we might not see anything that tall until the purple line makes its way there (but i agree)

Speaking of City Center, I would love to see something like the VEER towers in Century City. I mean I like CC but it needs something that makes it stand out.

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images/veer_towers.jpg

^^That's ugly.

"Croy" I love CC's Avenue Of The Stars. I love the grand wide street with nice foilage running alongside of it with grand fountains in the middle. I think it's just great!

More renderings:

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/how_about_condos_instead_of_the_century_plaza_hotel.php


I am kind of mixed about this project. It is exiting to see something this tall get built but I also like the contrast of the older architecture and that is is denser and the way it looks like layers instead of just a bunch of tall this buildings.

That hotel is a beautiful landmark and should not be torn down. There are at least two other large parcels of land that could be used for more condo towers, what's wrong with those?

we might not see anything that tall until the purple line makes its way there (but i agree)

Even when thePurple Line arrives, the homeowner associations around CC will still not allow something like that because of it's height.

More renderings:

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/how_about_condos_instead_of_the_century_plaza_hotel.php


I am kind of mixed about this project. It is exiting to see something this tall get built but I also like the contrast of the older architecture and that is is denser and the way it looks like layers instead of just a bunch of tall this buildings.

That hotel is a beautiful landmark and should not be torn down. There are at least two other large parcels of land that could be used for more condo towers, what's wrong with those?

I think they should keep the hotel and build the two new towers behind it, allowing for a hotel and condo project. A good contrast of old 60's modern and today's modern.

I think they should keep the hotel and build the two new towers behind it, allowing for a hotel and condo project. A good contrast of old 60's modern and today's modern.

Sounds good but is there room?

oh yeah... it's CC

"Croy" I love CC's Avenue Of The Stars. I love the grand wide street with nice foilage running alongside of it with grand fountains in the middle. I think it's just great!

you're right, it is asthetically pleasing to the eye and does look wonderful. i'm really speaking in terms of it's use. CC is a good example of sprawled out density. not too much walking going on there.

the newly proposed buildings, if approved, would make me feel better about the avenue if there was actually something to do along the avenue. it's wasted beauty if noone is around to walk and see it. drivers get only a quick glimps at the watercourt and it really needs time to look at. nice shops at street level and terrace dining would really be romantic

The guy doesn't own other parcels, he owns this one, with the hotel on it as well. It's his to do with what he wants. Beverly Hills might squawk about eastbound traffic but I don't think Westwood south of Santa Monica has the clout to complain about their morning sunrise view being ruined. The hotel is in the way so it has to be broken down, UNLESS..... you can put it on wheels and move it :)

people who complain about the view at home are at home too much and need to get out more often... and the view always gets better the more you try it

you're right, it is asthetically pleasing to the eye and does look wonderful. i'm really speaking in terms of it's use. CC is a good example of sprawled out density. not too much walking going on there.



CC is coming into its own *nd it will very soon. CC could be yet *nother jewel tr*veling from downtown to SM *long the Purple Line. So much potenti*l for CC. But "Croy" CC isn't th*t big. One d*y could be * very dense highrise district.

would be nice to see in my lifetime :)

would be nice to see in my lifetime :)

These "lifetime" comments are so depressing! My grandma is 95 and was born in 1914 alot of stuff has changed in the past 95 years ALOT!!
Trust me we will see it in our life time! :poke::runaway:

CC is coming into its own *nd it will very soon. CC could be yet *nother jewel tr*veling from downtown to SM *long the Purple Line. So much potenti*l for CC. But "Croy" CC isn't th*t big. One d*y could be * very dense highrise district.

Klams, are you trying to make * happen? :)

I blew coffee out of my nose the other d*y *nd now my "eigh" is not working.

I thought CC w*s *lre*dy * highrise district??????

i think it's "8" now :lol:

it's more a commercial highrise than living highrise district. this new century project is the first step really in living in CC

:) Century City is, still, one of My favorite parts of Los Angeles. My ONLY issue with IT, like many, is that the towers are set so far apart and set back from the sidewalk.... as in an office park. It, apparently, hasn't given up it's 1960's master plan guidelines.

I blew coffee out of my nose the other d*y *nd now my "eigh" is not working.

I thought CC w*s *lre*dy * highrise district??????

@?

:) Century City is, still, one of My favorite parts of Los Angeles. My ONLY issue with IT, like many, is that the towers are set so far apart and set back from the sidewalk.... as in an office park. It, apparently, hasn't given up it's 1960's master plan guidelines.

Ireally like CC as I've said b4. No it's not supposed to be downtown with buildings pulled up to the curb. I thought the idea was to be a sort of dense urban highrise business district with buildings set back to create a grand effect with fountains and centerpiece foilage to mark the entrance to the building....at least that's the intent that I see for the latest proposed towers by the Century Group. I think what CC needs and I'm sure we all agree is more residential and a subway stop.
When it comes to LA I'm more interested in allowing the city to continue to evolve into the unique organism that it truly is. I think that it is both parochial and limiting to constantly compare every new project with what would be done in Paris or NYC. With that said I would have thought it awesome to preserve and incorporate the old hotel into the newly proposed but let's face it Los Angeles is just getting around to the idea of preservation and historic this and that and a lot of it is due to the age of the city. I think we will see a lot more of this push to recognize our "historic" pieces in the city as we move forward but if u are all about preservation it may be better for you to live in a city that is older than Los Angeles. I mean the hotel that we're talking about saving is only a mere 40 or so years old and that is "historic" for LA! I think that some of u might just be living in the wrong city.

January 18, 2009

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3209558244_ea57616c28_b.jpg

Banner Time! http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/3209558244_ea57616c28_b.jpg (wow... you went down to the end of your street, but I'll take it.) Imperfect Ending/SSC

I walked to Downtown yesterday from my house :D

Banner Time! http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/3209558244_ea57616c28_b.jpg (wow... you went down to the end of your street, but I'll take it.) Imperfect Ending/SSC

Wow! That looks alot denser than what I think of CC. The CC + Westwood effect looks really good.

February 28, 2009

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3322454436_0fd76cf16f_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3321625867_8d71de03f9_b.jpg

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3321627797_3709d3a7a6_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3321628431_6416f4940a_b.jpg

Good to see you getting out and about.... not letting that syphilis get you down :)

^^ I do believe it was "herpes" ;)

Nice pics though IE :colgate:

The Century

UPDATE
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

The Century was topped out in December and precast is currently hung on the 40th floor and all precast on the tower is to be completed by the end of March, with the low-rise precast to be completed shortly after. The windows are currently being installed through the 35th floor, and the interior framing and MEP rough-ins are being installed on the 38th floor. Drywall is being installed on the 30th floor with all of the finish trades following behind. The exterior stone on the low-rise has been installed on the North and South elevations, with the East and West wings to begin shortly. On the site, most of the underground utilities south of the building have been installed and the backfill operation is currently ongoing over the top of the garage.

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centfeb09dcopy1236891788.jpg

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centfeb09bcopy1236891645.jpg

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centfeb09ccopy1236891661.jpg

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centmarch09fcopy1236891799.jpg

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centmarch09ecopy1236891681.jpg

http://www.webcor.com/auto_images/large/centfeb09acopy1236891624.jpg
www.webcor.com

thanks Dino for the updates!

Great updates. Love seeing inside. Thanks.

This looks like a great residential high rise. To me, it is much more interesting than the residential towers being built downtown.

I don't know why, but it just looks more like a tower of actual homes where most of the downtown residential buildings look like offices.

BTW, why doesn't such a cool building have its own thread?

It IS the tallest skyscraper being built in los angeles after the L.A. Live tower, right?

Great updates.

BTW, why doesn't such a cool building have its own thread?

It IS the tallest skyscraper being built in los angeles after the L.A. Live tower, right?

Maybe we didn't actually believe it would get built? By the way, D-Bone- way to stay on top! We're gonna pool together and put you up there! In the "DogHouse", which is right under Spellings'. This is where you will live :)

Maybe we didn't actually believe it would get built? By the way, D-Bone- way to stay on top! We're gonna pool together and put you up there! In the "DogHouse", which is right under Spellings'.
This is where you will live :)


All I have to say is...:drool:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but some proposal just surfaced to demolish the Century Plaza Hotel to build two 50-storey skyscrapers on its site. The new towers would contain office space, residential units, and a hotel...but unfortunately, the number of rooms would be 130.

What some other users may say about this:

New Towers to replace the Century Plaza Hotel?!
The new hotel is to contain only 130 rooms?! This is f#(&in' bull$#i+!
50-story twin towers for Century City would be nice, but a 130-room hotel in one of the towers will not suffice. It will not suffice at all.
Yeah. Change the new towers' uses to one office and one hotel, with no residential use whatsoever.

Now, I know that you hate the new towers as much as I do, and we're gonna fight to save the old century Plaza Hotel and have the new twin towers cancelled. If any of you say you actually like this new proposal, then who the H-word cares about your opinions?! There is no chance that the towers will be constructed, even if the economy recovers. The Century Plaza Hotel is too much of an icon to join the Lord up in Heaven for anything, not even those pieces of crap to the right of this pic:
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-12/44011275.jpg

...this is old news. the towers do look neat and offer good cultural space in a through-plaza. i don't know what's up with the century plaza hotel, but any building that's going through demolition means it's not doing well (especially if the amount of rooms proposed is downsized). besides, it's offering more office space (which the current structure doesn't have) and residential units (which the current structure doesn't have). CC hotels might have high vacancy rates these days and is just victim to economy like everything else.

fight to stop jobs if you want i guess, seems like a bad time to keep and invest in stuff that doesn't work out well... auto industry anyone?

I personally think that the hotel that is there now is quite ugly. What the developer wants to do looks great and will had some more density to the skyline.

f#(&in' bull$#i+!


Jim lives in London by day, but is a bellhop at The Century by night!

I actualy like how the new towers would look like and I would like to see them build, but they have to keep the current number of the rooms...

The proposal will be faced with massive opposition and no one wants those built. :bash:

And the bad news about the Century Plaza made me feel like this: :badnews:

Every tower in CC is faced with mass opposition. Nothing new here.

Unfortunately I can't see your picture so I will just take it that you don't like it.

So henceforth we have a nimby amongst us?

I never thought that I would see a "until we no better" nimby in a forum where the topic is land development.

Preserve the Century Plaza Hotel!

^^ Make that dos nimbyeros :)

I happen to like the new towers as well.

But I do NOT want these built. I shouldn't have posted that photo in my first post on this page. If I post some news about something that is too iconic for demolition, this is who you act like:
http://www.aprilstewart.com/images/aprilsp1_nxbi.jpg
And one more thing: the new towers would have worked better in Miami than in Century City.

You are insulting us over the internet. That holds very little value in my eyes especially when you use childish pictures.

I was trying to be nice about this but you are no better than the 60 year old people who oppose every thing that someone tries to do to progress Los Angeles to the Elite of the Elite in being a world city.

This hotel is past its prime, has it had a storied history? OH YEAH, and we shouldn't forget that but its time to move on.

lets keep it civil! do not turn this into personal attacks. Consider this a warning before i start banning.

Like the St. Regis, I don't see anything worth saving at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Preservationists, developer square off over Century Plaza Hotel http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/varleynet.jpg varley.net The owners plan to demolish the Century City hotel and replace it with a $2-billion commercial and residential complex. The Los Angeles Conservancy wants to save it.
April 27, 2009
Minutes after their return from the moon in 1969, the three Apollo 11 astronauts gazed out the window of their isolation chamber as President Nixon welcomed them home and invited them to a state dinner in their honor.

The setting would be a magnificent ballroom in the Century Plaza hotel in "Los Angeles' space-age Century City complex," as the Los Angeles Times described it.

Forty years beyond, that crescent-shaped monument of mid-century modernism, where guests enjoyed specially created "moon rocks" of green almond paste dusted with chocolate, is poised to become the focus of what promises to be an intense battle over preservation.

New owners have revealed plans to demolish the hotel, no longer the VIP magnet it once was, and replace it with a $2-billion complex that includes two 50-story towers containing condos, offices, shops and a smaller luxury hotel.

The Los Angeles Conservancy is determined to stop them. To bolster its campaign, it has enlisted the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which today put the 726-room Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel on its annual list of America's 11 most endangered historic places.

"By naming this structure to the list, the National Trust is demonstrating that the preservation of recent past and modern buildings is as important to our cultural record as preserving architecture that's from the Victorian period or Art Deco era," said Christine Madrid French, director of the trust's nascent Modernism + Recent Past Initiative.

Of course, there is some debate about whether a hotel less than half a century old deserves the same level of protection as century-old structures.

When Los Angeles developer Michael Rosenfeld announced his redevelopment plans last December, he said the hotel's nearly 600-foot length impeded pedestrians' connections with other parts of the neighborhood. The new design, he said, would feature an open, tree-lined area between two 50-story towers that would facilitate people's meanderings among offices, shops and restaurants.

"While the Century Plaza holds an important nostalgic place on the Westside, the benefits of the redesign greatly outweigh those values," Rosenfeld said in a December interview, explaining why the hotel does not warrant being preserved.

But the notion of razing the Century Plaza alarmed the Los Angeles Conservancy. It nominated the structure for the trust's endangered list. Previously, other sites it suggested had made the list, including the original McDonald's in Downey, the Santa Anita racetrack, St. Vibiana's Cathedral and Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House, one of the first residences constructed from concrete block.

Having seen the demolition of other Century City landmarks in recent years -- notably the ABC Entertainment Center, home of the Shubert Theatre, and the headquarters of Welton Becket & Associates, the firm that first designed Century City -- the conservancy did not want to see another mid-century building destroyed.

"This building has both architectural and cultural significance," Linda Dishman, the conservancy's executive director, said of the Century Plaza. "We really thought this was the line in the sand."

The 19-story hotel on Avenue of the Stars at Constellation Boulevard, which opened in 1966, was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, later to gain fame for designing New York's World Trade Center towers.

Almost from its beginning, the hotel attracted celebrities, with Prince Andrew credited as the first international guest of renown. Politicians and other world dignitaries stayed so often that in the 1970s the hotel earned the nickname "the Western White House." President Reagan threw two victory parties there.

More notoriously, Hollywood studio chief and embezzler David Begelman committed suicide in one of the rooms.

Dishman noted that the hotel has been an epicenter of Westside social, political and celebrity functions.

"That unique cross-section has brought many people into contact with the building," she said.

She acknowledged that buildings typically must be at least 50 years old for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, unless they have exceptional significance. A mid-century building from the 1960s, she said, "is not the first thing people think of when they think historic preservation.

"We believe this building has exceptional significance," she said.

Rosenfeld, who bought the property a year ago for $366.5 million with backing from D.E. Shaw Group, has said his idea was influenced by a proposal unveiled in early 2007 to make Century City greener, less car-centric and more pedestrian-friendly. His architect, Henry N. Cobb, contends that the new configuration would help connect key parts of the neighborhood and create a public gathering place.

National Trust President Richard Moe took issue with that.

"The owners bought it and called it a jewel in their hometown, but now want to demolish it as part of the greening of Century City?" he said. "They're doing just the opposite. They couldn't do a more un-green thing."

Moe maintains that the building contains a great deal of "embodied energy," the energy required to manufacture the materials, transport them to the site and assemble them into a building. He has recently been speaking to groups nationwide about this notion to demonstrate that historic preservation can be a tool to achieve sustainability.

"It's an 800,000-square-foot hotel," Moe said. "The embodied energy is estimated to be the equivalent of 7 million gallons of gasoline. . . . If you tear the building down, you lose all that energy."

Not every old building deserves to be saved, Moe said, but if an older building can serve a new use, then preserving it makes sense for environmental as well as architectural and cultural reasons.

"We are trying to save this building," Moe said. "We're going to be fully engaged with the Los Angeles Conservancy to try to use every means possible to save this building."
Martha Groves LATIMES

I'm on the fence on this one.

Sure, two new 50 floor towers would be cool. But this building IS cool too. And at 19 floors it is not exactly short. And two more 50 story towers in CC just makes the who CC look the same from a distance. Pretty soon all the towers are going to be the same. Now if they were proposing a 1000 foot icon. . .that would be different!

Anyway, the more I read about the design, the more interesting it seems.

For example. Do you know why it is curved? The architect (same guy who later designed the world trade center, rip) didn't want the inevitable hallways to seem long and intimidating. So apparently when you look down the long halls, you see a curve, not the entire length of the hall. I think that is interesting.

It IS a handsome building too.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

If the developer can incorporate the facade that would be cool. But a squat 19 story building is not what CC is all about. And no the skyline won't look the same. It will just look more dense. I'd take two 50 story sleek towers over a squat 19 story horizontal structure anyday!

plus walking that block with nothing in difference of look or a thing to do... really encourages people to get in a car and zoom past it as fast as they can before they have to look at it

Love the new towers. Century plaza hotel is nothing special really. The Ambassedor (pretty sure that's a misspell), now that was worth fighting for. Makes me sick thinking that it's gone. But the century plaza is kind of whatever IMO.

Century Plaza Developers Fight Back Developer New Century is not thrilled about today's announcement about their property being placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. In fact, they've already sent two press releases, picked up by Curbed LA. The first one partially here: "We are disappointed to see the Century Plaza Hotel politicized in this way, particularly at a time when the City of Los Angeles is suffering from extreme economic hardship and is in dire need of new jobs. The naming of the hotel as an historic place is not supported by the facts. The building is less than 50 years old and does not qualify for consideration under stringent criteria for historic designation of a building of this recent age. LAist

https://www134.americanexpress.com/ctnwt/FHRImages/main/0516_1_200.jpg
The Roof Garden at the Peninsula Beverly Hills

Wow! skyscraper-haters on SKYSCRAPERCITY.com

I thought I'd stumbled upon the Lexington, KY thread for a second.

...................... A HOTEL'S PAST VS A CITY'S FUTURE
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/diane_keaton_gallery_10.jpg...http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/damiandovarganesap6666.jpgLENINIMPORTS.COM.......................................................Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the actress Diane Keaton are leading an effort to save the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
When Century City was built in the 1960s, it was a stab at urbanism amid Southern California’s sprawl. A 176-acre enclave in West Los Angeles, the development resembled the New York World’s Fair of 1964-65, with its futuristic buildings and its parklike setting.

At its heart was the Century Plaza Hotel, a 19-story building designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center towers in New York. The hotel had a distinctive curved facade that appeared to unfurl across the landscape.

But these days, the structure — now known as the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza — feels hemmed in, with much taller buildings surrounding it. “The entire context has changed,” said Michael Rosenfeld, a local real estate investor.

Last year, Mr. Rosenfeld bought the hotel for about $366 million, or around $500,000 a room. Six months later, he announced that he planned to tear it down and replace it with two 50-story towers designed by Henry N. Cobb, a principal of the New York architecture firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. One of the buildings would contain a 240-room hotel; the rest of the space would be offices and residential condominiums.

The plan alarmed preservationist groups. The National Trust for Historic Preservation added the hotel to its list of the “most endangered” sites in the country. The actress Diane Keaton, a board member of the National Trust, made the announcement in late April at a news conference in Century City.

In a later telephone interview, Ms. Keaton said she was determined to save the hotel, in part because of its distinctive shape, which she compared to a “sexy woman surrounded by ogling men — Sophia Loren in the 1960s.”

The effort also has to do with her love for hotels, which she described as places where history and social connections were made. In 1980, Ms. Keaton published “Reservations,” a book of photographs of hotel lobbies.

The Century Plaza served as a home away from home for President Ronald Reagan and has been the scene of many important entertainment industry events. . “We need to honor our city’s history more than we need two new towers,” MS. KEATON
. http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/22hotelB_large.jpg .
When he bought the hotel last year, Mr. Rosenfeld seemed to agree that the Century Plaza was special. “This is a rare opportunity to buy a jewel in my hometown,” he said. “The Century Plaza has been an L.A. icon since it opened in 1966.”

But in the wake of Ms. Keaton’s news conference, his company issued a terse statement, saying it was “disappointed to see the Century Plaza Hotel politicized in this way, particularly at a time when the city of Los Angeles is suffering from extreme economic hardship and is in dire need of new jobs.” It added, “This is not considered one of the more significant Minoru Yamasaki buildings and is not characteristic of his style.”

A spokeswoman for Yamasaki Associates, the Troy, Mich., firm founded by the late architect, declined to take a stand. Kim Anderson, who handles marketing for the firm, wrote in an e-mail message, “As much as we are saddened by the news of our project’s loss, we must respect the rights of the new owner.”

In an interview, Mr. Rosenfeld, who can see the hotel from his office in Century City, said that when he bought the building (with backing from the D. E. Shaw Group, a hedge fund), he had no plans to demolish it. The idea, he said, came from the Los Angeles City Planning Department, which is working to make Century City more pedestrian-friendly.

Right now, getting from one part of Century City to another can require “going down an alley, through a loading dock and across a parking deck,” he said.

The hotel, which has a huge semicircular driveway, “actually serves as a physical impediment” to people trying to walk through Century City, Mr. Rosenfeld said.

Replacing it with a pair of thin towers would free more than two acres for gardens. Reached by telephone in London, Mr. Cobb, who designed the proposed towers, said his goal was to “improve public space and public life” by “giving Century City a heart.”

Mr. Rosenfeld said the buildings would be built to high standards of energy efficiency. “We’ve covered green from every angle,” he said.

But Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said that the teardown would be anything but green. Demolishing “a perfectly good building,” Mr. Moe said, is “antithetical to the idea of sustainability.”

Mr. Moe said it could take 50 years or more for even a highly efficient building to save as much energy as is expended in the demolition and construction processes. Calling the developer’s plan green, he said, “boggles the imagination.”

Mr. Rosenfeld said that the difficulty of filling a 726-room hotel, especially during a downturn in the economy, was a factor in his decision.

At noon on a recent Sunday, the lobby of the Century Plaza was quiet. “Times are tough now,” conceded the hotel’s general manager, David Horowitz. “We’re fighting hard to get every piece of business we can get.” He added that the teardown, if it happened, was years away. “We’re focused on the immediate future,” he said.

Mr. Horowitz said the hotel was in good physical shape, thanks to a $30 million renovation that was begun when Hyatt took over the management of the hotel in 2006.

Mr. Rosenfeld said that while it might be difficult to obtain financing for the redevelopment at present, the downturn was a perfect time to begin obtaining the approvals needed to begin construction. That process, he said, could take up to three years.

The hotel, with 100,000 square feet of meeting space, remains a popular setting for banquets. On May 28, the Los Angeles Architectural Awards luncheon, a program of the Los Angeles Business Council, was held there. Eric Owen Moss, a Southern California architect, was the keynote speaker.

Mr. Moss didn’t mention the Century Plaza in his remarks. But, in a later interview, he disputed the contention that the building was a key part of the city’s architectural history. “I think it’s a hotel you could ship to São Paulo or Singapore or Dubai,” he said, “and nobody would know the difference.”

His bottom line? “I wouldn’t fight for the preservation of that particular building,” he said.

But Ms. Keaton plans to battle on. Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a local preservation group, said that she and Ms. Keaton were monitoring the project’s environmental review process while continuing to call attention to the building’s historical and architectural significance.

Several years ago, Ms. Keaton was part of a campaign to save another Los Angeles hotel, the Ambassador, which has been torn down.

“We really can’t afford to lose these,” she said. photo PEI COBB FREID & PARTNERS FRED A. BERNSTEIN NEW YORK TIMES

:crazy2::gaah:

Why can't they just build the towers and move that old hotel to Watts? We could move all of the buildings that we want to preserve and not tear down to Watts, right next to the Watts Towers. I think it would look lovely.

yup just pick up that wide footprint building and put there. j/k

but really, what's the holdup, i don't even like or cherish the building that's there right now. these towers would be way better.

i don't even go to century city (haven't been there in 4 years). it's not interesting in any way (except for that mall). CC should be as vibrant as westwood or santa monica or even downtown culver city.

there's so much potential for Century City and the holdup is a crappy shortstack that takes up an entire mega-block (i could even say the largest block in the city).

the westside would like to walk now please.

To me this is one case where two tall buildings is not that interesting. The proposed buildings are a bore. Modern, generic. It would be far more interesting to see them as a single building--maybe 60-70 floors. CC needs a tall central tower, not more of the same.

Seriously! We have a mall owner that is enlghtened enough to figure out that people want on-site residences, openness, a street presence and subway access and is spending his own money to do it; a neighboring landowner who says I will get rid of my auto-friendly old building and put in high-rise residential and create walkways to connect it to the shopping and entertainment; and we are quibbling about an "OK" building?

As for 60-70 stories, I woudn't have an issue but I think the local homeowners would. Didn't they get Westfield to knock 10 floors off the tower over Bloomingdales, down to 39?

Next is to do the same at Beverly Center.

Anything is better than that hotel at this point. If they want to preserve it so badly, they can just buy the damn thing and fix it up themselves. But at this point, it's pretty much a tear down since it's very outdated.

To me this is one case where two tall buildings is not that interesting. The proposed buildings are a bore. Modern, generic. It would be far more interesting to see them as a single building--maybe 60-70 floors. CC needs a tall central tower, not more of the same.

CC has a height limit of 50 floors which I'm really ok with. Build anything taller than that downtown. I think what is being said whether it be modern generic or not is that this would be a great addition to CC because it would also have residences, something that CC desperatley needs. Every building needn't be a signature building, these towers are just fine.

City Council panel approves motion on Century Plaza historic designation
6:50 PM | August 4, 2009

Los Angeles City Councilmen Paul Koretz and Ed Reyes have voted to approve Koretz's motion that the council propose historic designation for the Century Plaza hotel in Century City. The hotel's owner has revealed plans to tear down the curved structure and replace it with two high-rise towers and public open space.

The vote by the two councilmen, who make up two-thirds of the council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee, is the first step in a months-long process that Koretz hopes will result in the hotel's designation as a city historic-cultural monument. The two directed the city's planning staff to compile a list of the hotel's significant features and present it to the full council.

Ken Bernstein, director of the city's Office of Historic Resources, said his staff would be preparing that inventory and a recommendation that the hotel, designed by Minoru Yamasaki and opened in 1966, be designated. The National Trust for Historic Preservation included the property on this year's list of America's 11 most endangered historic places.

The hotel is owned by Next Century Associates, a partnership between Los Angeles-based real estate investor Michael Rosenfeld and the D.E. Shaw Group. Koretz wants Rosenfeld to participate in workshops with the Office of Historic Resources, the Los Angeles Conservancy and others to consider redevelopment alternatives that would allow for preservation of the hotel.

--Martha Groves

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/plum-panel-approves-motion-on-century-plaza-historic-designation.html

horrible. those supporters better visit that hotel every day, because noone else in their right mind even cares that it exists. it repells people from going to CC because you can't even walk there!

"hey wanna go to CC?"
"hell no, the century plaza hotel is there! i don't wanna walk around that b*tch for 15 minutes!"

That hotel has no historical significance. It's not that old and not pretty whatsoever. If it were like the Biltmore, I'd be more understanding, but it doesn't even come close to historically significant compared to other hotels!

CC feels like it has had arrested development.

I would rather leave the hotel where it is and build those towers on the sides of the hotel, so it would look like the towers are connected with the hotel...:)

wow, really nice development

I would rather leave the hotel where it is and build those towers on the sides of the hotel, so it would look like the towers are connected with the hotel...:)

Not enough room. While I like this hotel and have been there for many VERY nice events, it really isn't historical by a long shot so I can see it stay or go. Given my choices, I say tear it down. Not the original Ritz or Conrad Hilton or something like that.

That hotel has got to be one of the ugliest and most unappealing structures in the country. It needs to go down pronto even if there is nothing to replace it. Good news is there is something to replace it and it looks very respectable.

I don't think it's going anywhere.

i ♥ Century City :)

So they tear down the ambassador but this ugly thing gets kept? Talk about getting it backwards...

Only in LA.

as as far as calling the hotel, "ugly", your opinion is subjective. A lot of people think it is a very good looking hotel. I love the way it is situated in large landscaped grounds. I've been to many events at the hotel and it is lovely inside. To me.

So is it Now a Definite answer thats Its not Going Anywhere?

http://i47.tinypic.com/15fhl4g.jpg

I don't think that's really a fair comp.

Give me an idealized illustration of the CPH and then compare it to the idealized illustration of the glass towers.

Didnt they mention on curbed that a compromise was being worked on where they would keep the current building and add either both towers or just one tower to the land? im not the biggest fan of the current hotel, but that seems reasonable to me.

Well Honestly in My own opinion i would say that its probably a good idea to keep the current one and then add the other two but then again isn that like too much???

I'd rather the new hotels too.....but they don't listen to me.

The plan for the new towers was to usher in the "verticle", and not create a pedestrian unfriendly environment by keeping this design there. From what I remember, there is a mall that runs from the Century towers and under Avenue of the Stars and ends up at the ground level of the Century Hotel. That level is, of course, under the street level and harkens back to the "futuristic" type of planning in the beginning. You've got these big towers here along "Stars" and landscaping along the way- with nothing else to engage the people walking. The first major residential tower has opened, hardly affordable housing, but these people are just going to get in their Jag and slip out of there. As an office park, Century worked. As a working neighborhood, no. This was a good way to rethink the area, but I don't think there's enough room to install ground retail without changing the floor plans of what's already there. (And IMO, I think there's room for a third tower as that plan allows for too much landscaping.)

Nope. The mall stops across the street, well away from the property. A huge street lies between the properties.

Century City is a little like Vegas. You see things that seem right next door, but because the properties are so big, with huge setbacks and landscaping, there is no real streetlife and it is very difficult to walk around.

CC was designed at the height of the car era. Each development is a little microcommunity and there was very little thought to the idea that people might want to walk from one development to another. Really, the whole thing is not very big at all, but because of the setbacks it would be tough to change the character of the place.

Adding two towers to create a more pedestrian friendly community would not be accomplished by demoing the CPH and building these towers. There would still be a huge setback ala the hotels in vegas--which is the same as it is now.

I think adding a tower to the EDGE of the property, right on the street between the hotel and the mall is the best idea.

And let's build a single iconic tower, not these bland glass twins.

And of course we know that no one walks around in Vegas.

Nope. The mall stops across the street, well away from the property. A huge street lies between the properties.

Century City is a little like Vegas. You see things that seem right next door, but because the properties are so big, with huge setbacks and landscaping, there is no real streetlife and it is very difficult to walk around.

CC was designed at the height of the car era. Each development is a little microcommunity and there was very little thought to the idea that people might want to walk from one development to another. Really, the whole thing is not very big at all, but because of the setbacks it would be tough to change the character of the place.

Adding two towers to create a more pedestrian friendly community would not be accomplished by demoing the CPH and building these towers. There would still be a huge setback ala the hotels in vegas--which is the same as it is now.

I think adding a tower to the EDGE of the property, right on the street between the hotel and the mall is the best idea.

And let's build a single iconic tower, not these bland glass twins.

I don't think of Vegas when I think of Century City. I've called CC Los Angeles's version of La Defense in Paris but realistically, Century City is much like Buckhead in Atlanta. Buckhead is anchored by a large mall (Lennox Square) and it's surrounded by high rise towers.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/jfsatlbldr/Skyline%20Views/10-12-07143a_edited-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/jfsatlbldr/Skyline%20Views/10-12-07052a_edited-1.jpg

I would love to see an iconic 700 foot tall tower in CC somewhere on the lines of Capital Towers in Miami. I think they would be perfect in CC.
http://www.top-opportunities.com/img_projects/Capital_At_Brickell.jpg

I'm with you. I don't want CC to be Hollywood or the Promenade. I used to work in CC and I actually liked it's sterileness and coldness and since everything is so close very few people if any that I knew of ever drove a block over to the mall or to another building there is actually alot of walking being done.

The only thing that CC needs is a subway stop and more high end residential.

I love CC!

People don't really think about Century City when they think about Los Angeles ( not saying that it's good or bad. Just wanted to make that statement :D )

Yeah because when i think of CC i see it more with residential highrises since DT LA is i guess now more Commercial and Businesses. and CC is a pretty Nice Spot to Add Highrise Condos / Apartments... i would live there its pretty green :yes:


http://i50.tinypic.com/fy0js3.jpg

laura padgett

Oh and i Guess the Century Hotel isnt as bad as i thought... BUT it would still be nice to have other two towers in the pic... :)


http://i45.tinypic.com/2jb7dkl.jpg
-Quorban Expressions

Seriously, why didn't they come up with the compromise proposal a long time ago? There's a lot of space to build in Century City! Hello!

AMEN! thats right

A lot of these are good ideas but the reality is that there are unlikely to be any more buildings over 40 stories in CC (these got cut back by commuity protests) or any kind of density even vaguely like DT.

The CPH can stay, but if it went would be better. Two high-rise residential towers with some set back and landscaping is what has been approved. Add in a subway stop and on-street retail at the shopping center and easy pedestrian connections and you have as good as it's going to get.

Ok, so it's not exactly like vegas. But the century is a lot like this:

http://www.lasvegasinhotels.com/storage/images/WYNN_HOTEL.jpg

^ If you've been to the Wynn, you'd know that they're totally different.

A lot of these are good ideas but the reality is that there are unlikely to be any more buildings over 40 stories in CC (these got cut back by commuity protests) or any kind of density even vaguely like DT.

What?

The CPH can stay, but if it went would be better. Two high-rise residential towers with some set back and landscaping is what has been approved. Add in a subway stop and on-street retail at the shopping center and easy pedestrian connections and you have as good as it's going to get.

Are you serious?

The proposed Bloomingdale's tower at the mall got cut back from 49 to 39 (as I recall), and the same forces apply to any developer. Let's see where these end up as actually constructed.

Do you think something better will get permitted and built on that space? I would hope so but I can't imagine how they would get through community and city council opposition.

And frankly, having just watched the light at the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire change SEVEN times, NOTHING should be approved until the subway provides an alternative transportation thru this area.

You should try to avoid that area during rush hour (7:00AM to 9:00PM).

any yet, within 1/2 mile of that corner, there is proposed the Broad Museum, a Waldorf Hotel, another hotel, a bunch of condos, and the CC developments (mall expansion, hotels, condos).

Purple Line and connector to the 405 corridor anyone?

Geez, I just- I can't get over how great Century City looks in this picture ... . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/ali-landry-nude_04.jpg

OH DAMN!!!

poor thing fell asleep during her photo shoot.
:ohno:

..and that's when I slid in there and broke her fall!

poor thing fell asleep during her photo shoot.
:ohno:

hahaha

Geez, I just- I can't get over how great Century City looks in this picture ... . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/ali-landry-nude_04.jpg

Ya that highrise is giving me a highrise. hey ohhh

^^ vuy9kcC0G_M

Heterosexuals.....:ohno:

what was the topic here, again?

Hey, I kept to the thread :cheers:

Yay! :banana: :cheers:

Deal Spares Century Plaza Hotel from Wrecking Ball (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-centuryplaza11-2010feb11,0,1715542.story)

An agreement between the owner and preservationists would save 400 rooms and calls for a 'sensitive rehabilitation' of the site. The developer plans to propose other buildings on the property.

By Martha Groves
February 11, 2010

The Century Plaza, the elegantly curved luxury hotel that has welcomed presidents, princes and pop stars since its 1966 opening, will be spared from the wrecking ball under a historic agreement between the owner and preservationists.

The agreement, shaped over months of negotiations, calls for dramatically revamping the developer's original plan to raze the hotel and build two 50-story high-rises with condos, a boutique hotel, offices, retail shops and public plazas.

Real estate investor Michael Rosenfeld's plan to knock down the stylish hotel galvanized the preservation community and spawned an outpouring of community support for the hotel, designed by Minoru Yamasaki as the centerpiece of Century City.

In response, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the structure to its annual list of America's 11 most endangered historic places.

L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents Century City, pushed for the negotiations, saying the 19-story, 726-room hotel would be torn down "over my dead body."

"We went from the point where I thought I would have to watch them at every turn, for fear they would sneak in and demolish it, to having them work as our partners," he said. "They're not only going to preserve the hotel but do it right -- including restoring some of the finishes to make it look more like it did when it was brand new."

As of now, plans call for "sensitive rehabilitation" of the hotel to preserve 400 hotel rooms while converting those on the top floors to 45 condos. Meeting space would be reduced, and a slightly smaller ballroom would replace the existing one. The developer plans to propose other buildings on the site to the rear and/or sides of the hotel and a low-scale structure with some retail shops or restaurants to enliven the front of the hotel.

Diane Keaton, a trustee of the National Trust, said in a statement: "I am so glad that everyone came together and found a way to preserve this architectural gem. You see? It can be done. Development and preservation are not mutually exclusive."

I wasn't excited about the CP but I suppose this is the best solution to keep things moving. I hope it doesn't encourage the conservancy to fight for every mediocre, auto-centric, modernist building in town.

Hopefully this will get the rest of the project moving forward. Maybe a couple of new buildings, a new high-rise in the shopping mall and a subway stop in 6-8 years?

^ The Century Plaza Hotel may be auto-centric and modernist, but mediocre? How so?

just opinion; it doesn't grab me. It reminds me of many resort hotels in Hawaii, Latin America. Not terrible but not great.

Has Hawaii written all over it! . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/Fullscreencapture1282010122244AM.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/graphic/2010-08/55477249.jpg

New plan for Century Plaza hotel adds two 46-story towers
The $1.5-billion project by owner Michael Rosenfeld, who had originally planned to raze the Space Age hotel in Century City, would be one of the largest real estate developments on the Westside in decades.
Roger Vincent and Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
August 11, 2010


After backing down from a contentious proposal to demolish the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel, the owner has unveiled plans to construct a high-rise real estate development next to the Space Age landmark that would transform the tenor of Century City's streets and dramatically alter the skyline.

The $1.5-billion proposal calls for two 46-story skyscrapers holding hundreds of condominiums and offices to be built behind the renowned hotel on Avenue of the Stars. Nearly half of the guest rooms would be replaced by luxury condos as part of a top-to-bottom makeover.

A large portion of the lobby would be hollowed out and left open in a move to connect the new buildings, shops and plazas with nearby streets and improve the flow of pedestrians. Planning and construction are slated for completion by 2014.

The proposal represents a turnabout by Los Angeles developer Michael Rosenfeld, who has earned support from preservationists who once opposed him. Rosenfeld has also won a tentative nod from the mayor and a key city councilman for his revised plans.

His decision not to demolish the hotel is a major victory for Los Angeles preservationists, who have only lately begun to go to bat for buildings from the 1960s. The Century Plaza, completed in 1966, represents the can-do attitude of California in that era, said Los Angeles Conservancy President Linda Dishman.

The centerpiece of a commercial and residential development on the former Fox Studios back lot, the arc-shaped hotel is architecturally and culturally significant, Dishman said. Designed by the architect of the World Trade Center in New York, it has hosted astronauts, presidents and movie stars along with millions of ordinary Angelenos.

"Most everybody has been to a wedding, prom, bar mitzvah or fundraiser there," Dishman said. At the Los Angeles Conservancy, "we are thrilled," she said. Dishman said she was not opposed to the addition.

"Preservationists are often labeled that we are anti-change or anti-growth. I don't think that's true," she said. "Our focus is how to save historic buildings."

If approved by city officials, the addition would be one of the largest real estate developments on the Westside in decades, though it's likely to face resistance from nearby residents weary of traffic congestion and construction in their neighborhoods.

Demand for condominiums and offices plummeted during the recession and has yet to recover. But Rosenfeld said the market was likely to be on the upswing by the time the project is completed.

"We think the timing is ideal for resurgence into the next economic cycle," he said.

Rosenfeld, a native Angeleno, bought the Century Plaza for $366.5 million in mid-2008. Later that year he announced his intention to raze it and build two sleek 50-story hotel, office and condo towers in its place. At the time, Rosenfeld said that the Century Plaza had seen better days and that the new design would improve Century City's public spaces by adding a shop-lined plaza and more walkways.

Backlash from supporters of the hotel was swift and intense. Among those calling to save it were actress Diane Keaton and the Los Angeles Conservancy, the city's most influential preservation group.

Designed by prominent American architect Minoru Yamasaki, the Century Plaza was intended to be the centerpiece of Century City. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named the structure to its annual list of America's 11 most endangered historic places in 2009.

"To see the Century Plaza demolished on my watch … would have been tragic," said Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, who grew up near Century City and recalls observing the hotel's construction in the 1960s.

From the time he took office in July 2009, Koretz said, he put Rosenfeld on notice that demolition of the hotel "would happen over my dead body and even then I hoped my heirs would fight it."

Then Rosenfeld made "a 180-degree turnaround and started working with us," Koretz said. Rosenfeld promised not only that he would not raze the structure but also that he would restore its metallic finishes to their original sheen. Century City was funded by aluminum manufacturer Alcoa, and aluminum was featured prominently on the hotel's exterior.

"I am absolutely tickled pink with that," Koretz said. Still, the councilman stopped short of an outright endorsement, saying he would not take a position until the community weighed in.

Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa said he favored the development and the new jobs it could deliver to Los Angeles.

"This construction project is both an immediate and long-term investment in the future of our city," he said. "The Century Plaza hotel project will preserve the character of an iconic destination while creating a new and improved mixed-use development in the heart of the Westside."

But residents have frequently complained that the city's infrastructure can't handle the additional traffic new development brings. The leader of a homeowners group indicated that residents would challenge any redevelopment that led to thousands of additional car trips, as this project most likely would.

"More development is not what West L.A. needs right now," said Mike Eveloff, president of Tract 7260, a homeowners group at Century City's western border.

Eveloff said he was troubled by what he said appeared to be an agreement by the conservancy not to oppose development of the site as long as Rosenfeld agreed to preserve the hotel. In addition to traffic, Eveloff said residents were concerned about the potential loss of privacy posed by two 46-story towers hovering over the neighborhood.

Koretz, however, said he found much to like in the design.

"From what I've seen, it's a lot more pedestrian-friendly and a lot less like a fortress that's difficult to negotiate, like it is now," he said. "In a way, the Century Plaza is the heart of Century City, and in a way now it blocks the heart of Century City. This project has tremendous potential to make Century City much more walkable. That will be great for residents."

Koretz also likes the prospect of thousands of jobs that would come with development. "I'm hoping this winds up being a win-win for absolutely everybody," he said.

As envisioned by architect Henry N. Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the towers would have convex shapes to complement the concave form of the hotel. In front would be a new public plaza with outdoor cafes. In back would be a larger public plaza with shops and restaurants. A station for a planned subway stop would be included at the corner of Avenue of the Stars and Constellation Boulevard.

Compared with other, more colorful skyscrapers in Century City, the look of the proposed towers is "quiet," Cobb said. "We are trying to strengthen the identity of Century Plaza and not diminish it."

Plans call for reducing the number of guest rooms in the hotel from 726 to 394. Inside the preserved building, 63 luxury condos would be created. The ballroom would be made smaller as part of the makeover but still would be the largest on the Westside.

The new towers would contain up to 290 condos, 100,000 square feet of offices and 94,000 square feet of restaurants and stores.

Rosenfeld is founder and chief executive of Woodridge Capital Partners, a real estate investment company with assets throughout the United States and Canada. In 2007, he sold the 24-story Carlyle on Wilshire Boulevard to Elad Group, owner of the Plaza Hotel in New York.

With New York hedge fund D.E. Shaw Group, Rosenfeld bought the Century Plaza hotel in May 2008. Rosenfeld is executive manager of Next Century Associates, the partnership he and D.E. Shaw Real Estate Investment Group formed to develop the site.


Read More: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-century-plaza-20100811,0,5350941.story

:) holmes, you beat me to it.

So it really doesn't matter even if we had the Paris Metro those dumb ass homeowners on the Westside surrounding CC would still complain. I like the latest rendering as a great compromise eventhough I didn't care if the Century was torn down or not.

I still would rather see the Plaza go down, but this is fine with me too, although I doubt it happens because of "traffic concerns" by the homeowners. The only reason they let The Century go up is because it replaced the St. Regis so a building went down for The Century to go up.

"I am absolutely tickled pink with that," Koretz said. Still, the councilman stopped short of an outright endorsement, saying he would not take a position until the community weighed in.

Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa said he favored the development and the new jobs it could deliver to Los Angeles.

"This construction project is both an immediate and long-term investment in the future of our city," he said. "The Century Plaza hotel project will preserve the character of an iconic destination while creating a new and improved mixed-use development in the heart of the Westside."

But residents have frequently complained that the city's infrastructure can't handle the additional traffic new development brings. The leader of a homeowners group indicated that residents would challenge any redevelopment that led to thousands of additional car trips, as this project most likely would.

"More development is not what West L.A. needs right now," said Mike Eveloff, president of Tract 7260, a homeowners group at Century City's western border.

Eveloff said he was troubled by what he said appeared to be an agreement by the conservancy not to oppose development of the site as long as Rosenfeld agreed to preserve the hotel. In addition to traffic, Eveloff said residents were concerned about the potential loss of privacy posed by two 46-story towers hovering over the neighborhood.

I think this will be built as long as financing is available and I don't think that it will be altered. The Councilmen whose district that this is in, the mayor and the Conservancy Board are all giving this project a green light. The Westside NIMBY's have traction when a federation of groups come together to oppose a development. At this point this is one homeowner's group against it looks like the entire county. The fact that a Metro stop has even been discussed with this developer may give us a hint that the MTA is involved in this development on the dl as well. There are 3 groups that get whatever they want in Los Angeles: LAUSD, AEG and the MTA especially the development side of the agency.

Hmmm, office towers downtown, condos on the westside .........

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/2010_08_towerscentury.jpg . CURBED LA

nice... i still wish the century plaza hotel was gone. at least redesign the fascade instead of restore it to the original. it reminds me of dorothy chandler pavillion or union bank tower.

good thing the front lobby is opening to the back... hopefull pretty wide and not alleyway status. the street really needs a pedestrian break in it.

Lots of twin towers in Century City

hope this gets built soon and not in a crazy year like 2039 or something...
Will those be the Tallest of CC?

explain again how this makes CC urban and walkable? Two austere high rises and leave in place the austere Century Plaza which is basically surrounded by parking spaces and not one building anywhere near a sidewalk. We have a nice old style shopping center, two cold towers and a self-contained hotel. This could be in the outer suburbs of Atlanta.

Westfiled has at least proposed putting retail flush on two corners of Ave. of the Stars, but if the subway stop moves south of SM, they may scrap that as well.

Tear down the hotel and get serious.

Looks like the emphasis on the original Century plan will be maintained- even 2000, which is across the street and ON the sidewalk, seems to be encouraging that "shit through a goose" lateral movement down the Avenue. Hope those towers' lower floors will hold offices and not residential condos. Who the hell wants to live in a condo that stares at the back end of the Hotel? Towers for the sake of towers but, that's Century for ya!

explain again how this makes CC urban and walkable? Two austere high rises and leave in place the austere Century Plaza which is basically surrounded by parking spaces and not one building anywhere near a sidewalk.

Is CC supposed to be a leafy walkable neighborhood? Was that the original vision eventhough transit has always been a constant proposal from its inception? I don't think every neighborhood has to conform to some rigid pre-WWII ideal of walkability. I actually love the wide avenues and intimidating setbacks of its buildings reminds me alot of La Reforma in Mexico City.

i'm fine with the setbacks. it's the "allowability" of pedestrian space that gets me. like having to walk around the entire park of disneyland.

I distinguish between CC, Bunker Hill, the original Brasilia, all of which have beautiful buildings, nice sidewalks and about zero people; and Reforma or Unter den Linden or the NY avenues, which have beautiful buildings, shops and cafes around them and loads of people. CC does have its attractive side, but so does Grand; I would not suggest to leave either as is when they are already part way toward urban living and situated in wonderful locations for expanded density and walkability. Specifically, CC is tucked between mid-rises and multi-story residential in Westwood and high density walkability in BH and there should be easy pedestrian flow through this entire area. (In fact, there should be easy pedestrian flow from the LA River to the ocean, but that's another story.)

Putting everything flush to the sidewalk is not necessary, open spaces and plazas with mid-rises could work as well. But I don't see any of that except in the mall, which is currently very self-contained and cut off from everything else by wide streets. A few more high-rises are good, but low-rises with very dated architecture are not needed. Hopefully some of the landscaping and parking lots turns into housing or people-friendly commercial.

Agree with most everything you said "pest" and I'd like to add that as we add more residential and plug in a subway station we most likely will see more foot traffic in CC. I would love to walk around the area but without a car arriving in the area is less than optimal.

I figured we really more or less agreed on this. To me the key is the shopping center since this attracts a million people who could also use new shopping on some other blocks. Housing is a close second, but not highrise since that just doesn't add up to much people. A dozen low and midrise buildings with the usual amenities (parks, ball fields, community center, public pools) could help balance out the already existing highrises and shopping centers and make it a pretty good neighborhood.

Of course, I suspect the locals are going to fight any new housing, but the subway is a key argument to use against them.

Just so long as we're not hoping that CC would ever become a leafy green quiet neighborhood. I like the impersonal late 20th century modernist approach to the area but I would welcome more amenities that help folks lead a better quality of life there.

IT'S NO NOUVEL BUT 10000 SANTA MONICA PLANS ARE UNVEILED . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%203/2011_notnouvel.jpg PLACEHOLDER IMAGE . Behold the latest plans for 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City. Yesterday, Miami-based developer Crescent Heights submitted paperwork to the city's Planning Department for a 283-unit condo tower, a move that starts the entitlement process.
Exact details of the project are still being worked out, but the proposed building is 460 feet, so depending on the units' ceiling heights, the tower will be anywhere from 35 stories to 40 stories. No architect has been announced and this rendering is purely a placeholder.

Originally, a leafy Jean Nouvel-designed building was planned at this corner, but the 2.4 acre site was sold last fall to Crescent Heights for $59 million following the Lehman Brothers meltdown.

And if Century City can kick off some nasty developer vs. homeowner battles, so far the project has the support of activists like Mike Eveloff, president of Tract 7260, which represents numerous homeowner groups. From conversations with the developer, Eveloff said it's his understanding that no variances will be sought for the tower. He also believes the units are going to be priced in a range (documents submitted to the city say the units will average $1.5 million) that will allow those who work in Century City -the lawyers, CAA agents -to be able to buy in the tower. Additionally, as proposed, no retail is planned in the project, which means the area won't be overwhelmed with car trips, according to Eveloff. "If you look at the nature of this project, the amount of traffic is negligible," he said. . DAKOTA SMITH CURBEDLA

There's a lot of weird stuff out there in the real world.

First, I guess they're saying that this is "affordable housing" westside style (think of the poor lawyers and agents barely making ends meet, between coke habits and alimony). This is housing for the "working rich" rather than for their bosses (the jet set).

Second, no retail makes some sense given the overwhelming presence of Westfield. But this doesn't do much for the street scene. It seems that the Century Plaza Hotel project makes more of an effort to integrate. But, again, this is a "placeholder".

I understand "live where you work". But it also has a tendency to ghettoize: the rich work and live here, the poor over there. But I guess Palms and Culver City aren't that far (not exactly cheap, but relatively affordable).

Love the Proposal!

no retail or restaurant space is lame... another reason not to go to century city and a reason for century city residents to drive out to other parts of l.a.

I believe this isn't exactly the heart of Century City; more on the border, where Little SM Blvd. actually has retail and services along the street. There is a great deal of shopping, restaurants and hotels within easy walking distance of the site (both CC and BH) and little incentive to drive since traffic is not good and parking is expensive.

The nearby areas of Little SM might very well develop more retail and restaurants as a result of this project. But local services (hair, nails, cleaners) might make more sense since Westfield and central BH dominate retail in the area.

Just a couple of blocks further east is the old Robinson's site, where more condo's and a Waldorf Astoria were approved by the BH voters but not moving forward, so far as I know.

I agree. The criticism heaped upon CC is unwarranted in my opinion. Having used to work in CC I found it more or less self-sustaining with the exception of not having a grocery store directly on the grounds. Everything is within walking distance so if someone wants to drive out of CC to BH or CuCity its not because they necessarily have to.

Let's be honest. In LA, you pretty much still have to drive to get anything done. For these condos to be within walking distance of Little SM and Westfield is very unique. And the Ralphs on Pico is solid enough for CC, even though you still have to drive there. This site is an excellent location, and all in all, it would make sense for a lot of people.

Let's be honest. In LA, you pretty much still have to drive to get anything done.
I hate it when people make that sort of blanket statement because what they really mean is that they have to drive to get anything done. Me and the packed Red Line, Blue Line and 704 tend to have another take on reality. And it's really been interesting as gas prices rise watching these two realities begin to converge.

agree with Slip and Klam (I'm so agreeable); if by "LA" you mean the metro area, then yes, cars are dominant and "necessary" by most reasonable definitions.

If you mean the core area, not so much. I live out of town but when I come to LA I like the urban nature of it so I always stay near transit (DT, Ktown, Pasadena) or where its walkable (Westwood, SM, Venice). Pretty soon I noticed that there are LOTS of walkable areas (Sunset, Hollywood, Vermont, Western, La Brea, SM Blvd., WeHo, etc.) where you don't need a car for most purposes.

Of course, lots of neighborhoods aren't quite so walkable and some people are not in the habit of walking, but that's a different story. Hopefully Expo and Purple will turn a lot of heads this direction.

Meh. Not to get onto a transit tangent, but too many hobos on the MTA for my tastes, especially the buses. Maybe when our metro rail system becomes more accessible to a wider range of people and income levels, it'll start to be cleaned up a little more. But the lines near the core are still used by a heavy dose of people who talk to themselves. I always feel very out of place on those lines. It was really fun watching a mother shielding her son with a blanket while he took a piss on the Red Line. Oh and that time when some guy held up my Gold Line train by insisting on shoving his shopping cart on-board despite the conductor repeatedly telling him not to.

It's not reasonable to expect the average individual to see these types of transport as a feasible alternative to the convenience and privacy of a personal vehicle. Until the public transport map develops to the point where it becomes an ingrained and/or necessary part of our city's DNA like NYC or even DC, then yes, you still have to drive to get anything done in LA. And I don't anticipate we'll reach that point anytime soon. I'm with pest on this. Walkable areas are found aplenty in LA, so if you're staying in an urban center (Sunset, Santa Monica, BH, WeHo, Old Town Pas) for an extended period, you can manage without driving. But if you need to move around the city? In most cases, you really need to have a car.

It must really be painful to be you.

Hah, not at all. We have a pretty nice car, and because the map is so undeveloped at this point, in terms of comfort and convenience, I wouldn't subject myself or my family to public transportation unless I absolutely "have to" (i.e. astronomical parking, station directly outside the destination, etc.). That's just a personal preference though, I'm sure others find it quite convenient.

But back to the main point here. I'm not a traffic-loving, oil-humping nutcase. In a place like LA, more housing in walkable areas is never a bad thing.

I have to admit that I find the average rider of the LA metro to be considerably creepier than on the NY subways. My wife won't ride it period. Maybe it's because my riding is mostly DT, Ktown, Hollywood. Again, hopefully the completion of the Expo and Purple will draw a wider clientele.

It will be interesting to see the BH and CC locals reacting to derelicts staggering out pushing their cars and planting their stuff down on the sidewalks.

i just think that any development that's not a house here should have ground floor businesses, whether they're retail, restaurant, or common businesses. i'll take laundromat, groceries, or clinic too.

in my mind, a blank sidewalk encourages people to drive rather than walk or take transit. people here (on average) don't walk much to get places and i think it's because their areas don't motivate them in the first place. it's straight to the garage for most.

on a side note, i have rarely seen problems with people riding rail here (been a rider for 15+ years). once in a long while it stops from a bomb scare, but i've had worse experiences with busses.

There can't be anything sadder to discover people who are afraid of their own city. LA has one of the lowest crime rates (including homicide) in the nation. So I guess fear of being assaulted has been checked off as not probable. Shall we continue down the list?

I always find it amusing to read comments like this. I live in the suburbs for a reason, and drive my own car for a reason. It's quieter, less polluted, and the people are more normal. I know, I know, I'm just a sad, xenophobic old white man. I enjoy seeing intelligent development in LA, like this CC project, and I'll defend LA when I see typical stereotypes being thrown around, but I'm definitely no cheerleader for Los Angeles in general. It's funny, when I meet foreigners and people from around the US, they expect LA to be some glamorous paradise with girls in bikinis everywhere. Then they get here, and it's one big 'meh' when they see what a polluted, concrete pit much of LA is. SoCal is all about the weather. Otherwise, it could use a lot of work. I wouldn't consider myself 'afraid' of the city, whatever that means.

since when is la's suburbs less polluted than the city itself? riverside, san bernardino, and orange county have it worse most of the time i visit (i travel between downtown, corona, and yorba linda often, so i see it first hand). i haven't seen a smoggy day in la since september 2010 (marine layer is not polution). overall, it's much better than it was in the 70s through to the 90s.

as for comparing foreign locations to l.a., compare what we might see going to manilla, mexico city, shanghai, beijing, or even tokyo, paris, and london. we do have much green space here (sm mountains, kenneth hahn recreational park, griffith park, elysian park, many miles of beaches and coastal cliffs, etc...). it's bikini weather most of the year, famous locations everywhere, no snow or ice, most of this nation's best colleges/universities, medical centers, and technology industries.

i have come across one visitor who hasn't liked l.a. (actually a good friend of mine from jersey), and when i ask him why, it's because he doesn't like the house he's staying at and he hates that people aren't speaking english (which doesn't make sense because that's expected in any international city). other than that, most people i come across love the time they spent here.

i just think that any development that's not a house here should have ground floor businesses, whether they're retail, restaurant, or common businesses. i'll take laundromat, groceries, or clinic too.

in my mind, a blank sidewalk encourages people to drive rather than walk or take transit. people here (on average) don't walk much to get places and i think it's because their areas don't motivate them in the first place. it's straight to the garage for most.

on a side note, i have rarely seen problems with people riding rail here (been a rider for 15+ years). once in a long while it stops from a bomb scare, but i've had worse experiences with busses.

This would be the ideal but as I've mentioned before, I am not sure if there is demand for retail space given existing strip-malls, shopping centers and the boom in internet retail.

The new proposed subway stop would be near here, but you still have to assume anyone taking the subway would be going to Westfield. The stop favored by MTA pulls everyone off of Little SM so not much help there.

The kind of classism and racism that surfaces when some of y'all get to talking about the "types" that use transit in LA is really pretty shocking/shameful.

We promise to work on that. We're still a little on the un-enlightened side of things. Like cave people. Racist cave people. Different caves, different people, see? We're so provincial ...

The kind of classism and racism that surfaces when some of y'all get to talking about the "types" that use transit in LA is really pretty shocking/shameful.

This seems pretty PC to me. Anyone who has ridden the trains and who has eyes can discern the demographics pretty easily I think. LA in general for that matter. Why shouldn't people talk about what they see with their own eyes... good or bad (in their opinion)?

who was being racist?

The kind of classism and racism that surfaces when some of y'all get to talking about the "types" that use transit in LA is really pretty shocking/shameful.

Absolutely no fucking comment.

On the other hand I've been wrestling with my hate of strip malls and what to replace them with. If we took every strip mall and converted it to a new build mixed use complex let's say in the Valley wouldn't that price out all of those good ethnic restaurants that are presently there because of the cheap rent? How do we preserve our culture while changing our urban form?

Absolutely no fucking comment.



I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to read that.

As far as examples:

Meh. Not to get onto a transit tangent, but too many hobos on the MTA for my tastes, especially the buses. Maybe when our metro rail system becomes more accessible to a wider range of people and income levels, it'll start to be cleaned up a little more. But the lines near the core are still used by a heavy dose of people who talk to themselves. I always feel very out of place on those lines. ...


I have to admit that I find the average rider of the LA metro to be considerably creepier than on the NY subways. My wife won't ride it period. Maybe it's because my riding is mostly DT, Ktown, Hollywood. ...

If I have to try to make that any clearer then it's just not worth it.

I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to read that.

As far as examples:





If I have to try to make that any clearer then it's just not worth it.

Anyone who takes the time to actually get worked up over either one of those comments needs to grow a pair. Really. Hell, I wouldn't let my dog near half of you all, much less a daughter or wife.

I don't have the energy or care enough to highlight the ignorance implicit in assumptions like those, so, as you were. Carry on everyone.

I'm with you "unmentioned" and that's what I meant by my abstaining from commenting. I've been saying the same thing about *especially "slipdog"s* blanket assumptions(I have the posts to prove it) and I'm just glad that somebody else has picked up the torch. I just do my best to filter out the jibberism and discuss more meaningful things.

The kind of classism and racism that surfaces when some of y'all get to talking about the "types" that use transit in LA is really pretty shocking/shameful.

When you say "y'all", what are you insinuating? :)

"Classism" is a very loose word and isn't used much any more. This was because in the 1970's it was pointed out that any attempt to improve yourself is an attempt to put yourself above other people, whether you admit it or not.

The topic is Century City and we are discussing the subway going there. Is there someone here who doesn't think that it is a good idea to get people to ride the subway? There are groups of people that won't do it unless they think they are riding something pleasant and safe.

I have ridden the subway 6 times in the last two days and 4 times there was absolutely nothing noteworthy: just people going places. The other 2 times there were problems, and I don't mean poorly dressed people or boisterous kids or vendors; I mean things that could put off lots of people. One of them would have resulted in arrests if seen. This is the problem with "marketing" the subway, especially to the westside.

Your statement is problematic once again and that's why "unmentioned" spoke up. "Marketing the subway to Westsiders" has so much code text within it that if you held it in your hand for too long it would blow it off. I also think that you are assuming a transitory nature of class ism whereinwhich it isn't always. Due to built in systemic mechanisms you may not be able to move upward (and who says that everyone wants to?)or the lines are just redrawn automatically to keep you at a certain level. In some societies which was indicative of the US up until very recently even if you would move "class" levels due to social and structural barriers you may still end up in the same place you were before perhaps just with a fresh coat of paint. That's not movement that's just a shell game. The term "classism" is still valid IMO.
What Beverly Hills feared in the past was a fear of class and "race" encroachment upon their enclave. They have since seemed to have changed their fears if not just topically from the fear of others (that they know) to now fear of radicalized others(that they don't know) highlighted with the Mayor reasoning that the train could be used by "terrorists" to blow to bits and pieces a horde of Jewish kids at Beverly Hills High unsuspectingly studying above the proposed tunnel. It's all still foolish quackery by the City of Beverly Hills and their fear of others. You would think that nearly 50 years after the subway was first proposed to align underneath BH that they would have changed. That's what I mean by a shell game. It's the same ole BH with the same ole fears. Societies don't always pro--gress.

"Marketing to westsiders" is meant to imply that they would prefer a clean, safe environment, which I think is almost everyone's preference. In general they have choices and won't chose the subway if the word is out that it's dirty or dangerous. "Marketing to westsiders" is not meant to imply that they are going to insist on no black, Hispanic, poor, or oddly dressed. Everyone knows that is simply never going to be the case in LA. It's kind of insulting of you to imply that westsiders are still like, say, rural whites in the 1930's.

To the extent they ARE racist, sexist, etc., I agree that it's about time they got over it.

In any event, there is little to do about it. MTA will presumably maintain the same safety and security standards through-out the line and people will either ride it or they won't.

You know it's interesting upon my last visit to NYC and re-realizing how dirty the subway stations are as well as drab with poor lighting. The hordes of seemingly struggling people are evident and of course all sorts of ethnicities. Yet still I saw folks getting on the trains at the Columbus Circle stop underneath the Upper Westside, I presume that many of those people getting on lived there. It's not just that culturally people ride trains in NYC so it's to be expected but there must (and are) external forces that are driving the East Coast's Beverly and Fairfax crowd onto transit that perhaps we could learn from.

It goes back to the old SSC cliche of "LA is not NYC". As tired as it sounds, it remains true. While public transit is absolutely necessary to get anything accomplished in Manhattan, pest points out that westside commuters have options. In LA, the degree to which grime and transients exist on these lines WILL have an effect on ridership. How much of an effect remains to be seen.

new yorkers that don't take the subway are crazy enough to drive there or have no job (unless business is within walking distance). the mindset here in L.A. is not quite like that. there's usually an alternative street/freeway route too get somewhere and most parking is still cheap or free (although not plentiful, it's probably easier to find than in NYC)

Wow, I'm not used to having people agree with me. Two of them even! I think that slip and croy hit the key points: in NY you have to be crazy or on expense account NOT to ride the subway. In LA, many locals are "subway virgins" and may need some convincing; tourists should adopt it quickly.

Again, this is not an ethnic thing; I don't think westsiders have issue with black, arab, hispanic or whatever. If I had to guess, it's the derelicts, the muggers (real or imagined) and the druggies that would worry people. To be fair to klam, there are still real racists out there, but I don't think there are enough to be significant for the subway.

In fact, now that I think of it, I haven't seen any racial hate or violence grafitti in subways or on buildings in decades. It used to be quite common in NY, LA, SF, Oakland in the 1970's. It would be very strange to see "kill whitey" or "aryan power" (or more obscene versions) scrawled somewhere these days, but it was common back then.

I'd like to see "caning" come into fashion. :)Yes, just a few whacks on the ass in public? That might cure the propensity for disrespecting the facilities that we have just built. Singapore has it right. Now that I think about it, some Angelenos might tag these stations just to get caned in public.

So what you'll are saying is that NYC is too congested to drive and parking too expensive. As the LA rail network grows and compliments other forms of transit then we'll see a robust transit ridership? LA already has the #1 congested roads in the US or at least it's in the top 3 annually. The city is hemmed in by a coastline on one end and mountains and a vast desert on the other. It is already the densest metro area in the US specifically because of those physical barriers. Half of the city proper is ripped by a mountain range which puts extreme congestion on roads that transverse it. The defining difference that I can gather from the two cities is the accommodating of the automobile. Free and cheap parking must go. Parking minimums must go. Tolls on all "free" ways must begin. The most transgressive of all of these towards mass transit usage are parking minimums especially at residential. It's not only transgressive for mass transit but also economically. It makes development far more expensive than it needs to be and transfers the added cost onto the renter. All successful transit agencies are successful because of the carrot and stick approach.

If you want to make some money from drivers, then initiate another gas tax. Putting "tolls" into our freeway system just turns us into another East coast toll taker, and I'm rather proud to keep the freeway system that we have "free" of toll stations. . I can't imagine standard toll stations located in various points in the city- or are there going to be other ways to cull this tax money from drivers? Because if there aren't, then you'll see massive congestion at these stations, like trash in the gutter stopping the flow of water. . Also, I don't want to punish people to bring about the desired result. Let London and New York clear their streets by creating a "congestion" tax for downtown drivers. Let's let our city remain free. . If you want people off the freeways and onto mass transit, you have to build comprehensive mass transit that reaches the corners of the city- and not the half assed versions that we're stuck with now, like the at-grade commuter trains that are constantly at odds with the auto and pedestrian traffic in the East and the South. You sure as hell won't see at-grade rail in West L. A.! . Is everyone in the city that drives a car supposed to look for extra people to carry in the morning just so they can use the diamond lanes? Carpool lanes shouldn't be tolled and should be free for ALL drivers, otherwise they will remain what they are today- restricted lanes that just add to the overall congestion.

Face it, Klams! Cars is sexy! And every car commercial I see these days has L. A. boppin' around in the background, so cars are pretty much here to stay :)

Face it, Klams! Cars is sexy! And every car commercial I see these days has L. A. boppin' around in the background, so cars are pretty much here to stay :)

I'm sure if the commercials that you see are specifically saying that LA is a car town or that LA is the backdrop for many different products that aren't even unique to the city. In contrast to the car commercials it seems every time that they show a subway on a commercial or tv show it's the Red Line. Perhaps I'm reading into this but does that mean that rail is here to stay too?

If you want to make some money from drivers, then initiate another gas tax. Putting "tolls" into our freeway system just turns us into another East coast toll taker, and I'm rather proud to keep the freeway system that we have "free" of toll stations. . I can't imagine standard toll stations located in various points in the city- or are there going to be other ways to cull this tax money from drivers? Because if there aren't, then you'll see massive congestion at these stations, like trash in the gutter stopping the flow of water. . Also, I don't want to punish people to bring about the desired result. Let London and New York clear their streets by creating a "congestion" tax for downtown drivers. Let's let our city remain free. . If you want people off the freeways and onto mass transit, you have to build comprehensive mass transit that reaches the corners of the city- and not the half assed versions that we're stuck with now, like the at-grade commuter trains that are constantly at odds with the auto and pedestrian traffic in the East and the South. You sure as hell won't see at-grade rail in West L. A.! . Is everyone in the city that drives a car supposed to look for extra people to carry in the morning just so they can use the diamond lanes? Carpool lanes shouldn't be tolled and should be free for ALL drivers, otherwise they will remain what they are today- restricted lanes that just add to the overall congestion.

It may not be popular but it's the only solution. Every successful mass transit agency in a large metropolitan area does it. Or on the other hand perhaps we won't have to put tolls on the road as we observe the rising gas prices to be the de-facto toll booth on driving in LA. Also the Westside will have an at-grade line when Expo hits its last mile in Santa Monica along Colorado. It was originally slated to be elevated by the MTA but SM fought for it to be at-grade. So much for stereotyping the Westside.

Is The Red here to stay? I hope so, because I couldn't be more impressed with those stations. However, the money will not be there for everyone to partake in subterranean commuting in a bit, unless some draconian tax measures are taken. . I'm surprised that Santa Monica fought for at-grade. These aren't quaint little projects and they'll disrupt the atmosphere that Santa Monica fights for everrrrry single day! . Look at The Gold Line in East L. A., or The Blue Line down to Long Beach. They do ok, but disrupt the traffic, and they don't carry nearly any kind of substantial percentage needed to get people out of their cars. And if I'm right, I believe there will be a breakthrough in personal transportation long before Los Angeles has any kind of effective mass transit. . I'd like to see a Los Angeles where people take mass transit and use the freeway system- but to a much lessor extent.

Well the Blue Line is the most rode single LRT line in the US, I would call that pretty substantial. With the opening of Expo LA will perhaps have the most rode LRT transit network in the US but we'll see. The Red Line alone carries half of the entire BART ridership and I don't see anyone saying that system is a failure. Further the Red Line stays solely within LA city limits while BART is a sprawling suburban serving network with parking at nearly every station opposed to the Red Line's two. Also very few systems in the US can fuck with LA's extensive bus system which puts every other system to shame (outside of NYC)when you include all of the interagencies. LA has an enormous potential to have heavy ridership on its mass transit the missing pieces are the barriers to easy car drivability in the city. Rid ourselves of expensive and one size fits all parking minimums(can we get the Tea Party down here for that one?) Toll all freeways that have a major transit companion e.g. Gold Line - 110, Red Line - 101, Green Line - 105 and coming Expo - 10. With just those two measures alone you would force many more people onto transit who would otherwise sit in traffic polluting and helping to slowly kill the rest of us.

This is the Century City thread, right? Why don't you focus on creating barriers to Century City's development instead? You can leave the destruction of streets and highways for the transit pages.

Klams, you're never gonna get people out of their cars and onto half assed light rail running 22 miles down to Long Beach, UNLESS the train stops at The Queen Mary and THAT'S where they were intending to go to IN THE FIRST PLACE! When you ... just look at Google Map's version of Los Angeles from space and you can see we're not talking about a sliver of land in the middle of a river! We're talking about little LRT's slithering their way through a massive urban area these little LRT's are not anywhere near capable of serving. Unless something's changed, I can't even get to the airport on Green unless I take my luggage and hoof it to the nearest bus! . No. I won't be satisfied unless there's heavy rail circling the metro area, free bicycles at every train stop and hydrogen buses only! .

This is the Century City thread, right? Why don't you focus on creating barriers to Century City's development instead? You can leave the destruction of streets and highways for the transit pages.
Well I guess the pest has spoken. Back to CC.

Damn right.

Did I hear some place that there would be shuttle buses from the Expo Line to Century City? It would be interesting to see how the ridership works out since Expo would seem to connect to a wide demographic (SGV, DT, LB, parts of Westside) and parking is difficult and expensive in CC. Of course, in some cases this would be a long commute.

"DOUBLE GLASS WALLS WOULD BE THE TALLEST SUCH INSTALLATION IN THE COUNTRY.." JMB REALTY WANTS TO BUILD CENTURY CITY HIGH-RISE http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%203/Fullscreencapture421201143101AM.jpg CHICAGO DEVELOPER IS SEEKING CITY APPROVAL FOR A 37 STORY TOWER ON AVENUE OF THE STARS AT CONSTELLATION PLACE THAT WILL BE NAMED CENTURY CITY CENTER . Longtime Century City landlord JMB Realty Corp. wants to build the neighborhood's first office skyscraper in nearly a decade on a site once planned for a cluster of high-rise condominiums.

The Chicago developer, through local affiliate Century City Realty, is seeking city approval for a 37-story tower on Avenue of the Stars at Constellation Boulevard that would be called Century City Center. JMB also will need to address homeowners concerned about growing density and traffic in their neighborhoods around Century City.

JMB officials say the $350-million high-rise would be one of the most environmentally friendly tall buildings in the country, with a lush rooftop garden over the garage and a portal to a proposed subway station. It is being designed by Los Angeles architecture firm Johnson Fain, which designed other well-known Century City offices including Fox Plaza, SunAmerica Center and the former MGM Tower.

JMB, which has owned the mostly empty property since the mid-1980s, said in 2003 that it wanted to build 483 condos in two 47-story towers and a 12-story loft building on the property. The proposal met opposition from nearby homeowner groups concerned about traffic, but it eventually garnered city approval.

Other developers proposed six additional condominium projects for the Century City area during the mid-2000s, included the super-luxury Century condominiums completed last year next to the Century Plaza Hotel. Demand for new housing, however, plummeted when the recession hit.

"We missed the window" on the once-booming condo market, said Patrick Meara of JMB. "In hindsight, that was a good thing."

Office demand has remained more consistent. Century City commands some of the highest rents in Southern California, and vacancy held steady in the first quarter at about 13% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to brokerage Cushman & Wakefield. Newer buildings tend to fill fastest.

"Century City vacancy rates have been very low in trophy buildings," said real estate broker Gary Weiss of L.A. Realty Partners. "It's great timing, in my opinion."

Growing numbers of tenants are demanding offices that reflect a green sensibility, Meara said, and JMB intends to build to the most exacting "platinum" standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. There are now only five tall platinum-rated buildings in the country, and none are in Los Angeles.

The design is intended to meld the efficiency of a skyscraper with amenities that have proved popular with creative businesses such as Internet firms, architect Scott Johnson said.

"A high-rise building can embrace a low-rise culture," he said.

Johnson's design calls for double-glass walls that would allow heat to rise without penetrating the building. It would be the tallest such installation in the country and "frankly, very expensive," he said.

The office tower would be smaller in total square footage than the previously planned condo complex but would have different traffic patterns that will be discussed and debated in the months ahead.

"My instinct tells me that a large office building is going to generate more peak-hour traffic than residential," said Mike Eveloff, president of Tract 7260, a neighborhood just west of Century City. In the past, Eveloff has been among those protesting big proposed projects, contending that Westside streets, parks, schools, libraries and police and fire stations were already strained.

Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents Century City, said JMB should face homeowners first. "Before they get any cogent thought from me," he said, "they need to meet with all the neighborhood groups that are concerned."

JMB has launched a program to explain the proposals and hear neighbors' concerns, Meara said.

"Traffic is absolutely the issue in West L.A., no question," he said.
roger.vincent@latimes.com

martha.groves@latimes.com ROGER VINCENT MARTHA GROVES LOSANGELESTIMES

The Design for the New Century City Project

http://i56.tinypic.com/nq4vwh.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/s4qvy0.jpg

Curbed LA

Not bad. It definitely adds a bit of flare to the relatively boring architecture in Century City.

i Just Wish the Height of it was More... Like the Previous Project that was going to be proposed in the same area... it was two Tall towers both 47 Stories.

At the same time as CC goes for more offices, it looks like NoHo is going for more residential. So much for putting the offices where the jobs are. This is just one more argument for the Pink Line, connecting the East Valley to the Westside.

Koretz boldly hides in the corner, telling the developer to go negotiate with the local homeowners, who are adamantly opposed to building anything ever. One more argument for building anywhere but LA.

i Just Wish the Height of it was More... Like the Previous Project that was going to be proposed in the same area... it was two Tall towers both 47 Stories.

Century City has a 585 height limit due to Santa Monica Airport.

suckks ..

suckks ..

Yeah because we wouldn't want to jeopardize an airplane's flight path now would we?

Time to close the airport. Maybe in 2015.

I'm more concerned about upgrading Century City into something more vibrant than closing a pretty heavily used private airport.

^^ start with the street life, cuz CC has zero

^^ start with the street life, cuz CC has zero

Well..yeah. That's what I mean. Which is why there needs to be a few residential towers with retail on the bottom. But even then it would be hard because Century City is so vast. Century City is far from a lost cause in terms of adding some kind of vibrancy but it will be hard.

I work in Century City now and imo its more like an office park than LA's 2nd downtown. The CC shopping center is always crowded but that's at the far nw corner of CC. There's even a large Gelson's grocery store but its underground in the parking garage. Bring some life to the streets!

It was always supposed to be a grand office park by design. Actually, this is where I would put that Downtown Metropolitan project. Organic street retail doesn't have a chance here.

I was optimistic for development along SM Blvd and Ave. of the Stars, based on Westfields proposal for high-rise, Bloomingdales and street facing retail from a couple of years ago. But with MTA holding out for a station on the other side of the shopping center, I think the main hope for streetlife is being killed.

But there can still be greater use of pedestrian friendly features and in-fill. CC can't be great but it can get better.

I guess I'm the only one who sees the potential in CC.

no im right there with you. im an optimist though lol

I guess I'm the only one who sees the potential in CC.

I have forgotten: what is your vision of CC's potential? I am not totally down on CC and I can see how it could improve, but I don't see how it gets urban enough to really belong in the middle of a big city.

I used to work at CC and most people walk to lunch and from office to office if need be. The difference between CC and a run of the mill office park is that the latter is not pedestrian friendly at all. Huge front facing parking lots that CC does not have is the major reason why office parks are not walking friendly. All/most of CC's parking is encapsulated in structures or hidden away. I think what CC needs the most is a subway stop. I love the grand boulevards that run through it. For a place that holds the potential to be one of the most pedestrian places in all of LA I don't see why it gets the hand wringing treatment.

I've been working in Century City for the past 6 months and honestly I don't think it will ever be dense or pedestrian friendly. Santa Monica Blvd and Ave of the Stars are both way too wide, unattractive and not pedestrian friendly at all imo. Everything there seems so spreadout. Many of the CC residents drive to the shopping center and had never walked there. Have you noticed there is not one bench on AOTS. So much for Century City.

I've been working in Century City for the past 6 months and honestly I don't think it will ever be dense or pedestrian friendly. Santa Monica Blvd and Ave of the Stars are both way too wide, unattractive and not pedestrian friendly at all imo. Everything there seems so spreadout. Many of the CC residents drive to the shopping center and had never walked there. Have you noticed there is not one bench on AOTS. So much for Century City.

ditto this, I've just moved here in the past month or so and can't believe how hard it is to get around on my bike. The whole Westfield mall is like the biggest parkinglot in the world underground. The only way to get to Gelson's is to go down the side street, it's literally the only bike friendly entrance on the city block.

News:
latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-energy-cells-20120203,0,5698205.story
latimes.com
Energy cells help power Century City skyscraper

By Roger Vincent


http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2012-02/150437300-03182730.jpg

10:00 AM PST, February 5, 2012
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Century City skyscraper Constellation Place, formerly known as MGM Tower, is the first Los Angeles high-rise to be served by electricity-generating fuel cells.

Landlord JMB Realty installed two Bloom Energy Servers that will produce 400 kilowatts of power, about one-third of the electricity needed by the 35-story tower.

Bloom servers, made by Bloom Energy of Sunnyvale, Calif., are each big enough to occupy an average parking space and contain thousands of Bloom fuel cells – flat, solid ceramic squares made from a sand-like powder – that convert air and fuel into electricity through an electrochemical process.

The fuel cells reduce the nearly 800,000-square-foot building’s emissions from power generation by 30%, JMB said.

“These servers, combined with the existing photovoltaic system, enable JMB to offer its tenants a greener office environment while generating significant savings," Sarah Shaw of JMB said.

JMB has about 2 acres of solar power arrays in Century City on the roofs of two parking structures it owns. The photovoltaic systems were installed in 2008 and 2010.

Tenants in Constellation Place include talent agency International Creative Management Inc., airliner lessor International Lease Finance Corp. and investment bank Houlihan Lokey.