Haha L.A. playing as New York City once again...

Downtown Tower Could Be Tallest in Western U.S.

Plans Call for Park Fifth Near Pershing Square To Soar Up to 76 Stories and Create 750 Condos

by Kathryn Maese

On a parking lot just north of Pershing Square, plans are underway to create what could be the tallest structure in the western half of the United States.

Developer David Houk is working on a condominium and hotel project dubbed Park Fifth that he said would be at least 70 stories, and possibly 76 floors, perhaps making it taller than Downtown's 72-story Library Tower - currently the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

The quiet giant of a project, which would turn nearly half a block bounded by Fifth, Olive, Hill and the Subway Terminal Building, into a mega development, has reemerged after more than two decades on the drawing board.

"Most of our approvals are in place and we're doing a new EIR," said Houk, who heads Park Fifth Partners. He added that his financing is also lined up. "Our goal is to start digging in October."

Houk, a former theater owner who last year purchased South Park's Variety Arts Center, said he hopes to open Park Fifth in 2010.

According to documents Houk has filed with the city, a building entitled for up to 76 stories and housing 750 condominiums would front Hill Street. Another 40-story high-rise at Fifth and Olive is earmarked for a five-star hotel. The 234-room facility would take up the first 15 floors of the smaller tower, with the upper levels devoted to luxury condos with hotel service.
*

"We're down to two hotel operators," Houk said. "We're in discussions."

The project would include 14,000 square feet of shops and another 18,000 square feet of restaurants (including a swath of outdoor seating) facing the north end of Pershing Square. Six levels of parking would be built below ground with 1,100 spaces.

Houk, a longtime Downtown player, began assembling the land and securing entitlements in the late 1970s and '80s under his Houk Development Company. Initially he said he purchased the site with the intention of restoring and operating the 1906 Philharmonic Auditorium at Fifth and Olive, which had been abandoned when the orchestra moved to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1964.

Those plans were later scrapped and the structure was torn down in 1985. In the office building boom of the era, Houk sought to create a 700,000-square-foot tower as part of a project called Pershing Square Center. The development was slated to include a hotel and retail.

Just as financing for the project came together, the recession of the early 1990s hit, and the ambitious development was put on hold indefinitely.

Area Upswing


Houk's new vision comes as the surrounding area is experiencing an upswing. The Title Guarantee Building, which takes up a corner of the parcel at 411 W. Fifth St., was sold and is being converted into 74 apartments by Daniel Swartz. It is expected to open this year.

In 2005, developer Forest City Residential West debuted the Metro 417 apartments in the 1925 Subway Terminal Building. A mid-block paseo separating Park Fifth from Metro 417 would provide access between Olive and Hill streets.

Houk, who formerly owned the Pasadena Playhouse, has become more active Downtown in the last year. In December he purchased the Variety Arts Center at 940 S. Figueroa St., a prime piece of real estate that will figure prominently into efforts to create a hub around the L.A. Live entertainment district.

Houk plans to start a year-long restoration of the 1,000-seat theater and produce new plays and musicals. The project is expected to get underway later this year.

On April 30 the Community Redevelopment Agency will hold a public meeting on Park Fifth's environmental impact report, starting what will likely be a six-month process before it comes before the board for approval, according to city officials.

Detailed plans for Park Fifth are expected to be released in the next few weeks. Leo A Daly is the local architect, while New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects is handling the overall design.

"It's designed to take advantage of Pershing Square because right across from the park they've created all the windows and retail to look out at it and pull the look of the park in," said CRA project manager Lillian Burkenheim-Silver. "It's very street friendly and transit oriented with major bus lines adjacent to the property that they will connect the building to with a pretty strong presence."

Houk would not speculate as to whether the project would be Downtown's biggest, especially since the main tower could shrink as low as 70 stories, depending on how the project pencils out.

A handful of ultra high-rises are in various stages of development in Downtown, including the 54-story Convention Center hotel next to Staples Center (scheduled to break ground the week of April 30) and a 50-story structure designed by Frank Gehry as part of the Grand Avenue plan. Also announced, though still in the planning stages, are the 50-story Zen tower at Third and Hill streets, and the 60-story City House project at Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard.

Park Fifth does not have to acquire "air rights" to exceed zoning height limits because Houk has already done so. In the 1980s, Houk was one of the first developers to purchase air rights for a high-density building Downtown as part of the Pershing Square Center plan.

Though Houk would not comment on the cost of the mega development, he said, "We have a very well-funded partner," adding that Afrinam LLC, a joint venture between Namco and Africa-Israel Investment, will provide the financial clout to get Park Fifth off the ground.

Locally, Namco Capital Group recently purchased Downtown's 469-room Los Angeles Marriott for $115 million. Meanwhile, Africa-Israel has recently bolstered its U.S. portfolio, with a $210 million purchase of a Wall Street building slated for redevelopment into condos. The company also plans to develop more than $1 billion of residential, commercial and parking on a collection of parcels it acquired in Miami.

Houk said he is not concerned about the current housing slowdown and how it could affect Park Fifth.

"We're not delivering units until 2010," he said. "We think it will be a different world in 2010."

page 1, 4/23/2007

Hey guys, congratulations, you got beutiful projects.

Los Angeles should have it's own time square filled with screens and large neon lights.

^LA Live.

^^
And then LA Live will pass off as Times Square (right...), giving Hollywood another reason to never film in NYC. haha.

^LA Live will look NOTHING like Times Square.

^^ wouldn't it be nice if it did... they would need to add another group of flashy buildings for that to be true... maybe something will come up in the next decade if LA Live turns out to be very successful.

Personally, I have no desire for LA Live to replicate Times Square. I want to recreate the energy and excitement of Times Square in Downtown, but that's about it.

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/6454/block8200704152gr4.jpg



I like this one:okay:

^ ?

What's to like?

What is gonna replace the federal building??

The new courthouse.

^Wow that's good news! But I thought they couldn't get funding for it. Or at least I thought I read that a while back. Are they gonna start construction right after the demolition is complete?

Completed Projects

Lofts
http://www.cosmolofts.com
http://www.westmorelandlofts.net
http://www.beverlyunionlofts.com
http://www.creativenvironments.net


Retail/Office
http://www.melrosestudios.net
http://www.hayworthstudios.com


In Development
http://www.lacystudiolofts.com

For any leasing inquiries please contact zachary@creativenvironments.net

I like the design for the new Ritz Carlton and JW Marriot. It is also good to see Los Angeles is increasing the density around the Downtown area. :okay: My favorite city in the US.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l313/assrapist/Downtown/More/810spring.jpg

I was shopping in the fashion district and saw this building. It shocked me b/c I am so used to seeing it dirty and it's bright all of a sudden. Its getting a very nice cleansing and the windows are being replaced.

There is a whole lotta shit opening up down there lately, I love it

http://www.coop-himmelblau.at/images/projects/highschool/highschool0.jpg

WTF?????????

--

LA is rocking! (I have his skyline in my mobile :p)

^^That would be the new high school.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l313/assrapist/Downtown/More/810spring.jpg

I was shopping in the fashion district and saw this building. It shocked me b/c I am so used to seeing it dirty and it's bright all of a sudden. Its getting a very nice cleansing and the windows are being replaced.

There is a whole lotta shit opening up down there lately, I love it

Thats good news. Hopefully (and I am very confident) the rest of Downtown L.A. will go the same transformation as some areas did so already.

From SSP:

Glo on Wilshire
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221077.jpg

717 Ninth (9th & Flower)
40 – 50 cement trucks lining up from all directions to pour
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249220914.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221043.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249220987.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249220940.jpg

LA Live
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221222.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221157.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221194.jpg

Elleven/Luma New Sidewalks
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221134.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221112.jpg

New Robek’s Juice Opening on 6th Street
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/13911382/249221097.jpg

Fan-tiddly-astic update, Friday! It's exciting to see 717 Flower getting some concrete. Onward and upward!!


Here are a couple of shots from Little Tokyo earlier this morning:

Block 8

Bird's eye from the top floor of the New Otani. Saturday morning there were two guys in 3 piece suits in the middle of the parking lot flying a remote control plane with a mounted camera. Could they be getting marketing materials ready for a taller tower on that lot???

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/3728/block8200704291uv0.jpg


Linda Lea/ImaginAsian Center

Moving slowly, but moving forward. You can see footings being put in, and some concrete has been poured at the front of the property (just out of frame).

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8757/lindalea200704291sj3.jpg

717 Flower

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/2173/meruelo200705061on6.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/1562/meruelo200705062rx6.jpg


Hanover Tower

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2047/hanover200705062qu6.jpg

Glass inside the balconies

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/30/hanover200705061ri9.jpg


Evo

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1652/evo200705062ng0.jpg

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/5181/evo200705061fa2.jpg


Luma

Putting on the finishing touches. Should be moved to "completed" within the month.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9684/luma200705061vp1.jpg


LAPD Headquarters

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7/lapd200705061vt1.jpg

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/2439/lapd200705062lo6.jpg


LA Live

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8041/lalive200705064hm0.jpg

Looking across Olympic, with the Club Nokia/office building in the foreground on the left.

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/6138/lalive200705065vs5.jpg

ESPN/ESPN Zone building

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9861/lalive200705061on2.jpg

Prepping for cladding already

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/5598/lalive200705062nm3.jpg

Finally the Nokia Theater (please don't mind the horrible stitch job)

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/4339/lalive20070506panowa1.jpg


No movement on the Ritz Carlton hotel tower or Glass Tower. I didn't get a chance to look in the Concerto pit, but I assume there's no movement there as well.

Beautiful. I guess Hanover is on its last floor?

Next time, could you take a few shots of the new sidewalk and retail at Luma? :)

are those hooks or supports comming out of the nokia walls for billboards?

Beautiful. I guess Hanover is on its last floor?

Next time, could you take a few shots of the new sidewalk and retail at Luma? :)
They're framing the floor of 26 right now at Hanover (you can see it partially framed in that picture). Then there's the ceiling and the "hat".

The retail spaces at Luma still need a lot of work, which is why I didn't take any pictures. They still need to install a lot of glass. As soon as it looks more complete, I'll snap some close-ups.

are those hooks or supports comming out of the nokia walls for billboards?
The renders show billboards on the side walls, so hopefully yes.

Hey Colemonkee..I'm going to use your SSP rundown on the front page here. It's much more organized than this version. I'll send you a royalty check in the morning.

I see everything is moving along nicely so far. Can't wait for the next segment of Highrises to break ground in the coming weeks... Way to go L.A.....

Hey Colemonkee..I'm going to use your SSP rundown on the front page here. It's much more organized than this version. I'll send you a royalty check in the morning.
Ha! You're welcome to use it, and no royalty checks needed. You'll just need to update it fairly regularly, but that should be a lot easier than the original buildout.

So here are three new projects we learned about from the quarterly update from the LA Downtown News.

1) 751 S. Spring Street - 32 Stories
2) Witmer Tower - 1027 Wilshire - 40 Stories
3) 11th and Olive - 62 Stories

^1027 Wilshire is actually 51 stories.

I like 51 stories much more, good eye WS!

thats actually a different tower, 1247 Wilshire, this one is new.

thats actually a different tower, 1247 Wilshire, this one is new.
is this in LA downtown ?

yes, in City West.

have u guys checked the accuracy of these lists??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscrapers_in_Los_Angeles

Here's a photo update of the South Park area from yesterday.


Evo

13 floors up so far, 10 to go.

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9228/evo200705271or8.jpg

Cladding on the east side (Grand Ave. side)

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9292/evo200705272un2.jpg


Luma

Putting the finishing touches on. Should be done by the end of June. When move ins start, I'll move this one to "completed" on the front page.

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8618/luma200705273it2.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3227/luma200705272qj3.jpg

The sidewalks are open, but there's still quite a bit of ground level work to finish.

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7640/luma200705271ya4.jpg


Hanover Tower

The roof deck has been poured, so no more floors. The only thing left is the "cap" that I assume will hold some mechanical equipment. From Olympic:

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3705/hanover200705273dt9.jpg

Render view down Fig (with LA Live in the foreground)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5921/hanover200705272uz1.jpg

See the rebar poking up above the roof deck? That's as high as the "cap" will go. You can kind of see they've bent it down.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/357/hanover200705271ne2.jpg


LA Live

Lots of progress here. First the Nokia Theater. All these shots are from various angles along Chick Hearn Ct.

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3513/lalive200705271pf9.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/4350/lalive200705274ej5.jpg

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8559/lalive200705273mp6.jpg

The ESPN Building, from Chick Hearn Ct. This is the side that will face the Nokia Plaza.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/3899/lalive200705272gw8.jpg

The Club Nokia building from Olympic (ESPN in the background).

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9922/lalive200705275ke2.jpg

And finally, the site of the future Ritz Carlton/Marriot hotel. It's a difficult area to photograph, but you can see they're digging further down on the right hand side, as ThreeHundred mentioned earlier last week.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5006/lalive200705276fj0.jpg


717 Flower

Lots of rebar. It's hard to tell, but the core is the mass of rebar on the left side. I think it'll be a few weeks - or even a month - before we see floor plates above ground, but they are moving at a decent pace.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/57/meruelo200705271lg1.jpg


Market Lofts

Work continues on the Ralph's and the retail spaces, with the crane for 717 Flower in the background.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4825/ralphs200705271ng7.jpg


LAPD Headquarters

I wonder when they're going to install a tower crane?

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8683/lapd200705271mf7.jpg


DORKS!!!!!
(I just know she's thinking: "aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?")

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5158/stormtroopers20070527ii0.jpg

Now we're online 4 days and 1 1/2 hours away from the official groundbreaking of the hotel. :banana:
Nice update.

I wonder how Stormtroopers pee?

Is there actual construction on the Ritz at L.A. Live? I looked at the webcams and see no difference.

^ Patience...

^ Listen who's talking.

Anyway...A new project for the Arts District: One Santa Fe.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/257619731.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/257619723.jpg
http://www.angelenic.com/images/div20_JDA.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/257619734.jpg

New renderings of The Glass Tower

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/11jp/dtla/5_30_big.jpg (http://www.kalantarigroup.com/theglasstower/images/5_30_big.jpg)

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/11jp/dtla/5_30_2_big.jpg (http://www.kalantarigroup.com/theglasstower/images/5_30_2_big.pdf)

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/11jp/dtla/5_30_3_big.jpg (http://www.kalantarigroup.com/theglasstower/images/5_30_3_big.pdf)

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30447026.jpg
The design, complete with L-shaped towers, will be considered by the
Board of Supervisors this morning. (Gehry Partners, LLP)

A Definite Frank Gehry Imprint

The new proposal for Grand Avenue’s first phase has the architect’s trademark loose forms. But will infighting drive him off the project?

By Christopher Hawthorne, Times Staff Writer

Since Frank Gehry was hired nearly two years ago to design a massive mixed-use project along Grand Avenue, he has clashed repeatedly and sometimes bitterly with the developer, New York's Related Cos. Barring some sudden rapprochement, it now seems unlikely that Gehry will return for the planned second and third phases of the project. But the plan, which the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider this morning, has turned a significant corner in recent weeks. The latest version suggests it will rise not only as an effective complement to Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall across the street but also as a dramatic architectural presence in its own right.

After bottoming out late last year, when models showed a pair of plain, rectangular office towers largely sealed off from the streets around them, the design has grown richer, more colorful and more reflective of Los Angeles and contemporary culture. The new design includes a pair of L-shaped towers playing energetically against each other — and against the rest of the downtown skyline — and framing a dense, multi-level retail plaza dotted with oak trees and other lush landscaping.

Some of the improvement is the natural result of the design gaining detail as it moves from concept toward groundbreaking this fall. But far more than previous versions, this one displays the loose, exuberant forms for which Gehry is known — and which, presumably, he was brought on to provide. Still, Gehry appears to be loosening his ties to the development. Reversing an earlier demand that his firm fully control the design of the first phase, he has agreed to let Dallas-based HKS Architects produce the final working drawings that will guide construction. His handpicked landscape architect, Laurie Olin, has left the project.

The architectural progress of the first phase, now budgeted at roughly $900 million, is a reminder that some of Gehry's best buildings, including the long-delayed Disney Hall, have been the result not just of sustained give-and-take between architect and client but also of substantial uncertainty. Far from a creative genius producing idiosyncratic forms in isolation, as he is sometimes portrayed, Gehry is an architect who thrives on drama and even brinksmanship. This project, from the beginning, has had no shortage of those elements; where they have been lacking, Gehry has sometimes worked to create them.

Although the budget for the first phase remains tight, it has loosened enough in recent months to allow the architect and his chief collaborator on the project, Craig Webb, a bit of creative wiggle room. The architects have given the taller, 48-story tower, which will contain a Mandarin Oriental Hotel along with a health club and high-end condominiums, more personality than it has shown since the earliest renderings. It is now cloaked in an undulating façade of mirrored glass that at several points pulls away dramatically from a boxy structural shell underneath.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30447028.jpg
The taller tower draws some inspiration from the
two mirrored glass skyscrapers at nearby Califor-
nia Plaza. (Gehry Partners, LLP)

In shaping the tower, Gehry and Webb say they are reaching back in part to the skyscraper designs of Kevin Roche, particularly Roche's U.N. Plaza, finished in 1975 on the east side of Manhattan. But the inspiration is also local. The tower design represents an architectural bridge between Disney Hall and the two mirrored-glass skyscrapers that make up Arthur Erickson's nearby California Plaza. This sense of local connection — an idiosyncratic spin on the idea of architectural context — is precisely what's missing in other Related projects, such as the Time Warner Center in Manhattan. For Gehry, the most effective kind of contextualism is surprising and energetic rather than dutiful — riffing on nearby buildings instead of copying them. That's the approach he's taken here, and it will make the tower — if built in its present form — the most compelling vertical form on the downtown skyline.

The guidelines of the Community Redevelopment Agency, however, include a recommendation against using any kind of reflective glass, which can cause glare. (Gehry ran into problems with glare at Disney Hall.) Yet strange as it might sound, given the banal reputation of the material, losing the mirrored glass would be a significant setback at this stage architecturally. At the same time, the architects have made the smaller, 24-story tower, which will hold a mixture of market-rate and subsidized apartments, more distinct in its own right, adding fixed window boxes to its facades along 1st and Olive streets. The boxes, which Gehry has used in European projects, would help give some character and life to the outside of the tower.

Perhaps the most surprising new element in new models is the decorative pattern that Gehry has added to the tower facades overlooking the plaza — the inside faces of each L. The pattern would take the lush landscaping growing out of the retail pavilions and, as a visual motif, extend it vertically into the sky. It could connect the project not only to the history of murals downtown but also to the nascent revival of ornament in the architecture and design worlds. The pattern, a floral design blown up to skyscraper scale, is something of a placeholder and needs refinement.

The idea of pulling the landscaping up into the air is topped off, literally, in the current design by live oak trees on the roofs of both towers. Though Gehry says he isn't aware of the reference, the gesture recalls the medieval Guinigi Tower, in the Italian town of Lucca, which is also crowned by spreading oak trees. With Olin having left the project, the job of refining those and other landscape elements has fallen to Nancy Goslee Power, who runs a landscape firm in Santa Monica and collaborated a decade ago with Gehry on the renovation of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Related officials insist Power's job will be to flesh out, not recast, Olin's scheme.

At the plaza level, meanwhile, the design has made significant progress. Behind the free-standing retail pavilions along Grand rises a dense multi-level collection of shops and terraces. This effectively creates a kind of urban hillside: a third architectural presence with enough height and size to compete with the towers on either side. At sidewalk level along 1st, 2nd and Olive streets, the models now show a loosely stacked collection of geometric forms. Large, brightly colored concrete panels (where other Related projects might use impressive-looking stone) alternate with expanses of glass and punched-through openings for pedestrians or cars. The retail pavilions themselves, topped with colored-glass sunshades, suggest a dense interplay between closed-off and open-air spaces, between informality and refinement.

It's still not clear which retailers will fill those pavilions. Related has been hoping that an Apple computer store will occupy the most important retail corner, at Grand Avenue and 1st Street. But Related and Gehry say Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, is interested in putting the same kind of sleek cube on that corner that he has used for other high-profile Apple stores. Since Gehry hates that idea, Apple may wind up in another downtown development.

The overall design has yet to solve some of its most stubborn problems. It is not as open in the direction of Broadway — and, in general, to the south and east — as it should be. The façade along Olive Street is still getting the back-of-house treatment. On top of that, the diverse mixture of forms, materials and colors that Gehry is using here as a means of disguising the project's bulk remains something of a gamble. In general, Gehry's most successful recent designs have used a limited, monochromatic material palette — steel panels for Disney Hall, titanium for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain — to temper their energetic forms.

And with the details of the commercial block still consuming so much of Related's energy, planning for the project's 16-acre park, which will run downhill from the Music Center to City Hall, continues to lag. A team headed by Mark Rios, who has quietly taken the lead on the park, is expected to unveil a preliminary design this fall.

There are those in this city who lament that we've pinned too many of our collective hopes on the Grand Avenue development. Certainly it would be a mistake to expect that when it's built it will feel anything like the beating heart of Los Angeles, or, to borrow Eli Broad's phrase, like our Champs-Élysées. But the project has proven to be a fascinating measuring stick for the emerging public-private partnership model of urban development. It has provided a remarkable late-career test for the 78-year-old Gehry, who understands that it will help shape his legacy — particularly as an architect so closely associated with Los Angeles — but who has grown accustomed to generous budgets and deferential clients.

And it would be a mistake to reject outright the idea that a commercial plaza thick with pricey shops can tell us something meaningful about the future of shared space in this city. Los Angeles is familiar with the notion of playing out public life in the private realm: Look at Universal CityWalk, or the Grove. In that sense, compared with those retail projects or the aloof California Plaza, the Grand Avenue project represents at least a tentative step by commercial forces back in the direction of substantial engagement with cities and city-making. Gehry and Related deserve credit for gamely challenging the notion that high-end retail spaces have to embrace either an old-fashioned or a numbingly sleek form of urbanism.

The most important question going forward is how Related officials will judge the architecture of the first phase. They may view it as an encouraging sign of what real architecture can bring to a development, in buzz and urban character as well as in sales. But it's also possible that they'll see their tumultuous experience with Gehry primarily as a cautionary tale — a bullet dodged — and move forward convinced that the risks they have taken so far aren't worth repeating.

I really really like it! So Bold and different, it would fit in perfectly in LA. Im digging all these new project renders, from this to Park Fifth to Glass Tower and LA Live, a lot of exciting projects! Hopefully Metropolis and LA Central are equally nice!

^ totally agree on the design... it fools the eye thinking it's two towers but reality only being one. Such an excellent design...:applause:

I cannot wait until it's done to appreciate more...

Updated the first page.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30449216.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30449155.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30449216.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-06/30449155.jpg

THIS BUILDING IS SEXY!

^^ I wish it was a bit taller tho. It's 48 stories but most 700+ feet buildings in DTLA have at least 53 floors.

^ Something is definitely better than nothing*

^^ I wish it was a bit taller tho. It's 48 stories but most 700+ feet buildings in DTLA have at least 53 floors.

Alot if not all of the 50+ story buildings in downtown LA are offices. Gehry's tower is a combo hotel/residences and will will most likely be between 590-620 feet high..roughly the height of Cal Plaza 1 (the shorter one): http://www.arthurerickson.com/images/buildings/CalPlaza4.jpg

Nice day for a walk...


Evo
14 stories up.

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/7792/evo200706163ti5.jpg

From Grand Ave. It's hard to see, but cladding is starting to wrap around the north side.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/3909/evo200706162xo2.jpg

I really wish this building was taller. The facade is turning out to be very nice (look for the reflection of SBC Center).

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5972/evo200706161mm3.jpg


Luma

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9113/luma200706161sl1.jpg

The New 11th Street.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/26/luma200706162dy1.jpg

The new Hope Street.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5368/luma200706163pz6.jpg


Hanover Tower
Topped out, seen from 11th Street.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1504/hanover20070616wm8.jpg


717 Flower
Got a little lazy with the stitch job, but you get the idea.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5444/meruelo200706161lt3.jpg


LA Live (Ritz Carlton pictures are in the Highrise forum)
Nokia Theater getting glass...

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5166/lalive200706161rg7.jpg

...dirty glass

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1200/lalive200706164mt0.jpg

ESPN/ESPN Zone Building, from Chick Hearn Ct.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/557/lalive200706163vk4.jpg

Club Nokia Building from Olympic

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5246/lalive200706162tl2.jpg


Market Lofts
The Ralph's is really coming along. My guess is late June or early July.

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6533/ralphs200706161db0.jpg

Sidewalk landscaping has been in for a couple of weeks.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3718/ralphs200706162fy9.jpg


The Brockman
Windows finally going in on the backside.

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3426/brockman20070616mj1.jpg


LAPD Headquarters

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7446/lapd20070616dk3.jpg


Mura
The south side facing Zip Fusion and E. 3rd.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2645/mura200706162gs6.jpg

The facade actually doens't look that bad with the masonry work diluting the "stucco effect" somewhat.

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/2811/mura200706161nv1.jpg


San Pedro Apartments - (Block 8)
Just a very big hole for now...

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/7074/block8200706161la0.jpg


Federal Building
Slowly but surely coming down.

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6012/federaldemo20070616aj6.jpg


That's it for now.

From SSP:

Colemonkee, great photos! I covered the other side of downtown today...

Glo - Retail glass and palm trees installed
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/558881477_c7771682c7_b.jpg

Bixel Court
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/558576694_9dd91c8ec8_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/558577010_ad70c39e6b_b.jpg

Emerald Terrace (Recently Completed) - Yuck.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1042/558577558_82e5f53e85_b.jpg

Coronita (Recently Completed)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1396/558881117_89a73a997d_b.jpg

Northwest Gateway
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1207/558578656_90c439bf17_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1177/558579566_08c25ddf9d_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/558883103_8203926594_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1064/558883281_6c68213ce9_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/558580204_95415bf49f_b.jpg

Vista Hermosa Complex
Vista Hermosa Park Site
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/558888709_d881d7d6a7_b.jpg
Park Site, Look towards High School Site
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/558888557_634767c70e_b.jpg
High School
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/558884077_2ec6b60b0e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1281/558586214_f773c8d643_b.jpg

Orsini II - Nearing Completion (this thing is huge)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1300/558585504_b1f61546e5_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/558885495_30b06f9106_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1009/558885323_e950c71238_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1419/558885809_44ac0e5ac7_b.jpg
Eastern portion of the development
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/558585680_712bbe4ba3_b.jpg

Canvas LA (former Broadstone LA) - topped out
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/558884727_4d34c91a1e_b.jpg

LA USD High School #9
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/558584848_b38ee6e9cd_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/558583184_33f40b4c7d_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1367/558582938_ba2662eb1b_b.jpg

Orsini looks like shit.

and just look at all those plywood constructions.
vom.

and just look at all those plywood constructions.
vom.

Um, you're probably not aware that all that plywood is framed by steel.

Orsini looks like shit.

I agree. Orsini belongs in either Pasadena or somewhere in the San Fernando Valley, NOT Downtown L.A.

These are the Southpark Towers project by Meurelo Maddox.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/260809626.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/260809628.jpg

Here's some excerpts:

"We are currently redeveloping the former headquarters of Union Bank, an historic building originally built in 1928, into 92 loft-style units and approximately 11,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The property is located at the corner of Hill and Eighth Streets in downtown Los Angeles. While each of the units will be a separate legal condominium unit and are being renovated to a for-sale standard of quality, our business plan calls for them to be initially leased as rental apartment units."


"Southpark Towers will be a two building complex located on most of a city block between Olive Street and Grand Avenue and 11th and 12th Streets in the Southpark section of downtown Los Angeles. The first building of the complex, with the address of 1150 Grand Avenue, will be the larger of the two buildings and will contain three hundred and seventy four high rise residential units in a forty three story high rise tower. A seven story parking garage will be constructed adjacent to the building, with the top floor of the garage dedicated to tenant amenities such as a swimming pool, a tenant health club, common meeting rooms, concierge service and a common media center. The ground floor of this building will contain approximately 30,000 square feet of retail space. While each of the units will be a separate condominium unit and are being constructed to a high for-sale standard of quality, our business plan calls for them to be initially leased as rental apartment units. 1150 Grand Avenue is in the schematic design stages in advance of receiving a building permit. The second building of the complex, with the address of 336 W. 11th Street is in the conceptual design phase. We anticipate receiving our excavation permit in the third quarter of 2007 and commencing excavation work in the fourth quarter of 2007. Kajima Construction has been selected as the general contractor for this project."

Here's the link to the entire paper with pictures and info about other projects
http://library.corporate-ir.net/libr...objectives.pdf

also, a new render for 717 Flower

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/260809627.jpg

^^ 717 is going to be a nice addition to that intersection...

Quick question: The lower platform levels of the structure are going to be a mall or something?

Um, you're probably not aware that all that plywood is framed by steel.

of course i am. but that doesn't mitigate the fact that 2X4s and plywood constitute the absolute lowest quality construction materials, even when framed by steel. without building codes requiring buildings to stand up to earthquakes, i doubt they would bother with the framing.

just another note too: cut the condescenion. i know this site is full of morons, but why don't you give some people the benefit of the doubt. there are plenty of more respectful ways to say what you said.

and just look at all those plywood constructions.
vom.

What about them? They're crappy but affordable. Downtown LA needs more affordable housing.

Updated the first page.

What about them? They're crappy but affordable. Downtown LA needs more affordable housing.

are they actually designated affordable housing? if so, i find that surprising seeing as they look marketed toward the fanny-pack wearing, retired, midwestern crowd with healthy pensions.

A indepth look at LA Live..

^I'll just post them all here for ease:

I think these were taken on Sunday 6/24/2007.
Source: Go For Locations (http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/index.php?folder=/miscellaneous/lalive/)

http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive02-Retail-HolidayInn.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive03-Nokia-Staples.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive04-Retail-TCW.jpg
Hotel Tower Site:
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive06-Towers.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive10-Towers.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive11-Garage.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive12-Retail.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive18-Retail-HolidayInn.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive19-Retail-HotelFig.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive33-Site-HotelFig.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive34-Site-HotelFig.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive35-Site-HotelFig.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive40-Crane.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive44-Crane-TCW.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive46-Crane-Retail.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive47-Crane-ESPN.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive48-Crane-Towers.jpg
Inside Nokia Theater
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive64-Nokia.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive65-Nokia.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive68-Nokia.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive70-ESPN.jpg
Nokia Theater Rooftop
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive79-NokiaRoof-Site.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive80-NokiaRoof-Site.jpg
http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/pictures/miscellaneous/lalive/stst-LALive89-NokiaRoof-Site.jpg

From SSP:

Artisan on 2nd
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/688137767_fee1694e7d_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1355/688986358_c8af38e202_b.jpg

Mura - Looking a little better than the rendering IMO
Rendering
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/5492/murarenderjd0.jpg
New Photos
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/688144383_82ee870c67_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1295/688139125_32ca5eeaf2_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/689011158_bf593dcd00_b.jpg

San Pedro Apartments
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1112/688999220_96d90e2d2e_b.jpg

LAPD Headquarters
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1094/688992818_aeecbda1c7_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/688995562_711e3cd060_b.jpg

State Building Demolition (Future site of Federal Courthouse)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/688991446_060b435070_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1182/688123035_cce063ff76_b.jpg

^There has been no noticeable movement on 1010 Wilshire for a while. These other pics were taken yesterday:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/677398751_a10c1329e4_b.jpg

1010 Wilshire in the background here
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/678258492_65191da716_b.jpg

Also..some newer renderings of LA Live:
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_01.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_02.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_03.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_04.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_05.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_06.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_07.jpg
http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_08.jpg

in good news, the crane for Concerto is going up. the first 30 feet or so is up!

Finally! Thats great news!

^^Yea I was downtown around 4 am yesterday and walked by Concerto site to see with my own eyes and yes the crane base is up basically measuring from the pit floor to ground level. I wish it was a different color though. lol as fate has it I wanted to get a closer look so I climbed the fire hydrant on the portion of closed sidewalk on the Flower St side of the site in front of The Metropolitan to attempt to get a better view over the fence into the pit using one foot on the side nozzle and placing the other on the top of the hydrant looking I climbed on top and looked into the site for a few moments. As I started to step down back onto the ground I lost my footing and split my jeans from below my crotch almost to my left back pocket, good grief either way good to see progress.;)

^^Yea I was downtown around 4 am yesterday and walked by Concerto site to see with my own eyes and yes the crane base is up basically measuring from the pit floor to ground level. I wish it was a different color though. lol as fate has it I wanted to get a closer look so I climbed the fire hydrant on the portion of closed sidewalk on the Flower St side of the site in front of The Metropolitan to attempt to get a better view over the fence into the pit using one foot on the side nozzle and placing the other on the top of the hydrant looking I climbed on top and looked into the site for a few moments. As I started to step down back onto the ground I lost my footing and split my jeans from below my crotch almost to my left back pocket, good grief either way good to see progress.;)

You did all of this at 4 in the morning?

Well Ray you ain't no Spidey that's for sure. Next time wear a size bigger jeans and bring a camera so you can share the moment*

Here is a new rendering of LA Central.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/11jp/dtla/new_lacentral.jpg

Updated the first page:

Zen - 50 stories residential
http://www.buildingtradesnews.com/images/stories/07news/07-03.jpg

1111 Wilshire - 54 stories residential
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/449/1111wilshiredi8.jpg

The Residences at St. Vibiana - 35 stories residential
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3915/stvibiana072007wt8.jpg

Here is a new rendering of LA Central.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/11jp/dtla/new_lacentral.jpg

cool...where did you get the render? it almost looks as if the building is really set back from the street with huge sidewalks...that'd be awesome! they sure are planning on a very pedestrian friendly neighborhood. i hope.

I just hope that retail will be on all sides of the buildings.

Today was a nice day for a stroll with the camera. Lots of work going on.


Evo
Working on 16, so 7 floors left.

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/278/evo20070721pv7.jpg


Herald Examiner
The old press building is almost gone.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7871/heraldexam20070721pb5.jpg


LA Live
The new Figueroa corridor starting to take shape.

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7725/lalive200707212zc8.jpg

Nokia Theater getting closer to completion. According to their schedule, we only have three more months til it opens.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/9158/lalive200707211xr6.jpg

ESPN Building looking across Chick Hearn Ct. from Staples Center.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/1806/lalive200707213aq3.jpg

Looking across Nokia Plaza, there appears to be a large body of water. Lake Nokia, perhaps?

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3632/lalive200707214mf5.jpg

Club Nokia building from Olympic. They've completed the first floor of the western half of the buiding, so this will look like the renders. Fireproofing has already started on the eastern half.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1738/lalive200707215fj2.jpg

Unfortunately I couldn't get any shots of the Ritz Tower. The only vantage points were teaming with construction crews and heavy machinery, and it really wasn't safe.


Hanover Tower

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/3347/hanover200707211wm6.jpg

Work has started on the "fin".

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/2110/hanover200707212fz1.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/5305/hanover200707213xy4.jpg


Concerto
They poured the foundation for the crane. That's about all the progress I could see.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9149/concerto20070721dq0.jpg


717 Flower
Starting to frame the first floor.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/46/meruelo200707211yo1.jpg

To give an idea of scale.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/8258/meruelo200707212so5.jpg


Mandel Lofts
Mandel Lofts gets a shiny new sign and some chandeliers at the entrance. There are also "For Lease" signs up on the building. Hopefully they get people moving in soon.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3298/mandell20070721an5.jpg


Finally, does anyone know what's up with this project? I found this project board on the east side of Olive, halfway between Olympic and 11th. I thought this was supposed to go in the surface lot at the corner of Olympic and Olive? The board calls for a March 2008 completion, which ain't gonna happen.

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/5185/ywca20070721kr9.jpg

[QUOTE=colemonkee;14382860]Today was a nice day for a stroll with the camera. Lots of work going on.

717 Flower
Starting to frame the first floor.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/46/meruelo200707211yo1.jpg

^^ One's their done with the foundation, the floor start to pile up real quick. Can't wait how this project would look like in 6 months. Hopefully it surpasses the 15 floor by then. Also hoping by then Concerto should be on the single and playing catch up.....

I've never heard of this, and not sure if it is a serious project... anyone have any additional information???

http://www.landaupartnership.com/Works/website%20large%20images/0000-fluggelmanntower-L.jpg

The Flugelmann Tower
Los Angles, California

Located on Bunker Hill at Third and Hope, this mixed use tower consists of a 250 suite hotel, 100 condominium residences and 1,000,000 sf of office space. At the base is an additional 75,000 sf of retail and user amenities.

The tower, at 82 stories, would be the tallest west of Chicago . Its geometry has been conceived to resist all lateral forces. Materials are limestone, metal, and glass. Atrium sky lobbies occur at the 27 th and 54 th floor, and on the 82 nd floor is Flugelmann's Gallery/Bar (you can see China on a clear day!).

UGLY!

...Interesting*

Every building looks ugly with that model, we need to see it with more detail!

Every building looks ugly with that model, we need to see it with more detail!


Absolutely! especially that is metal and glass it would definitely blend in nicely with the rest of the Skyline.....

What's more interesting is that building to the right of the Gas Company Tower and that La Grande Arche-looking thing

What's more interesting is that building to the right of the Gas Company Tower and that La Grande Arche-looking thing

The thing to the right of the GCT was an 80's or 90's proposal for the Biltmore Addition.

poor SSC L.A. way down on the second page...well thanks to DJM19 from SSP for this great find!

Oh, happy days. Lovely renderings from a loyal reader:

"Here are renderings of the LA Central development that is going to the City Planning Commission today.... large mixed-use project...across the street from the Staples Center....860 condo units, 222 hotel rooms (a fancy schmancy boutique hotelier), sit-down and quick serve restaurants galore, several large and small retail spaces (with high hopes for a Mac store) and a supermarket (rhymes with schmole schoods). [ED: WHOLE FOODS!] It also has two paseos to chop up the large block and a big plaza with some cool landscape features along Figueroa. The first person to complain that it isn't pedestrian-oriented can eat it.

Yeah, go eat it complainers! More fabulous picture love after the jump...

LA Central (from Curbed LA):

http://la.curbed.com/2007.07.finalcentral.jpg



http://la.curbed.com/2007.08.central.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/2007.07.central3.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/2007.07.central4.jpg

^^Nice I love it, and welcome it. Many ppl are commenting on it being setback from Figueroa too much but u have to realize the retail base will be around as tall as the ESPN building which is pretty tall for that area so it should give Fig that "wall". I love the 3rd rendering showing all the area except 717 flower, Park tower, 8hope, Hope lofts, Glass Tower, Kurtsman, & South Park Tower, either way What building is that in the 3rd rendering to the right of the 54 story Tower? new development? Also isnt there suppose to be a 60 story tower next to Jardin? & speking of Jardin why is the Figueroa-side Tower sooo squat (downsizing)? if so that will defintely frame the Figueroa stretch. Now only if someone could buy the Car Wash lot, the Holiday Inn & adjacent lots, & the one west of EVO then we will truly see a nice dense South Park, LA Live district.

YOO I love these renderings ssOOOOOOOO much, cant stop looking at them!
the 2nd rendering looks real "new yorkish" to me im glad to see that they are carrying on the residential street theme down Flower

That's happening on the parking lot across from Staples Center where there removing the asphalt, right?

^ Right across from Staples.

Hmmm...I wonder if Staples will get a mild facelift with lights and crap?

I noticed that most of the highrises and skyscrapers in LA (maybe all of them) are flat at the topmost level for their HeliPad. Is it required for the helipad to be always at the topmost level or can they be at the ground or any part of the building?

It was a city ordanace for every highrise in dowtown LA to have a helipad so in case of a earthquake, helicopters can come to rescue them.

US Bank still has the highest helipad in the world. Take THAT Dubai.

^^ lol

a lot of projects going on in L.A

a lot of projects going on in L.A


...... for sure!:yes:

the hanover crane is coming down, just saw it. maybe it will head over to LA Central!

Bunch of new news:

From SSP:

Jan Perry was exceptionally gracious in taking time to shed light on development downtown. Here are a few highlights:

LA Live
-Confirmation that Nokia will indeed open in November.
-At a recent job fair, over 3,500 people applied for on-site positions.

Grand Avenue Project
-Ground breaking for the park is on track to take place in October.
-County was not originally interested in razing the county owned buildings. However, they appear to have had a change of heart. New money has been "located" which would enable construction of new office building on one of the Bunker Hill parking lots.
-The city is still working to resolve the suit brought forth by the owner of Bonaventure Hotel so that the Mandarin Oriental/Phase I can move forward as planned.
-Photos and renderings seen by the public do not do justice to Gehry's vision. The model, is a more concrete representation of clear pedestrian connections to 2nd as well as Olive.

Park 5th
-Money from the developers will be used to pull down the walls surrounding Pershing Square while adding more greenery to an otherwise isolated, underutilized, public space.
-There is indeed a long interest list for the units but the specific number of sign ups has not yet been made public.

South Park
-Most of the for sale lots all the way down to the 10 freeway have been sold to developers.

Taxicabs
-City is working with cab companies to implement point to point service within the downtown area so that residents will not need to rely on cars to go short distances. This should also help facilitate a more pedestrian friendly environment.

Ralphs
-Earnings are well ahead of projections. Expected a soft opening gain of $300,000 but pulled in over $625,000 the first week.
-Service deli alone is pulling in $100,000 a week.
-Wines brought in $75,000 last week
-50% of patrons walk or take public transit to this market.
-Success of the store has made national news and has full attention of Kroger executives back in Ohio.


Thank you for your questions. I hope the information shared helps to answer your inquiries as well as to provide exciting news about downtown Los Angeles.

I was just at the LA Live presentation at Staples Center. They had an open bar, food and raffles as well as a LA Live presentation from the AEG boardroom. The LA Live models were there, I think some of the buildings were outdated.

Some interesting comments by the rep during the presentation:

LA Central (she called it Fig Central) will break ground in 3 weeks.
LA Central is talking to Whole Foods and Gelson's.
Starwood talking to LA Central or second choice the building across from Ritz Carlton.
City of LA has approved Chick Hearn court to be closed except for specified weekday rush hours.
Ritz Carlton has 170 of 224 units reserved.
Ritz Carlton has a some models opening soon in the Petroleum building.
The large LA Live billboards on the exterior corner of Olympic/Fig are not LCD screens.

Some Pics:
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7346/img1168smk1.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3051/img1172sfq8.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6224/img1175smc8.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2844/img1177scu0.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8561/img1184svy4.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8105/img1203sue8.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/913/img1205src7.jpg

Downtown Los Angeles: We are not making skyscrapers. We are making a new downtown.

^I couldn't agree more. Thats the difference between Downtown L.A. and other Downtowns across the country.

Well it's true. Downtown LA is only going to get better.

Biiig concrete pour at Concerto today...

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/7631/concerto200708251ul0.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7295/concerto200708252ow2.jpg

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Wee! Looks like a 2 legged spider.

Saturday, August 25

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The podium, where the pool will eventually live, is finally above ground.

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Saturday, August 25

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Biiig concrete pour at Concerto today...

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^ Let's get the puppy up to speed, too much time has been already wasted. Time to catch up to your neighbor across the street on Flower!!!! :cucumber:

Saturday, August 25

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^ This bad boy has been moving awfully fast and we love it!!!! :banana:

Some more construction pics.

LA Live

Looking west from 11th Street. Despite how short the buildings are, they are starting to have a serious presence. It creates a wall effect along Figueroa.

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The Figueroa side of the Club Nokia building

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Nokia Theater pano from Olympic.

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Hanover Tower

The green monster isn't coming off yet, but they are making visible progress on the crown.

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LAPD Headquarters

New crane on site.

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They started installing more steel beams on Friday.

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Mura

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Artisan on 2nd

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San Pedro Apartments - (Block 8)

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4th and Broadway

A conversion project that's nearing completion.

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Federal Building Demo

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And some random shots around town. New neon Signage at the Packard Lofts.

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The greening of a balcony at Luma. I really like how they did this. I'd like to see more of it, actually.

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I have more shots, but Image Shack is acting up, so I'll upload them when they're upload servers are working more regularly.

Thanks for posting the new pics, colemonkee.

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/2051/lapd200708252xc2.jpg

stupid question, but do you know what that brown building in the center is? visible just to the left of the CalTrans 100 building?

The greening of a balcony at Luma. I really like how they did this. I'd like to see more of it, actually.

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/654/luma20070825plantervl6.jpg
.


.. and people say L.A. is not green enough!

BTW Coleman, Loving the pix!!! Kudos!!!

.. and people say L.A. is not green enough!

BTW Coleman, Loving the pix!!! Kudos!!!

I'd be nice if LA had one or two large central parks.

I'd be nice if LA had one or two large central parks.


^ Two words.... "Pershing Square"!

From SSP:

^Nice. :haha:

Some construction photos of my own to add to Colemonkee's collection today.

LA Live - The ESPN Zone building's facade is coming along!
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LA Central Site - A Morley Construction sign is now present on the construction fence along Figueroa
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Concerto - A view inside the pit during the concrete pour
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^ Thanks for sharing with us 3~0~0!

Even though "Friday" could not show some love here and posting them himself, but who really notices minor stuff like that, right? ;)

A portion of the tower crane for the Ritz has been erected.

(Check camera 2)

http://clarkconstruction.oxblue.com/lalive/

Finally we can get this show on the road. Thanks for the heads up 300! Hopefully by years end we can see a couple of levels off the ground...

On the same note, does anyone know if Chick Hearn Ct will eventually become a pedestrian only zone?

On the same note, does anyone know if Chick Hearn Ct will eventually become a pedestrian only zone?

Yes. :yes:

Lots of activity on the Ritz site.

You can see portions of a crane being brought onsite.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/SolForceJxn/LA_Live-20070906-114130-1.jpg

Same deal at the LAPD Headquarters. These were shot this morning around 8:00 am (forgive the marine layer)

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I'll post these on SSP as soon as their servers go back up.

wow can't wait to see the ritz carlton when it's finished.

Same deal at the LAPD Headquarters. These were shot this morning around 8:00 am (forgive the marine layer)

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/865/lapd200709061hg7.jpg




^ That blue wall is blocking my view...:bash:

I want to able to see the entire construction site (eye candy)!!!

Great pix btw.

I can view the entire site from the top of my parking garage, I just haven't had the time to go up there this week. Those pictures were taken essentially from the front door of my building, as I was walking out to go to work. I'll get pictures of the entire site next week, realistically.

I can view the entire site from the top of my parking garage, I just haven't had the time to go up there this week. Those pictures were taken essentially from the front door of my building, as I was walking out to go to work. I'll get pictures of the entire site next week, realistically.


^ Excellent! Can't wait to check out the pix*

From blogdowntown.com

Prompted by a call for a motion of support, the Arts District BID voted 6-4-2 to approve the One Sante Fe project this afternoon following a brief presentation by developer Bill McGregor of McGregor Company and architect Michael Maltzan. The 400 unit residential complex is one step closer to fulfilling an MTA mandate that it show broad community approval.

Designed to enhance the surrounding community and create a pedestrian friendly complex that will help house students at SCI-Arc, elements of the 65ft high design were reintroduced; the planned green space, an open plaza, additional parking and work/life units combined with residential rentals and sites for future ground floor retail. Also presented were conceptual plans to have provisions for access to the Los Angeles River in the event there is future recreation for the concrete bed between the 1st and 4th St viaducts.

Also confirmed was the street conversion of Santa Fe Ave from a Class II Highway to a modified collector road. The change will alter traffic now heavy with Class 2 vehicles, a concern of community advocate and founding member of LARABA, Drew Lesso. He also noted how none of the planned live/work units are planned as Artists in Residences, and told the BID board that approving the complex "may be the end of the Arts District."

Lesso also noted that SCI-Arc will have its lease with Richard Murello expire in 2015, and there is "no telling of the outcome, and [the project] could become a market rate complex."

The site's zoning will change from Public Use to Commercial II in order to allow residential and commercial retail. One BID board member said the project to be out of scale with the neighborhood, adding that it "seems imposing." The changes to the roadway will drop some existing parking spots, a move that some feel will cause added conflict with the film industry as base camps carve out from the lessened supply.

After the meeting Maltzan and project partner Wil Carson stood on Santa Fe, across from 2nd, on what will be the northern portion that will form a corridor. The scale of the project does approximate the painted white line and top of telephone poles, as was noted in a previous post.

One interesting note during the meeting was from MTA Transportation Manager Robin Blair who clarified that the high complex would buffer noise from the Red Line yard, a consideration previously raised by residents who note the rising din of rail traffic.

The early stages of input during the approval process were expected, according to Maltazan, who stressed after the meeting many concerns will be looked into. "I have a personal investment in the area," he stated on Santa Fe Ave, "I am trying to achieve a project that does understand the future of the area" and as the Arts District is marked for development, it's not an area that, as he said "can hide from those challenges."
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Has anyone heard any radio commercials for a concert at LA Live cause I heard one this morning, which is surprising because it isn't even finished yet

Does anybody know when ssp will be working again?

It'll be at the end of October. I think it'll be the Dixie Chicks and others.

And I hope SSP comes back soon. Can't stand this place.

There was double track ad in the LA times Calendar Section today... among others Anita Baker and Aretha Franklin are schedule to perform at the Nokia theather Nov. 3 and Feb. 14 respectively.

Finally Downtown is becoming a destination for more than just people who are obsessed with skyscrapers. That really signals a new life for DT

[QUOTE=Threehundred;15280012

And I hope SSP comes back soon. Can't stand this place.[/QUOTE]


^ Oh shut up dude, if that was the case you would have left long ago. You know this is like your second home and your sooo hooked and remember we know about your little towel secret...;)

On with the show...

Aretha Franklin!!!! R~E~S~P~E~C~T!!!!

Finally Downtown is becoming a destination for more than just people who are obsessed with skyscrapers. That really signals a new life for DT



^ Absolutely! Downtown is looking real good now in days.

Another step forward for Grand Avenue project

A City Council panel rejects the Bonaventure Hotel's challenge of the $2-billion downtown L.A. effort. :banana:

By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12, 2007

A key committee of the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday rejected an effort by the Westin Bonaventure Hotel to derail a $2- billion mega-project that would bring a luxury hotel and more than 1,300 homes to downtown.

The council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted in favor of tract maps for the Grand Avenue project despite accusations from the Bonaventure's lawyer that the project would violate a downtown redevelopment plan by adding too many housing units.

Bonaventure attorney Christopher Sutton refused to discuss his client's challenge. But in an Aug. 24 letter opposing the project, he said Councilwoman Jan Perry should not have voted on it since she lives less than two blocks from the project site.

"Until and unless all alleged conflicts of interest are eliminated, the city as a whole must not even consider these land use matters," Sutton wrote.

Perry said she reviewed the issue three years ago, asking her attorney to confer with the city attorney's office and determine whether she needed to recuse herself. "They reached the conclusion that there was no conflict," said Perry, who represents much of downtown. "I had no greater benefit from this project than anyone else in the area."

The council approved environmental documents for the Grand Avenue project in February, voting to provide up to $66 million in tax breaks.

Related Cos. had been scheduled to break ground Oct. 1 on the project's first phase, which is east of Walt Disney Concert Hall and will include two skyscrapers housing a Mandarin Oriental Hotel and 500 homes, one-fifth of them designated as affordable.

Because of the pace of the permitting process, construction is now scheduled to begin in December, said Related Cos. spokeswoman Beatrice Hsu.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been trying to strike a deal with Bonaventure owner Peter Zen that would head off a time-consuming legal battle over the project. Zen issued a similar legal threat two years ago when the city offered tax breaks to L.A. Live, another hotel mega-project being built near Staples Center.

In that case, Villaraigosa reached an agreement that allowed Zen to convert some of his hotel rooms into condominiums if vacancy rates reached a certain threshold.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

:ohno: Westin Bonaventure Hotel :ohno: It really disturbs be that people like Peter Zen exist!! He's afraid of some competition so he'll sue to get rid of it!

Even though construction has been dellayed (another!) two months, I'm glad it will eventually start by the end of the year.

Dammit! Two more months..... we are really going to fall behind schedule!

...Peter Zen :bash:

Least it wasn't a year like the last delay.

The Downtown News quarterly update is available again.

Land of the Cranes

The Latest on the 157 Projects Transforming Downtown

by Evan George, Andrew Haas-Roche, Kathryn Maese, Jon Regardie And Anna Scott

Development Map Reality of the Downtown Los Angeles development scene part 1: Several lofty projects have died before they were born, the victims of poor planning, a lack of funding or something else.


Vista Hermosa. Photo by Gary Leonard.
Reality of the Downtown development scene part 2: For seemingly every project that has failed, at least two are moving forward. Just look, well, anywhere in Downtown. From City West to Little Tokyo to the Historic Core to South Park, old buildings are being refurbished and new ones are rising out of the ground. Thousands of construction workers are laboring on scores of projects worth billions of dollars. About a dozen cranes dot the skyline.

It's not just residential, either. While more than 40 condominium projects and about 30 apartment complexes are either under construction, in the planning stage or recently opened, Downtown is also home to 10 major civic developments, such as the LAPD headquarters and the Gold Line Eastside Extension. A dozen prominent business projects are underway or in the pipeline, including major renovations of the Wilshire Grand hotel and the 7+Fig mall. Then there are the cultural and entertainment developments, everything from the rise of L.A. Live to a new wing at the California Science Center.

In all, Los Angeles Downtown News is tracking 157 projects. Each of the following entries includes a grid reference to an updated, full-color Downtown Development map, which appears on page 28. (Some projects are beyond the map's boundary and are denoted by NA.)

NEW PROJECTS
These projects were either announced or garnered public interest in the last four months.



Aikido Center

Construction is underway on an approximately 3,000-square-foot, ground floor rental unit at 1211 N. Main St., next to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, for the Aikido Center of Los Angeles. The martial arts school is currently housed in a temporary space at 929 E. Second St. School officials left their former home at 940 E. Second St., where it operated for 23 years, so the landowner could build a condo project. In exchange for the Aikido Center vacating the space while eight years remained on its lease, former landlord Barn Lofts LLP is paying for most of the construction of the new facility. The school expects to open in its new home by the end of the year. D2



Bridge Tavern

Bridge Tavern, the third Downtown Los Angeles venture by Elizabeth Peterson and Tony Gower (Bordello, Royal Claytons), is set to open in October. Located near the Los Angeles River at 1356 Palmetto St., the medieval-style English beer garden will feature a bit of Masonic inspiration (a fireplace from an old castle) with a Jimi Hendrix rock and roll twist. The massive beer menu will include more than 55 varieties on tap, as well as 60 wines and 40 bottled beers. The kitchen will produce comfort food and international small plates for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There will also be live jazz. F6


Chester Williams Building

The adaptive reuse conversion of the 12-story Chester Williams Building at 215 W. Fifth St. received final city approval in August. Developer Fifth Street Funding, currently transforming the 1924 Arcade Building nearby, plans to build 74 fully finished rental units, which could eventually be sold as condos. Mideb Nominees Inc., which is developing the adjacent Jewelry Trades Building, is overseeing construction on the project. According to a Mideb representative, the building's unusually wide hallways will be preserved and the marble corridors fully restored. Construction is expected to begin in early fall with an opening in late 2008. C6


Good Samaritan Expansion

Good Samaritan Hospital is in the early stage of planning a seven-story, 150,000-square-foot building on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street in City West. Estimated to cost $60 million, the facility will house an imaging center, a pharmacy, surgical suites and physician offices, said Good Samaritan Chief Financial Officer Alan Ino. The building will allow the hospital to increase staff and serve more patients. Architecture firm Ware Malcomb will handle the designs. NA


James M. Wood Apartments

The Single Room Occupancy Housing Corp. has secured funding for a $14 million, 53-unit development to house low-income, mentally ill tenants at 514 S. San Julian St. in Central City East. The non-profit developer expects to break ground in November, said SRO Housing Corp. Director of Planning and Housing Development Joseph Corcoran, and complete the building by March 2009. D6





Japanese Village Plaza Renovation

Japanese Village Plaza was sold by longtime owner Cathy Chang in July to American Commercial Equities, which plans to renovate the Little Tokyo outdoor mall in the next 12 to 18 months. Upgrades, expected to commence within six months, will include new signage, extensive landscaping, improved lighting, refurbishing vacant second-story office space, the addition of outdoor cafes and seating areas on the corner of First Street and Central Avenue, as well as improved lighting and signage in the plaza's parking structure, said architect Mitchell Sawasy. Mark Hong of CB Richard Ellis has been hired to handle leasing in the project that connects First and Second streets. D5


Matsu

In July, apartment developer AvalonBay Communities Inc. announced the purchase of a 1.7-acre property at the southwest corner of Los Angeles and Second streets in Little Tokyo. Construction on a six-story, multi-family apartment complex is expected to begin in early 2008. The project, called Matsu, will include 8,500 square feet of retail space along Los Angeles Street, according to Chris Payne, vice president of development for AvalonBay. The parcel, which is entitled to hold 175 units of housing, is part of the long-planned Block 8 development. Last year, Related Cos. sold two of the four parcels on Block 8 to Kor Group and K. Hovnanian; the latter in turn sold the land to AvalonBay. Although the project is being designed to condominium specifications, the company will rent the units as apartments when they open, Payne said. D5


Union Lofts Restaurant

Restaurateur Los Feliz LLC plans to open an upscale restaurant and lounge in the Union Lofts, a 92-unit rental project at Eighth and Hill streets, in early 2008. Managing Principal John Valencia, who has done several projects in Miami's South Beach and Los Angeles, has signed a 10-year lease to occupy the 11,000-square-foot space in the former Union Bank building being transformed by Meruelo Maddox Properties. A 6,000-square-foot American fare restaurant will open in the former lobby while a 5,000-square-foot lounge is set to unfold in the old vault and safety deposit area. Many of the original design elements will remain, including the ornate ceilings and wall motifs from the 1920s and '30s. C7

RESIDENTIAL FOR SALE


655 Hope

Construction has begun on the $15 million adaptive reuse at 655 S. Hope St. in the Financial District, according to developer SECK Group, LLC. The 17-story building will feature 11 floors of residential space, with 80 live-work condominiums ranging from 600 to 1,268 square feet, including five two-story townhouse-style units with floor-to-ceiling windows and reflective glass. A roof deck entertainment zone with a wet bar will offer city views. The restaurant Qdoba is on the ground level. Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderberg is designing the remodel. Units could be available for occupancy next year. B7


711 N. Broadway

The $22 million conversion of the four-story BC Plaza office building will begin next fall, according to Bridge Residential Advisors' Jim Osterling. The rehabilitation will transform the Chinatown office structure into 53 housing units. The condominiums will range from $300,000 to $600,000. The ground floor would remain retail space with a new façade. C3


717 Ninth

Developer Meruelo Maddux Properties broke ground earlier this year on a 35-story project and is on schedule and on budget, according to spokesman Michael Bustamante. A glass curtain resembling a wall of water will clothe the high-rise. The first few floors have been framed and much of the parking structure has been completed at the two-thirds-of-an-acre site adjacent to the Ralphs supermarket. Plans call for the tower at Ninth and Flower streets to contain 214 units and a 6,800-square-foot ground-floor seafood eatery. Mambo Architecture is designing the $120 million effort. Completion is slated for mid-2009. B8


751 S. Spring St.

A plan for a 32-story tower at 751 S. Spring St. is headed to the Community Redevelopment Agency, confirmed a consultant at Craig Lawson & Co., who represents developer Spring Street Plaza LLC. The project would sit adjacent to the Chapman Building, a new Historic Core condominium complex, and would contain 257 for-sale units and 9,558 square feet of ground-floor retail space. C7


756 S. Spring St.

Construction is well underway on the 12-story edifice once known as the Great Republic Insurance Building, which is being transformed by Spring Main Development LLC. The project's architect, David Gray, said the market-rate, 72-unit condominium project is scheduled to open in early 2009. The average unit will be 800 square feet and will feature high-end flourishes such as glass tile in the bathrooms, hardwood floors and exposed brick walls. A rooftop gym and jacuzzi are also planned. The building is open on three sides - on Spring, Eighth and Main streets - and will allow ample light. A construction cost has not been announced. There will also be retail on the ground floor and parking for residents across the street. D7


808 N. Spring St.

Kor Group, which in 2005 purchased the 150,000-square-foot building at 808 N. Spring St. in Chinatown, has not announced any plans for the property. Kor paid $9.2 million for the structure and filed permits to turn it into as many as 123 lofts. The 10-story edifice is the tallest in Chinatown. C2


808 S. Olive St.

The New York-based Moinian Group, which is also developing the L.A. Central project in South Park, has preliminary plans to build a residential complex and a boutique hotel on the property, but has not solidified any details, said a spokesman for the company. The land currently holds a parking garage. C7


1010 Wilshire

The condominiums at 1010 Wilshire will go on sale this month, according to an official with developer Amir L, LLC. The 16-story adaptive reuse project in a former City West office building will hold 227 units. Killefer Flammang is the principal architect of the $150 million project, although Perkins + Will designed the interior public spaces and Bijan and Associates drew up the exterior skin. Construction is slated to wrap by October and the units will range from 800 to 1,200 square feet. Custom designed furniture is available to be purchased in the residences and they will include flat-screen televisions and LCD panels in the bathrooms. The rooftop features a swimming pool. A7


1027 Wilshire Blvd.

Amidi Real Estate Group and the Central City Development Group have announced plans for a 52-story residential tower at 1027 Wilshire Blvd. in City West. Hamid Behdad, the former city adaptive reuse czar and president of CCDG, said the project would include 402 condominiums. The construction price of the glass and steel tower is estimated at $380 million; the 522,000-square-foot development would hold 890 parking spaces. Project officials hope to break ground in the first quarter of 2008 and expect construction to last 36 to 40 months. A7


1133 S. Hope St.

According to the most recent information available, the project by Vancouver-based Amacon Group is in the planning stage. The developer said groundbreaking for the effort at 1133 S. Hope St. in South Park should happen within a year. Preliminary plans call for a 29-story building on what is now a parking lot across from South Group's Elleven, and a slender 25-story tower above a five-story parking structure with one level underground. The building would have 159 units, 250 parking spaces and 6,700 square feet of retail. An outdoor area with a pool would be on the podium level. Neighbors in the nearby Flower Street Lofts have protested the project, arguing that it would block views and hamper access. B9


2121 Lofts

The transformation of 2121 E. Seventh Place in the Arts District is nearly complete. The renovated compound of historic industrial buildings will boast 78 live-work spaces (59 lofts and 19 townhomes) in a 125,000-square-foot property. Move-ins for the townhomes could come this month, while the lofts will likely not be ready until the end of the year, according to a representative of developer Concerto Development. Architecture firm Killefer Flammang updated the existing units with new kitchens and amenities. The lofts and townhomes range from 750 to 2,100 square feet and include mezzanines, teak and lacquer cabinetry, 18-foot ceilings and industrial loading docks that have been turned into patios. The 28,000-square-foot grounds will include a dog park and an outdoor kitchen and spa. The first phase is on sale now and prices range from approximately $400,000 to $900,000. NA


Barker Block

The first residents began moving into the 297-unit, $75 million Barker Block - which occupies an entire block of 19th-century industrial buildings - in the spring. Other phases of the project will arrive in the future, and developer Kor Group recently announced that the Westside restaurant Urth Café will open an outlet in the project. The Arts District compound bounded by Hewitt, Fourth, Molino and Palmetto streets consists of seven structures made of a variety of materials, including wood, brick and cement. Architecture firm Nakada & Associates added multi-level ceilings in some units, as well as large windows with views of the Downtown skyline or the Los Angeles River. An interior courtyard runs through the block and will feature retail space, a restaurant and a walkway. The sales office is currently open; prices start at $400,000. F6


Barn Lofts

Construction has begun on this adaptive reuse project, said Mark Borman of developer Barn Lofts LLP, which is turning the 39,000-square-foot brick warehouse at 940 E. Second St. into 39 market-rate condominiums. All units in the former Spreckels Brothers sugar beet warehouse will be three-story, loft-style townhomes with two and a half bathrooms, two bedrooms and roof decks. Units will range from approximately 1,300 to 2,600 square feet. Interior parking will run through the center of the project with residences on either side. Construction will be complete by the fourth quarter of 2008, Borman said. F5


Brockman Building

Developer West Millennium Group has completed the $35 million conversion of the 12-story, 1921 Beaux Arts structure at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue. The 80 lofts range from 850 to 2,280 square feet and start at $459,000. There is currently an interest list, and sales will begin after the first of the year. The building, at 530 W. Seventh St., boasts a fitness center, underground parking and security. Units feature high ceilings, exposed brick walls, hardwood flooring, designer appliances, European bathroom and kitchen fixtures and marble and granite countertops. Penthouses include rooftop decks. Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market is slated to open on the ground floor by mid-2008 and will be open from 6 a.m. until late evening. Santa Monica-based Donald Barany Architects designed the project. C7


Chapman Lofts

The Chapman Building, at Eighth Street and Broadway, is scheduled to reopen this month. The $30 million adaptive reuse project is transforming a 13-story, 94-year-old Jewelry District edifice that once housed garment manufacturers. Architect Wade Killefer is designing the restoration that will maintain the original historic hallways lined with marble. The building will also keep its original decorative façade, doors, columns and window trim and create a rooftop garden. The residences range from 600 to 1,300 square feet and prices start around $300,000. C7


City Front Place

Developer Dennis Needleman's plan to build condominiums above a strip mall at 530 E. Washington Blvd., just south of the Fashion District, is on hold, according to his office. The Community Redevelopment Agency approved the plan to erect three side-by-side five-story buildings above the existing structure with 136 one-, two- and three-bedroom units from 880 to 1,800 square feet. The 200,000-square-foot building would also feature a barbecue area, fitness center, pool and an adjacent eight-level parking garage with 444 spots. Yung Kao of Alhambra-based Architech Group is handling the designs. NA


City House And The Olympic

The Titan Organization plans to break ground in the first quarter of 2008 on an 800,000-square-foot complex on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard. The $500 million development would hold two buildings: the 60-story City House, which would have a classic design and include 180 units, and the contemporary, 49-floor Olympic. Residences in both structures, designed by Robertson Partners, would start at 1,200 square feet and $700,000. The towers would rise on a 58,000-square-foot lot that currently houses the former Grand Avenue nightclub - which now holds a music venue called Crash Mansion. The company purchased the property for $30 million. C8


Concerto

The foundation has been poured and construction has resumed on developer Sonny Astani's three-tower project at Figueroa and Ninth streets. The 348-unit first phase of the South Park development, which had stalled as Astani sought funding, will include a 30-story tower and a seven-story loft building, and 27,500 square feet of retail. It is expected to be finished in May 2009. A second 30-story tower will break ground by July 2009. Altogether, the project will create 619 market-rate condominiums ranging from 750 to 2,325 square feet. The buildings will wrap around a courtyard holding a 2,510-square-foot park. B8


E2 Lofts

Crews are ready to begin the conversion of a two-story brick warehouse into condominiums at 941 E. Second St. in the Arts District. Entitlements and designs have been approved, though the project is awaiting financing, according to RTI Properties' Michael Donavan. The $16.5 million development would hold 23 industrial lofts from 831 to 1,620 square feet. Prices would start at $455,000 and go up to $985,000 for 15 top-level lofts with individual private gardens. The 33,654-square-foot building would also feature two retail spaces on the ground floor, a rooftop garden, barbecue area and a fitness center. F5


Eighth And Grand

Designs for a $500 million project proposed for a parking lot at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue should be complete by the end of the year, said a spokesperson for developer Astani Enterprises. The project is at least 18 months from breaking ground; it would feature more than 875 units and 36,000 square feet of retail. It is expected to grow in three phases. C7


El Dorado

Work is moving ahead on developer Downtown Properties' plan to turn a former hotel at 416 S. Spring St. into 65 condominiums. Units in the 12-story building will range from 850 to 1,700 square feet and start at $400,000. Construction started early this year. Each condo will feature at least one balcony, while penthouses will have private rooftop gardens. Built in 1913, the 12-story structure will feature Italian-designed kitchens and bathroom cabinets. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. D6


Fourth And Alameda

Developer Peklar Pilavjian expects to break ground on 52 artist-in-residence lofts at Fourth and Alameda streets in December. The $30 million Arts District project will be housed in a five-story, 67,000-square-foot, 1923 structure that was once home to the Bekins storage company. Condominiums will range from 650 to 2,400 square feet, and the project is expected to open in late 2008, Pilavjian said. There is no timeline on a potential second phase of construction, which would create a ground-up residential building on the side of the lot fronting Alameda. E5


Giannini Building

According to the most recent information available, Metcom Management plans to convert the 12-story Giannini Building at 649 S. Olive St. into 100 to 120 live/work condominiums ranging from studios to two bedrooms. Plans also call for retail on the basement, ground floor and mezzanine levels - possibly to be filled by one big box store - and a rooftop gym and swimming pool. Metcom Management bought the Giannini Building nine years ago. C7


Glass Tower Condominiums

Construction could begin by the end of the year on a 25-story, $60 million ground-up residential tower at 1050 S. Grand Ave. Owner and developer Amir Kalantari said the glass-clad building would hold 128 high-end condominiums from 850 to more than 3,300 square feet. Units would sell for $400,000 to $3 million. Kalantari said the venture would take two years to complete. C8


Hai Wei Terrace

Developer Kim Benjamin is drawing up plans for a project at Figueroa Terrace and College Street. The 102-condominium Hai Wei Terrace will rise on a hill overlooking Chinatown. Ten percent of the units will be reserved as workforce housing for local firefighters, police officers, health care workers and LAUSD employees. Plans also call for an exercise facility and a rooftop deck. The development will cost up to $35 million, Benjamin said. The units will range from around 800 to 1,400 square feet and many will be set up for families. B3


L.A. Lofts

Groundbreaking on a 25-story, 250-unit condominium tower in South Park has been pushed back to early next year, a spokesperson for developer Venice Investments said. The 250,000-square-foot, ground-up project on Hope Street between 11th Street and Olympic Boulevard is designed by Killefer Flammang Architects and would have 10,000 square feet of retail and 400 parking spots. The company previously developed the Packard Lofts. B8


Lucas One

Hi Point Development LLC will break ground by early next year on a seven-story complex at 1135-1147 W. Seventh St. The City West project would have 117 condominiums and 7,500 square feet of commercial space. There will be studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments with dens, as well as a gym, pool and spa. A7


Mill Street Lofts

Developer Linear City is working on a 16-story, ground-up condominium project in the Arts District that it hopes to open in mid-2009. The 113-unit, 132,000-square-foot development at 673 Mateo St. would include a landscaped park with a swimming pool, spa, fire pit, fountains and dog run. Units would range from 550 square feet to 2,400 square feet and each one would include a balcony. The two Mill Street buildings are being designed by Behnisch Architects. Marina Del Rey-based Cunningham Group is the construction architect. Linear City also developed the nearby Biscuit Company Lofts and the Toy Factory Lofts. E5


Mura

Only a handful of the 190 one- to three-bedroom lofts remain, according to Pulte Home Corporation's Marketing Manager Suzanne Finne. The new five-story, ground-up condominium complex at 629 E. Traction Ave. in the Arts District should be ready for move-ins by the end of November, said Finne. Units in the project designed by Togawa Smith Martin Residential range from 662 to 1,500 square feet. The 235,000-square-foot development will include a fitness center, outdoor fireplace, pool and barbecue area, as well as a water feature. E5


Park Fifth

Groundbreaking is slated for first quarter 2008 on what is expected to be the tallest residential structure in the West, on a nearly half-block parcel bounded by Fifth, Olive, Hill and the Subway Terminal Building. Park Fifth will feature a 76-story tower and a 43-story tower, connected by a 15-story residential bridge. In addition, two 14-story mid-rise structures will surround a plaza. The project across from Pershing Square will create 732 condos starting at $500,000. The largest will be a two-story penthouse up to 3,000 square feet with a 1,200-square-foot patio. Capital Partners, Africa Israel and Namco Capital Group, along with development partner Houk Development Company, are in negotiations with a five-star hotel operator to run a 216-room hotel. The split-level sales center opens in October. Leo A Daly is the local architect, while New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects is handling the overall design. C6


Roosevelt Lofts

The Roosevelt Lofts is scheduled to open by the end of the year, and more than half of the 222 units have been reserved, said director of sales April Fissel. Developer Milbank Real Estate Services has released units in the second phase of the $80 million conversion of the 1925 building at Flower and Seventh streets. The structure will boast 24-hour valet parking, a concierge, a rooftop pool with cabanas and a fireplace, gourmet kitchens, a fitness center and a business lounge. Prices start in the mid-$400,000s and go to more than $1 million. Each residence will include a temperature-controlled compartment to store a case of wine. Architecture firm Killefer Flammang is designing the conversion of the 16-story former office building. La Salsa, a sushi restaurant, a coffee shop and an upscale restaurant are slated for the ground floor. B7


Rowan Lofts

Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the adaptive reuse project that is converting the 1912 building at Fifth and Spring streets into 206 live/work units. Roughly half of Downtown Properties' Rowan Lofts have been pre-sold and a grand opening is in the works for the end of 2007, said project manager Bill Stevenson. The 280,000-square-foot, 13-story structure will offer 500- to 1,400-square-foot condos, as well as an exercise room and a lounge. Some units on lower levels will feature private patios or balconies. Residences still available range from $300,000 to more than $800,000. The development team, which includes Killefer Flammang Architects, is restoring the Beaux Art structure's original terra cotta façade and marble-clad lobby, hallways and stairways. Plans also call for landscaping around the perimeter of the building that will include a fountain, barbecue areas and a 10,000-square-foot private park. D6


SB Main

The renovated 12-story, 1920s building containing 190 condominiums will open in approximately six months, said developer Barry Shy. Shy purchased the Historic Core property at 111 W. Seventh St., along with the 800,000-square-foot Spring Street Plaza site at 600 and 650 S. Spring St., for $75 million. The SB Main units will start at $400,000. The project will feature a rooftop pool, spa, gym and ground-floor retail. D7


SB Manhattan

Barry Shy is turning a 122,000-square-foot former office building at 215 W. Sixth St. into 198 condominiums. The project is scheduled to open this month. Units are slated to range from 600 to 1,200 square feet and have metallic lacquer cabinets, granite slab countertops and washers and dryers. The building, originally a bank, will have a rooftop pool and spa, a fitness center, a screening room and a recreation room, along with about 20,000 square feet of retail that has yet to be leased. Units start at $350,000. C7


SB Spring

SB Spring will turn a 200,000-square-foot, 12-story building at 650 S. Spring St. into 190 condominiums, said developer Barry Shy. Formerly part of the Spring Street Plaza site that Shy purchased for $75 million, the development is currently in the application process, though Shy expects construction to be complete in June 2008. The building will feature a rooftop pool and a gym. D7


SB Tower

The 19-story building at 600 S. Spring St. in the Historic Core is scheduled to open in about 18 months with 230 for-sale units, said developer Barry Shy. The adaptive reuse project is on the block bordered by Sixth, Seventh, Spring and Main streets, along with the SB Spring and SB Main structures. The condominium complex will have a rooftop pool and spa. Units will start at $400,000. D7


Shy Barry Tower II

Developer Barry Shy is seeking city approvals to build a 35-story, ground-up structure that would hold 700 live/work condominiums. The building at 601 S. Main St. would rise on what is now a parking lot and would complement several adaptive reuse building transformations he is developing on the same block. Plans call for the tower to hold two tennis courts, a pool and spa. Shy said construction should begin in mid-2008 and take two years. D7


South/Evo

The 23-story Evo is under construction; it is developer South Group's third building in the South project. The $160 million, 720,000-square-foot complex at 12th Street and Grand Avenue is expected to be complete in late summer 2008. The 311 condominiums with studio and one- to three-bedroom floor plans range from 730 to 3,500 square feet and will be priced from the high $500,000s to more than $3 million. The interiors will include modern elements and designer fixtures and the project will boast a sixth floor terrace plaza with a lap pool and outdoor kitchen, and a lounge with a viewing deck, outdoor fireplace and fitness center atop the 23rd floor. Like its sister buildings Luma and Elleven, Evo is expected to earn a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. C9


South Figueroa

Portland-based South Group plans to break ground this year on South Figueroa, formerly known as Jardin. The development includes two luxury condominium towers at 624 W. 12th St. and 1200 S. Figueroa St., and future plans for a third tower at 1241 S. Flower St. South Figueroa's condominiums will include high-end amenities such as hardwood floors, decks and balconies. It will also offer secured parking for residents and ground floor retail. GBD Architects and TVA Architects Inc. will collaborate on the design of the high-rises, which like other South Park projects by South Group will be built to green LEED certification standards. No opening date has been announced. B9


Washington Mutual Building

Developer Kim Benjamin recently submitted an adaptive reuse application to the city to transform the Washington Mutual building at 315 W. Ninth St. into more than 100 condominiums. The project would also create 40,000 square feet of retail, office and restaurant space. Benjamin hopes to receive approval in the next six months and break ground by the end of 2008. C8


Witmer Tower

There is no timeline for a 40-story condominium tower planned for 1247 W. Seventh St. in City West. The project is currently in the entitlement stage, said Amir Seilavi of Hi Point Development LLC. The building would have 33 stories of residential units above seven levels of parking and feature 198 for-sale units, approximately 7,700 square feet of retail, a full gym, a spa and a rooftop running deck. A7


Zen Tower

Designed by Skidmore, Owens & Merrill, the slender, 50-story glass tower is expected to break ground in January 2009, said a spokesperson for developer Kawada Company of America. The Asian-inspired residence will feature 330 soft-loft condos (66 will be workforce housing) and an 8,000-square-foot retail space with an upscale mini-mart and a sports cafe and lounge. Located at the northeast corner of Second and Hill streets, Zen Tower will be among Downtown's tallest high-rises. A 10-story podium level would house 700 parking spots and would be topped by a two-story, 60,000-square-foot fitness center and pool. C5

RESIDENTIAL FOR RENT


308 E. Ninth St.

The once-delayed transformation of a warehouse at Ninth and Santee streets in the Fashion District is proceeding and is expected to be complete by summer 2008, according to architect David Gray. The eight penthouses, all of which are two stories and include a landscaped rooftop garden, will feature large industrial windows, exposed ceilings and raised platform sleeping areas. The five-story building is 73,000 square feet and will house 38 loft apartments. The construction price has not been announced and rents have not been determined. The developer is South Park Group. D8


717 Olympic

Houston-based Hanover Company has topped out on construction of the 26-story tower at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in South Park. Interior construction is now proceeding. The project broke ground in late 2005 and move-ins could begin next spring, said a Hanover representative. RTKL Architects is designing the development that will create 151 one- and two-bedroom market-rate apartments averaging 1,061 square feet as well as two-level penthouses. Amenities will include an Internet cafe, a coffee bar, a rooftop pool and a fitness center. B8


810 S. Spring St.

Developer National City Towers' adaptive reuse of a 12-story former bank building in the Historic Core is slated to finish by first quarter 2008. The 135,000-square-foot project, which has been estimated at $17 million, will include some two-story penthouses with a rooftop deck and a jacuzzi. The 93 units will range from 650 to 1,700 square feet and have cement floors. Santa Monica-based architect David Gray is preserving many of the 1924 edifice's historic attributes, including its elaborate façade and lobby and the first-floor's gold leaf embossed ceiling. The ground-floor retail space, which features a 22-foot-high ceiling and high arched windows, will likely hold a restaurant, said Gray. D7


Alexandria Hotel

Amerland Group is halfway done on a renovation of the Alexandria Hotel at 501 S. Spring St. The San Diego-based developer purchased the residential hotel last year for $30 million and is rehabbing the 463 rental units. The Community Redevelopment Agency gave Amerland $35 million in tax-exempt bonds and a commitment of $11.9 million from the Bunker Hill Trust Fund to preserve at least 130 units for very low-income residents. Amerland is sprucing up the structure and will market the apartments to a diverse range of people working in Downtown, according to Jules Arthur, an Amerland partner. The developer plans to install kitchenettes in each unit and refurbish the hallways and common areas. Crews have finished work on the first three floors and are moving up, while some current tenants reside in temporary rooms. The ground floor bar, Charlie O's, is under new management. The Downtown Comedy Club, which was in Charlie O's, has moved to the ballroom. C6


Artisan on Second

Developer Trammell Crow Residential is proceeding with the 118-unit complex at Second and Hewitt streets in the Arts District. The $47 million development, originally planned as condominiums, should be complete by early 2008, according to Kim Paperin, managing director of the project. However, she said the apartment designation could change again depending on shifts in the housing market. The one- and two-bedroom units in the four-story building designed by Togawa Smith Martin Residential will range from 916 square feet to 1,770 square feet. Amenities will include floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies and a furnished and landscaped sky deck, which will overlook the pool and courtyard. E5


Bixel Court

A five-story townhome and apartment complex has risen on the site of a former parking lot at Fifth and Bixel streets in City West. The $24 million project by Bixel Court, LLP broke ground last year and framing for the entire building is complete. Construction is expected to wrap by April 2008, according to Donna Lai, chief financial officer for the project. Designed by Downtown-based Birba Architects, the 80-unit rental complex will include five townhouses, 14 studio lofts and 61 one- and two-bedroom units. Amenities include a 1,500-square-foot gym with a 50-foot lap pool, and two levels of subterranean parking. Lai said the pool is already constructed. A6


Canvas L.A.

The contemporary 204-unit ground-up luxury apartment complex on a former parking lot in City West is rising quickly, and balconies have begun to appear. Rental units in the five-story structure will range from 500-square-foot studios to 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom residences. Rents will range from $1,800 to $5,000. The project also includes 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Thomas P. Cox is designing the effort that could wrap by November. B5


Coronita Family Apartments

Construction crews are moving forward on a $7.5 million affordable housing complex at 204 Lucas Ave., according to Meta Housing Corporate Marketing Coordinator Nancy A. Morris. The City West development, expected to be complete by November, includes 21 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, ranging from 637 to 1,007 square feet. The four-story building will include subterranean parking, a central laundry room, a resident community room, a barbecue area, a courtyard and limited access gates, said Morris. A5


Coulter And Mandel Buildings

Crews are finished with the residential units in the Coulter and Mandel buildings at 500-518 W. Seventh St., said developer George Peykar. The project is awaiting final inspections. Lofts will range from 950 to 2,500 square feet and five two-bedroom apartments will range from 2,300 to 3,000 square feet; all residences will feature granite countertops, hardwood floors, appliances and other condo-style finishes. There is also one 3,200-square-foot penthouse. Peykar expects move-ins to the 128,000-square-foot building, which he purchased in 2003 for $8 million, by October, though he said he is still determining rental rates. Street-level retail space at Seventh and Olive streets will include a 7-Eleven, a food court and an upscale restaurant. C7


Jewelry Trades Building

Transformation of the Jewelry Trades Building at Fifth and Hill streets into 65 loft apartments is more than half complete, according to developer Mideb Nominees Inc. Crews are now finishing the electrical and plumbing work for the residential conversion, said the company's Greg Martin. The nine-story, 1913 property next to the Alexandria Hotel will boast one- and two-bedroom units and rent for more than $2 a square foot. The terra cotta-colored exterior and Renaissance-influenced façade are also being restored. Originally, a first-floor corridor with walls of marble and glass opened to storefronts while high-end retailers took up levels three through nine. Christopher Compton Architects is overseeing the renovation, which is expected to finish by the end of the year. A Rite-Aid opened on the ground floor in April. C6


Judson C. Rives Building

Flatiron Development is working on an $11 million renovation of a 10-story former theater and office building at 424 S. Broadway. Work will wrap in October, according to architect and developer David Gray; he said crews are hanging drywall and finishing the historic restoration of the lobby, maintaining its mix of marble and metal vaulted ceilings. The 60-unit adaptive reuse project employs historic tax credits. The 74,000-square-foot development will include a refurbished glass canopy, landscaped rooftop gardens and a jacuzzi. Plans also call for new balconies overlooking Broadway and the building's courtyard. The project has 60 parking spaces and rents will be $1,100 to $3,400. C6


JW Apartments

The 61-unit affordable housing project at 1328 and 1405 James M. Wood Blvd. is slated to open by December and owner 1010 Development is accepting applications, said a company representative. The $20.5 million City West project encompasses two towers on either side of the street. The north tower is roughly 80% complete and the south building is 50% done. The 58,000-square-foot JW Apartments will incorporate 40 two-bedroom units averaging 800 square feet and 21 three-bedroom units averaging 1,259 square feet. The complex will include 1,340 square feet of office and social service space, a 1,740-square-foot community room and a 3,000-square-foot childcare center for more than 30 preschool students. Pasadena-based Ken Kurose Architects is handling the design, with Ruiz Brothers overseeing construction. NA


Metropolitan Building

Completion of the adaptive reuse project at 315 W. Fifth St. has been pushed to fall 2008, according to the project's architect, El Segundo-based Rockefeller Partners Architects. South Broadway, LLC is converting the 10-story Metropolitan Building into 84 live-work apartments. The Beaux Arts-style structure will have residences on floors three through nine. Apartments in the 163,000-square-foot edifice will range from approximately 650 to 1,500 square feet. Three penthouses will range from 1,200 to 2,300 square feet. The ground floor will remain a Fallas Paredes department store though the storefront will be modernized. C6


Northwest Gateway

A $70 million, mixed-income housing complex is rising on a former train yard at Second Street and Glendale Boulevard. Development company Essex is the lead in the project, while Meta Housing is a partner in the deal. Meta Corporate Marketing Coordinator Nancy A. Morris said the five-story building will include 277 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments between 527 and 1,820 square feet. The project will include 57 affordable units and will house a computer lab, pool, spa, dog park, fitness center and two levels of underground parking. The property contains the Belmont Tunnel, which runs beneath Bunker Hill, and was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument by the Cultural Heritage Commission. Completion is expected in early 2008. A5


Orsini II

The 566-unit luxury apartment complex at 550 N. Figueroa St. is partially open with move-ins underway, even as construction continues on one of the wings. About 60 tenants have taken up residence and another 30 have signed leases, according to a representative of developer G.H. Palmer Associates. The ground-up project is the second phase of the three-part Orsini development. It includes a swimming pool, sun deck, spa, gymnasium and a basketball court. A pedestrian bridge over Figueroa Street, which connects it to Orsini I, was raised earlier this year. Rents for studio apartments start at $1,250 while two-bedroom units go for $1,725. B4


Orsini III

Plans to convert the northeast corner of Figueroa Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue into an eight-story complex of 210 luxury apartments were shot down by the Community Redevelopment Agency in August. However, developer G.H. Palmer Associates still expects to proceed with this third installment of the Orsini. According to a company representative, the project could again go before the CRA for approval by November and construction could begin immediately if approved. The site includes the popular Original Texas Barbecue King stand, whose owner is in talks to relocate to the ground floor of Orsini II. B3


Piero II

Plans have not changed for developer G.H. Palmer Associates' 340-unit apartment complex on Sixth between Bixel and St. Paul streets in City West. Construction on the project is slated to begin in the fall, said a Palmer representative. A pedestrian bridge over St. Paul will connect a rooftop swimming pool deck to the already open Piero complex. Piero II was scaled down from its original design for 600 luxury units. Last year the city ruled that the project must include an affordable housing element; the matter is the source of ongoing litigation. A7


Rosslyn Lofts

San Diego-based developer Amerland Group is set to close escrow soon on the building at 111 W. Fifth St., formerly known as the Frontier Hotel. The for-profit developer of affordable housing plans to renovate the structure and recently received $8 million from the Community Redevelopment Agency to maintain affordable rents at the residential hotel. The former owners, Rob and Joseph Frontiera, had begun converting the building into upscale apartments on a floor-by-floor basis, but the conversion was halted in December by the CRA. Under the new agreement, floors 10 through 12 can remain luxury apartments, but levels three through nine will be regulated as low and moderate-income housing. Renovations could start as soon as this fall, depending on funding, and finish within a year, the developer recently said. D6


San Pedro Apartments

Related Cos. is pouring the foundation for its San Pedro Apartments, a six-story, 230-unit luxury apartment building on Second and San Pedro streets. The development broke ground in April and is slated to open in spring 2009. Thomas P. Cox Architects is designing the project. Related's Rick Westberg said the development will feature a street-level promenade, two-way street and landscaped pedestrian pathways as well as two rooftop decks, a clubhouse, a fitness center, pool deck and business lounge. Most of the units will be market rate, although 20% will be reserved for affordable housing, Westberg said. The building is the first phase of a Little Tokyo site known as Block 8 that will be developed into four separate projects, two of which Related sold to other developers. D5


Sixth Street Lofts

Long project delays due to a contractor switch on the adaptive reuse project in the Arts District ended earlier this month, said developer Howard Klein. Work by Gluck Construction is now underway on the conversion of a row of brick-clad warehouses at 1291-1333 E. Sixth St. into 63 live-work units and at least two retail spaces. The project will be comprised of apartments ranging from 600 to 1,800 square feet, along with multiple courtyards and open green space. The building is being designed by Seattle-based Tony Bell Architecture. Move-ins are slated for spring 2008. Klein, who owns the nearby Factory Place Lofts, is currently in the entitlement stage for an additional 42 lofts at Factory Place. F6


Title Guarantee Building

The 74 loft-style rental units are available for leasing, and occupancy in the $35 million renovation is slated for this month, said developer Daniel Swartz, who in 1983 purchased the 12-story building, once home to the Spanish language daily newspaper La Opinión. Swartz said units will range from 800 to 4,000 square feet and will feature 10- to 14-foot exposed concrete ceilings. The one- to four-story apartments will rent for $2,000 to $12,000 a month. Architecture firm Killefer Flammang designed the project; the 1930 building was originally designed by John and David Parkinson. The new Park Fifth complex will rise immediately west of the historic building. C6


Union Lofts

Meruelo Maddux Properties has nearly finished a $17 million conversion at 760 S. Hill St. in the Jewelry District. The building should be ready for move-ins by winter, said company spokesman Michael Bustamante. Designed by Santa Monica-based Killefer Flammang Architects, the project is updating the brick and terra cotta structure - once the headquarters of the Union Bank and Trust Company - creating 92 loft-style apartments from 700 to 1,900 square feet. Retail space is planned for the ground floor and restaurateur Los Feliz LLC has inked a deal to open an 11,000-square-foot upscale restaurant and lounge in the building. Meruelo Maddux acquired the 12-story edifice for $12 million from Heisman Co. C7


Union Point

Crews broke ground early this year on an $8 million, 21-unit affordable housing complex at 420 Union Drive, between Fourth and Sixth streets in City West. West Los Angeles-based Meta Housing is developing the three-story, ground-up structure of two- and three-bedroom units between 800 and 1,050 square feet, said the company's Nancy A. Morris. The site will also include a courtyard, laundry room, a community room and a barbecue/picnic area. Morris said construction is slated to wrap in October. NA


Yale Terrace

The 55-unit affordable housing complex Yale Terrace, being built by Advanced Development and Investment in coordination with the Community Redevelopment Agency, is 75% complete, according to a CRA spokeswoman. The Chinatown project on Yale between Alpine and Ord streets features mostly family housing, including 18 three-bedroom units and 37 four-bedroom residences. The complex, which will include 10,000 square feet of space for social service, educational and after-school programs, will be complete by November. C3

MIXED USE


Blossom Plaza

Developer Bond Companies aims to transform the site of the former Little Joe's restaurant at 900 N. Broadway in Chinatown into a mixed-use project called Blossom Plaza, which will connect the Chinatown Metro Gold Line station to Broadway. In January the Community Redevelopment Agency approved preliminary plans and $15 million in funding for the project. The $146 million development will hold two residential towers, designed by Nakada & Associates, with 169 condominiums, 43,000 square feet of retail space and a 344-car garage; roughly half of that will be available for public, paid parking. The development will also include an 18,000-square-foot plaza for cultural events. The project, which is in the final design phase, still needs approvals from the city, and construction is expected to last 30 months, according to the CRA. C2


Capitol Milling Building

Developer Steve Riboli said earlier this year that plans are complete for the mixed-use project at the Capitol Milling Co. building, a former grain mill and silo at 1231 N. Spring St. However, no date has been set for groundbreaking. The development is expected to include a 60,000-square-foot structure with 40 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail. A public space would link the project to the nearby Blossom Plaza. John Deenihan, a principal with Downtown-based Rothenberg Sawasy Architects, will handle designs. The Capitol Milling Building would become the southern anchor of the Riverview Project at the Cornfield, a four-phase development on a triangular piece of land stretching from College Street to the Los Angeles River. Overall, the project would include up to 300 residential units. The Riboli family also owns the San Antonio Winery north of Chinatown. C2


Chinatown Gateway

Plans for the 321,000-square-foot Chinatown Gateway at Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue are being finalized for building permits. The project was approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency in April and construction could begin in the first quarter of next year. The proposed five-story, mixed-use effort comes from Chinatown Gateway LLC, comprised of partners J.B. Allen Realty Inc., Delia LLC and Equity Residential. Plans call for 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and 20,000 square feet of retail. Thomas P. Cox Architects is handling the designs. The project at the southern edge of Chinatown would include 588 parking spaces, most of them below ground, as well as 30,000 square feet of recreational outdoor space, a pool and a landscaped plaza along North Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. C3


Grand Avenue Plan

Developer Related Cos. expects to break ground on the $2 billion project by the end of the year, later than a previously announced target of October. The project will run along the top of Bunker Hill and ultimately create 2,600 housing units; 449,000 square feet of retail; and a 50-story high-rise and 25-story tower, both designed by Frank Gehry. The development would also include a five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel, a high-end grocery store and a health club. A complete schematic design for a 16-acre park to span from the Music Center to City Hall is expected by the end of this year, and construction will begin next year, according to a Related Cos. spokesman. Related will reserve 20% of the residential units for affordable housing, and 30% of the construction jobs have been promised to local workers. The city approved waiving future hotel bed taxes; city officials have said this could equal more than $60 million over the life of the project. B5


Herald Examiner Building

The mixed-use project at the former home of the Herald Examiner newspaper at 11th Street and Broadway in South Park is still in the approvals stage. Developer Hearst Corp. expects to bring the deal before the City Council in November, said Marty Cepkauskas, director of real estate for Hearst Corp. Plans call for 40,000 square feet of office space, 20,000 square feet of retail and a 10,000-square-foot health club in the lot's historic, Julia Morgan-designed Broadway building. The project would also include two housing towers: a 24-story, 268-unit structure on the former press building site on Hill Street, which has been razed; and a 37-story, 319-unit high-rise at 120 W. 12th St. Architect Brenda Levin is overseeing the rehab of the historic building, while Thom Mayne's Morphosis will design the new towers. C9


L.A. Central

The L.A. Live adjacent mega-development by New York-based Moinian Group, once termed Figueroa Central, has been re-tagged L.A. Central. Current plans call for a 54-story and a 40-story tower. The condominium complex, which still requires City Council approval, would include approximately 860 lofts, townhomes and penthouses. The development is priced at more than $700 million, according to Oskar Brecher, a Moinian representative. He said the project at Figueroa and 11th streets would also feature 223,000 square feet of retail space, including a high-end grocery store, restaurants and a health club, as well as a boutique hotel boasting 222 rooms. Rather than include on-site affordable housing, Moinian is setting aside funds for as many as 172 units of low-income housing elsewhere, Brecher said. B9


Medallion

Ground was broken this summer on the $125 million complex on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets. The project should be finished by early 2009, said developer Saeed Farkhondepour. The development will include 200 rental units that average 800 square feet, plus 750 parking spaces and ground-floor retail. Farkhondepour said retail on Los Angeles Street will blend with the Toy District-style stores in the area, while the Main Street side of the project will feature shops and restaurants. M2A Architects is handling the designs. D6


Metropolis

Located one block north of L.A. Live on a site bounded by the 110 freeway, James M. Wood Boulevard and Eighth and Francisco streets in South Park, the approximately $1 billion project has been in the works for more than a decade. Los Angeles-based IDS bought the Metropolis project in 2005. The CRA has approved the effort and the developer expects to break ground by the first quarter of 2008. The first phase of the project will be on a 1.83-acre site and include 360 condominiums in a 33-story tower. The second phase will create a 42-story tower with 388 condominiums. The third phase would add a 480-room hotel along with 88 residential units, and the final phase would produce a 32-story office tower. No timing has been announced for the final three phases. Metropolis will include 46,000 square feet of retail, to be spaced out between all four phases, and a five-level above-grade parking structure. Gruen Associates and Arquitectonica are working on the design plans. B8


Pacific Stock Exchange

Plans for a massive, 870,100-square-foot development around the Pacific Stock Exchange building on Beaudry Avenue are being reworked, according to developer Delson Investment Co. The adaptive reuse project was expected to create 685 condominiums atop more than 50,000 square feet of retail with three separate structures built in three phases. That plan called for an 18-story addition of 729,000 square feet to the existing Stock Exchange building at Third Street and Beaudry Avenue. Nadel Architects is still involved, but Delson has yet to finalize the new plan. A5


Santee Village

The final phase of developer MJW Investments' Santee Village, a 780,000-square-foot, nine-building project on the block between Los Angeles, Maple, Seventh and Eighth streets, is currently for sale. The Santee, the Cornell and the Eckhart total 216 units and share a courtyard, rooftop pool and cabana lounges. Construction is complete and move-ins for the units, which range from 700-square-foot studios to 2,000-square-foot penthouses, could begin in October, said Robin Horowitz of MJW Investments. The 64-unit Textile Building came online last year and is sold out. Phase one of the mega mixed-use project, Santee Court, opened as rental units more than three years ago. D7


University Gateway

Developer Urban Partners plans to break ground next summer on a $135 million project that would house 1,600 USC students in a 421-unit apartment complex at Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard. The privately financed development, just east of the Shrine Auditorium, would also feature 83,000 square feet of ground-floor retail including a bookstore; a restaurant and a fitness center; and 770 parking spaces on site and another 440 at a USC-owned lot a block away. The project has been delayed for two years due to various legal challenges filed by competing developer Conquest Student Housing. Earlier this month, Urban Partners and USC together filed a lawsuit against Conquest. The case is expected to go to trial within 18 months. F9


Vibiana Place

On Aug. 30, developers Tom Gilmore and Richard Weintraub celebrated the replacement of the 3,500-pound cupola to the bell tower of the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral. The building at Second and Main streets, converted for $8 million and now called Vibiana, is used as a performing arts and special events venue. The developers are moving forward with the addition of a state-of-the-art finishing kitchen and other amenities to the property, as well as the transformation of the former rectory into a restaurant and guest facility. Plans are also underway for a mixed-use high-rise on a lot just south of the former cathedral, which was once the headquarters for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, but was closed after suffering damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. D5

CIVIC


Civic Center Fire Station No. 4

A two-story fire and paramedic station at First and Alameda streets is 87% finished, according to LAFD officials, and the building may be completed ahead of schedule. With framing and all mechanical work done, crews are putting finishing touches on the interior. The 40,000-square-foot station will include a handball court, two bays for firefighting vehicles and a hose tower, and is expected to open by next summer. The station will replace an aging 11,000-square-foot facility at 800 N. Main St. and will be staffed by 14 firefighters serving Little Tokyo, Chinatown and Olvera Street. Next door a second phase of the project, an emergency operations center at 500 E. Temple St., is more than halfway complete. That 82,000-square-foot structure will house police and fire dispatch centers, and will replace emergency communication facilities in City Hall East. Originally estimated at $23 million, the project's cost has risen slightly due to change orders, but fire officials could not give an exact projection. GKK Dommer and Fluor/HOK are the architects, and Amoroso is the contractor. E5


Exposition Light Rail

Crews began heavy construction in August on the Metro Expo Line, a $640 million project, which will connect Downtown to Culver City. In early September, full funding for the project was approved by state officials. Digging is expected to take 18 months and will produce a trench that is 2,700 feet long and 25 feet deep. The eight-mile light rail line remains without a designated color. It will share two stops with the Blue Line and will add eight more stations. The project is a joint venture of FCI Construction, Inc., Fluor Corp. and Parsons Corp. A second phase of the project that would extend the Expo Line to Santa Monica is in the planning stage. NA


Federal Building

Seismic upgrades continue on the Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. in the Civic Center, said Gene Gibson, regional public affairs officer with the General Services Administration. This is part of the first phase of a $90 million renovation. Improvements will be conducted in several phases, keeping the more than 8,000 employees of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the building throughout construction. The overhauls include new fire safety systems, ceilings, energy-efficient lighting, signage, security systems, elevators and the removal of hazardous materials. The work could take four years. D4


Federal Courthouse

The second phase of a 1 million-square-foot courthouse at First Street and Broadway in the Civic Center is still awaiting bidding, said Gene Gibson, regional public affairs officer of the General Services Administration. The new facility would hold 41 courtrooms, judges' chambers and office space for federal agencies. The project on a 3.6-acre site will need to make adjustments for budget constraints; initial bids came in well over appropriations, forcing officials to explore new alternatives, including asking Congress for more funds, said Gibson. The project, next to City Hall, originally budgeted at $314 million, will need to be repackaged, Gibson said. The old state office building on the site has been demolished. C5


Gold Line Eastside Extension

Metro's Gold Line extension from Downtown to East Los Angeles is 60% complete with much of the heavy street-level construction underway, said an MTA spokesman. Retrofitting of bridges, widening of streets and installing overhead power lines has begun. Track construction is ongoing from Alameda and First streets into Boyle Heights. The $899 million light rail will extend the Gold Line from Union Station across the 101 Freeway, creating eight new stations and culminating at Atlantic Avenue. Officials expect to complete the project in 2009; they estimate the extension could carry 23,000 riders a day by 2020. D4


Hall Of Justice

The inside of the earthquake-damaged Hall of Justice, at Temple and Spring streets in the Civic Center, has been cleared of debris, while designs to upgrade the facility are being drawn. The Board of Supervisors will soon analyze a new cost estimate before the project can move forward, according to John Edmisten, a division chief in the county's Chief Administrative Office. The County Board of Supervisors must approve each phase of construction separately. The project has previously been estimated at up to $200 million. C4


LAPD Headquarters

The police headquarters that broke ground in January is now 35% complete, keeping the project on time and on budget, according to the Bureau of Engineering. A $231 million, 10-story replacement for Parker Center, being constructed by Sylmar-based Tutor-Saliba, is rising south of City Hall where crews are now erecting steel frames. It is part of a three-phase project expected to cost about $420 million by the time it is completed in 2009. The main site, bordered by Spring, Main, First and Second streets, will house the 500,000-square-foot headquarters. One block away on Main Street, an 800-car Motor Transportation Division facility is planned. The headquarters' design includes an open plaza facing First Street and a small, landscaped park at the corner of Second and Main streets, as well as a 300-car LAPD garage. Downtown-based DMJM is the architect. D5


Los Angeles River

A landmark effort to clean and green 32 miles of the Los Angeles River has moved into the implementation phase; the City Council approved the Los Angeles River Master Plan in May. The city's Planning Department is currently drafting a River Improvement Overlay with design guidelines and recommendations for development within half a mile of the river. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a feasibility study for ecosystem restoration. Projects that have been announced with the help of state bond money are moving forward, including the building of bike paths near Elysian Park. Of the five "Opportunity Sites" the revitalization effort features, three will be in and around Downtown: the new state park at Taylor Yard, the Chinatown area and the Industrial District. The plan will be implemented as funding becomes available. NA


Los Angeles State Historic Park

A park planned for the site long known as the Cornfield has entered the conceptual design phase. San Francisco-based Hargreaves Associates is holding public meetings and finalizing designs for the 32-acre site between Broadway and North Spring Street. The team, which includes Silver Lake-based architect Michael Maltzan, submitted a concept that included a large field flanked on one side by wetlands and landscaping and on the other side by a fountain-filled plaza. The plan also incorporated several bridges that would provide access to the park from Chinatown and Elysian Park. Now the team is preparing for final, technical drawings in January, a process that could take 18 months, said Sean Woods of the California Parks Department. Woods said funding is currently being assessed and a "significant portion" of the $400 million provided by Prop 84 has been identified for the park. A 12-acre portion of the park is currently open. C1


Metro Detention Center

Crews for San Fernando-based Bernards Construction surpassed the 50% completion mark in August and have begun pouring the roof deck of the Metro Detention Center, a 512-bed facility just north of Parker Center at Los Angeles and Temple streets. The foundation, basement and first floor of the 160,000-square-foot structure were finished earlier this year, said Mike Bernards, the project manager. The five-level $74 million effort, designed by HOK Architects, will include an underground floor for offices. The center will, for the first time, house female inmates. Crews have been working on the project since February 2006 and completion is expected by September 2008, said Bernards. D4

SCHOOLS


Ambassador Hotel Schools

Construction of the multi-school campus on the site of the former Ambassador Hotel west of Downtown began in June. A community park will be delivered first in fall 2008, said a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Plans call for an 825-seat school for kindergarten through third-grade students; the $60 million facility is scheduled for completion in spring 2009. Plans also call for a 1,400-seat school for fourth through eighth graders and a 2,150-seat high school; those schools are estimated at $175 million and are slated to open in 2010. The campus will include two gymnasiums, a swimming pool, a soccer field and extensive athletic facilities. The upper level of the former Cocoanut Grove nightclub will become a 522-seat auditorium, while the lower level will hold dining facilities and a cafeteria. NA


Cathedral High School

Cathedral High School will hold an official opening for its new gymnasium on Nov. 8, although the facility will be in use by late October, said Brother John Montgomery, the school's principal. Long Beach-based Kluger Architects designed the two-story gymnasium, which will allow students of the all-boys Catholic school to participate in 11 sports. The building uses split-face concrete blocks and a red tile roof to match other structures on campus, and will feature several labs, including one for computer design, as well as a gym with weight facilities, team rooms, lockers and a film room. The 1940s gym was torn down to make way for the current project. Montgomery said the original $14 million campaign to build the one-acre, 48,000-square-foot gym and science building for 630 students was expanded to $17.6 million. The project also includes a renovation of the school's stadium and the installation of an all-weather synthetic football/soccer field and track; construction on the latter will begin in late October with a projected opening of spring 2008. C1


High School For The Visual And Performing Arts

Construction on the LAUSD's new High School No. 9, also known as the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, is 55% complete, according to an LAUSD spokeswoman. The 238,000-square-foot campus at 450 N. Grand Ave., which broke ground in 2006, is designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and HMC. The 1,728-student, arts-oriented high school will feature four academies: music, dance, visual arts and performing arts. The school will primarily serve students living in the Belmont High School area, although 500 seats will be open for students from throughout the district. The budget is $208 million and completion is expected by the end of 2008. C4


Los Angeles Trade-Tech College

In June, L.A. Trade-Tech broke ground on the 29-acre community college's south campus. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees awarded a $77.8 million contract toward the $227.6 million renovation of the campus at Washington Boulevard and Grand Avenue. Crews are nearly finished moving a ramp that led to a rooftop parking lot, providing room for a new entrance. The project includes an athletic field, a student services building, a technology building and a utility structure. Construction of a $6 million Child Development Center is halfway complete and should wrap in the fall. NA


USC Health Sciences Campus

USC is looking for a developer to build the USC BioMedTech Park, a 100,000-square-foot building that will accommodate multi-tenant bioscience companies. The school recently opened the Harlyne J. Norris Cancer Research Tower, a 10-story, 172,000-square-foot structure, dedicated to cancer research; it houses office space, laboratories and a burgeoning stem cell program. Meanwhile, design work continues on the 80,000-square-foot Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research on San Pablo Street. It will be the third new research building this decade on the campus northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Construction of the LAC+USC Medical Center Replacement Facility continues and is on schedule to open to patients in the second quarter of 2008. Also under discussion is the creation of a new Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute building. NA


USC University Park Campus

The $23 million facelift of Webb Tower will open shortly. The project includes seismic and electrical upgrades as well as a 1,200-vehicle parking structure. Work is also nearing completion on phase two of the Parkside Residential College, a 143,000-square-foot center that will house 440 students. School officials said construction on a 130,000-square-foot building for the College of Cinematic Arts is scheduled to finish by late 2008. Work is also proceeding on the 8,000-square-foot Technical Theater Laboratory for the School of Theater. Overall, USC has committed nearly $300 million to construction projects on its University Park campus. F9


Vista Hermosa

A high school on the 24-acre plot at First and Beaudry streets is rising quickly and the concrete buildings got a wash of color this summer. Crews are nearing completion on parts of the main building's interior, including some classrooms. They have completed structural steel installation, roof work, replacement of the deteriorated sprinkler system from previous buildings and drywall installation, and are currently framing the cafeteria and multi-purpose buildings. The City West campus will have classrooms serving 2,100 students in three buildings, and a separate 500-seat academy will hold a library, student union and parents' center. The campus is scheduled to open in fall 2008. Construction on the site's second component, a park, began in late 2006 and is expected to be complete within the next few months. The budget is $197 million. With earlier costs factored in, the development will total more than $350 million. A5

CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT


Angels Flight

John Welborne, president of the non-profit Angels Flight Railway Foundation, said the opening of the tiny funicular that connects Bunker Hill to the Historic Core has been pushed back as late as December. In January, Welborne had publicly stated that the train, closed since a fatal accident in 2001, would open at the end of summer. The manufacturing of a new drive system - part of a final phase of the railway's $2.6 million renovation - could be complete by October. Welborne said he is in talks with the California Public Utilities Commission, which must approve the train before it reopens. The project has been delayed for years and repeated announced reopening dates have not been met. C6


California Science Center

The museum's $165 million World of Ecology expansion is well underway. The concrete has been poured and the structure is rising. The wing will add 170,000 square feet of space to the Exposition Park museum and will host exhibits that demonstrate principles of ecology. The expansion, set to open in 2009, will combine aspects of aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens and science centers. It will feature interactive exhibits and will include 250 species of plants and animals. F10


Central Avenue Art Park

The city still plans to create a three-acre art park on the block bounded by First, Judge John Aiso, Temple and Alameda streets, but must await the construction of a new police headquarters parking facility, said city Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller. The bidding package for the replacement parking and formal designs for the art park are still being drawn. The site, which is the current police parking lot, remains roughly a year from being transformed. D4


Echo Park Pool

Construction continues on the $4.8 million swimming facility at 1410 Colton St. in City West. The renovations by the Department of Recreation and Parks are scheduled to be complete this fall, said project manager Cathie Santo Domingo. The year-round, heated, indoor pool will feature a new roof, electrical system, locker rooms, bathrooms and showers and be accessible to the disabled. The upgrades are designed by West L.A.-based Frank R. Webb Architects. NA


Football Stadium

Although the National Football League supported the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission's NFL 101/201 event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in July, the league and the city remain far apart on the effort to bring a team back to the 1923 venue in Exposition Park. Former City Councilman and current state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas began the attempt in the mid-1990s, and Eighth District City Councilman Bernard Parks has helmed the effort in recent years. Designs presented to the NFL show a 67,000-seat stadium with about 180 luxury suites; converting the historic venue and maintaining elements such as the peristyle have been estimated to cost around $800 million. In April, plans to temporarily convert the Coliseum for the 2016 Summer Olympics were halted when the United States Olympic Committee chose Chicago over Los Angeles as the U.S. nominee. The currently 90,000-capacity stadium continues to host USC football and other occasional events. NA


Imaginasian Theater

The transformation of the former Linda Lea theater at 215 S. Main St. is more than 50% complete. The $3 million ImaginAsian Theater will be a modern one-screen movie house that will show first-run and classic Asian films, Bollywood hits and other movies. Crews are currently working on the interior, according to the developer, Costa Mesa-based Cinema Properties Group. In March, all but the exterior walls of the rundown 1924 theater were demolished. Hodgetts + Fung Associates is designing the sleek, glass and steel, cube-shaped project set to open this fall. The venue is slightly less than 10,000 square feet and will have stadium seating for 265, a small eatery and space for community meetings. D5


L.A. Live

The first phase of the $2.5 billion sports and entertainment district adjacent to Staples Center is set to open with the debut of the Nokia Theatre. The 7,100-seat facility will host its first concert Oct. 18, and will feature state-of-the-art acoustics and "intimate" sight lines - no seat will be further than 210 feet from the stage. The theater is part of the Nokia Plaza, a 40,000-square-foot open-air space that will be the central meeting place of L.A. Live. It will include Club Nokia, a 2,400-seat standalone venue for musical acts and cultural shows. Later phases will offer restaurants, retail, a 14-screen Regal Cinema, Lucky Strike Bowling Center, the Conga Room nightclub and a 54-story Convention Center headquarters hotel. Among the restaurants that will occupy the project are The Farm of Beverly Hills, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, Rosa Mexicano, Yard House, Katsuya and a new concept from Wolfgang Puck. The entire 27-acre project is scheduled to wrap in 2010. B8


Los Angeles Theatre Center

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is slated to reopen Oct. 25, said Lori Zimmerman, general manager of the Latino Theatre Company, which in 2005 won a 20-year contract from the city to operate the venue at 514 S. Spring St. The LTC has overseen a $4 million transformation of the Historic Core space that is turning the aging structure into a three-theater venue with new seating, lights and other amenities. John Sergio Fisher has handled designs and Cushman & Wakefield is the project manager. The plan will also create a new home for the Latino Museum of History, Art & Culture in the lobby and basement, and there may be a patio cafe. Opening festivities are expected to be announced shortly. D6


Million Dollar Theatre

The $1 million-plus refurbishment of the historic theater at Third Street and Broadway is nearly complete and the venue is expected to reopen by the end of the year, said theater manager Robert Voskanian. Already completed upgrades include replacement of the carpet and drapes, electrical repairs, repainting and a freshly tiled lobby. Restroom improvements remain on the to-do list. Built by Sid Grauman and opened in 1918, the theater seats more than 2,000 people; the refurbished venue will host film screenings, movie premieres, stage performances and concerts. C6


Natural History Museum

The Exposition Park museum is in the process of restoring and seismically strengthening its original home, a 1913 building designed by Hudson & Munsell. The $84 million transformation will include the installation of new exhibits in its historic rotunda as well as in portions of the adjacent 1920s building. The project will also restore the 1913 edifice's architectural details including terra cotta gargoyles, florid plaster ceilings, ornate stained glass skylights and mosaic tile floors. The adjacent structure will also be groomed and seismically strengthened. The restoration is expected to take a little more than a year, said a museum spokeswoman. The project will use private and public funds. E10


Regent Theatre

Construction is expected to begin this year on a makeover of the venue at 448 S. Main St., according to a spokesman for developer Gilmore Associates. Renovations should be complete by early 2008. Gilmore Associates last year signed a long-term lease for the 10,000-square-foot Historic Core property, which will host live music, a bar and a restaurant. The theater has recently been open for some concerts during the monthly Downtown Art Walk. D6


Variety Arts Center

Developer David Houk is working to restore the Variety Arts Center at 940 S. Figueroa St. He plans to turn the 1924 theater and event space, which he purchased from Anschutz Entertainment Group, into a modern facility that produces new plays and musicals. The $10 million restoration will include reseating the 1,000-capacity main theater, cleaning the ornate ceiling and modernizing the electrical and HVAC systems. The former club space will also be redone as a private dining club. Houk, the former owner of the Pasadena Playhouse, plans to move his offices and theater company into the location once the project is complete. He said he is continuing to work on financing for the renovation, which he hopes to complete sometime next year. B8

BARS & RESTAURANTS


Bottle Rock

South Park's Met Lofts at 11th and Flower streets will house a 4,000-square-foot wine bar called Bottle Rock. The combination wine shop, tasting room and small plates cafe has its flagship establishment in Culver City. The lofty interior is expected to draw the Staples Center crowd as well as residents of the 264-unit complex. Customers can sip their wine along with cheese, charcuterie, panini and chocolate. The project recently received approval and is expected to open by February. B8


Chaya Brasserie

According to the most recent information available, Chaya Brasserie, a high-end Asian fusion restaurant with glitzy locales in Venice and Beverly Hills, plans to open in City National Plaza. The restaurant is expected to arrive next year and occupy 7,000 square feet inside the twin 51-story black granite office towers at Fifth and Flower streets. Chaya is known for its Italian, Japanese and French cuisine. B6


Church & State

Restaurateur Steven Arroyo said his 70-seat eatery on the ground floor of the Biscuit Company Lofts will open in mid-November. At 3,000 square feet, the former Nabisco factory loading dock in the Arts District will retain many of its original elements including the brick floors and copper doors. The French brasserie will serve traditional favorites such as steak frites and oysters, and will offer beer and wine (a full bar is planned later). Church & State will be open daily for dinner and weekdays for breakfast and lunch. Arroyo brought L.A. the popular tapas eatery Cobras and Matadors and Silver Lake's Malo. NA


Crocker Club

A new bar and lounge is expected to open by November in the basement of the Spring Arts Tower at 453 S. Spring St. Vincent Terzian, CEO and president of Hollywood-based Five-Five Endeavors, said patrons will enter the speakeasy-themed nightspot through a hidden door and mingle in the basement's vault. The 6,000-square-foot space, which could serve as a private members club, will be a casual bar and lounge with a 1920s feel; Terzian is refurbishing the original Italian marble, mosaic tile floors, and oak and maple touches. It is named after a former tenant of the 1914 building, the Crocker Citizens National Bank. The club will open with an extensive specialty drink list that will include old-fashioned cocktails. C6


Harlem

Nightlife duo Elizabeth Peterson and Tony Gower plan to embark on their fourth Downtown project - previous venues were Bordello, Royal Claytons and the soon-to-open Bridge Tavern. Harlem would unfold in the San Fernando Building at Fourth and Main streets in a 13,000-square-foot space. Peterson said the design phase for the planned speakeasy will get underway in spring 2008. D6


La Porta

Currently used for art exhibits and filming, the lofty space at the southeast corner of Fourth and Spring streets in the Continental Building is slated to become a Spanish tapas restaurant called La Porta. The split-level, lounge-like establishment would be developed by Gilmore Associates. No starting date has been announced. C6


Mercury Liquors

Developer Andrew Meieran said the transformation of a former bank vault in the basement of the Los Angeles Trust and Savings Bank Building at 215 W. Sixth St. could be complete by the end of the year. Construction still hinges on the completion of condo conversions taking place in the building above. The project would create an 8,000-square-foot retro bar featuring white marble floors, walnut wood paneling, polished stainless steel walls and much of the original architecture, including the vault's 38-ton circular door. C7


Origami Bistro & Bar

From the owner of Valencia's Origami Bistro, the Downtown Los Angeles version of the restaurant is set to open in late January, said owner Brian Lee. The 3,300-square-foot space on the ground floor of the Douglas Building at Third and Spring streets will feature a full sushi bar and a martini lounge. Lee said the cuisine will focus on Japanese tapas, also known as izakaya, with appetizer-size Japanese fusion dishes. The modern Asian decor will use smooth lines, natural elements such as a pebble wall, and black Indonesian bamboo. C5


Tranquility Base

This lunar-themed restaurant on the ground floor of the Sky project at 801 S. Grand Ave. is set to hold a grand opening in mid-November, said restaurateur David Tardif. The 3,166-square-foot American cuisine establishment will change with the seasons, from the California-style tapas menu to the wine to the decor. The casual-chic lounge will include oversized chairs and couches, and a 50-seat patio with a fire pit. C7

BUSINESS


611 W. Sixth St.

Developer 611 W. Sixth Street LLC and New York-based Chetrit Group are in the final design phase for what would be the largest adaptive reuse project in the city, according to a representative for the developer. Once the tallest building in Downtown Los Angeles, 611 W. Sixth St. is slated to become a hub of more than 500 residential and commercial condominiums. The first 15 floors would be transformed into 135 office condos while 402 live/work units are planned for floors 16 to 42. The 620-foot tall edifice also includes 712 parking spaces. Architecture firm Epstein ISI will handle the conversion. B7


7+Fig Renovation

New York-based Brookfield Properties purchased the 7+Fig mall last year and is still working on plans to expand and renovate the mostly outdoor shopping center, said a spokesman for the developer. Brookfield is preparing a complete repositioning of the mall at Seventh and Figueroa streets, including an expansion of more than 150,000 square feet. In the meantime, the company is working to bring new restaurants to the food court level. New stores could include a big-name home outlet, said the company official. B7


At&T Center Renovation

The building at 12th and Olive streets in South Park has a new lobby and a food court with recently opened tenants including Starbucks, Subway and Trimana Express. The center also holds a FedEx/Kinko's. A Robeks and Japanese restaurant Mitaki are under construction. A second phase of upgrades, still in the design stage, will likely start by the end of the year and could take up to a year to complete, said a spokesman for owner LBA Realty. LBA purchased the 32-story high-rise for $130 million. During the summer, the longtime top-floor restaurant was closed to make way for office space. William Pereira's iconic edifice, long known as the Transamerica Building, was updated earlier this year with modern metal panels and a glass curtain wall. C9


Convention Center Hotel

A 54-story structure housing a JW Marriott Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences will be the focal point for L.A. Live. Groundbreaking for the $900 million Convention Center headquarters hotel, which will contain 1,000 rooms, took place in June, signaling a three-year build-out. The Marriott's rooms will comprise the bulk of an L-shaped structure that will anchor the base of the glass-clad tower housing the Ritz, and will feature the largest ballroom in the city at 3,000 seats. The Ritz-Carlton (Marriott owns the Ritz) rooms will start on the 27th floor. More than 200 Ritz-Carlton condos will fill the upper reaches of the building. B8


Embassy Hotel

A planned conversion of the former Embassy Hotel and Theater at 851 S. Grand Ave. into the trendy Gansevoort West has been called off. Earlier this year, developers WSA Management and the Chetrit Group broke ties on the project. WSA, the company behind the Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan and the Gansevoort South in Miami, will not be involved, said a company spokesperson. New York-based Chetrit Group has not announced new plans for the Embassy site. C8


L.A. Fashion Center

The main structure of the 560,000-square-foot garment industry center at 1458 S. San Pedro St. has been completed and an opening is slated for the end of the year, said an official with developer Los Angeles Fashion Center, LLP. Almost three-quarters of the 196 for-purchase retail spaces and showrooms for wholesalers and manufacturers have been sold at an average price of $700,000. The units average 1,200 square feet. FedEx and UPS facilities, a food court and a bank will round out the development, also known as LA Face. E9


Louie Restaurant And Market

The Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market in the refurbished Brockman Building at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue is scheduled to open in mid-2008. The gourmet grocer and restaurant will be housed in a 10,000-square-foot space below the Brockman's 80 condominiums (where renovations are underway). The market will be open from 6 a.m. until late evening, and will offer items including homemade baked goods, sauces, soups, European pastries, organic vegetables, sustainable seafood and fresh pizza. C7


Maguire Office Tower

Maguire Properties is talking with several potential tenants of a proposed 50-story building, but no deals have been announced, and a groundbreaking will not occur until the high-rise is 40% to 50% pre-leased, said the company's Peggy Moretti. The building at Seventh and Figueroa streets overlooking the 110 Freeway would be a 1 million-square-foot structure that exclusively serves the office market. Once construction begins, it is estimated to take 36 months. No time goal has been set for the groundbreaking, said Moretti. The building being designed by Richard Keating of Keating/Khang would be the first new office tower in Downtown in more than 15 years. Maguire Properties is headed by Robert F. Maguire. B7


Marriott Hotel Renovation

According to a spokesman for the Los Angeles-based Namco Capital Group, there is no start date yet for the $30 million planned hotel renovation, which is expected to take 18 months. Improvements for the 1983 hotel will include a redesign of the lobby, new high-end eateries, upgraded banquet rooms, lighting and room improvements, and the addition of a spa. The hotel will continue to operate under the Marriott name. Namco Capital purchased the 469-room Downtown Marriott through its subsidiary, LA Hotel Venture, in March. B6


Orchid Hotel & Restaurant Oh!

A stylish 68-room boutique hotel targeting the business traveler is set to open at the end of the month, said General Manager Rebecca Sanares. Located at 819 S. Olive St., the 1920s hotel was developed by the O Hotel Group; renovations took more than two years. Room amenities include executive desks, high-speed Internet, flat screen plasma TVs, ergonomic chairs, an MP3 hookup and six pillows from which to choose. The common areas feature modern design elements, dark wood, earth tones and Restaurant Oh!, which is located in the lobby and seats 60. The restaurant will serve Mediterranean tapas by chef Corey Locker. A health spa is set to open in spring 2008, while a basement lounge is expected to debut later this year. The Orchid Hotel is the first of several planned for the region. C7


Stanford Regency Plaza

Developer KI Group has been working on permits and plans for a 400,000-square-foot wholesale condominium complex at 810 E. Pico Blvd. The project, priced slightly more than $30 million, would create 150 units from 1,000 to 2,500 square feet that would sell for $900,000 to $1.3 million. Excavation of the site began early this year. Architecture firm MAI is handling designs. KI Group officials have set an anticipated opening date of late 2008. NA


Wilshire Grand Hotel Renovation

A new state-of-the-art ballroom level at the hotel at 930 Wilshire Blvd. has been finished. The $50 million, multi-phase project has seen the renovation or creation of several ballrooms, along with more than 50,000 square feet of meeting space, according to hotel spokesman Marc Loge. The next phase, which will begin in December, includes remodeling all 900 guest rooms, followed by a remake of the hotel's lobbies and common areas. The overhaul is being designed by Long Beach-based architect Concepts Four. The renovation was spurred by the development of L.A. Live a few blocks south. B7

NON-PROFIT/COMMUNITY


Donald T. Sterling Homeless Center

Real estate mogul and Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling announced in April that he had purchased land at the corner of Sixth and Wall streets in Skid Row. Sterling said he intended to move forward with a $50 million homeless center. According to the most recent information available, partners and service providers are still being sought and no specific plan has been submitted to the city. Sterling has said he wants the building to include a medical and legal center as well as a homeless court. NA


First United Methodist Church

Three proposals for a $60 million mixed-use development at 1010 S. Flower St. that would include the First United Methodist Church are currently under consideration. A trio of developer and architect teams, whose names have not been released, entered a competition earlier this year and a winning design could be picked as soon as this month. According to a consultant for the church, the designs could include a mixed-use office and apartment building, a residential condominium complex or an extended-stay hotel tower. No matter what is selected, the new development would include a 500-seat auditorium, classrooms, offices and a sky chapel for FUMC. A proposal for a smaller project was scrapped two years ago due to lack of funding. Burbank-based BTG Advisors is helping the church pick a developer and an architect. No timetable has been announced. B8


Homeboy Industries

Construction on the new Homeboy Industries headquarters at Alameda and Bruno streets in Chinatown is complete and staff is moving into the building. A grand opening is planned for Oct. 2, according to a spokeswoman for the pioneering gang prevention entity. The 20,000-square-foot facility will hold Homeboy's bakery, the Homegirl Cafe and Homegirl Catering, as well as a retail shop for Homeboy gear. The cafe will seat 96 people and will have a separate kitchen for its catering component. The building will include the nonprofit's administrative offices and support services for gang rehabilitation, such as tattoo removal and job placement assistance. Homeboy's silk-screening facility may also move once a second phase of the building is complete. Homeboy, led by Father Gregory Boyle, has long operated in Boyle Heights. C2


House Ear Institute

The new Wallis Annenberg Research Center at the House Ear Institute is complete and a grand opening will take place in mid-November, said spokeswoman Christa Spieth Nuber. The 25,000-square-foot addition, a wing for hearing health research, is part of a larger campaign. Architects Perkins & Will handled the designs of the $45 million project and the contractors are Rudolph and Sletten. The development, at Alvarado and Third streets west of Downtown, received a $10 million donation from the Annenberg Foundation. NA


Inner-City Arts

Construction on a $9 million complex for the Skid Row nonprofit has begun, with demolition of an existing warehouse in August and initial construction in September, said Sharyn Church, deputy director of Inner-City Arts. Plans by architect Michael Maltzan for the facility at 720 S. Kohler St. include space for a new ceramics complex, a library and a $3 million community theater; the latter will create costume and set design shops and a green room, and will enable Inner-City Arts to significantly increase its drama program. It will also provide a venue for student and professional theatrical and musical productions. Santa Monica-based landscape designer Nancy Goslee Power is overseeing a children's garden. E7


LAC + USC Medical Center

Construction is 97% complete on the $820 million, 25-acre facility at Merengo and Chicago streets northeast of Downtown. The project, once slated to open this summer, is now expected to be complete by December, with move-ins scheduled for spring 2008. The 600-bed development includes a seven-story outpatient structure, a five-story diagnostic and treatment building and an eight-story inpatient tower. The complex will replace four hospitals, including two facilities 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 firm LBL Associated Architects are handling the designs. NA


Little Tokyo Recreation Center

Plans are still in the works to create a community center with a four-court gym that would serve as a premier martial arts venue, said Little Tokyo Service Center Executive Director Bill Watanabe. Watanabe said the city recently acquired the last major parcel of land for police and public parking structures on Los Angeles Street between Second and Third streets. The LTSC is discussing options with city officials to build the recreation center on top of the proposed parking structure. Plans call for a 3,000-square-foot facility that could host community events and basketball and volleyball tournaments. D5


YWCA Job Corps Campus

The YWCA of Greater Los Angeles is still waiting on an agreement with the federal government before moving forward with a campus expansion. A groundbreaking was held in 2006 for the $52 million Job Corps Campus in South Park, but the Department of Labor has not given final approval for funding, said spokeswoman May Chen Tham. The plans call for a 154,000-square-foot project at Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street with 200 rooms for students and an intake center, cafeteria, library, and medical and dental centers that will serve 1,200 students annually. The seven-story steel and glass structure designed by Jenkins, Gales and Martinez Architects would put the YWCA Job Corps under one roof, rather than on two satellite campuses, said Tham. C8

OPENED IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS


Colburn School

In late August, the Colburn School opened the doors on a $120 million expansion. The project at 200 S. Grand Ave. provides on-campus dormitories for the Conservatory of Music and allows for Colburn to add about 1,000 students. The 326,000-square-foot development features a 12-story building, a central plaza, and new recording and rehearsal facilities. The Bunker Hill project also holds a state-of-the-art auditorium, which will host concerts and programs open to the public. Downtown-based Pfeiffer Partners handled the designs. C5


Emerald Terrace

Residents have already moved in and now developer Meta Housing is planning a grand opening for a $25 million, four-story complex at 1345 Emerald St. in City West. The 98,000-square-foot project features 85 units from 700 to 1,000 square feet; the building holds 149 adults and 143 children. The vanilla, blue and gray structure has a main courtyard, patio furniture and playground equipment. Rents run from $348 to $961. A5


Glo

Developed by Holland Partners, a 208-unit apartment complex opened this summer at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Bixel Street in City West. A 108-unit structure fronts Wilshire Boulevard while a second 93-apartment building is set back from the street. A 7,000-square-foot retail collection is planned, with a Starbucks already signed. Units range from 600 to 1,250 square feet, though most average about 1,000 square feet. Starting rents for one-bedrooms are $1,708, two-bedrooms begin at $2,540 and three-bedrooms are $3,000 and up. There is also a 20% affordable housing component. A7


Market Lofts/Ralphs

The much anticipated Ralphs supermarket debuted in July, and the Market Lofts atop the grocery store opened last month. Lee Homes and CIM Group partnered on the project that includes 267 condos and retail at Ninth and Flower streets. It is the second phase in CIM Group's five-phase, $500 million South Village project. The 50,000-square-foot Ralphs marks Downtown's first new full-service grocery store in more than 50 years. The Fresh Fare concept features gourmet offerings such as wine, cheese and olive stations, a deli, florist and a pharmacy. Also coming to the street-level retail space are a Quiznos, Coldstone Creamery, Robeks and a UPS store. B8


Milano Lofts

The project from developer Izek Shomof, formerly called the Delano Lofts, opened in May and is approximately 90% leased, with rents ranging from $1,400 to $3,400. The $11 million adaptive reuse effort at Sixth Street and Grand Avenue features 99 luxury loft units on 13 floors, from 600 to 1,600 square feet, with two levels of underground parking holding 30 spaces. There is also a fitness center and an outdoor deck. Ground floor retail includes the Yorkshire Grill and Carl's Jr. Signage reflecting the building's new name should be in place by the end of next month, said Shomof. C7


Pan American Lofts

After several months of delays, residents began moving in last month to the 111-year-old former office building at Third Street and Broadway. Developed by Urban Pacific Builders, the $20 million project includes 40 condominiums ranging from 660 to 1,250 square feet and encircling an inner courtyard. Most units have exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows. The 6,400-square-foot ground-floor retail space will contain an existing wedding chapel and apparel business; plans have not been announced for the remaining street-front space. C5


Riordan's Tavern

Opened last month, former Mayor Richard Riordan's new restaurant and bar at 875 S. Figueroa St. (adjacent to The Original Pantry Café, which Riordan also owns) features warm brick walls, tin ceilings and about a dozen dark wood booths and tables. A cozy bar to the right of the entrance provides plenty of old school libations, with icy martinis at the ready. Clusters of pictures featuring the former mayor during and before his City Hall tenure dot the walls and casual lighting gives off a warm glow. Televisions tuned to sports channels hang on the walls. The small menu features mostly surf and turf items, a handful of salads and a sandwich carvery. B8


Santee Court Parking Garage

In May, a 420-space parking garage opened at 636 S. Maple St. in the Fashion District. The seven-level facility holds 120 spaces for residents of MJW Investments' Santee Court; the other 300 slots are open to the public and cost $3 a day. The project took nearly three years to complete and is built atop an MTA bus holding station. D7


SB Lofts

Developer Barry Shy has begun leasing the SB Lofts at 548 S. Spring St., and about 30 people have moved into the Historic Core complex. The $26 million conversion, originally intended as condominiums, features 184 apartments with retail on the ground floor. The units, which feature raw concrete floors, exposed steel and high ceilings, range from 600 to 1,200 square feet with rents from $1,200 to $2,500. D7


South/Luma

The second phase of Portland-based South Group's South project opened in June and about 90% of the 236 units have sold, according to a spokeswoman for South Group. The $80 million development at 11th and Hope streets is a 19-story tower and is only the second residential building in Downtown to earn a green certification as a LEED building. The project includes penthouses, two-story townhomes, and one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts ranging from 750 to 3,400 square feet. Amenities include hardwood floors, built-in kitchens, designer fixtures, balconies and a plaza pool deck shared with Elleven, the first South development, which opened in 2006. B9


Takami Sushi & Elevate Lounge

This $5 million restaurant and lounge, developed by Downtown Entertainment Group, opened Aug. 18 for dinner (the lounge debuted Aug. 10). The Tag Front-designed space features windows that wrap around the 6,000-square-foot space atop the entire 21st floor of the 811 Wilshire Building. The ultra modern venue is designed with an indoor-outdoor effect, with glass dividers that slide inside pockets in the walls to expose the patio. B8


Teramachi Senior Housing

All 127 condominiums have been sold in the $42 million, 1.6-acre project at Third and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo. According to a spokesman for developer Tibold Construction, however, buyers include some investors and 15 to 20 units are expected to become available in the coming months. The four-story, modern building features high ceilings, a pool, a Zen garden, a koi pond in the center courtyard and a public kitchen and lounge on each floor. Some units include large decks, skyline views and soaking tubs. The project was designed by VTBS and includes three retail units on the ground floor, which house a social services center, a hair salon and a book store. D5


USC Credit Union Headquarters

The four-story, 45,000-square-foot Italian-style building at 3720 S. Flower St. is complete and has received a temporary occupancy permit. The $15 million project near USC will house a retail branch of the credit union and a workshop facility on the ground floor by October. Various school departments and the credit union's administrative offices have already moved in to the upper floors. Del Amo Construction was in charge of the brick veneer and red clay-roofed structure, which was designed by Frank R. Webb Architects. F9

OK, so according to what i'm reading here, the City House, and the Olympic are still a go..! several 30+ floor residential towers in the south park, and historic core, up for approval. And last but not least, the Zen tower to start in January, 2009. (I sure hope that was a misprint, and meant to be Jan. 08.!!?)

From SSP:

I heard they were using this helicopter to fight fires in northern Cal last weekend so they postphoned until today. They were also lifting some other large crates to another rooftop.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2920/img1276sgg8.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3640/img1292spv0.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8527/img1301sry5.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/9919/img1305syt4.jpg


I was also at the Kings open house so I decided to take some picts around Staples. Enjoy!

Hanover- A little bit more of the green tarp is coming off in the second picture.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear233.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear201.jpg

L.A. Live
Looking down Fig
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear199.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear232.jpg
Nokia Plaza
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear213.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear214.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear212.jpg
ESPN Building
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear186.jpg

Evo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear177.jpg

L.A. Central Site
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear211.jpg

Ritz Residences Showroom
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear209.jpg

New AT&T Sign
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear230.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/SolForceJxn/lAA.jpg

is that a concrete slab? shouldn't there be like pylons and stuff first? or did I just miss that?

The Ritz (and Concerto) are weird. They put the cranes in first, then a slab of concrete, then pylons.

Just as long as it gets built. No matter what the method.

LA is booming! I love the new projects!

These were taken today, Sunday, September 23rd.


Evo
Working on the 19th floor, so 4 more to go.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1852/evo200709232uq6.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4799/evo200709231eo2.jpg

All three South buildings from 12th and Flower. From this angle, Evo should be just taller than the AT&T Center when it's topped out. Frank L. Robinson building demolition in the foreground.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5293/evo200709233ie7.jpg


LA Live
Just one shot here, looking down Figueroa. Ritz Residences picture in the appropriate thread.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4332/lalive200709231ud5.jpg


Hanover Tower
The crown is slowly getting finished off.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9388/hanover200709231cu3.jpg

A close-up of the exterior cladding. From what I could tell, it looks like a combination of painted concrete and stucco. I'll wait until it's finished to fully render a judgement, but I don't have high hopes.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/3202/hanover200709232zu9.jpg


717 Flower
Working on the 5th floor. It's already starting to make it's presence known from Figueroa.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7818/meruelo200709231zk5.jpg


LAPD Headquarters
This one shot up in no time. Already working on the 6th floor.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6269/lapd200709231mt7.jpg

The crane arm has been dropped down because someone snuck into the site at night and started playing with the crane, as well as making off with some electrical equipment. Ironic that the building that's supposed to be the most secure in this building boom is the one with the worst security.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3973/lapd200709232ce1.jpg

The Ritz (and Concerto) are weird. They put the cranes in first, then a slab of concrete, then pylons.

Just as long as it gets built. No matter what the method.

This method of foundation engineering is known as a "mat" foundation, where the actual foundation is just a large and thick concrete slab, in some cases the columns would have "sockets" below the slab, and in other cases the sockets would be connected together with concrete "floorbeams" or "straps", however in these cases its just a slab, which is a common foundation system in Los Angeles, for buildings under 35 floors, (weight is also a factor)

The largest building that i've personally seen with a standard mat foundation in LA is the 54 story 777 tower, this mat is 11' 6" thick.

The 48 story Citigroup tower at 5th and Flower, has a socketed mat with straps, and a main slab thickness of 10' 4".

The US bank tower is also on a mat, (socketed) this one almost 19' thick.

From SSP:

A few construction photos I took this weekend to add to LAofAnaheim and Colemonkee's shots. A couple shots are similar to what they posted, but:

LA Live / Nokia Theater & Plaza
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1430960828_9955dfc686_b.jpg

Chick Hearn Court getting repaved in foreground:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/1430091965_d9da8b8827_b.jpg

LA Central Site
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1430955898_5fe25ccc13_b.jpg

Market Lofts Coffee Bean - Opening Soon
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1091/1430943744_ef64abce77_b.jpg

717 Ninth
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1430939426_e52f0f4c51_b.jpg

LAPD Headquarters
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/1430263979_a20b568767_b.jpg

From SSP:

Here's a little somethin' I whipped up in my spare time. This is what the Los Angeles skyline will look like once Park Fifth, LA Live, Concerto (tower one), Hanover (wasn't topped off in the original photo), and LA Central are completed. The heights are a bit off, but the overall impact on the skyline is more or less the same.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h125/MBenzLover/LosAngelesFutureSkyline.jpg

From SSP:

The Hanover Tower/717 Olympic's green construction tarp is coming down:

http://www.angelenic.com/images/dtla0930 013m.jpg

http://www.angelenic.com/images/dtla0930 034m.jpg

http://www.angelenic.com/images/dtla0930 023m.jpg

http://www.angelenic.com/images/dtla0930 017m.jpg

http://www.angelenic.com/images/dtla0930 025m.jpg

More photos at angelenic here (http://www.angelenic.com/downtown-general/717-olympic-undresses/).

October 5, 2007

Well, woke up so late for school that my school day went a little different...

717 Ninth: now working on the 6th floor.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto010.jpg

UPS store at Market Lofts:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto003.jpg

Hanover: doesn't look as bad as you think.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto029.jpg

Concerto:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto015.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto013.jpg

AT&T Center: New windows?
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto016.jpg

Evo:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto020.jpg

Figueroa Central: nothing yet*, notice the Hanover.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto022.jpg

LA Live:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto024.jpg

ESPN Bldg: notice the cladding.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto026.jpg

Nokia Theatre: notice the screens.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto028.jpg

Grand Av project or ?
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto030.jpg

LAPD: just skyrocketted!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto002.jpg

Cought my attention:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g189/FROMLOSANGELES/2daIdaaMexicalienagosto006.jpg

Beautiful city that never sleep!

And always interesting unique

And decided to take a walk downtown - being very excited to be back in LA. (Im never leaving again). Anyway while up in Seattle I started to think that Seattle had more skyscrapers than LA and was bigger because I kept looking at LA skyline photos and they seemed to0 pale by comparrison. Boy was I wrong. One building in DT LA takes up about four blocks of DT seattle. And the buildings are so monumental. Alone and towering so individual. But what really struck me other than how cheap the food is at the central market (about Two pound of salmon w/brocolli and cabbage from the Hawaiian Stand for 3.50. Grapes 50 cents a pound and two pounds of asparagus for one dollar!) was how monumental the new buildings are but that they are more like sculptures. Not stuck next to anything just freestanding works of art. When I got to the new Police headquaters I felt like I was in heaven. The way it sits next to the Morphisis Transpotation building like two massive art pieces and next to that is the Great LA Tmes building and the landmark City Hall across the street and then the magical Disney concert hall on top of the hill so proudly. Then over the tops of other buildings Id see other buildings sticking out all from different periods of history, from mosaic domes to boroque towers it seemed so european. But what really got me was the view space in between the PH and the Trans Bldg of St Vibianas Bell tower chiming through against this beige pale blue sky it was magnificent, precious, world class. As I walked up the street towards the library (4th I think) I looked back at the alley of old sandy colored buildings lining the street lit by this beautiful sandy blue sky making everything so three dimensional and I was struck by the exact -to the tee colors of a Caneletto. I began to realize that the newer buildings are glorifying the architecture around them by bringing them out of a too long hidden light. I think once park fifth is completed and The grand avenue project is finished there will be a major international focus onto downtown Los Angeles bigger than we have realized. Part of the fun were tourist pulling over in cars asking how to get to certain locations. I never really saw much of that down here before when I lived here it was always really local.:banana:

definitely, things are changing for the better. I believe that once the Ritz gets to about 30 stories tall, the people will really take notice. Also, according to AEG rep Tim liewikie, There are 3 new hotels that will be announced for the LA Live area and they will be made public soon. Add in Park Fifth, The grand and all the adaptive reuse, were looking good. Also, all the new investment into the area is forcing owners of older buildings to clean them up and fix them up as well as invest new money in the area.

Im my opinion, the most important development for Downtown in the future is the Broadway Initiative as well as the Downtown Connector. Both are very necessary and will alter the area forever.

what do you think of the Cathedral. The low sloping ceiling really bothers me - shouldnt it soar- it closes in the space makes it look smaller I mean if your gonna build the largest cathedral in America shouldnt you at least go for it. It just doendt seem magnificent. When I walk in I dont feel inspired I keep looking for ways to justify it.:ohno:

i actually liked the cathedral and the different look of it. its different and amazing in its own way.

LA Real Estate Mogul Plans to Light Up Blade Runner-Style Billboards

http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1605/st_bladerunner_f.jpg
Los Angeles, 2019

http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1605/st_bladerunner2_f.jpg
Los Angeles, 2009

By Vince Beiser
04.21.08
wired.com (http://www.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/16-05/st_bladerunner)

Wasn't Blade Runner supposed to depict a bleak, dystopian future? Someone really should tell Sonny Astani. The 55-year-old real estate mogul is planning to bring 2019 Los Angeles to life in the form of two 14-story animated billboards modeled on Ridley Scott's opening sequence. "I saw Blade Runner at least five times," says Astani, whose empire encompasses thousands of Southern California apartment units. "The billboards always struck me." Astani's signs will appear on the sides of adjacent condo towers being constructed in downtown LA. The idea, pending city approval, is to install hundreds of rows of LEDs, each spaced 6 inches apart, across the buildings' floor-to-ceiling windows. Residents will be able to see out, but viewed from a distance the pixel-like lights will coalesce into an image. Now if only he could get some kind of android workforce to build them.

the new High school of performing arts is interesting. I hate all these schools thier building I dont like the complex on Wilshire where the Ambassador was Its criminal. I dont think we can afford to tear our history down. Too many people view this city as a real estate goldmine and I think the LAUSD is just blowing smoke.

woah

Nice Design! Thanks for posting.

wilshire is beautiful

Korean Air has announced plans to develop a $ 1 billion mixed use complex in downtown Los Angeles that will transform the city’s skyline and be a symbol of civic pride for the city’s Korean community, the second largest outside of Seoul. If approved, it will be the first new downtown development project in Los Angeles since the economic downturn and the first major office building to be built there in two decades.

Developed by Thomas Properties Group and designed by Los Angeles based A.C. Martin, the 1.75 million-sq ft project calls for two high rise towers: a 40-storey luxury hotel tower with up to 700 rooms topped with several floors of condominiums and a 60-story office tower connected with plazas and 18,000 sq ft of public space.

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/11446_2_ACMP_Wilshire%20Grand%20Day_for%20web.jpg

While the economy is still in turmoil, the development process in Los Angeles is archaic and thus lengthy. In making the announcement now, Thomas Properties, which has extensive experience building complex projects in the city, is positioning itself to be first in line when the rebound occurs. Jim Thomas, CEO of the development company, told the LA business journal that with its current 88 percent office occupancy level, downtown will need a Class A office building in the next three to five years. To meet that timeline we need to get started right now. Thomas said.

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/11446_4_ACMP_Wilshire%20Grand%20Plaza_for%20web.jpg

Korean Air and Thomas Properties said they expect financing will be available by the time construction begins in 2011.

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/11446_5_ACMP_Wilshire%20Grand%20Model03_for%20web.jpg

LINK: http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=11446


:banana: :banana: :banana:

Unveiled: 1340 South Figueroa.

http://archpaper.com/uploads/image/LA_LiebTower.jpg

Despite the ongoing real estate slump, a new 43-story residential condominium designed by Daniel Libeskind has been proposed for the southern edge of downtown LA’s South Park neighborhood.

The tower, at 1340 South Figueroa Street, across from the LA Convention Center, is being developed by a consortium of Korean companies called CA Human Technologies. The group is also working on a new mixed-use project on the site of the Wilshire Grand Hotel.

http://archpaper.com/uploads/Night.jpg

The project's massing follows that of many recent condo high-rises, with its main tower sitting on a podium of parking and retail. In true Libeskind fashion, the steel-clad building’s form is made of a series of angular cuts and protrusions from an otherwise square structure. The project, still awaiting planning approval, includes 273 market rate units—each with its own balcony— two stories of retail, a spa, and seven stories of parking, one of which is underground.

The building team, which also includes structural engineers WSP Cantor Seinuk, hopes to complete construction by 2013. The developer says it has in-house financing, so no delays are expected related to the credit crisis. When constructed, the building will be Libeskind’s first in southern California.

http://archpaper.com/uploads/Podium.jpg

Project: 1340 South Figueroa
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Developer: CA Human Technologies
Completion Date: 2013


LINK: http://archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=3427


:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

I dont like the design of 1340 Fiqueroa, it looks like someone punched into its side.

Great looking projects. Hopefully they will be built.

I'm especially excited for the Korean Air tower...

I dont like the design of 1340 Fiqueroa, it looks like someone punched into its side.

Its a futuristic and very dynamic building of course in my point of vieuw :) :cheers: .

Liebeskind is a "avand garde" architect.

Those newly proposed towers are look'in real sharp.

Korean Air looks amazing

heres the article about the tower and some renderings:

South Korean firm unveils plans to put its stamp on L.A. skyline
Thomas Properties Group Inc.
The two high-rise towers are rendered in blue in this image.
Conglomerate Korean Air proposes building a pair of high-rises to replace the aging Wilshire Grand hotel. The project would cost $1 billion.
By Roger Vincent and Peter Pae
April 3, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Korean Air bought the hotel in 1989.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

roger.vincent@latimes.com

peter.pae@latimes.com

http://www.archicentral.com/wp-content/images/11446_2_acmp_wilshire-grand-day_for-web.jpg

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http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/11446_ACMP_Wilshire%20Grand%20Night_for%20web.jpg

this along with 755 Figeroa will provide a nice infill and canyon effect on the 110 freeway going through downtown.

It looks like this is going up after all. According to the downtwon news they are getting thier constuction loan and ground could break ground in three months
http://www.parkfifth.com/




http://C:\Users\lloyd knight\Pictures\ccrendering_park_fifth.jpg

^^ Hurah!

this would indeed be great news, but the whole thing has been greeted with some skepticism and probably should be until something concrete happens. It seems odd that a new developer would jump so heavily into a speculative project in a dicey area. But let's hope so.

Also exciting (and more likely) is the proposed Broad art gallery a couple of blocks up the hill on Grand. At least that has serious funding and commitment behind it and would real help in tranforming DT into a cultural concentration of world class.

Has this been posted yet?

http://www.worstpreviews.com/images/headlines/temp/temp2068.jpg

Turn the Hollywood sign into a... is it a hotel? Condos? :tongue3: to that, but I do like the notion of a public observation platform in the area.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RJQT84?tag=anarchojose08-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B002RJQT84&adid=1FQSFGYYWFNTN7EPCPMA&Turn the Hollywood sign into a... is it a hotel? Condos? :tongue3: to that, but I do like the notion of a public observation platform in the area.

how about sell it to the highest bidder? california is bankrupt

^^ Here is the link for more info on the Hollywood Sign.

http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=17378&count=0

Was that the real-estate planned next to the Hollywood sign or some other development? Why myst the existing Hollywood Sign be gotten rid of for any real estate development, espacially one with a brand-new Hollywood sign?

Parmi les projets fous d’architecte, celui du danois Christian Bay-Jorgensen est l’un des plus fantasques. Au programme : la création d’un complexe hôtelier à l’intérieur des lettres Hollywood, situées sur la colline de Los Angeles. Un projet démentiel qui implique de doubler la taille des lettres actuelles.
Les lettres Hollywood (Hollywood Sign en anglais) étaient originellement destinées à commercialiser un nouveau programme immobilier. Achevée le 13 juillet 1923, l’enseigne, indiquant à l’origine « Hollywoodland », ne devait rester qu’un an et demi. Hautes de 14 mètres et larges de 9 mètres, les fameuses lettres sont dans un premier temps équipées d’ampoules d’éclairage. Laissées à l’abandon pendant des années, elles se détériorent lentement et la maintenance prend officiellement fin en 1939. En 1949, la Chambre de commerce intervient pour retirer les quatre dernières lettres (land), réparer le reste et enlever les ampoules. Grâce à la générosité de stars comme le chanteur Alice Cooper ou Hugh Hefner, le patron de Playboy (qui a tenu à financer la réfection du « Y »), la nouvelle version de l’enseigne est dévoilée le jour du 75e anniversaire d’Hollywood, le 14 novembre 1978. En 2008, l’enseigne est à nouveau menacée par l’expansion immobilière. Toutefois, une collecte de plus de 12 millions de dollars (Etat californien, autorités locales et donateurs) va permettre la sauvegarde des lettres et leur protection par un système d’alarme.

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/from.jpg http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/detai.jpg

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Article in english: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/hollywood-sign-may-be-turned-into-a-luxury-hotel/story-e6frfq80-1225864924067 (http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/hollywood-sign-may-be-turned-into-a-luxury-hotel/story-e6frfq80-1225864924067)

http://fr.voyage.yahoo.com/p-promotions-3312174 (http://fr.voyage.yahoo.com/p-promotions-3312174)

wow what a crazy project
I think due to this it will lose its charm though...
but its quite an interesting idea :D
I only hope it doesnt get realised :D

Can anyone help me identify the U/C tower in this pic?

I'm working on a construction journal and this will be the cover image.


http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/skyscrapercitypics/skyscrapers/LA-tower-uc.jpg

The building is 'THE CENTURY" because of it's location in the century city area of L.A.. Height is 151m/497ft.

^ This was answered already in the UK Skybar, but thanks anyway. :)

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/from.jpg http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/detai.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/detai1.jpg http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/behin.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/behin1.jpg

Article in english: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/hollywood-sign-may-be-turned-into-a-luxury-hotel/story-e6frfq80-1225864924067 (http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/hollywood-sign-may-be-turned-into-a-luxury-hotel/story-e6frfq80-1225864924067)

http://fr.voyage.yahoo.com/p-promotions-3312174 (http://fr.voyage.yahoo.com/p-promotions-3312174)

WOW ... interesting ... don't know how I about that?

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/from.jpg http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/detai.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/detai1.jpg http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/behin.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/fr/tr/behin1.jpg



Great Hollywood

^^ if they allow it, then they will allow in the future low buildings in the area...it is a natural space, keep it!

I like the idea of the walkway in the front, but that's in, not the stairway or building behind it. God the letters are so thick too.

That's not even the Hollywood Sign anymore...
They'll pretty much trash a landmark

Midtown Crossing - Mid-City Los Angeles

http://www.cpexecutive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/030612-Midtown-Crossing-LA-Retail-Development.jpg


http://www.cpexecutive.com/business-specialties/mid-city-l-a-shopping-center-completes-construction/

March 6, 2012

By Nicholas Ziegler, News Editor


Developer CIM Group has completed construction of the 330,000-square-foot Midtown Crossing retail center in Mid-City Los Angeles, which targets the more than 1.3 million residents within a five-mile radius.

“Midtown Crossing brings a much needed retail center to this community, and it will also create hundreds of new jobs for our residents as well as new revenue for the city,” Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, said. “This is a welcome addition to Los Angeles, and I am proud of the city’s leadership in championing this transformation of what had long been a vacant and dilapidated property into this vital new commercial center.”

The development features a stacked design to take advantage of the site’s different elevations, and the developer claims the project will bring more approximately 800 new jobs to the area. A Lowes Home Improvement Center, along with Starbucks, Wells Fargo Bank and other retailers, opened on Feb. 1. CIM is in discussions with several potential tenants for the remaining restaurant and retail spaces.

In May 2010, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan jumpstart the then-stalled shopping center, with a package of city loans and subsidies for the project worth $34 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Situated on 11 acres in Los Angeles, Midtown Crossing is a multi-level transit-oriented shopping center. Prior to redevelopment, the site was an underutilized lot occupied by an obsolete Sears store and Builders Emporium. The project includes 350,000 square feet of retail, as well as a new MTA bus transfer station with a 12 bus capacity.

LA Times (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/opinion/back-to-a-fairly-healthy-downtown-development-market/article_9668680a-64bf-11e1-8a70-001871e3ce6c.html)


Back to a Fairly Healthy Downtown Development Market
Posted: Friday, March 2, 2012

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/86/986d3eb4-59ca-11e1-96bd-0019bb2963f4/4f3ef5e862e17.preview-300.jpg
The Broad Museum

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - This is an interesting time in the Downtown Los Angeles development and real estate market. For years the community, like the nation, suffered in the wake of the housing bubble and the ensuing recession. Although there were some positives, particularly in the form of the restaurant and nightlife sector, the local residential and office realms slowed to a crawl.

Now we are witnessing a strong return, and the area is much improved over a few years ago. Although some weak points remain, in particular the office market, the overall community is fairly healthy.

http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/20120101-1407481.jpg
Grand Ave Civic Park under construction theurbanobserver.com

There have been signs of an impending turnaround for about a year-and-a-half, but only in the past few months has it become clear that the Central City is again a viable place for certain kinds of large investment and construction. Right now, people are starting projects and making big money bets on the future of Downtown.

This does not mean that the investment atmosphere is similar to what existed in, say, 2006, before the downturn. With hindsight, while that time in Downtown was exciting, it was also often foolish. People without experience or clear financing plans were acquiring land and announcing projects. Although some worthy developments were stalled or killed by the economy, there were also many efforts that did not deserve to go forward.

Now there is renewed confidence in Downtown, and it is more tempered and more reasonable than a few years ago. That’s a good thing. It’s better to have fewer projects that will actually make it to market than to have a surfeit of never-to-materialize developments.

The clearest indicator of the turnaround came in our recent Downtown Development issue, which gave the latest information on 70 projects. While not all of them will reach the finish line, many developments that have started recently, or opened in the past few months, will serve as catalysts for additional housing, restaurants, bars, service businesses and other types of construction.

For example, Eli Broad’s $100 million Bunker Hill art museum, the 300,000-square foot Chinatown Gateway, and One Santa Fe, which will create more than 400 apartments across from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in the Arts District, will all propel additional activity. No matter what happens with the proposed Farmers Field, these economic engines mean more people and more money will come to those areas.

Then there are the projects that function as parts of a larger whole. In recent months, several developments were announced for Broadway: The coming Ace Hotel in the United Artists Theatre, Downtown’s first Ross Dress for Less and the Sparkle Factory, a jewelry manufacturing headquarters in a long-vacant building, will all dovetail with previous restaurant, retail and housing projects on the street.

Downtown is also seeing more retailers willing to take a stake in the community. National chain stores, which proceed very cautiously when considering emerging markets, are now following the independent shops that have been here for years. There is the aforementioned Ross, and Target continues to be on track to open its first Downtown location this fall. As Downtown News reports this week, Wal-Mart is also coming to the community for the first time.

Then there are projects that follow the area’s long role as a hub for employment. The aged Hall of Justice is being transformed and is expected to open in 2014. In January, plans for a new Federal Courthouse at First Street and Broadway were revived — the project finally has money and support in Washington, D.C.

[...]



http://www.lacityhome.com/img/dwntwn/g-ave-model.jpg
Grand Ave. Civic Park masterplan LAcityhome

The Village at Westfield Topanga

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2011/0803/20110803__village%20at%20westfield%20topanga.JPG


http://www.losangelesworks.org/news.cfm

Costco-anchored Village at Westfield Topanga gets City Council OK

By Dakota Smith, Staff Writer

Updated: 03/01/2012 11:16:21 AM PST

The Los Angeles Council approved the Village at Westfield Topanga project on Feb. 29, 2012. The development is seen here in a rendering.

The City Council on Wednesday approved the Village at Westfield Topanga - a new Costco, retail and entertainment development that will combine with the company's existing Woodland Hills malls to make one of Southern California's largest shopping complexes.

The unanimous vote concluded a seven-year effort by the Westfield Group to develop the lot at Topanga Canyon and Victory boulevards, a process marked by sometimes testy relations between the developer and city leaders.

"I know there was a lot of discussions, there were a lot of issues," said City Councilman Dennis Zine at Wednesday's hearing. "But at the end of the day, this will bring a tremendous amount of opportunity ... a lot of jobs and the sales tax that will come to the city of Los Angeles."

The development will include a Costco store and 50 shops and restaurants, which will rise between the developer's Topanga and Promenade malls.

A hotel, office tower and 50 more shops are proposed in the Village's second phase.

[...]

Metropolis

http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/metropolis-development.jpg?w=630
http://theurbanobserver.com/category/hotels/


http://www.ladowntownnews.com/development/metropolis---mixed-use/article_04bcf00c-59bf-11e1-bb43-0019bb2963f4.html

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 3:26 pm | Updated: 3:28 pm, Fri Feb 17, 2012.

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt | 0 comments


DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - According to the most recent information available, IDS Real Estate Group is courting hotel operators and large retailers for a 6.5-acre site bounded by Eighth, Ninth and Francisco streets and the Harbor (110) Freeway. IDS envisions a multi-phase project with up to two hotels and about 300,000 square feet of mostly ground-level retail. The development, which still lacks a timeline and budget, aims to transform Francisco Street into an energized pedestrian corridor feeding directly into L.A. Live. The project could proceed with retail first if Brookfield Properties' renovation of the outdoor mall at Seventh and Figueroa streets proves successful at attracting tenants, IDS senior vice president Patrick Spillane said previously. Or, it could move first with a hotel; the chances for that would increase if Anschutz Entertainment Group inks a deal to expand the convention center and build an NFL stadium.

8500 Burton Way steaming along...

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http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/02/8500_burton_constructionwatch_win_tickets_to_the_venice_modern_home_tour.php

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http://mondette.com/blackburnandsweetzer/2011/03/09/real-estates-carusos-8500-burton-way-project-including-trader-joes-breaks-ground/

LA Downtown News (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/development/federal-courthouse---new-projects/article_7f3f6324-59b4-11e1-93a5-0019bb2963f4.html)


Federal Courthouse - New Projects

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:10 pm

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt | 0 comments

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/90/8bf7b7edd4c24b7d8380033959fb1198/l.jpg
http://www.myspace.com/mrscofla/photos/12169505

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Long-delayed plans to build a federal courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles suddenly shifted into gear in January. Construction on a $400 million project on the southwest corner of First Street and Broadway will begin next year and be completed by 2016, according to a spokesman for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. The plans for the courthouse, on a 3.6-acre site that formerly held a state office building, call for a 600,000-square-foot edifice with 24 courtrooms, 32 judges' chambers and 110 parking spots. The state building was razed in 2007 and the site in recent years has been an empty and fenced-off eyesore, with a pit that fills with several inches of water after rainstorms. The new building will house district judges, jury assembly facilities, offices for the U.S. Marshals Service and more. Plans for a courthouse had stalled after costs soared to more than $1 billion.

©Los Angeles Downtown News.

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http://www.chanen.com/justice6/FedCourthouseLA.asp

The Broad Museum

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http://wordlesstech.com/2011/02/08/broad-art-foundation-los-angeles/

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http://blog.2modern.com/2011/02/the-broad-art-foundation-museum.html

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http://www.bestarchitecture.org/los-angeles-the-broad-unveiled-the-design-of-diller-scofidio/los-angeles-the-broad-unveiled-the-design-of-diller-scofidio1



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0154357b8892970c-600wi
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/eli_broad/


http://www.ladowntownnews.com/development/the-broad---cultural-entertainment/article_6c741e58-59c6-11e1-a212-0019bb2963f4.html

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 4:18 pm | Updated: 4:50 pm, Fri Feb 17, 2012.

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt | 0 comments


DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Crews are finishing the three-level parking facility upon which the $100 million museum known as The Broad will get built, and work on the museum proper will begin after that, said Joanne Heyler, director of the Broad Art Foundation. The garage, which will hold space for 370 cars, extends from lower to upper Grand Avenue, which will allow the museum housing philanthropist Eli Broad's 2,000-piece contemporary art collection to have a street level entrance. The museum being designed by the New York film Diller, Scofidio + Renfro is on pace for a late 2013 opening, Heyler said.

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Marriott Hotels

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/f4/9f4a1bd4-43be-11e1-89c1-0019bb2963f4/4f19f8e3f03a3.preview-300.jpg


http://www.ladowntownnews.com/development/marriott-hotels---business/article_57162d7e-59c8-11e1-a36d-0019bb2963f4.html

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 4:33 pm | Updated: 4:53 pm, Fri Feb 17, 2012.

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt | 0 comments


DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Portland-based developer Homer Williams and his partner Dame Associates plan to break ground in March on a 393-room, $120 million project at Olympic Boulevard and Francisco Street. The single building would hold two Marriott brands, a Courtyard Suites and a Residence Inn. Williams said in January that the project was 85% financed and is on track to secure all of its funding within 45 days. The edifice across from the Convention Center headquarters hotel is slated to open in 2014. Officials have said it is not dependent on Farmers Field, and will go forward regardless of whether the stadium materializes.

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LA Works (repost) (http://www.losangelesworks.org/news.cfm)


South Park to Get 32-Story Tower

by Ryan Vaillancourt, Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, March 8, 2012 1:22 pm

http://brighamyen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/9th-and-olive.jpg
http://brighamyen.com/

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Onni Group, a Vancouver-based developer that last year bought two Downtown properties, is quietly finalizing plans to build a 32-story apartment tower at Ninth and Olive streets.

The proposed $100 million development at 888 S. Olive St. would rise on a plot entitled in 2009 by LaeRoc Funds. Onni bought the site along with the adjacent Coast Savings Building from LaeRoc last year for $16.5 million.

The so-far-unnamed 283-unit tower is currently in the plan check phase of the permitting process and is on pace to break ground by August, said Chris Evans, Onni’s executive vice president. He said financing is in place to start construction, but declined to specify how the firm will fund the project.

Onni last year opened a five-person office in the Coast Savings Building, which will remain an office complex. The company also has offices in Chicago and Phoenix.

[...]

8th & Hope apartment tower

http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/8th-hope-street.jpg
http://theurbanobserver.com/2012/02/03/downtown-parking-lot-files-for-permits-22-story-apartment-tower/


http://theurbanobserver.com/2012/02/03/downtown-parking-lot-files-for-permits-22-story-apartment-tower/


As reported by Brigham Yen, LA city permits were filed recently (12/15/11) on a downtown parking lot, located at the south-west corner of 8th & Hope, for a ground-up 22-story mixed-use high-rise with 290 apartment units and ground floor retail/office.

The site was originally planned for development by CIM group, who according to Brigham Yen sold the property to Wood Partners in 2008 – however according to title reports, the property is still owned by CIM

Farmers Field Stadium: Renderings Released For LA Convention Center Replacement

http://archpaper.com/uploads/image/LA_Coex_01.jpg
http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5878

http://archpaper.com/uploads/LA_Coex_02.jpg
http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5878



http://theurbanobserver.com/2012/02/03/farmers-field-stadium-renderings-released-for-la-convention-center-replacement/


February 3, 2012by Jed TarrLeave a Comment

In order for AEG to build their Farmers Field Stadium, they must demolish the West Hall of the LA Convention Center; and according to their agreement with the city, they must replace the demolished portion. Yesterday AEG and Architect Populous, presented designs to the Ad Hoc city committee for the 20,000 square foot Convention Center wing, which will replace the West Hall. The new facility would rise one story above Pico Blvd; connecting the existing South Hall to the proposed stadium, making the entire Convention Center one congruent building (Current Convention Center is split between two separate spaces). Pouria Abbassi, General Manager of the LA Convention Center said, “This is 21st century design…This places us in the top-tier to be able to capture those electronic shows (referring to E3, a large & popular gaming convention)…E3′s booking agents prefer to host in one large space”, he says.

While AEG is making progress on their design plans, the overall goal of building a downtown stadium is dependent on them securing an NFL team.

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1111 Wilshire

http://1111wilshireprogress.com/images/1111wilshire_05.jpg
http://1111wilshireprogress.com/timeline.html


http://www.ladowntownnews.com/development/wilshire---residential/article_34e2f722-59b5-11e1-a7ff-0019bb2963f4.html

Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:16 pm | Updated: 4:35 pm, Fri Feb 17, 2012.

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt | 0 comments


DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Work continues on a 210-unit City West apartment complex by Vancouver, Wash.-based Holland Partner Group. The company broke ground on the project at 1111 Wilshire Blvd. last June. The $60 million effort on the site of a former parking lot will be a seven-story building with more than 7,750 square feet of retail space. It will contain studio to three-bedroom units and an underground parking garage will hold 302 cars. Company officials said the building is expected to open in 2013. The project is near Glo, Holland Partner Group's first apartment complex in the area.

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That's not even the Hollywood Sign anymore...
They'll pretty much trash a landmark

I agree. The Hollywood sign is a historical landmark. It should be protected. They're going to f*ck it.

I wanna move to L.A.!!!!

Office tower plans scrapped


Wilshire Grand Hotel Going Single Tower, Ditching Offices (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/wilshire_grand_hotel_going_single_tower_ditching_offices.php)


The Wilshire Grand hotel has already closed, and Korean Air has gotten approvals to demolish the building and build a two-tower replacement with 560 hotel rooms and office space. Major curveball: the Downtown News reports today that Korean Air now plans to build just one tower with 900 hotel rooms and "a diminished office component." (But that means fewer walls to for "architectural lighting"/ads!) They've also switched out their development partner, ditching Thomas Properties Group for Martin Project Management, which is headed up by Chris Martin of the project's architecture firm, AC Martin (the DN points out that TPG was supposed to have an ownership stake in the new Wilshire Grand).

...

Martin tells the paper that the new project should only require administrative changes and won't need to go through another lengthy approval process. In fact, he says that demolition should begin this summer and construction should start in spring 2013, as originally planned. Korean Air decided to make the switch because of Downtown's high office vacancy rate and the "currently hot Downtown hotel market."

amazing projects

wilshire grand is losing the offices but not the height

it gaining 900 hotel rooms and also gaining floors

the new single tower will include 900 hotel rooms and be allowed to rise 1,250 feet and have 75 to 80 stories

proposed projects for Downtown Include :


Zen tower 50 stories over 660 feet

755 figueroa 50 stories 702 ft high

Wilshire Grand Tower 381 meters 75 - 80 floors

Grand Avenue Project 4 towers 190 meters, 138 meters, 90 meters, 99 meters

concerto north tower 100 meters 28 floors

LA Central 176 meters 45 floors, 112 meters 33 floors

Metropolis 190m, 190m, 153m, 106m, 42 fl, 42 fl, 46 fl, 29 fl

Marriot courtyard 76 meter, 22 floors

FDIM apartments 69m, 19 floors

Glass tower 27 floors, 96 meters

Farmers Field 76,000 capacity

New Convention Center Space 5th largest in USA

8th and grand North tower 40 floors

Sci Arc towers 40 floors, 40 floors

southpark towers

unnamed south park tower 32 floors

Los Angeles federal courthouse 17 floors

* City House 795 feet, 60 floors
Olympic 663 feet, 50 floors

* Park Fifth Tower 1 850 feet, 76 floors
Parf Fifth Tower 2 43 floors



* = still hope

Broad Museum Ready to Rise (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/broad_museum_ready_to_rise_1.php)

Broad Museum Ready to Rise

(http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/03/broad_museum_ready_to_rise_1.php)
http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2012__03_broadrendering-thumb.jpg (http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2012__03_broadrendering.jpg)Soon there will be white honeycombs sprouting on Grand Avenue--the project recently obtained construction permits to build the actual museum part of the Broad Museum, reports the Downtown News (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/broad-museum-cleared-for-takeoff-construction-permits-issued-for-million/article_02e54098-72e4-11e1-b0ba-001871e3ce6c.html) (the work that's taken place over the past 10 months has been on the three-level parking garage that serves as the museum's pedestal). The permits were obtained a week ago and construction workers are already erecting the $100 million Diller, Scofidio + Renfro-designed museum that will open late next year. Click here to see the progress. (http://broadartfoundation.org/construction_webcam.html) [Downtown News]

CurbedLA.com

Downtown LA’s Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn Readies for Ground Breaking

Posted on March 19, 2012 (http://brighamyen.com/2012/03/19/downtown-las-marriott-courtyard-and-residence-inn-readies-for-ground-breaking/) by Brigham Yen (http://brighamyen.com/author/admin/) | 8 Comments (http://brighamyen.com/2012/03/19/downtown-las-marriott-courtyard-and-residence-inn-readies-for-ground-breaking/#comments)
http://brighamyen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSC01788.jpgGround breaking draws near for Marriott’s newest 23-story tower and dual hotel brands, Courtyard and Residence Inn, with blue construction fencing put up around the development site across from JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton at LA Live
First announced almost a year ago (http://brighamyen.com/2011/04/19/residence-inn-marriott-and-courtyard-marriott-coming-to-downtown-los-angeles/) in April 2011 that a brand new 23-story Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn tower (with 393 rooms) would be built in the burgeoning South Park district, construction fencing was erected recently this month to cordon off the future hotel development site.
Located at Olympic Blvd and Francisco St–directly across the street from JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton at LA Live–the new hotel tower will add much needed capacity in a growing district of Downtown LA that may eventually get an expanded convention center and brand new Farmers Field NFL football stadium (with rumors of the Rams (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-9092669) as the returning LA team).
Ground breaking is still anticipated to begin next month in April 2012.

brighamyen.com

The South Park 'Double Marriott':

http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/7160/6650019773_330c0b5545_o.jpg
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/01/south_parks_doublemarriott_tower_has_new_look.php

Incorporating sustainable solutions, engineering & community engagement in LA

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19718

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19718_1_1335884506_6348rontPark_Resized.JPG

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19718_2_1335884506_5476rontPark_Resized.JPG

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19718_3_1335884506_464rontPark_Resized.JPG

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19718_4_1335884506_2461rontPark_Resized.JPG

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19718_5_1335884506_3249rontPark_Resized.JPG

Curbed (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/05/westwoods_mann_theater_replacement_now_a_mixeduser.php)


Westwood's Mann Theater Replacement Now a Mixed-User

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2012_05_gayleyproject.jpg

Tonight, the city planning department's Westwood Community Design Review Board reviews plans for the long-delayed replacement of the former Mann National Theater at Gayley and Lindbrook in Westwood (rendering above). Chances are things will go well, as the project is earning fans in the neighborhood, according to Sheri Bonstelle, attorney for developer Ron Simms. Formerly designed as a one-story retail establishment, the new plans include 34 apartments above 5,000 square feet of retail and underground parking. The project recently received unanimous approval from both the Westwood Neighborhood Council and the Westwood Community Council. If everything goes well tonight, there will be another hearing in June and a hearing in August in front of the West LA Planning Commission. Bonstelle says Simms is eager to start work and will get moving as soon as entitlements are handed over.

good projects!

Farmers Field fly-through:

vFyFCuBgRTA

New plans to develop a masterplan of Union Station in Los Angeles

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19760

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19760_2_union2.jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/19760_3_union3.jpg

^^ great news!

It's not downtown?

LA Downtown News (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/south-park-apartment-complex-adds-third-building/article_8a43cf86-9b8a-11e1-bfdb-001a4bcf887a.html)


South Park Apartment Complex Adds Third Building

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/ladowntownnews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/5c/25ca610a-1d45-11e1-905e-0019bb2963f4/4ed96c36e9bdb.preview-300.jpg

Posted: Friday, May 11, 2012 by Richard Guzman City Editor

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES— Plans for a major apartment complex in South Park just got a little bigger.

A groundbreaking is set for May 22 for the newly named The Avant, a now three-building, 440-unit project from developer Century West Partners, a partnership between Chicago-based Fifield Companies and Los Angeles-based Michael Sorochinsky of Cypress Equity Investments.

It was originally planned as a $95 million pair of seven-story apartment buildings set to rise on two parking lots at 1340-1360 S. Figueroa St. and 1355-1365 S. Flower St. The price with the third building has not yet been announced.

According to a project representative, plans for a third building at 1500 S. Figueroa St. will be part of a second phase of the development.

The two seven-story structures will be built simultaneously and will be connected by a walkway. That portion of the project is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.

Phase two is scheduled to break ground in early 2013. No completion date has been announced.

[...]

Work Set to Begin at Koreatown's Giant The Vermont Towers (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/05/work_set_to_begin_at_koreatowns_giant_the_vermont_towers.php)

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2012_05_thevermont.jpg


We haven't heard much lately about The Vermont, the proposed two-tower megaproject across from the subway station at Vermont and Wilshire. Developer JH Snyder has gotten some good news from Uncle Sam: the Housing and Urban Development department announced on Friday that they were giving Snyder a $12.5 million loan, which will fund the retail and parking components of the project. The Community Redevelopment Agency was supposed to push $17.5 million toward this project last year; it's not clear if it got to Snyder before the CRA was killed by Governor Brown. Anyway, HUD describes the project as thus: "The Vermont will provide approximately 35,000 square feet of retail space, 464 market-rate apartment units, and 910 indoor parking spaces." The towers will be 22 and 28 stories and there will also be a quarter-acre central courtyard. We've seen a lot of action going on at the site, though a building permit was just pulled a week ago.

New South Park Hotel Renders Out: (http://theurbanobserver.com/2012/05/15/new-65000sf-south-park-hotel-renderings/)



May 15, 2012by Jed TarrLeave a comment

Located on a small 7,500 square foot in-fill lot, next door to the Luma building, and which was expected to be turned into a city park after being used as a drug den for dealers over the past several years; is a new hotel in the works. The building is expected to be 65,000 square feet, and contain anywhere between 40 and 60 rooms, according to the developer, who bought the site for $2.1 million in 2011. The property is located at 1130 S Hope Street.


http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/1337027783-xten-downtown-la-hotel-2.jpg
http://theurbanobserver.com/

http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/1337027807-xten-downtown-la-hotel-10-updated-528x219.jpg
http://theurbanobserver.com/

http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/1337027787-xten-downtown-la-hotel-5-528x270.jpg
http://theurbanobserver.com/

Existing structure at 1130 S. Hope St.
http://theurbanobserverdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2012-02_southparkhotel.jpg
http://theurbanobserver.com/

great projects!!

Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-downtown-los-angeles-hotel-20120517,0,4329990.story)


Downtown Los Angeles hotel will have lobby on 70th floor

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4fb58d3c/turbine/la-fi-mo-downtown-los-angeles-hotel-20120517-001/600
The Old Wilshire Grand being demolished.

With work set to begin soon on a $1-billion luxury hotel in downtown Los Angeles, developer Korean Air revealed some details about the tower that is expected to dramatically alter the city’s skyline.

The skyscraper will be the second-tallest structure in Southern California at 70 stories, only slightly shorter than the US Bank Tower office building, said Yang Ho Cho, chairman of Korean Air. The design is still a work in progress, but guests are expected to be whisked by high-speed elevators to the lobby on the 70th floor, where they will check in. The top floor will also have a restaurant, bar and infinity swimming pool.

Korean Air and Los Angeles architect A.C. Martin Partners Inc. have yet to settle on a shape for the building at Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street or pick an operator for the four-star hotel. It will, though, be stacked starting with shops, restaurants and ballrooms on the lowest seven floors. Next will be 20 stories — about 400,000 square feet — of offices for rent. The floors above will house 900 hotel rooms.

The tower will be swathed in photovoltaic lights that will be intense on the lower floors, lighter in the middle and intense again on top. Advertising will be included. “It’s about art with built-in messages,” said Christopher Martin, chief executive of A.C. Martin.

Korean Air is selling the contents of the former Wilshire Grand hotel, which occupies the site now. Demolition of the hotel built in the 1950s is set to begin this summer. The new building will open in January 2017, Cho said.

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