous materials. The building houses more than 8,000 employees of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

FEDERAL COURTHOUSE
General Service Administration (GSA) officials have completed the first step in a two-phase process to secure a builder for a 1 million-square-foot courtroom at First Street and Broadway, said GSA spokeswoman Bethany Rich Kirchhoff. For the second phase, teams have been invited to submit pricing proposals; a contract will be awarded in November, said Kirchhoff. Plans call for a 17-story building with 41 courtrooms, 40 judges' chambers and office space for federal agencies. The government purchased the 3.6-acre site from the state of California for $2.5 million. The project is budgeted at $314 million and construction would last five years.

GOLD LINE EASTSIDE EXTENSION
The $899 million Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension is on schedule for a December 2009 completion, said Ed Scannell, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Construction began in February on the Little Tokyo/Arts District station at the 101 Freeway and Alameda Street. Plans call for replacing on- and off-ramps at Hewitt and Vignes streets and the construction of a bridge over the freeway to carry the light rail. That segment should be ready by winter 2007. The six-mile line will include eight stations and will connect Union Station to Pomona/Atlantic in East L.A. Residents of the densely populated corridor have waited for the line for nearly a decade. Transit officials say it could carry as many as 23,000 daily riders.

HALL OF JUSTICE
Plans for the estimated $127 million renovation and safety upgrades of the Hall of Justice at 500 W. Temple St. are moving through the approval process, said John Edmisten, a division chief in the county's Chief Administrative Office. An Environmental Impact Report has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and should be in front of the Board of Supervisors by July, Edmisten said. The board last summer decided to break up the approval and construction process over a three-year period. Supervisors must approve each phase of construction. Renderings would take about six months to prepare before approval could be given and construction could start. The 400,000-square-foot Hall of Justice, bounded by Temple, Spring, Broadway and the 101 Freeway, was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Construction is expected to take about two years, putting the building's earliest completion date at winter 2008.

POLICE HEADQUARTERS
The Environmental Impact Report for the new Los Angeles Police Department headquarters at First and Spring streets is out for public comment, said Eva Kandarpa, spokeswoman for Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry. The process should wrap up by mid-June. The former Caltrans site was earmarked by the city, but has faced opposition from some area residents who complained the location was chosen without their input. They have urged the city to follow through with earlier plans to build a park on the site. The new headquarters will replace the earthquake-damaged Parker Center.

TAYLOR YARD
Grading is complete on a 40-acre park in Cypress Park near the Los Angeles River, said Sean Woods, a spokesman for the state Parks Department. The department is considering contractors and is expected to make a selection by fall. Plans call for green spaces, hiking trails and wildlife habitats. The state is also leasing portions of the park to the city to build recreational fields and sports facilities. The property, a former Union Pacific Railroad yard, cost $26 million to acquire in 2001 and the state has spent about $8 million to develop it. Construction is expected to finish by summer 2006, Woods said.

SCHOOLS


AMBASSADOR HOTEL
School officials in late March agreed to delay demolition on portions of the Ambassador Hotel until a lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles Conservancy is resolved. The Conservancy last November sued to overturn an Oct. 12 Board of Education decision to build three schools on the site of the hotel. The preservation group wants to save the main hotel building and move LAUSD construction to another part of the 24-acre site. After a decade of legal battles, bankruptcies and a two-year environmental review, the board voted to build a 4,200-student complex in the overcrowded area along the Wilshire corridor. School Board President José Huizar has said the lawsuit could delay construction on the $318 million plan by up to a year, but said he expects the district to prevail. If successful, the schools could open in 2009, said LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber. In 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the pantry of the hotel. The LAUSD plan would preserve the pantry, along with the storied Cocoanut Grove nightclub and a coffee shop designed by Paul Williams.

BELMONT NEW PRIMARY CENTER NO. 11
Construction of a 16-classroom school on a 1.8-acre former parking lot at 950 S. Albany St. is about 70% complete, said LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber. The $8 million project includes a 33,790-square-foot, two-story facility that will hold 380 seats, a playground area and a 34-space parking lot. Construction started in December 2003 and should be complete by this summer, Johnson-Haber said.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW HIGH SCHOOL NO. 9
Construction is scheduled to start soon on the $87 million new high school at 450 N. Grand Ave., the 10-acre site of the old Fort Moore and prior LAUSD headquarters. The school will house 1,584 students in 64 classrooms, arranged in four academies: music, dance, visual arts and performing arts. HMC/Coop Himmelblau is the architect. LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber said the project is scheduled for completion in spring 2007. Three coffins were recently found on the site, including two with human remains. They are believed to date from the days - before the fort - when the land held a cemetery.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW HIGH SCHOOL NO. 10
Construction on a 1,713-seat school at Third and Bixel streets on Crown Hill is scheduled for completion by summer 2006, said LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber. The 19-acre campus will hold a library, student store, gym, auditorium and athletic fields. The complex will relieve overcrowding at Belmont and Marshall high schools. Johnson Fain is the architect. Construction started last spring and is about 30% complete, Johnson-Haber said.

CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AREA NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL NO. 4
The construction of a 1,200-student middle school on nearly nine acres near Exposition Park is set for completion in October, said LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber. Construction started last spring and is about 70% finished. The project will create 63 classrooms, a courtyard, library, offices, a multipurpose room and a food service area. Culver City-based Steven Ehrlich Architects is designing the project.

COLBURN SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS
Excavation is complete and crews are installing the pylons for the $120 million expansion of the Colburn School of Performing Arts at 200 S. Grand Ave., said school spokeswoman Barbara Vyden. Work is progressing on the 300,000-square-foot, 13-story high-rise next to the existing private school. It will include housing for up to 145 students. The educational floors will hold Colburn's new post-secondary music program and expanded pre-college program, and will feature a 200-seat performance venue plus classrooms, a 7,000-square-foot rehearsal hall, 50 practice rooms, a cafeteria and offices. The CRA will lease the land to Colburn for $99 until 2082. Downtown-based Pfeiffer Partners Inc. is the architect. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.

LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE
The $240 million upgrade of the aging campus of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College on the southern edge of Downtown is moving forward, said Evelyn Jerome, a spokeswoman for the school. Crews are working on a 700-car parking garage and construction is also moving ahead on a $1.2 million Child Development Center, set for completion in October. Eight campus buildings will receive $75 million in renovations. The most visible structures will be two five-story classroom buildings set for construction along Grand Avenue. At 128,000 square feet each, they will house 33 classrooms and the administrative and student service offices; they will also frame a new entrance for the college. The construction is funded through Proposition A and AA. Trade-Tech's 29-acre campus and 14 buildings at Washington Street and Grand Avenue have not seen a major upgrade in more than 25 years. In April, officials announced plans to renovate an existing Blue Line station near the school into a $3 million bus and rail plaza. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.

VISTA HERMOSA
Construction is scheduled to start in October on Vista Hermosa, on the site of the former Belmont Learning Center at First and Beaudry streets, said Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber. Four buildings will be converted into a 2,100-seat school. A separate 500-seat academy, cafeteria, library, student union and parents' center will be developed on the 34-acre site. The project will total 102 classrooms with 2,600 seats. A 14-acre public park will be developed and maintained by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Though concerns over dangerous gases and the earthquake fault have delayed the school for years - and caused the razing of two buildings last December - officials say the problems can be mitigated. The LAUSD estimates the cost of the entire project at $111 million - on top of the $172 million already invested in the facility. Johnson-Haber said the development is scheduled to open in 2007.

CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT


CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
Construction on the $110 million expansion of the California Science Center is scheduled to start in late 2005; Science Center officials are currently looking for a contractor through a bidding process, said museum spokeswoman Shell Amega. The expansion, scheduled to be completed in 2008, will house the World of Ecology, a series of interactive exhibits and live habitats. This marks the second of three phases of the expansion; the first included the construction of the main museum, a parking facility and a school. The third phase will house the air and space collection. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2013.

CENTRAL AVENUE ART PARK
The long-stalled plans for a three-acre public art park on a block bounded by First, Judge John Aiso, Temple and Alameda streets are slowly moving forward, said Gerry Miller, the city's interim chief legislative analyst. City officials for years have discussed building an art park on the site, a current parking lot, but a complex series of master planning issues - involving debate over the location of the new police headquarters - have delayed the project. Miller said construction of the park could start once it is decided where a new city parking garage will be built. The earliest construction could begin is mid-2006. Michael Maltzman Architecture completed designs for the park several years ago.

FOOTBALL STADIUM
National Football League owners could select the home of a future professional football team at their meetings later this month. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park is competing against proposals from Anaheim, Carson and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Plans call for spending $400 million or more to convert the Coliseum into an NFL-suitable stadium by reducing the 92,500 seats to 78,000. The renovation would also add 200 luxury suites, club level seating, new locker rooms, restrooms and concession areas. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in February said he wants the league to return to Los Angeles by 2010.

LA FASHION CENTER
Although officials from City West-based LA Properties Investment and Management Group announced plans to break ground on the LA Fashion Center last November, no physical construction appears to have begun. Plans call for the 560,000-square-foot structure at 1444 S. San Pedro St. to house 200 for-purchase retail spaces and showrooms for garment wholesalers and manufacturers. The concept would allow small business owners to make permanent investments rather than monthly rental payments. Officials have said that an average store will cost about $360,000, with ground-floor units starting at $640,000. The project is also known as LA Face.

LA LIVE
Officials behind an entertainment complex in South Park hope to break ground in late summer on the 7,000-seat Nokia Theater, said Ted Tanner, president of the Anschutz Entertainment Group. It is the first element in a $1 billion plan that would transform six square blocks north of Staples Center into street-level stores, restaurants and bars, a 15-screen Regal movie complex, a 4,000-car garage, up to 1,000 housing units, office space, a 55-story hotel and a second, smaller hotel. Wolff Urban Development is overseeing the Convention Center headquarters hotel, which will have 1,200 rooms and about 100 condominiums on upper floors. The City Council in February approved plans to give up to $180 million in incentives to the $350 million hotel project; they will come in the form of a $22 million loan, $10 million in improvements to the site and up to $147 million in deferred hotel occupancy taxes and fees over 20 years. The entire complex could be complete in 2014.

LINDA LEA THEATER
The artist group working to restore the Linda Lea Theater at 251 S. Main St. is looking to secure grants, said representative Kjell Hagen. An anonymous buyer purchased the dilapidated 7,700-square-foot theater in late December. Plans call for a 500-seat theater with independent film screenings, festivals, community events and possibly a rooftop bar. Local arts leaders will program and operate the space, and in keeping with its Japanese history, a concessions stand will include items such as Japanese sweets, edamame, sake, soju and beer. During its heyday in the 1960s, visitors flocked to the theater to see samurai dramas. It has been closed since the 1980s.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF DEMOCRACY
Construction is slowly moving ahead on the $7.5 million National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, said Chris Komai, a spokesman for the Japanese American National Museum, which is overseeing the project. The center will be housed in an historic Little Tokyo building, the Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, at 369 E. First St. next to the museum. Komai said a public opening is scheduled for fall. The center was originally scheduled to open last fall but was delayed by rains. In 2000, Congress allocated $20 million for the project.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
The redesign and expansion of the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park is on hold until at least 2006 as the museum puts together a capital campaign for the project, said museum spokeswoman Jennifer Westfall. The project was initially pegged at $300 million, although Westfall said the budget will likely change. A master plan by architect Stephen Holl envisions renovating a 410,000-square-foot building to make the museum's expansive collections and research resources - more than 33 million specimens - more accessible.

VARIETY ARTS CENTER
Officials from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) are evaluating the future of the Variety Arts Center, said AEG President Ted Tanner. The company bought the 1924 property at 940 S. Figueroa St. last year from the Sehdeva family. It sits a few blocks from AEG's planned $1 billion entertainment complex, LA Live. A registered historic cultural monument, the five-story Italian Renaissance-inspired building contains a 1,000-seat theater, a smaller theater, nightclub space, a lounge, a library and offices. It was built as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Friday Morning Club, a women's organization. Tanner would not discuss plans for the property.

NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY


CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
The $62 million new headquarters of the California Endowment is scheduled for completion in March 2006, said Jeffrey Okey, a spokesman for the nonprofit. Crews are constructing the shell of the office building on a 6.5-acre plot near Terminal Annex at Alameda and Main streets. Okey said the roof and curtain wall have been installed, with interior construction scheduled for the next several weeks. Plans also call for a parking structure and meeting center. The nine-year-old healthcare foundation, one of the country's largest, will leave Woodland Hills for Downtown. Hollywood-based Rios Clementi Hale Studios is the architect. California Endowment is the developer.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The South Park entity is still looking to secure funds for a $10 million church at Olympic and Flower streets, said fundraising manager James Hong. The church has sent out fundraising proposals to several charitable organizations, Hong said. The new building will include a modern sanctuary, fellowship hall, a meditation garden and four floors of office space for nonprofit social service organizations. Hong said construction, which could start as soon as 2006, would take about 14 months.

HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE
Construction is set to start in late July on an expansion to the House Ear Institute at Third and Alvarado streets, said spokeswoman Christa Spieth Nuber. The project, part of the institute's $40 million "Campaign for Building a Sound Future," includes a three-story, 30,000-square-foot building that will house the research division and offices. The Annenberg Foundation donated $10 million. Downtown-based Perkins + Will is the architecture firm. The project is set to wrap in late January 2007.

JACCC EXPANSION
Plans for a $15 million expansion to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo have been put on hold, said Director of Administration Victor Wong. This summer, the group will focus on interior renovations to the existing space at 244 S. San Pedro St., improving elevators and heating and electrical systems. Plans for the 24,000-square-foot addition call for a digital education and learning center, a lecture and reception hall with state-of-the-art technical equipment, a 3,000-square-foot community gallery, a terrace bridge linking JACCC's main building with the Japan America Theatre, and a glass curtain wall that will provide the center with a contemporary facade. There is no timetable for the project.

LAC+USC MEDICAL CENTER REPLACEMENT FACILITY
Construction is about 60% complete on the $820 million hospital on a 25-acre parcel at Merengo and Chicago streets northeast of Downtown, said Brad Bolger, project director for the County of Los Angeles. Crews are working on framing, interior drywall, exterior cladding and installing utilities on the 1.5 million-square-foot facility. Plans call for a seven-story outpatient structure; a five-story diagnostic and treatment building; an eight-story inpatient tower; and a central energy plant. The 750-bed complex will replace a nearby facility damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Office of Emergency Services and county bonds are financing the project. Los Angeles-based HOK and Santa Monica-based LBL Associated Architects are handling the designs. Bolger said the project is scheduled for completion by March 2007.

LITTLE TOKYO RECREATION CENTER
Bill Watanabe, executive director of the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), said he hopes to obtain a memorandum of understanding within the next few months for the construction of a $16 million recreation center south of the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral. The site is a city-owned parking lot at Second and Main streets. Plans include a multi-court gymnasium large enough to host major events; it will also serve as a community center. Watanabe said the new facility is envisioned as an economic driver for Little Tokyo, and that the LTSC will continue to raise funds for the center. He said the two-phase construction project could start as soon as spring 2006, and last up to three years.

SENIOR NURSING FACILITY
Plans for a nursing facility in Chinatown run by the Pacific Alliance Medical Center Health Foundation are still on hold, said Hector Cruz, project manager for Ontario-based HMC Group architects. Cruz said the decision was made by the health care operator, but would not provide a reason for the delay. If it moves forward, plans call for the facility on Hill Street between Alpine and Ord streets to be a 57,000-square-foot medical center with space for 129 beds.

WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
The $150 million renovation of the White Memorial Medical Center at 1720 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. in Boyle Heights is moving ahead. Crews are working on the focal point of the renovation, the 167-bed, six-story Acute Care Tower. The renovation will bring larger patient rooms, improved nurses' stations and additional labor, delivery and recovery rooms. Completion is scheduled for early 2006. Crews are also renovating the three-story east tower, which houses rehabilitation units, and the four-story north tower, which holds the hospital's cancer center, medical library, resident lounge and administrative offices. A 90,000-square-foot Medical Office Building housing orthopedic care and a heart and diabetes center opened in August 2004 and an adjacent 507-car garage in front of the hospital debuted in January 2004. The 354-bed hospital serves about 165,000 people every year. The entire project should be complete by December 2007. Last year, boxer Oscar De La Hoya donated $1 million for the construction.

OPENED IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS


A.G. BARTLETT BUILDING
Construction wrapped in March on the $15 million residential conversion of the building at 215 W. Seventh St., said developer Barry Shy. The project turned the former home of Union Oil into 140 condominiums, all of which have sold, Shy said. Units range from 700 to 1,000 square feet. Shy purchased the 14-story Jewelry District property in 2001 for $5 million.

ALEGRIA APARTMENTS
Last November the non-profit developer Esperanza Housing Corporation opened the $3.6 million, 15-unit affordable complex Alegria Apartments. The refurbished three-story structure at 801 W. 23rd St. includes a manager's office, a recreation room and a laundry facility.

BARRY'S LOFTS
The residential conversion of the building at 312 W. Fifth St./501 S. Broadway (also referred to as the Fifth and Broadway building) finished in December. Woodland Hills-based developer Barry Shy spent $20 million to turn the Historic Core structure into 280 condominiums with units ranging from 500 to more than 1,000 square feet. The property also includes a ground floor Rite-Aide pharmacy.

CITY LOFTS
Construction wrapped in November on the $8 million, 35-unit City Lofts at 626 S. Spring St. in the Historic Core. Developers Izek Shomof and Eli Dromy turned the six-story Sassony Building (also known as the Mortgage Guarantee Building) into 35 one-bedroom and studio apartments, with two 15,000-square-foot retail storefronts. Rents in the 700- to 1,100-square-foot apartments range from $1,190 to more than $2,000. The 82-year-old building features 16-foot tall ceilings and a rooftop garden and fireplace. Last fall, 626 Gallery signed a lease for one of the storefronts.

FIRST 5 LA HEADQUARTERS
Construction wrapped in early January on the new headquarters of First 5 LA, said spokesman Garrison Frost. The three-story, 47,000-square-foot building at Alameda Street and the 101 Freeway houses about 70 employees of the nonprofit, which funds children's groups. First 5 LA was initially leasing the land from Catellus Development Corporation but decided in March to buy it. It paid $11 million, Frost said, and will lease the remaining space to other companies. The building sits on a former parking lot on the southwest corner of the land that houses Union Station. The nonprofit was formerly based at 333 S. Beaudry Ave.

FRANK RICE SAFEHAVEN
On Nov. 23, homeless services provider Lamp Community completed the $1.2 million renovation of its Central City East headquarters, which was renamed the Frank Rice Safehaven. Crews worked for more than six months to renovate the 35-year-old, 4,300-square-foot building at 627 S. San Julian St. that Lamp Community has occupied for 19 years. A 6,400-square-foot top floor increased capacity by 25% and provides organizers additional office and meeting space. The center is named after Frank Rice, a former vice president of Bullocks department store who, with homeless advocate Mollie Lowery, founded Lamp Community in 1985. The project was funded privately, with help from the Weingart and Ahmanson foundations, which donated a total of $250,000. Lowery recently stepped down and was replaced by Casey Horan.

MAIN STREET APARTMENTS
The former Rutland apartment building at 1821-1829 S. Main St. opened in January as the Main Street Apartments. The $6 million conversion by developer Playa Vista Property Management turned the 100,000-square-foot building into 135 studio and one-bedroom units. Half of the residences are designated affordable housing. The project includes a 30,000-square-foot retail space. It is part of Playa Vista's Genesis 2000 plan, a blueprint for creating affordable housing in underutilized Downtown buildings.

MIDNIGHT MISSION
The Midnight Mission opened its new, three-story headquarters at Sixth and San Pedro streets April 10. The 120,000-square-foot facility tripled the homeless service provider's capacities, offering residents larger dorm rooms, improved storage areas and 14 studio apartments. The building also has a 6,000-square-foot gymnasium, a cafeteria and dining area, healthcare center, two-level administrative suite, day area and sitting room, computer lab, library and children's area. It replaced the mission's former headquarters at Fourth and Los Angeles streets, which it occupied for more than eight decades. Gin Wong Associates designed the $17 million project.

ROBERT TUTOR HALL
The $50 million, six-story Robert Tutor Hall opened Feb. 2. The 103,000-square-foot building, part of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, houses engineering offices, student lounges, cafes and classrooms. Named after USC Trustee Ronald N. Tutor, the Romanesque complex houses the research divisions of biomedical technology, information technology and nanotechnology. It was designed by AC Martin Partners.

SANTA FE ANNEX
The conversion of the eight-story Santa Fe Annex at 121 E. Sixth St. finished earlier this year. Hancock Park-based Kor Group turned the 1917 Beaux Arts structure into 103 lofts ranging from 530 to 3,000 square feet. The former office building was the home of Santa Fe Railroad.

SKYLINE VILLAGE
Construction finished in mid-January on the 73-unit affordable housing complex at Fourth Street and Lucas Avenue, said project manager Andrew Gross. Developed by Brentwood-based Thomas Safran & Associates and the Housing Corporation of America, the nearly $14 million complex has one- to four-bedroom rental units, a computer lab, a recreational area and a picnicking park. All of the units are now occupied, Gross said. Torrance-based Withee Malcolm Partnership was the architect.

VISTA DEL SOL/PUEBLO DEL SOL
The $103 million mixed-income Vista del Sol and Pueblo del Sol opened in December on a 35-acre parcel on the eastern side of Downtown. Headed by the Lee Group, the Related Companies of California and McCormack Baron Salazar, the development includes 93 three- and four- bedroom homes ranging from 1,430 square feet to 1,578 square feet; they start at $415,000. Affordably priced houses go for an average $190,000. The complex's 377 apartments range from $368 to $948 for two- to four-bedroom units. The project, which added 435 units to the housing stock, replaces the former Aliso Village public housing complex, which was partially torn down in 1998.

I CRAVE MY NEW LA NOW!!! :wallbash:

HAHA same here. At least were seeing some progress now, with a few cranes in DT! By the end of the year, south park should be buzzing with even more cranes, with Luma going up along with Elleven and LA Live Starting Construction.

ECO-VILLE
A developer is raising funds to create 40 live-work spaces on a 2.5-acre plot at Main and Llewellyn streets east of Cornfield State Park, said Jennifer Siegal, whose Office of Mobile Design is behind the project. The residential units, pitched to artists, would be fashioned out of prefabricated and converted shipping containers, stacked and arranged in an "S" pattern, with roof gardens and communal areas. Siegal said the developer, who does not want to be identified, is creating a master plan for the site.

WTF?

Heres sort of a map of how projects are coming along.
Red = Completed
Yellow = Completion immanent
Green = More than likely to be completed, though not soon

You can definatly see the formation of a neighborhood

http://people.ucsc.edu/~ehellen/pictures/COMPLETE2.JPG

Yeah, Im certain there are mistakes in it, so no need to tell me.

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/C/D/C/CDCD493F-8E6C-4732-9CC2-1DB24E534FE8_or.jpg

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/E/0/3/E03DD61E-61AE-41B8-BB8D-4070B59BB0E4_or.jpg

bump

awesome maps! :okay:

Vice, can you please post those at SSP in the thread about California Maps of Development? thanks in advance.

i did

oh cool thanks. i didnt see the first one on the SSP thread, thats why i didnt recognize it.

1. Site plan, showing Disney Hall (top right). Resdential towers shown in brown and retail buildings in blue. Grand Avenue is the horizontal street directly beneath Disney Hall.
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/bldgsites_51805.jpg


2. District-scale site plan, showing refurbished park(center), with commercial-residential construction at left. Rafael Moneo's new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/districtplan_51805.jpg

3. Grand Avenue Model: The refurbished park (left); residential towers and commercial buildings (center and lower right) Los Angeles Music Center (lower center left); Disney Hall (lower center right).
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/GrandAvenueModel1.jpg

Model 2: Looking East from Bunker Hill: Refurbished Park (left); City Hall (top left); future Federal Courthouse by Perkins & Will (top right); Grand Avenue Project (center right) Los Angeles Music Center(bottom center left); Disney Hall (bottom center right).
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/GrandAvenueModel2.jpg

Model 4: Looking West from Civic Center: City Hall (bottom center); Future Federal Courthouse (center left); Grand Avenue project (top left); Disney Hall (top center); Los Angeles Music Center (top right); Refurbished park (center left); Cathedral (center, far right).
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/GrandAvenueModel4.jpg

Park plan: Moving down from top (west to east): Los Angeles Music Center; Grand Terrace; Great Lawn; Civic Gardens; Civic Plaza; City Hall.
http://www.theslatinreport.com/pictures/parkplan_51805.jpg

*tears of utter joy* :grouphug:

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/C/D/C/CDCD493F-8E6C-4732-9CC2-1DB24E534FE8_or.jpg



Misleading. Most of the south park areas marked "under construction" aren't under construction.

Actually they are. Everything except for the area next to staples center, which will be under construction in less than 2 months.

??? What's happening with that parking lot across Grand from elleven? I haven't heard of or seen anything going on there.

on the southeast corner of Grand and 11th is the Grand Lofts

on the southwest corner of Grand and 11th is Elleven, Luma, and a 3rd unamed project

on the northwest corner of Hope and 11th is Metropolitan Lofts

Yeah, grand lofts isnt taking up that whole block next to the transamerica center.

Misleading. Most of the south park areas marked "under construction" aren't under construction.

Your statement is still incorrect, most of the south park areas marked "under contstruction" ARE under construction. Just because "grand lofts isnt taking up that whole block next to the transamerica center" doesn't make your statement correct. :sleepy:

Actually they are. Everything except for the area next to staples center, which will be under construction in less than 2 months.

Well, if you want to be anal about it, TECHNICALLY, at least 3 of the areas marked under construction aren't CURRENTLY under construction. And if i want to be a real dick about it, the third phase of elleven isn't under construction either.

I guess you are right. Third phase gets underway later this year by the way.

Click the link for renderings

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-medallion8jun08,0,2421440.story?coll=la-tot-promo&track=pacifictime

Project May Put Blighted Area on a Brighter Path
# A developer's plan for a mixed-use complex in downtown L.A. includes 370 apartments.

By Roger Vincent, Times Staff Writer

Downtown's residential expansion is expected to march deeper into historic Los Angeles this fall with construction of a $140-million apartment and retail complex on a Main Street block long considered to be part of skid row.

Developer Medallion Inc. plans to build 370 rental units in two 11-story buildings on top of stores facing Main and Los Angeles streets between 3rd and 4th streets. The apartments are expected to rent for $2 to $2.50 a square foot, in line with other new downtown units, or $1,500 to $1,900 a month for an average 770-square-foot unit.

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The apartments are among the 11,000 units proposed or approved for construction downtown, according to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. Since 1999, nearly 4,000 apartments and condominiums have been added to the market; an additional 4,500 are under construction. There are about 7,000 market-rate apartments and condos downtown, an increase of 53% since 1998, district staffers say.

New development at the Medallion location will fill in a key piece of the urban landscape, said City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who calls it "one of the gateways to downtown."

Medallion bought the property less than a year ago with the intention of building retail space to serve wholesalers branching out of the nearby toy and garment districts, company President Saeed Farkhondehpour said. But city officials wanted more residential units in the area, he said, so his project is now 70% apartments.

"We want to resurrect Main Street," said city staffer Greg Fischer, who is also a historian.

Consequently, Medallion's ground-floor space on Main will be devoted to shops and restaurants. On Los Angeles Street, Farkhondehpour plans to rent the first level to toy and garment companies that have wholesale and retail operations. There also will be eight-story and four-story parking structures and some underground parking.

The property is across 4th from the Old Bank District, a 230-unit complex in three former office buildings that were built around the turn of the last century and converted to housing in 2000.

The design of the L-shaped Medallion building at 4th and Main will make a stylistic nod to the Old Bank District's San Fernando Building, completed in 1906, said architect Alex Ward. His Omaha-based firm, Leo A Daly, is designing the Medallion complex with M2A, a Los Angeles architecture firm.

The Medallion building at 3rd and Main will have a more contemporary design in what Ward calls "sleek materials," including glass, metal and precast concrete.

"We want to re-create a more traditional urban experience — what you find in all great cities," he said.

The intersection of 4th and Main was once the site of the Westminster Hotel, one of the city's finest. The Victorian-era establishment, built in the 1880s, played host to Presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. It was razed decades ago.

Main Street also was one of the city's most exclusive residential addresses after the Civil War. Among the homeowners was Cameron E. Thom, mayor from 1882 to 1884, who had a large house and yard that took up a third of the block at 3rd and Main, historian Fischer said.

The area eventually grew disreputable and has long been plagued by homelessness and drug abuse.

However, a boom in residential construction in the last four years, led by developer Tom Gilmore's Old Bank District apartments, has altered the fabric of the historic downtown area. And in April, the Midnight Mission moved from 4th and Los Angeles to 6th and San Pedro streets.

With the mission relocated, development on his property became viable, said Farkhondehpour, adding, "We feel like downtown is definitely changing."

The developer and his partner, Morad Neman, own almost a third of the commercial space in downtown's toy district, Farkhondehpour said. They own more than 1.2 million square feet in that area and the nearby garment district and manage their properties through Investment Consultant Inc.

The new complex will be his and Neman's first residential project, Farkhondehpour said.

Gilmore, who is building condos nearby in the former Hotel El Dorado on Spring Street between 4th and 5th, said the Medallion project would further improve the neighborhood.

"There's nothing worse than walking along a whole block of parking lot," he said.

"A sensitive development that incorporates uses that the neighborhood needs is nothing but good."

sportsfan, you are fast! i just got that article in my email inbox and here you've posted it already! I was just on that block, having dinner at a new restaurant in the neighborhood. I'm glad that my neighborhood is coming along nicely, but the artist rendering for that project just looks so out of place compared to all the other buildings in the vicinity.

Well, if you want to be anal about it, TECHNICALLY, at least 3 of the areas marked under construction aren't CURRENTLY under construction. And if i want to be a real dick about it, the third phase of elleven isn't under construction either.

Ahh, i get it... you're one of those "smart" guys... dude... phase 3 of southgroup is not "planned or proposed" it is under construction. And if you really want to be the real dick about it, its not called the third phase of elleven... elleven is the first phase, luma is the second phase and the third phase isn't named yet!!!

^Vicecity, here's the real status of the South Group, as of 5 minutes ago. I just spoke to their sales center:

Phase 1: Elleven - Under construction (expected completion Apr 06)
Phase 2: Luma - Approved, not under construction. Pre-sales begin at end of July.
Phase 3: Evo - working name, currently at 23 stories, should be publicly announced in a few months.

from a sales center's perspective... it is not technically under construction, but as soon as you order cranes to the construction site... its under construction.

I drove by the site last night. There is one crane on the site, operating on Elleven. Phase two is not under construction. The construction trailers and construction materials for phase 1 are sitting on the footprint where phase two will go.

Also, in the world of for sale condominiums, it is extremely rare or possibly unheard of for construction to start before pre-sales have started. Pre-sales for Luma begin in July. The tower is not, under any definition, under construction. Should be soon, though, if pre-sales go well.

Vicecity, here's a couple of pictures to illustrate my point:

Here's a model shot of Elleven and Luma, with Elleven on the left. This vantage point is from the corner of 11th and Hope.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/2310/southmodelovr23ys.jpg

Here's a construction pic from last Saturday from almost the same vantage point, but on the ground and zoomed in on Elleven a bit. It's hard to tell from this pic because you can't see through the fence, but the area in the foreground, to the right of the picture, is where Luma will go. Currently, no ground has been broken on that half of the block.
http://img259.echo.cx/img259/8923/ellevenovr0604057yi.jpg

The crane that's there is actually positioned where the podium between the two buildings will go. So, when it comes time to build Luma, they'll either swing that crane around and raise it, or move it further south so that they can construct the entire podium area without having to remove the crane.

Hi! I'm a Spanish guy and I've being checking ur threads. Could I ask u for a favour? Could any of u go to "Foro de rascacielos españoles" and pay a visit to "Extremadura y Region de Murcia" and see "Hilo oficial de las torres de Murcia capital"? I live in Murcia, where the construction of skyscrapers is begining now, and would like to know what u think about theses projects. Thanx!

I updated the first page to reflect LA's new projects!

Time to add THREE new towers to the list. A project between Figeruoa, flower, 11th and 12th. The towers will be 40, 25, 17 story's, with 125,000 square feet of retail and it will have a Times Square Feel to it. Ill post the article with the snipet as a new post.

are la live and hilton the same project or different

^Same.

The Hilton is the 50 story hotel/condo. There will also be clubs, a theatre, stores, restraunts, and of course Staples. All of which make up LA Live.

Zen' Tower Could Dominate Historic Core

Kawada Group Plans 50-Story, 300-Condo Structure Near Grand Central Market

by Kathryn Maese

A 50-story residential high-rise, 20 floors higher than the Transamerica Building and nearly as tall as the Wells Fargo Tower, is being planned at the northeast corner of Third and Hill streets.
This parking lot at Third and Hill streets could feature one of the tallest residential towers in Downtown, creating more than 300 condos in a slender high-rise overlooking the Historic Core and the Civic Center. Photo by Gary Leonard.

The Kawada Company of America, which also owns the Kawada Hotel on the northern end of the same block, is in the conceptual design phase for the 302-unit condo tower and 10,000 square feet of retail. If built, it would become a dominant landmark on the Downtown Los Angeles skyline and would further the rush of high-rises expected to be part of the Grand Avenue plan.

The Kawada group will seek city entitlements in the coming months, and has hired Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Design as the architect of the Asian-inspired project dubbed "Zen." Construction is anticipated to last 18 months.

"It is near the historic Broadway core so we certainly will have a style that's compatible, but we will not mimic a historic theme," said John Bowman, a land use attorney for the project. "As it is proposed, it would include a podium level with a taller, slender tower on top of that."

The immediate area around the proposed project has become a mini residential hub wedged between the Civic Center and the Historic Core. Nearby projects that are open or under construction include the Pan American Lofts, Grand Central Square apartments, the 50-unit Douglas Building and the 135-unit Higgins Building. The Victor Clothing Lofts is in the planning stages.

The 26,400-square-foot site of the future development is currently used as a Joe's Parking Lot and neighbors Grand Central Market and the senior housing complex Angelus Plaza. The project is being touted by Kawada as the first new mixed-use high-rise in the district.

Bowman said the podium level would include a ground-floor sports-themed restaurant and lounge, and an upscale mini-market, amenities lacking in an area surrounded largely by office buildings that shut down after 5 p.m. He would not reveal a proposed price for the project.

A 576-space parking garage would rise on seven floors above the podium, and would be topped by a two-story, 50,000-square-foot fitness center and indoor pool. According to the design, the developer is offering a heliport and signage rights on the building for a major advertiser.

In keeping with the Zen theme, each condo will feature a private garden or sunroom. A large roof garden will overlook the Downtown skyline. Pricing has yet to be determined for the units, which will range from 500 square feet to 1,800 square feet. Each of the four penthouses will span 2,300 square feet. High-end Sub-Zero and Wolfe appliances will be standard in every unit.

Bowman said the Kawada Company held a community meeting last month allowing local stakeholders to view the tower's early design and comment on the project.

"We got good feedback from the public and are moving forward with getting entitled," Bowman said. "We had quite a cross section with people in the development community, Angelus Plaza senior complex, people from the city and other agencies. They seemed to be favorably impressed by the project."

For one neighbor, however, the Zen could leave a less than peaceful impression. Urban Pacific Builders' 40-unit Pan American Lofts at 249 S. Broadway - which are scheduled to open early next year - bumps up against the future site, and would essentially lose its skyline views if the tower is built. The developer of the $16 million condo project did not return calls for comment.

Zen would not be the first new housing development to go high-rise. At least a dozen condo towers are in the works or planning stages throughout Downtown, including several in South Park near the Staples Center. Just two blocks away from the proposed Zen site, New York-based Related Companies is planning three condo and apartment towers with a total of 1,000 units along Grand Avenue and Olive Street as part of the $1.8 billion Grand Avenue plan. The latter high-rises would range from 22 to 45 stories.

"Certainly the fact that [Zen] is near those uses is a plus," Bowman said. "I would add that we've got excellent access to transit, the Red Line and it's also in close proximity to the Civic Center, the federal courthouse, and the various cultural attractions."

Though Kawada has other real estate holdings in Japan, this would mark the company's first residential venture in the U.S.

I updated the first page to include the Zen Tower

Downtown Housing Demand Feeds a Bloom in High-Rises
By Cara Mia DiMassa, Times Staff Writer

Downtown Los Angeles — which hasn't seen a skyscraper built since Tom Bradley was mayor and the Raiders were playing at the Coliseum — is in the midst of a growth spurt that promises to significantly alter its skyline in the coming years.

The building boom marks the fourth time since World War II that a spate of construction has altered the downtown landscape. But although previous booms focused on commercial space, this one is different: The vast majority of the new high-rise space is for housing.

ADVERTISEMENT
The phenomenon mirrors patterns in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and Miami, where residential towers are going up at a rapid clip. Architect Santiago Calatrava recently announced plans to construct the nation's tallest building, a 2,000-foot residential and hotel tower called the Fordham Spire, in Chicago.

From 1986 to 1992, almost two-thirds of towers 20 stories or more built in the U.S. were for office use, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, which tracks projects nationwide. But recently, said McGraw-Hill economist Jennifer Coskren, "this has really flipped."

Between 2003 and June 2005, about 84% of new towers were for residential, multifamily use — an indication, said Coskren, of "this investor and consumer appetite for multifamily condo development. Luxury high-rises are what's being demanded."

The return to tall towers will be a marked change for downtown Los Angeles, whose last new skyscraper was the 750-foot, 52-story Two California Plaza, completed in 1992.

At the south end of downtown, two residential towers already under construction near Staples Center will be joined by a 55-story hotel and condominium complex scheduled to break ground later this year.

To the north, near Walt Disney Concert Hall, at least five skyscrapers are slated for construction as part of the Grand Avenue project, including a 40- to 50-story building to be designed by architect Frank Gehry and scheduled for completion in 2009.

The changing skyline should begin to take shape in the next three years, when the first five buildings that have already won city approval are completed. They include a 33-story loft building at 9th and Flower streets.

In all, 32 towers are on the horizon for downtown, though some still need city approval as well as financing.

Twenty are considered skyscrapers because they climb more than 240 feet, or about 20 stories. One of the most talked about is a proposed 50-story Asian-inspired tower at 3rd and Hill streets.

Together, said author and historian D.J. Waldie, they represent "an enormous transformation of the city we know to something unknown."

Most of the new residential spaces that have opened so far have been quickly swept up by buyers and renters.

But there are lingering concerns that the downtown residential market could suffer the same fate as office space did in the early 1990s, when far more new buildings went up than were needed. Rents plummeted, buildings sat vacant — and it took a decade for downtown to recover.

Some also question whether downtown's sometimes narrow streets and limited infrastructure — everything from its lack of parks to its aging sewer system — can accommodate all the new towers and residents who will follow.

Waldie says he thinks city planners are "failing to connect the dots."

"They're allowing a neighborhood texture to arrive where one had been lost for 50 years," said the author of "Where We Are Now: Notes From Los Angeles." "They're putting in even taller high-rises … but down on the ground, where are the resources to make that into a place to live?"

The new construction could also push out the underclass that has long called downtown home.

Orlando Ward of the Midnight Mission said he was optimistic that the influx of residents would ultimately help the area, but he thinks it could be a rough transition.

He's particularly worried that new residents expecting an urban wonderland will instead find social problems like homelessness and crime.

"There are certain streets you can't go down or won't go down," Ward said. "That's bound to cause resentment or potential backlash…. We're most concerned that there isn't a knee-jerk reaction by policymakers to Band-Aid or push the problem out of sight of our affluent neighbors."



Downtown Los Angeles has seen several distinct flurries of tower development since City Hall, at 28 stories, became the city's first high-rise in 1927. It wasn't until the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, that the city began to have true skyscrapers, such as the 68-story building now called the Aon Center, completed in 1974.

During the last major construction boom downtown, from 1988 to 1992, investors poured billions of dollars into the area. Eight million square feet of office space was added —enough to fill Century City.

The city's tallest building, the 1,018-foot structure now called the US Bank Tower, was finished in 1990. But demand for office space dwindled, and companies that had long had a foothold in downtown, including Security Pacific and Bank of America, fell victim to corporate restructuring. Commercial real estate prices dropped nationwide. And even as new buildings went up, downtown property values plunged. Buildings sat vacant. Landlords lost money on their rents.

When the commercial real estate market began to recover in the mid-1990s, tall buildings sprang up in other parts of the city, especially Century City and other Westside areas. But downtown building activity remained dormant — until now. The recent rebound is due in large part to a renewed interest in downtown living that comes amid a hot housing market.

While vacancies for office space downtown remain at 15.9%, higher than the national average, there are waiting lists for many downtown lofts and condos.

The area's population has risen from an estimated 18,652 residents in 1998 to about 24,600 today, according to estimates from the Los Angeles Downtown Business Improvement District. And based on developments in the pipeline or under construction, that number could double in the next decade.

Engineering and seismic considerations often make building skyscrapers a financial gamble, said Bill Witte, president of Related Cos. of California, which is developing 25 acres downtown — including a number of skyscrapers — on behalf of the city and county as part of the Grand Avenue project, as well as two 15-story structures in Little Tokyo.

Buildings more than 240 feet high require different seismic reinforcements, Witte said, and cost dramatically more.

"Even we had to think long and hard about whether to do something at that height," he said. "You have to believe that you can sell or rent for enough to justify that cost."

But as housing prices continue to climb, and buyers swoop up high-rise living spaces like those being created in former downtown office towers, building bigger and taller structures has become less of a financial risk for developers and the financial institutions that back them.

"The most vigorous market for new buildings is residential," said Carol Willis, founder and director of the Skyscraper Museum in New York City. "And that's just because the prices are phenomenally high. It's more profitable, and it reverses the historical trend" that most tall structures should be office buildings, she said.



While 32 buildings between 11 and 55 stories have been proposed downtown, experts question the viability of some of the grander designs.

Still, city officials and developers expect at least half to be completed by the end of the decade, barring a major shift in the economy.

Even in 2010, the 73-story US Bank Tower, formerly known as the Library Tower, would remain the skyline's pinnacle. But gone would be the gap that now exists between the Transamerica building to the south and the stretch of tall towers beginning north of 9th Street.

That area, called South Park and near Staples Center, is the hub of most of the initial construction, where cranes and crews are already turning former parking lots into high-rises.

This district has far more open space than other parts of downtown, so residents and city planners expect it to be more dramatically transformed. It is also where many amenities for downtown residents will open in coming years, including a Ralphs supermarket — set to open late next year — and movie theaters.

To the north, downtown will see the completion of Bunker Hill's decades-long transformation from a slightly seedy residential quarter into a zone full of high-rises.

Because almost all of the new construction will be residential rather than commercial, the look of the towers will be different from the rest of the skyline.

Expect thinner, more angular structures.

Office buildings, said urban planner Doug Suisman, who consulted on the Grand Avenue project, often look like boxy slabs, in part because of the nature of what happens inside. While residential towers require significantly more plumbing, for example, and higher ceilings than office space, they also need less ventilation and fewer elevators.

In places like Vancouver, Canada, where high-rise residential towers have proliferated in recent years, buildings are "less bulky and more pleasing…. They tend to read more as true towers rather than walls," said Suisman, whose firm, Suisman Urban Design, is based in Santa Monica.

In addition, he said, the buildings are staggered in their placement along the street so not all of them hug the sidewalks. This allows views — or slivers of views — from other points in the downtown to be preserved.

"That valuable commodity, the view, is distributed and fairly shared…. You see this pretty clearly when you are there," he said.

It's unclear whether some precious views, often a selling point for pricey condos, will be preserved as downtown's new towers spring to life. With the wall of downtown buildings being extended north and south, it seems certain, however, that the new projects will further obscure City Hall and shorter landmarks like Disney Hall.

Councilman Tom LaBonge, long a fan of City Hall's iconic placement in the landscape, said he felt that the building "will always stand tall."

But, he admitted, "it has already been dwarfed."

"I don't mind," he said, "as long as the postcards show the city from the east to the west, and show off that great big beacon."

any new pics or renderings?

No but just read at SSP that LA Live breaks ground on Sept 15!!!

wher'es SSP?

Skyscraperpage.com. its a sister forum to this with many many more LA forumers and they are all very knowledgable and informative.

Skyscraperpage.com. its a sister forum to this with many many more LA forumers and they are all very knowledgable and informative.

Yeah, I know that. :D

Santa Fe Yards on Track For 400 Apartments

$65 Million Project Would Serve SCI-Arc Students

by Kathryn Maese

A$65 million, 400-unit apartment complex just north of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) could break ground early next summer, pending approval in the coming weeks from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Early designs call for the Santa Fe Yards project to echo the shape of the SCI-Arc building, which occupies a former rail depot. Construction could begin next summer. Rendering courtesy Michael Maltzan Architects.

Developer Nick Patsaouras, president of Polis Builders, said he is in negotiations with the MTA to lease land that currently houses a train storage and maintenance facility on Santa Fe Avenue and Second Street. He would raze the structures to build the mixed-use development.

Patsaouras, a former MTA board member (the authority's Patsaouras Transit Plaza is named for him), is partnering with the Los Angeles-based McGregor Company. The two worked together on the Vermont/Santa Monica Red Line station. Polis Builders specializes in developing mixed-use projects around transit centers.

"The genesis of this development started when SCI-Arc had problems with their parking," said Patsaouras, who last week was appointed to the board of the Department of Water and Power by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "It will be directed towards SCI-Arc students and will help address their parking needs."

Over the last year, the architecture school had been embroiled in a legal tug-of-war with landowner and developer Richard Meruelo over the school building and an adjacent, vacant lot that provided parking for the 500 students and faculty members. Although Meruelo won the suit and owns the plot, plans for the land remain unclear.

Under the terms of the proposed MTA development agreement, the apartment project on the edge of the Arts District is "being constructed to support the preservation or expansion of SCI-Arc," and the school will have preferential access to renting the apartments.

The 2.7-acre site, dubbed the Santa Fe Yards, is bounded roughly by Santa Fe Avenue on the west, the First and Fourth Street bridges on the north and south, and by freight and Metrolink service tracks adjacent to the Los Angeles River on the west.

The complex would include a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and lofts, with rents fetching about $2 a square foot. About 10,000 to 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail could include a cafe and other neighborhood-serving amenities, Patsaouras said. According to MTA documents, that space could swell to 60,000 square feet to accommodate a grocery store. Also planned are 700 parking spaces, 200 of which would replace MTA parking lost as a result of the development.

The developers' rent will start at $525,150 annually, with 4% of the gross retail and commercial rent going to the transit agency for the first eight years. The initial lease term would be 55 years, with two 10-year options to extend.

Early designs by Michael Maltzan Architects reveal a long, raised rectangular structure that mirrors the shape of the architecture school half a block away - it was built in a converted train depot. An underpass opens the project up to the street, encouraging pedestrian activity in the retail plaza.

The MTA is also studying the possibility of building an additional Red Line station at the site. A feasibility study funded by the developer, however, found the area's current population of about 2,000 does not justify a line, though more housing and commercial development in the neighborhood could make a light rail extension possible in the future.

If the Santa Fe Yards development is approved by the MTA board, the transit agency will then negotiate terms of the agreement. The developers must also secure zone changes and entitlements from the city before moving ahead. The district is currently zoned for industrial use.

Patsaouras said it could take nine months before the project breaks ground.

Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.

page 3, 8/22/2005

I know the Observatory isnt in DT but how is that going, when will it open, anyone knows?

Heralding a New Beginning

Historic Newspaper Building and Two New Condo Towers by Thom Mayne to Include Nearly 600 Units

by Kathryn Maese

The storied Herald Examiner Building, shuttered since the Hearst-owned newspaper folded in 1989, is being turned into a residential and retail complex with two towers designed by award-winning architect Thom Mayne.
Devin Pailet, a project manager with Urban Partners, is part of the team that is working with the Hearst Corporation to revamp the 1914 Herald Examiner Building. Photo by Gary Leonard.

Developer Urban Partners, which is working in tandem with property owner the Hearst Corporation, said plans are underway to restore and convert the 1914 landmark on the southwest corner of 11th and Broadway into offices and condominiums. As part of the mixed-use development, two new towers would rise on adjacent land owned by Hearst. A 37-story structure will likely feature 330 for-sale units at 120 W. 12th St., while a 23-story building at 1108 S. Hill St. will include 235 condos.

"Almost every block on 11th Street is in some state of adaptive reuse or new construction," said Dan Rosenfeld, an Urban Partners principal. "Clearly the market is moving in product absorption and location in favor of taking the next steps."

The striking Mission-Revival structure with its yellow and blue tiled domes, imposing tower and dramatic arches has been used almost exclusively for filming in recent years. The Examiner was built by the state's first licensed female architect, Julia Morgan, whose work on the project convinced media baron William Randolph Hearst to commission her to design his San Simeon estate.

Noted preservation architect Brenda Levin, who helped refurbish City Hall, the Wiltern Theater and Grand Central Market, will oversee a painstaking rehab of the building. Rosenfeld said the property has been well kept by the Hearst group, who retained the original maintenance crew following the newspaper's closure.

Ken Bernstein, director of preservation issues at the Los Angeles Conservancy, said Levin's presence bodes well for the project, and also makes for an interesting parallel with Morgan's work.

"[Levin's] an outstanding choice to bring new life to the Herald Examiner," he said. "There's also the symbolism of having one of the premier women in architecture today giving new life to Julia Morgan's creation."

Though Rosenfeld would not detail specifics on the development, city documents reveal that early plans for the historic building itself include 24 residential units, 23,650 square feet of retail space, and 32,670 square feet of offices. Original features such as the ornate street front windows, covered in the 1950s, will be brought back.

Making a Statement


The primary structure spans 100,000 square feet and housed the paper's entire operations, including the printing presses, and two 36,000-square-foot floors, each with 20-foot high ceilings. The second story is covered by a skylight, while the first level contains a large, ornate lobby.

West of the Herald Examiner on the same block, Urban Partners is building a 23-story tower that will include 5,900 square feet of retail and 422 parking spaces. The two buildings would be linked via a 13,500-square-foot courtyard or plaza landscaped with trees. An alley on the south separates the project from the SBC Tower, long known as the Transamerica Tower.

A block to the southeast, the second high-rise will include more than 8,000 square feet of retail and 550 parking slots.

Mayne, who will design the two towers, is head of the Santa Monica firm Morphosis and won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize this year, following the opening of his California Department of Transportation's (Caltrans) District 7 headquarters at First and Main streets. Rosenfeld, whose firm developed Caltrans, said the new project will also make a statement.

"The design will be thought provoking, challenging and confident," he said. "It will be something that plays or appeals to a very discriminating niche in a design-conscious market."

Bernstein, who has seen the renderings and a scale model of the Herald Examiner project and the two new buildings, said Mayne's vision makes a "very strong, bold, new architectural statement."

"The Conservancy, as a historic preservation organization, does not typically engage in new architectural design review," he said. "While we're very supportive of the rehab, we have conveyed back to the project team that we want to reserve the right to comment further on the new project."

Hollywood-based Historic Resources Group has been hired to ensure the new design will not have a negative visual impact on the structure.

Rosenfeld said while the project will have a "21st century quality," it will still fit with Morgan's vision. He noted that the block, along with the SBC building, will showcase decades of design - Morgan's early 20th century vision, William Pereira's mid-century modern edifice for Transamerica, and now Mayne's early 21st century imprint.

Close to Demolition


As the reuse of old offices, hotels and banks into housing has swept up Downtown Los Angeles in recent years, speculation began to swirl around the empty Herald Examiner building. Hearst Corporation received numerous calls from investors interested in buying the property; it selected Urban Partners a few years ago to help develop a plan for the site.

But the building's path wasn't always so clear. Bernstein said there was an effort in the early 1990s to demolish the building. At the time, Downtown and the rest of the country were in the grip of economic recession and the adaptive reuse trend was still years away.

"Hearst Corporation had considered all kinds of options, and one was demolition," he said. "The Conservancy pursued a National Register of Historic Places nomination and it was formally determined eligible. Hearst opposed its listing. The Conservancy is very heartened that they have joined forces with Urban Partners to give it a second chance."

The Los Angeles Examiner, which opened in 1914 and later merged with the Los Angeles Herald, for a time claimed the largest afternoon newspaper circulation in the country. The paper was a dominant news source in Los Angeles for decades, and engaged in a fierce rivalry with the Los Angeles Times. Eventually a number of issues, among them labor strife and competition from evening television news, forced the paper to shut down.

A public meeting and unveiling of the conceptual rendering and model is set for Sept. 8 at the Central Library. An environmental impact report will be completed Sept. 16.

Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.

page 1, 8/29/2005

i just found somthing about a new monument for la called City of Angels monument it proposed and it going to be 335 m tall.

^that is an old proposal from 10 years ago that fell through, thank God because it was hideous!. there is a thread about it here on the forum.

Another 200 Condos Slated for South Park

Meruelo Maddux Properties plans to turn a 30,000-square-foot South Park parcel it acquired in late July into a ground-up residential high-rise, a spokesman for the developer said last week. Plans for the land, at Ninth and Flower streets, call for a 37-story tower with 214 loft-style condominiums and 68,000 square feet of ground floor retail. A groundbreaking is scheduled for next spring. It marks the second high-profile move by Meruelo Maddux Properties in as many months; in July the developers paid $12 million for the Union Bank & Trust Company Building on Eighth and Hill streets and announced plans to turn that 12-story structure into 90 loft-style apartments by early 2007. The firm is run by John Maddux and Richard Meruelo; the latter is a sometime controversial land owner who recently prevailed in a legal tangle with the Southern California Institute of Architecture over ownership of the school's Arts District building.

page 2, 9/5/2005

I went downtown and took this picture, I'm not sure if its Luma or Elleven...

http://people.ucsc.edu/~ehellen/pictures/luma.JPG

^ its neither, Elleven is under construction, up to the 10th or 11th floor and Luma is just rebar right now.

Here is the link to the newest quarterly update by LAdowntownNews.com on 142 projects in DTLA!!


http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2005/09/19/development/estate02.txt

does any of you guys have any Metropolis renderings or drawings

does any of you guys have any Metropolis renderings or drawings?

hello I barely joined in, if you guys want to reply me in an e-mail go to
nwacastroernie@yahoo.com

hi guys! I havent found any Metropolis renderings. Could u post some pics of the buildings?

Yeah we'all waiting for Metropolis and Zen renderings i guess before the end of the year we should see them.

hey RBR, where do you get that stuff, I am really into those knew projects but I dont know where to look for xtra info

I'm talking stuff like new renderings, new plans for skyscrapers, news , etc

Well i know a few places but i hope others can help aswell.

DT News (http://downtownnews.com)
Emporis (http://www.emporis.com/en/)
Planning Report (http://www.planningreport.com)
DCBID (http://www.downtownla.com)

And if your interested in San Diego this one is very good, wish LA had a site like this.

CCDC (http://www.ccdc.com)

www.laloftnews.com

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/img4004sm8ae.jpg

keep up the good work.

Metropolis Approved and a tower added!! 4 towers of 30, 46, 55 and 42!!

CRA Approves 836-Unit Metropolis Project

After 14 years of stops, starts and plan changes, the Community Redevelopment Agency has approved the master plan for the Metropolis project at Ninth and Francisco streets in South Park. The City Centre Development company plans to break ground in June on the 6.3-acre mixed-use complex that will unfold in four phases, the first of which will include a 30-story building with 360 condos and 17,867 square feet of retail. Phase two calls for a 46-story structure with 388 condos and 17,133 square feet of retail. The third phase envisions 88 condos in a 55-story hotel/residential tower with 480 rooms. The final element is a 42-story office tower with 11,000 square feet of retail. A large-scale public art project will also be included. When first proposed in 1991, Metropolis was an all-office and retail development but was sidetracked when the office market stagnated. "I think it's an improved design," said CRA project manager Lillian Burkenheim. "It's much more welcoming. The original project had retail below grade, but now it has an open plaza, outdoor seating and a park." The City Council must approve the final design.

page 2, 10/10/2005

http://four-seasons-hotel-los-angeles.visit-los-angeles.com/Four-Seasons-Hotel-Los-Angeles-Exterior.jpg


Where is this?

never seen that before, im guessing its somewhere near the bech, maybe santa monica?

wow! great projects. that LAPD hq is off the hook!

That's the Four Seasons Hotel in Bev Hills.

OK thanks! :)

Has anybody know about the Two Twers design by Thom Mayne?
Any renders? Please if someone have something, post it here!!

Thanks..

no renders out yet, but soon. ill post them as soon as they are out.

I was reading SSP the other day and the LA Live project has not even started yet; not even a bulldozer in sight. I don't know what the hold up is but construction should of started all this time. Not only they said constuction has not started but there was even pictures of the site where the building was going to be and you know what i saw...nothing just a empty with no sign of construction in that parking lot but they did take the parking lights off so i guess thats a good sign. And you you know whats even worse about it, one of the forumers suposedly said that construction won't actually start untill September 2006! I hope this isn't true does anybody have recent photos of the site?

Tim Leiweiki of AEG said construction will start this month, and since the Hotel issue was settled yesterday, i would think that the hotel would also break ground sooner than september 2006.

I heard the whole thing could take over 15 years to fully reach it's potential
:eek2:

no i think it was 6 - 8.

What's going on in front of CalTrans District 7?

it was suppose to be a grand park, but now the city is hell bent on putting the LAPD headquarters there, which will ruin the area because it will be a fortress, not to mention the fact that they are putting a police parking lot across the street, esentially killing the momentum in the area with all the new housing and ruining a chance to really enhance the area from St Vibianas to the Higgins building up first street and to the Grand ave Project.


go here for info on the park that was suppose to be there and add your name to the list. lacivicpark.org

Well its time, here are some maps to see how things are spreading.

http://people.ucsc.edu/~ehellen/pictures/COMPLETEMAP2.JPG

Red is a completed building
Yellow is a building that is under construction and will be completed
Green is a building thats planned, so it may or may not be built

BONUS!!! Heres a quick map of shit they didn't add to the arts district

http://people.ucsc.edu/~ehellen/pictures/arts2.JPG

NOW THINGS THAT PISS ME OFF:

1. The fact that 2 of the pershing square subway stations have empty lots next to them. Why isn't anyone wanting to put something there?

2. People talking about bringing subway to the beach. Thats ridiculous and expensive. If the expo line can go to the beach, that makes sense. We're going to be lucky if they can even get the subway past western.

3. People saying that los angeles needs to build downtown to create "urban" neighborhood. The city already has them. What they are saying is los angeles needs an "urban" neighborhood that doesn't have as many poor mexicans living there.

NOW THINGS THAT PISS ME OFF:

1. The fact that 2 of the pershing square subway stations have empty lots next to them. Why isn't anyone wanting to put something there?

2. People talking about bringing subway to the beach. Thats ridiculous and expensive. If the expo line can go to the beach, that makes sense. We're going to be lucky if they can even get the subway past western.

3. People saying that los angeles needs to build downtown to create "urban" neighborhood. The city already has them. What they are saying is los angeles needs an "urban" neighborhood that doesn't have as many poor mexicans living there.

Agreed, but its only the start in time there won't be one lot left. Also i think south park will become a middle/upper class place so its all good in the end.

Does anybody know the status of these projects....................................

1. Evo Tower
2. 755 Tower
3. 9th and Figueroa
4. 3 California Plaza
5. Olive Street Tower
6. Hanover Tower
7. LAPD Headquarters
8. Zen Tower

If you've heard something related to the projects listed, use the reply to thread feature to inform us fellow forumers about it.

1. Will start next year.
2. Unknown
3. Dead
4. Dead
5. Unknown
6. Proposed
7. Tearing down the site in front of CalTrans.
8. Proposed..still don't know what it looks like.

You have made my day. What really strucked me was that 9th and Figueroa is dead. It was one of the best buildings proposed for LA, that building and the building at 8th and Figueroa would had made the skyline a po-mo one, which I really like





Go Astrossssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

that 9th and fig proposal was old. there is a new one where a 37 story building is going to get built and across the street, two 27 story towers. i believe hanover will start soon and zen as well. hopefully the LAPD headquarters will not get built there and the park is built instead.

What's that one tower in the Wilshire corridor under construction, but that already toped off?

i think your talking about the californian, or something like that. its 23 stories i believe.

Builders Plan 2 Downtown Condo Towers
# KB Home and Lennar Corp. envision 700 units plus 25,000 square feet of retail space across from Staples Center. Work is to begin in June.

By Annette Haddad, Times Staff Writer

Two of the nation's biggest home builders will announce plans today to develop one of the tallest condominium projects in downtown Los Angeles, underscoring the area's renaissance in urban living and entertainment.

The proposed project — comprising 700 units in two buildings of 40 and 27 stories across South Figueroa Street from Staples Center — will add to downtown's high-end housing boom.

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The high-rises also will further remake the city's skyline, moving it closer to the type of tableau found in such cities as Chicago, New York and Boston, where residential towers are prominent.

The development by KB Home and Lennar Corp. also will add to the residential base supporting L.A. Live, a $1.7-billion tourist-oriented "sports-entertainment" hub featuring a 55-story hotel and convention center, 7,100-seat theater, broadcast facilities, a 14-screen movie theater and nearly a dozen restaurants and clubs.

Anschutz Entertainment Group, developer of Staples Center and L.A. Live, has been selling land in the area with the intent that it be used for upscale housing.

The move by the two major builders, which specialize in suburban homes, is the latest example of a burgeoning movement to develop high-density residential units on previously developed land in cities with a shortage of housing.

That trend — known as urban infill — is reaching a crescendo in downtown Los Angeles, where nearly 8,000 units in 84 buildings have been built since 1999 or are currently in the pipeline.

"If you look at the size of this city … the pure population numbers alone suggest that this market can only grow," said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the Central City Assn. of Los Angeles, a business advocacy group that has been at the forefront of downtown redevelopment efforts.

She hailed today's expected announcement as a major milestone for the area.

Major builders "coming in with such a mammoth project just gives further validity to the market's depth," she said.

Construction of the KB Home-Lennar project, being called Fig Central for its location on Figueroa between 11th and 12th streets, is expected to begin in June, KB Home executives confirmed Tuesday.

At the base of the towers will be 25,000 square feet of retail space to be developed by LNR Property Corp., a real estate investment and management company that was once a part of Miami-based Lennar.

No minimum prices for the units have been set. Last month, 194 units of a new condo high-rise a few blocks from the proposed KB-Lennar project sold out in two days with an average sale price of $650,000.

The project will span four acres and include what KB Chief Executive Bruce Karatz described as an "interactive" design that will open onto the street, similar to older downtown buildings such as Grand Central Market.

At 40 stories, the taller of the two proposed high-rise condo buildings is large by condo standards but falls short of the 72-story U.S. Bank Tower — the city's tallest building — about a mile north of Staples Center.

The shift toward higher-density housing in Los Angeles has proved lucrative for developers and builders, who are finding strong demand particularly among first-time homeowners and "empty nesters" looking to downsize.

The shift also helps national builders continue to expand market share as suburban land becomes more expensive and less plentiful.

Several major builders already have entered the urban market. Miami-based Lennar is slated to build six 20-plus-story residential buildings in downtown Anaheim.

Irvine-based Standard Pacific Corp. is building a loft project near Marina del Rey, and Fort Worth-based D.R. Horton Inc., the biggest home builder in California in terms of units, has a big footprint in San Diego's downtown condo market.

For Westwood-based KB Home, the venture into downtown condo development also is part of a broader corporate plan to maintain its position as one of the nation's top five builders.

Its alliance with Lennar, to be announced today at a housing meeting hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, will be the first effort of a newly created KB Home division that will focus solely on urban projects.

"Clearly, the urban core is an opportunity for many builders for a variety of reasons," said Stan Ross, chairman of USC's Lusk Center for Real Estate. "There's infrastructure there, cities are becoming more accommodating of the zoning approvals needed, and there's really a market need so the demand is extremely strong."

Now that KB Home has made a name for itself as the quintessential suburban home builder, its push into urban developments "is a natural extension," CEO Karatz said.

"There are more and more singles, single parents and baby boomers who are looking for simpler ways of living. They are making up a larger percentage of buyers of new homes," he said.

To be called KB Urban, the new unit will be run by Jeffrey Gault, an architect and longtime local developer and builder who most recently was president of privately held Empire Cos.

Still, urban building will be only a small percentage of KB Home's overall business, Karatz said. KB Home is on tap to build 38,000 homes this year and take in $10 billion in revenue, with projections of $18 billion by 2008.

KB Urban "is a nice complement" to the company's larger suburban business, he said. "You have to think about where the growth is going to come from, and this can be a piece of that growth strategy."

Lennar has moved aggressively lately into land redevelopment. Earlier this year, it won the bidding to build a new-home community at the site formerly occupied by the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, and has already started similar projects on military bases in the Bay Area.

Lennar executives didn't return calls Tuesday seeking comment on Lennar's venture with KB Home.

Details about financing and other terms were not disclosed.

The next two years are going to be very interesting, concerning all the development around the Convention center/Staples center,. With all the projects on the boards for the area, (between, Olive st. and the Harbor fwy.( I,110 ) and the Santa Monica fwy. (I,10) and 8th st.) it should almost buildout that entire section of Downtown, and bring hirise density to the doorstep of the long lonesome, sentinal, the SBC tower.

And add another 27 story, and a 40 story, to the mix, (the 40 story, won't be a slouch, as it should be between 400' and 450' tall.) All told, there are alot of building's going in, and it should prove interesting (in, lets say 5 years) to see what proposals did not make it past the drawing board.

the great thing is that LA Live, Metropolis phase 1, This new project, South Groups three towers plus the new project adjacent to th Lennar project, Hanover, Glass, Hearst Towers, will all be under construction next year!!!! i cant wait till next october or so, its going ot be beautiful with all those cranes.

At least 15 cranes by the year 2008 :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

New pics of the Lennar/KB home towers are up temporarily. If someone has a photo account, you can post it here permanently as I don't know if ViceCityguy, who started the thread, updates the original post anymore.


http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2005/10/31/news/news04.txt

here is the rendering of the Lennar project. the two towers in the background are the south groups new project that will also break ground next summer. it will be two towers of 30+ and i have a feeling it will be closer to 40 or more considering the demand for Elleven, Luma and Evo.

Two More Towers

Mega Builders Join South Park Housing Frenzy

by Kathryn Maese

The forest of residential towers being planned around Staples Center just got denser. Last week two major housing developers announced plans to create as many as 700 units in two high-rises.
Lennar Corp. and KB Home are planning up to 700 units in two towers just east of Staples Center. It's the first Downtown venture for both companies. Rendering courtesy of KB Home.

KB Home and Lennar Corp., among the biggest homebuilders in the nation, said they will partner on a 40-story and a 27-story structure on Figueroa between 11th and 12th streets across from Staples Center. Pending city approvals, the four-acre project could break ground as early as June, said KB Home spokeswoman Caroline Shaw.

"What we're really announcing is the launch of KB Urban, a concept that will help us to develop more high density projects in city centers," Shaw said. "We chose L.A. because it's in our own backyard and it's a vibrant place. We want to contribute to the Downtown revitalization."

The proposed venture, dubbed Fig Central, would add to more than a dozen housing towers in the blocks surrounding the planned L.A. Live project, a $1.5 billion entertainment district helping to fuel the area's comeback with a slate of restaurants, clubs, retail and a 1,100-room Convention Center headquarters hotel.

Last summer, a subsidiary of Lennar, Newhall Land, purchased the property from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the developer of L.A. Live. The site is one of many around Staples Center that has been sold by AEG to housing developers. The district is entitled for up to 2,000 housing units.

South Group developer Tom Cody, who purchased the sister site to the south with plans to develop 648 units in two 30-plus-story towers - he hopes to break ground in the middle of next year - said Fig Central will knit together the entertainment district with the emerging residential community.

"The plans I've seen are spectacular," Cody said. "It's an enormous endeavor and it is very complimentary from the standpoint that we want to see that retail happen. They know how to execute complicated, large-scale projects that have a positive impact on neighborhoods like this. It gives us the confidence that we are in the right place at the right time."

Like many of Downtown's new residential projects, Fig Central could include ground floor retail, in this case up to 250,000 square feet. An artist's rendering depicts a shopping area to be developed by LNR Property Corp. fronting Figueroa Street, along with mammoth billboards and television screens in keeping with the flashy L.A. Live design.

Lennar spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer would not comment on the project's specifics, saying the details of the deal are still being worked out. Lauffer, however, noted that the firm is looking to establish itself in the Downtown market, and recently opened an office in Wells Fargo Tower.

"We are getting involved in the urban market in L.A. and are excited about the great opportunities in Downtown, particularly around Staples Center," she said. "There is strong demand in the marketplace and there is great synergy occurring there."

Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.

page 1, 10/31/2005

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a278/Imyurdada/news04.jpg

The design for the 2 Thom Mayne buildings were posted over at SSP. Here they are. Hopefully LAsportsfan can host the pics?

http://urbanpartnersllc.com/Projects/proj_herold.html

sure

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a278/Imyurdada/proj_herold2.jpg

Thom Mayne is the guy who designed CalTrans right? If that's the case then those two buildings are going to be fortresses. Have you seen CalTrans? It is easily the biggest building I've ever seen?

What's the shape in those things?

New possible 55 story tower to complement BIltmore hotel.

http://www.landaupartnership.com/Works/website%20large%20images/0000-biltmore%20addition-L.jpg

which one is it?

the one in the middle

WOW, imagine who freaken cool Grand Avenue would look with that building.

^ that's not a part of Grand Ave. The Biltmore Tower is already there..just shorter. (See picture...directly in the center)

http://images.bookit.com/MURLAXB/MURLAXB_159522.jpg

^ that's not a part of Grand Ave. The Biltmore Tower is already there..just shorter. (See picture...directly in the center)

http://images.bookit.com/MURLAXB/MURLAXB_159522.jpg

That's what I though at first, but here is what was written at the website:

The original Biltmore tower is a 25-story tower located at the intersection of 5th and Grand in downtown Los Angeles. The bottom floors are parking with retail at the base. The new building will convert the parking to office (2 office floors for 3 parking floors). There will be an additional elevator/stairs, core offset on the south face, and 25 new floors constructed above the existing tower. The new tower will consist of 3 residential units on floors 26 through 40 and one suite per level from floors 41 to 55. At the top will be a two story restaurant and 21 Club.

From the above paragraph the tower that you showed is the 25 story original tower. The 55 story tower is something new. problem is that I have never heard of this project before so I don't know what's up with that.

see

I had a dream that there were a lot of cranes all through Figueroa and between 10th and 13th streets. I wish I was a future teller lol, you get it.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/LSU/lalive.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/LSU/lalive.jpg

have you seen the first page of this thread?

have you seen the first page of this thread?


brain fart

Just got back from DT LA, and its begun! hanover will be under construction soon, as its fenced off and the land has been cleared, LA Live is fully underway, Luma is under cosntruction, Evo is too, the Ralphs project, Woohoo. By next summer, we can add the Venture project, the Metropolis phase one, and by tghe end of 2006, the Grand Ave project begins.

Just got back from DT LA, and its begun! hanover will be under construction soon, as its fenced off and the land has been cleared, LA Live is fully underway, Luma is under cosntruction, Evo is too, the Ralphs project, Woohoo. By next summer, we can add the Venture project, the Metropolis phase one, and by tghe end of 2006, the Grand Ave project begins.

Yeah..I was there Monday night walking around. Ralphs is above ground. As is Luma. I saw the site where Hanover will rise. All that's there now is dirt. And the area is fenced off. Walked down to Staples to the LA Live site..the parkingn lot is nothing but dirt, and there is a couple of large dumpsters and so far one traactor.

Also walked by MetLofts..the leasing office is pretty. I want to see the light show. Speaking of lights, it would be cool if the lights of the Grand Ave Lofts changed color.

And when is that church going to get built?

What building will have a light show? Wasn't there a buiding where they're going to build the Hanover Tower? I recall one old builing that had lit billboards in front of the Hotel Figureoa.

MetLofts will have a light show. And as far as I know, the Hanover site has always been a parking lot.

all righty.

I don't know where this building's thread is but here is Century City's new thing that I took today with my camera phone

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9170/jion9nm.jpg

It's called 2000 Avenue of the Stars. I like the hole in the middle. Did you see the other construction?

sure

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a278/Imyurdada/proj_herold2.jpg

This guy is just too wild, these towers look like smaller sections of a larger spaceship,( note the spacecraft landing pads on the 27, or shorter of the two!!) But the thing is, this kind of architecture will fly in this town, though my tastes are somewhat "tame", i just love these towers.

Why do they build like this?, I like it better when although the buildings were new, they didn't have such expressive facades. For me these buildings are crazy. Why they don't make them like they were? Those buildings don't match the DTLA skyline. They should put them in New York between a cayon of skyscrapers so they would be unseen. 4/10, only good thing is that they're fillinfg up the parking lots.

those are preliminary designs. i read in a article that they have gone through many designs, so this will not be final. i like it when everything isnt a straight box of is bland, buildings like this add character and a focal point.

Do you know how the final desing looks like?

no, its not out yet.

those are preliminary designs. i read in a article that they have gone through many designs, so this will not be final. i like it when everything isnt a straight box of is bland, buildings like this add character and a focal point.

I agree. These buildings are not unlike the FIDM Tower with windows all over the place. I like it.

by the way, any news on FIDM? im not sure of the location or when its suppose to break ground.

Edit:

well, i looked at the first page and found out its on Flower and Olympic, but stillnot sure of the timeline.

My guess would be summer. I hope anyway. =\

I think the FIDM Tower is a neat piece of building.

Есть кто живой?

What is that supose to mean?

hello. i'm need 3D plan/map los Angeles downtown. Where it is possible to find the plan of city. dont know english
rovin@bk.ru

what do you need it for?

For hobby. makets city...

I don't know about 3D, but you can find a lot of LA maps in Google images.

Google? dont known. Там трудно что то найти, есть запреты.

Unfortunately I dont english. I have hobby - breadboard models of cities. Here in Russia it is difficult to get the necessary information what to make an excellent breadboard model. I know, that downtown LA is located on hilly district, it I and would like to learn from 3D models. Исли you have such images, немогли you to show them for me. Yours faithfully.

Try ' search'

How correctly to name for search. On english, I dont. In Google I tried, but it speaks about an interdiction for attracting.

Search LA 3D maps.

Thank you

Did you find any results?

Which that is, but for money. I shall search still..... I think that I shall find

Changing the conversation....can't wait fot the Grand Avenue project to start.

Whew........Me either!

So any good news with Convention Center Hotel yet?

Have not heard anything.

Some good news, the hanover tower has started! they were digging while i was there today.

I've always have had this little thing for the Hanover, too bad that the floors have low celings.

That's 2 cool, so what's the the final design for the tower? I know they made some changes.

night and day

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/hanovernight.jpghttp://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3525/hanovertower8jp.jpg

The final design is better because it has more billboards. It will be a great addition to the Figueroa corridor. Don't you guys think that the Figueroa corrridor is the best financial district street to walk on.

night and day

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/hanovernight.jpghttp://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3525/hanovertower8jp.jpg

Right on, I definitely Dig it. I just hope they do something with the Holiday Inn hotel right next door.

Right on, I definitely Dig it. I just hope they do something with the Holiday Inn hotel right next door.


there are a few concepts being done.....

the holiday inn is actually pretty nice though.

It'll be funny, a 8 story hotel, and across it a 55 story hotel.

How is that 55 story coming along since the money backed out?

Are their any height limits in Century City? Hollywood? Downtown?