Hello. This thread will be dedicated to the new projects and developments on Wilshire. This thread is currently in development. I will edit this post from time to time with all the new projects and developments throughout this week. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting all of the renderings on here. I will add all of the project names and their info later.


Barrington & Wilshire

http://www.californialandmark.com/images/barrignton_new.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.01.wilshiren.jpg

http://www.californialandmark.com/images/barrignton_new2.jpg


Wilshire and Catalina

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Wilshire/WilshireandCatalina.jpg

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


Wilshire Skyline

http://www.wilshireskyline.com/images/faq_01B.jpg

http://www.wilshireskyline.com/images/faq_02B.jpg


Wilshire and La Brea

http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ImageArchive/I2006/06-CalCoast.jpg


Circa

http://www.amaa.com/_uploads/photo/project/103_lg1_Circa_01.jpg

http://www.amaa.com/_uploads/photo/project/103_lg3_Circa_03.jpg

http://www.amaa.com/_uploads/photo/project/103_lg4_Circa_04.jpg


Avalon Wilshire

http://www.tca-arch.com/proj_new/proj/avalonwilshiref/avalonwilshire.jpg


Wilshire Center

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258874945.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876073.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876085.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876080.jpg


Carlyle

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/210458925.jpg


Solair Wilshire

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Wilshire/WilshireandWestern.jpg


Wilshire/Vermont

http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Wilshirevermont.jpg


5600 Wilshire

http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ImageArchive/I2006/11-Pit.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-09-5600wilshire-rend1.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-09-5600wilshire-rend2.jpg


The Summit

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/3_6b.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit2a.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit4a.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit5a.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit3a.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit6a.jpg

http://www.vtbs.com/images/large/summit1a.jpg


9900 Wilshire

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/944/richardmeierbeverlyhillsqh6.jpg


5550 Wilshire

http://cdn-99.cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users12/evanlicious/default/New_Mullen_Bluett--gallery-msg-115828088523.jpg?953844856


Wilshire Margot

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7382/untitleduj5.jpg

Wow. I have driven up and down Barrington all my life. Gonna miss seeing that BIG FEET shoe store. Oh well. Time for some new blood.

From SSP:

All photos taken 2/3/2007. Sorry the lighting is aweful.

Western/Vermont Station

http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Wilshirevermont.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/380303221_eba6b08429_b.jpg

Southeast corner of the retail space.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/380298790_9bdd60c8f0_b.jpg

Here is the retail space along Wilshire Blvd, just around the corner from the last photo. You can see the concrete poured for the new sidewalk.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/380298791_fe7d597c69_b.jpg

Looking through the construction fence into the center of the complex. Look at all that retail space!!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/380298800_bee24707a5_b.jpg

Wilshire Solair

Most of the site is up to ground level and the rebar is visible high above the construction fence.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/380301959_ec648d2321_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/380298805_1063676a31_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/380298797_e5c9c263e2_b.jpg

From SSP:

Wilshire/Vermont Station project updates from this week. As sometimes happens, I was out today without my camera, but snapped some shots with my cell phone - the quality isn't great. There is some noticeable progress this week:

Southeast corner on Wilshire from last week:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/380298791_fe7d597c69_b.jpg

Same corner on Wilshire from today; construction fencing has been removed:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/386030991_d8f7a2dd8c.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/386030995_187d2f6bc5.jpg

Here's the red/purple line station "gateway" from the center of the complex. I love the orange!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/386030998_5526e64871_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/386031001_0af7d935c4_o.jpg

I know I've said this before, but this project has a MASSIVE amount of retail space, both along Wilshire Blvd and inside the "atrium" of the complex. I'm guessing about 20 retail spaces.

Edit

Any new updates on the construction progress of Wilshire/Vermont or Wilshire/Western (Solair)?

City to join foes of new FBI building
By Martha Groves, Times Staff Writer
April 13, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/mapimage/2007-04/29013751.gif

The city of Los Angeles is preparing to join a coalition of veterans and Westside residents and business groups challenging the federal government's plan to tear down the Federal Building in Westwood and erect a new FBI headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard.

City Councilmen Jack Weiss and Bill Rosendahl said Thursday they planned to introduce a measure asking that the city attorney outline what steps the city would have to take to participate in an expected lawsuit.

The measure would also renew the city's request for a master plan for all federal properties in the area, including the Federal Building property and the Veterans Affairs campus.

The council probably will approve the measure in a few weeks.

No suit has been filed, but the Coalition for Veterans' Land, citing concerns about traffic and terrorism, said it expected to take its battle to federal court after the government filed its final environmental impact statement on the project.

That report is slated for release this month.

"We are going to fight and we are going to stop this federal proposal," Weiss said at a news conference at Wilshire and Veteran Avenue, where stiff winds whipped the multiple American flags on tall poles at the property. Weiss added that he strongly supported the FBI but had serious concerns about the potential for additional traffic in the already congested area, which is sliced by the 405 Freeway.

Rosendahl also addressed traffic fears, saying that "we cannot afford on the Westside any more gridlock."

"We have had it. No more expansion," he said.

Longtime Westside activist Laura Lake called the councilmen's action "historic," saying she could not "remember when the city stood with a coalition of community groups."

The General Services Administration has said that it reviewed 35 sites but determined that the Federal Building property best suited the FBI's needs. The GSA, which oversees land purchases and construction for federal government agencies, said it planned to tear down the existing 17-story building and build two towers that combined would have 732,000 square feet. That is 170,000 square feet larger than the current building, which is about 40 years old.

Rosendahl and Weiss said the FBI office should be downtown, close to city and county offices and law enforcement. According to coalition members, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's business development team offered sites downtown, but the GSA would not budge.

Rosendahl created a stir when he said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also supported the coalition's cause.

However, Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the governor, said later: "We've not taken a position on this."

FBI drops plan for new complex in Westwood
The agency acts in the face of strong opposition from residents, city officials, Sen. Feinstein.
By Martha Groves, Times Staff Writer
April 27, 2007

In a significant victory for Westside activists, the FBI revealed late Thursday that it has decided not to build a new Los Angeles headquarters at the Federal Building site on Wilshire Boulevard.

"In response to community concerns, the FBI has requested that the General Services Administration … search for alternative sites for the FBI's Los Angeles field office," the agency said in a brief statement. "The FBI has requested that the GSA not expand the Wilshire Boulevard site" for its office.

Community leaders and elected officials gave much of the credit for the FBI's change of heart to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who had been urging the FBI and GSA to pursue locations other than the parcel that lies in a high-traffic area next to the San Diego Freeway.

Last week, Feinstein sent a letter to the GSA and FBI asking them to drop the project and explore alternatives.

"This is good news," Feinstein said in a statement released late Thursday. "There was an insurmountable amount of neighborhood opposition in a corridor of major traffic congestion." She added that she would be "very happy to help the FBI find a new location."

Councilman Jack Weiss, who represents the area, agreed. "There's no question that when the FBI gets a new headquarters in Los Angeles, that will also be a great victory for L.A.," he said. "We'll locate that building, I hope, in a more central location that makes more sense in terms of law enforcement, access to the rest of government and traffic."

Downtown Los Angeles, Weiss added, best meets that description, but he said he would be open to other suggestions.

Neighborhood opposition erupted three years ago when federal officials revealed plans for a massive FBI structure that would be built next to the existing Federal Building.

Community leaders and their elected representatives complained that the project would make the area a bull's-eye for terrorists and push more cars into an already congested area.

In addition to Feinstein and Weiss, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and Councilman Bill Rosendahl had backed the community's effort. Two weeks ago, Weiss and Rosendahl announced that the city would join any lawsuit filed by community opponents to challenge the project.

This month, the GSA, which is responsible for managing such government construction projects, said it was close to a decision to raze the 17-story Federal Building and replace it with two towers that would become the Los Angeles headquarters for the FBI.

At the time, the GSA said the Westwood site, on Veteran Avenue, was "actually the best" of 35 sites the agency had studied.

The FBI has asked that the GSA expand its "delineated area" and search for other possible sites.

"We're thrilled," said Laura Lake, a founder of the Coalition for Veterans' Land, an organization of property owners, veterans and businesses that had mounted a high-profile campaign against the project.

But she added that "we're not done with the GSA. We still have the issue … of whose land this is."

The coalition recently announced that after an exhaustive search of records, it had concluded that the Federal Building site was still part of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus and thus should be used for veterans services.

Lake said the FBI's decision showed "the importance of unity and the power of the coalition that we've put together."

Feinstein has also pushed the government to prepare a master plan for the federal properties in the area, including the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus, the Federal Building and an Army Reserve site just south of Wilshire.

"We intend to keep [the coalition] going," Lake said, "until we return the land to veterans services and get a master plan. We're not done."

Eventhough I'm usually against NIMBYism, let them build dowtown.

This is a great oppurtunity for downtown LA to show 'em who's boss. If major companies see that an institution such as the FBI is willing and does relocate downtown, they will see it as more desirable.
As for location, the Civic Center will be ideal. If not in the Civic Center, that 8th and Figueroa corner is really a great choice, seeing how ugly that parcel of land is screaming for development, and how it kills the inmediate surrounding areas.

Eventhough I'm usually against NIMBYism, let them build dowtown.

What are the chances that the FBI would erect a new tower Downtown?

Depends how many sites they have to choose from.

I can confirm that the lot which Wilshire and Barrington is to be built on has had the old building FINALLY demolished. Bring on the beauty! :)

Thomas P Cox has an updated rendering on the Desmond residential project to include a residential "tower" behind the former department store.

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

damn... thats a complex facade.

I'm digging the new proposal very much. It has a nice retro but modern feel to it. This would definitely blend in nicely with the Dept store and the surrounding hood nicely.

The stores across the street from the new Wilshire/Vermont complex are all boarded up!

The stores across the street from the new Wilshire/Vermont complex are all boarded up!


Does that mean we should be seeing this beauty rise pretty soon?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/WIlshire-Center-Picture.gif

WHat a change! From bacon wrapped sausages frying on the corner to that!^^

From SSP:

These photos were taken on Sunday, May 20, 2007:

Wilshire/Vermont Station
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/506725075_23576579bb_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/506694238_09e2e733ae_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/506694342_5c8f3b02e6_b.jpg
Tiled Resident Entrance along Wilshire Blvd
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/506724153_1586669c00_b.jpg

Equitable City Center
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/506725205_685b276316_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/506724609_746910837b_b.jpg

Wilshire Solair
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/229/506724781_438eef87c4_b.jpg

Mercury retail shops along Wilshire Blvd
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/212/506694970_7a54f3caf4_b.jpg

i love vermont and wilshire

We need more of this in LA!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/212/506694970_7a54f3caf4_b.jpg

^^ that image would look so much better like this:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/ktown-1.jpg

^ Just you watch.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the murals at Wilshire Vermont lid up at night :P

We need more of this in LA!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/212/506694970_7a54f3caf4_b.jpg

That's the bottom of Mercury, right?

WestSide that's a Grrrr8 picture you took*

^ I didn't take that picture. Fridayinla took it. Check the previous page.

Koreatown is the model of the future Los Angeles(at least the urban core).

Anyone know anything about this???

Hotel Emhurst (21 story hotel)

http://theemhurst.com/#losangeles

http://theemhurst.com/images/main.jpg


Details:

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/initialrpts/CPC-2006-5450.pdf

It just might be!

무려 15년전에 비해 7.5배의 인구가 증가하고 각종 경제, 교육, 문화, 무역이 성장하는 LA Korean Town이 지금 여러분에게 가까이에 와 있습니다.

LA공항, 산타모니카, 금융, 명문학교 및 비지니스 중심 벤처기업이 밀집지역, 헐리우드, 유니버셜 스튜디오 등 너무나 다양한 문화를 20분 거리에서 접하실 수 있습니다. 또한 주거와 문화등 모든 면에서 코리아타운의 질적, 양적 변화가 이루어질 전망입니다.

2~3년 전부터 개발이 시작된 LA시 산하 재개발계획이 올해 7월부터 향후 5년간 추진할 한인타운 재개발 프로젝트에 힘입어 2006년에 착공들어갈 대형 프로젝트가 10개에 이르며, 2010년이면 코리아타운이 베버리힐에 필적할만한 최고급 주거공간으로 바뀌어 주류사회의 유입을 촉진하는 등 타운 인구 분포를 자체 변화시키는 역할을 하게 됩니다.

급속도로 변하고 있는 Los Angeles 중심부 Korean Town에 세계적 트랜드인 주호 복합 콘도 호텔 "The EMHURST”에 여러분의 꿈을 실어 보십시오.


The EMHURST 하일라이트
The EMHURST 호텔 정보
The EMHURST 서비스안내
The EMHURST 객실 안내
The EMHURST 입주 시설 안내
The EMHURST 주변 레저및 관광
Los Angeles 소개


The EMHURST 하일라이트
LA 최고의 비지니스 거리 윌셔의 중심부에 위치 (호바트와 7가)
총 대지 1200평에 "L"자형의 트윈 타워
Business 환경과 엔터테인먼트를 완벽하게 제공
LA 최초의 5 Star급 호텔 수준의 토탈 서비스
최고의 투자가치 그리고 최고의 사용자 편의성
The EMHURST 호텔 정보
주소: 694 S. Hobart Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90010
호텔 건평 총 15,570평
호텔 객실 면적 총 2700여평, 총 138개의 객실로 구성
8~12평 일반 객실
18~25평 트급 스윗
콘도 객실 면적 총 2200여평, 총 104개의 객실로 구성
12~35평의 Studio, 1bedroom, 2bedrooms
전화 번호:
팩스 번호:
The EMHURST 서비스 안내
고객 편의를 위한 방화 시설의 Safe Box

It compares as many as before 15 and the population of 7.5 boats increases and LA Korean Town where the various economy, education, culture and trade grow now with nearly is to everybody. LA airports, mountain other drive the car and finance, the distinguished family school and the business central venture business the crowding area and Hollywood, [yu] [ni] [pe] [syel] the stew D five back a possibility too the culture which is various of coming in contact from 20 minute distance is. Also it is a prospect where the quality of the Korea town and quantitative change will become accomplished from the house and the cultural back all cotton. From before 2~3 years LA:00 under the influence redevelopement plan where the development is started from this year July hereafter 5 year for in the Korean town redevelopement project which it will propel starting construction the formation project which will enter reaches to 10 at force putting on 2006, 2010 the Korea town which when is hemp cloth [pe] [li] [hil] handwriting percentage is exchanged in the top grade house space enough and the role which one elf changes the back town population distribution which promotes the influx of the main stream society under it is. In the week good complex condo hotel “The EMHURST which is a world-wide [thu] land on Los Angeles centers Korean Town which are changing at class speed” try to load everybody's dream. The one light The EMHURST hotel information The EMHURST service guidance The EMHURST passenger compartment guidance The EMHURST moving in facility guidance The EMHURST circumferential leisure under EMHURST and business distance of one light LA tops under sightseeing Los Angeles introduction The EMHURST [wil] will be sour and on center location (the good baht and 7) in total earth 1200 criticism “the [thu] of L " forms of letter [win] tower Business environment and entertainment perfectly the provision LA initial 5 Star class hotel leveling instrument toes user biased characteristic The EMHURST hotel information addresses of investment value and top of the service top which will burn: 694 S. Hobart Ave., about Los Angeles, CA and 90010 hotel floor space total 15,570 criticism hotel passenger compartment areas total 2700 criticism, at total 138 passengers compartment about composition 8~12 criticism general passenger compartment 18~25 criticism [thu] class [su] upper condo passenger compartment areas total 2200 criticism, at total 104 passengers compartment composition 12~35 conference Studio, 1bedroom and 2bedrooms directory numbers: Fax number: The Safe Box of the fire prevention facility for EMHURST service guidance customer biases

ah korean...

But the link said it had been "denied".

nevermind....

Lots of activity at corner of Wilshire & Vermont in Koreatown! The biggest thing to mention is the Wilshire Center project is definitely happening. The retail on the SE corner is coming down and there's a new construction sign posted.

SE Corner Retail coming down:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1356/538024069_dc53595934_b.jpg

Adjacent parking lot fenced off next to old retail:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1032/538023427_8152717183_b.jpg

Alternate view of fenced site for Wilshire Center:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/538023541_90d034f794_b.jpg

Project construction sign posted:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1214/537904498_179a289c23_b.jpg

Peek behind the construction fence. I couldn't get a photo, but in the far corner they've already started tearing out some of the asphalt:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/538023725_00b7077c73_b.jpg

Wilshire Center Project Rendering:
http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/WilshireCenter.gif


The Wilshire/Vermont station gateway is open and fully accessible:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/537902808_2473809a8a_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1391/537902990_8cd0ea0022_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/537903088_2cf142be93_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1027/537903188_0ea6033073_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/537903272_744a514cc7_b.jpg

Other project shots:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1181/537902662_1229db30c3_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1420/537904132_2dd9627e4c_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1432/538023171_74cb39f735_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/537903790_2626539ad3_b.jpg

New trees along Wilshire:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1352/538023825_34141da13e_b.jpg

Also, directly behind the Wilshire/Vermont Station on the same block is the new LAUSD School #3 under construction:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1131/538023925_5d61130ddb_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1021/538022545_c9e73acf7f_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/537903384_bc90b9c266_b.jpg

GREAT update!

That rendering of Wilshire Center may be old. Here are some new renderings:

http://www.gerdingedlen.com/project.php?id=44

Thanks Friday with all of your updates...:righton:

GREAT update!

That rendering of Wilshire Center may be old. Here are some new renderings:

http://www.gerdingedlen.com/project.php?id=44

This link is great^^ . Perhaps we aren't the only ones that get it??

what is with these new buildings? is late-70's hotel architecture coming back?

"wilshire center" looks like the renaissance hilton in kansas city or something..
And "Emhurst!!" That's the most long beach-looking building I've seen proposed for LA..

Don't get me wrong.. I'm always happy for new development. But can't they make them look a little more contemporary??

Mod Edit

Who is this racist? Can he be banned already? I don't want to hear this.

Mod Edit.

Mod Edit

I don't know the demographics of taggers but if you have the numbers I would like to see. If you want to talk about the impact of immigration, the school system or whatever and its relationship with graffiti I think it is fine to start a new thread on the main board.

Excellent updates fridayinlA.

Mid Edt

That rendering of Wilshire Center may be old. Here are some new renderings:

http://www.gerdingedlen.com/project.php?id=44

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258874945.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876073.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876085.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/258876080.jpg

Mod Edit

Mod Edit

Like I mentioned before no one is going no where.... I think you should focus more on making more money to become a rich American who doesn't have to worry about these immigration issues. Instead of complaining... complaining... complaining and knowing damn well that nothing and absolutely nothing can be or will be done. So take your "great" views and complaints to a forum where people like you can knock yourself's out discussing these issues.

Seriously can we get back on topic here...

funny how he is only talking about mexicans as if they are the only immigrants that are poor and sucking away all of the resources of an entire nation

Can we please not respond to "bjack"! This thread is a Wilshire Projects thread. "Bjack" you should take your opinions to the Urban Issues forums.

No worries he's finally been banned. :applause:

i love how basically every other post says "mod edit"

No worries he's finally been banned. :applause:


^ Cool now all we need is to make sure that he takes his buddy "LAMinuteMaid: with him...:pepper:

I emailed the Wilshire Center (SE Corner of Wilshire & Vermont) development company for information on the project's construction schedule. I recieved this today:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/566274648_43df2172a7_o.png
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/566274652_1df9b3d202_b.jpg

Okay, so those new renderings are the official ones. A VAST improvement if you ask me.

Not related to Wilshire Center, but about the Wilshire Vermont project, when will move-ins be ready and when can we expect retail to open up?

Not related to Wilshire Center, but about the Wilshire Vermont project, when will move-ins be ready and when can we expect retail to open up?

Well, the most recent advertised dates for move-ins (that I've seen) were late spring/early summer. That's come and almost gone. I noticed this weekend that the lobby on Wilshire Boulevard looks finished from the street (very nice and modern). My guess is people will start moving in by end of July, although anything could hold up their C of O.

Last week I was at a Famima!! at Fig & 8th. I asked the cashier about planned openings soon... he told me an employee currently working there was getting his own store in the Wilshire/Vermont development. He said it was opening "very soon". Does that help? :dunno:

I ask because I'm eager for people to start moving in and hopefully start living more of a car-free/car-lite lifestyle. After all, the Wilshire/Vermont project is a transit-oriented development, so I anticipate more Metro ridership once opened. That's also the reason why I'm excited about Wilshire Center breaking ground. Soon people will discover the benefits of the use of mass transit and will slowly but surely start to embrace urbanity. It's also important that both these projects, along with Hollywood/Vine and LA Live be completed ASAP in order to jump-start the urban revitalization process. It's amazing how we've made such little progress over the past few years and I'm hoping once these projects are completed, the boom will take off at full force and by 2015 we'll see a completely revitalized Hollywood, Wilshire, and Downtown LA all connected by mass transit to create an organic and walkable urban environment.

BTW, I love your flickr set friday. ;)

Tndwest has a comprehensive and detailed report on the activity in and around the Wilshire/Vermont area. You seem to make your way to that area quite often, so I'm wondering if you know anyhing about the "Mega Block" project and how it's coming along and whether or not 3223 has been fully converted into residential space.

http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/WilVerwebmapb.gif

Tndwest has a comprehensive and detailed report on the activity in and around the Wilshire/Vermont area. You seem to make your way to that area quite often, so I'm wondering if you know anyhing about the "Mega Block" project and how it's coming along and whether or not 3223 has been fully converted into residential space.


I do make it there frequently, until the Market Lofts' Ralphs opens, I've been going to the one on Vermont & 3rd - I'm counting the days! Anyway, I don't know anything about the Mega Block development, besides what Tndwest states on their site. There's a gas station and restaurant currently on that corner, and both are operating in full swing. The 3223 building has been stripped down to its steel skeleton for a while and I haven't noticed any changes. I remember reading a few months ago that the developer plans to completely redesign the building, architecturally. It's a good thing too, b/c that building reeked of 60's utilitarian modernism. For whatever it's worth, that high school on the north side of the block, adjacant to the Wilshire/Vermont project (where the map says "Future School"), is well under way.

ah.....the old lady waitress in Denny's whose been working at that Denny's for the past 31 years said that once she saw what was going up across the street she started counting the days. You should go see her before she goes.....she works on Tuesday mornings, that I'm sure of...she's a little old white lady, the oldest and pretty much the only white front of the house employee there. She's a hoot!

^^ I used go to that Denny's in the late 80's for breakfast but I don't remember her... well she was 20 years younger.

Luxury Hotel and Penhouse residences. A big building project on Beverly Drive off Wilshire. Scheduled to open Spring 2008.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/110/277002092_4093cf4eb4.jpg?v=0
This is a pic i found online....?? might be useful

the Montage.

ooo thats a big one

Is there a image of the final product??
I missed it, I Guess?

Montage Hotel

http://la.curbed.com/2006_11_montagehotel1-thumb.jpg
http://la.curbed.com/2006_11_montagehotel2-thumb.jpg

oh man.. I really hope that montage thing is finished nicely..
Beverly Hills will really show the signs of dubai-trashification if it looks like.. what is it called? the apts. across from the grove? You know, the really cheesy ones? I went inside those one time.. man are they gross. Bad stucco, cheap materials, poor design.

...speaking of Wilshire Projects, what ever became of the lower level retail @ Vero?

I live in Vero and wonder that same thing. There's been no activity at all, and no one seems to know why. Last year the developer was telling everyone that Coffee Bean and Subway had signed leases and they were done deals. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Besides those, two Red Mango and a drycleaners have decided not to move in. According to the downtown news, Yogurberry might move in now.

Oh you live in Vero... cool*

I was wondering why you had so many pix of Wilshire projects. Your right there in the middle of the action. It just sucks you don't have any lower level retail yet. You might have to walk it or continue to drive to get to the nearest shops...

Oh you live in Vero... cool*

You might have to walk it or continue to drive to get to the nearest shops...

Shut up! "Ferney".

These photos were taken on Sat. July 7th:

Solair Wilshire
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1366/750912263_74761b7b24_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1109/750921247_400df8f922_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1053/750914991_0b0f8e9910_b.jpg

The Gardens at Wilshire Center - (Wilshire & Hobart)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/750920711_d7e16e4cf9_b.jpg

Serrano Palace Tower - Nearing Completion
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/751772378_a00e880421_b.jpg

Wilshire/Vermont Development - Essentially Finished
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1191/750915555_4890212fd0_b.jpg

Equitable City Center - Nearing Completion
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/751764106_15becbd06d_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1211/750911369_ce0179b87d_b.jpg

MaDang Courtyard - Rear view from Manhattan Pl
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/751766244_2cb2fc4ba2_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1117/750912825_08e533a35e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/751765752_61b8199d8b_b.jpg

Serrano is the one behind The Wiltern, right?

Wow it also looks really good!:pepper:

Serrano is the one behind The Wiltern, right?

Wow it also looks really good!:pepper:

Yeah, 7th & Serrano. Agreed, love it!

Thank you sooo much "Friday" for your continuous pics of one of our most urban hoods in the city! I love as Koreatown continues to urbanize Handcock Park sinks its heels in.........what a contrast in 10 years these two neighborhoods will be.....anyway I'll say it again

I LOVE KOREATOWN!!!

[QUOTE=fridayinla;14170103]These photos were taken on Sat. July 7th:
The Gardens at Wilshire Center - (Wilshire & Hobart)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/750920711_d7e16e4cf9_b.jpg


Stop the press!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do they do this on major L.A. Streets. These type of low rise apartment style structures belong on smaller avenues. You have a Midrise building then some 3 possibly 4 level apartment structure, yuck. Serrano would have looked great on this intersection!

And you scough at me when I say that no one is running the place. If it weren't for Gail Goldberg.......

^ I!

Stop the press!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do they do this on major L.A. Streets. These type of low rise apartment style structures belong on smaller avenues. You have a Midrise building then some 3 possibly 4 level apartment structure, yuck. Serrano would have looked great on this intersection!

Unfortunately there are more similar residential complexes along Wilshire from Koreatown to Miracle Mile. Ferney, whatever you do, don't drive by the corner of Wilshire and Norton (east side of Ktown) - I'm afraid you might crash. One of those 5 story residential developments just completed with taupe vinyl siding! It's so aweful... looks like something out of Van Nuys from the 80s.

^^ Vinyl siding on an apartment building built in 2007....:puke:

What where they on a limited budget or just an old stupid designer stuck in the 80's banarama era with a big hair duo and biker shorts with a white T shirt tucked in wearing LA gears????

Last time I was in LA the corner of Wilshire and Virgil was just an empty lot and the Tiny Island restaurant, but before that the empty lot was a gas station. I see on the map "circa", what is that a new condo building?

http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/WilVerwebmapb.gif

I see on the map "circa", what is that a new condo building?


Yes, here's the website: http://www.circaonwilshire.com/

ah, that will certainly take some getting used to on my part. It used to be for me take a right on virgil at the gas station just before the Bullock's building, now that new tall structure will take some getting used to. Now the question is, how will this new condo affect the rent structure of the surrounding apartment/condo buildings like the Virgil courts right down the street?

Wilshire/Vermont development's feature wall graphics are being installed:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/825003703_fa91db5e6a_b.jpg

Wilshire/Vermont development's feature wall graphics are being installed:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/825003703_fa91db5e6a_b.jpg


What the hell is the green smear on the side. Please tell me that's some photoshop joke Friday?:puke:

Will the walls be used for advertisement?

Unfortunately no joke, Ferney! That's what's going in. Klamedia, I don't think it will be advertising. From all the renderings and descriptions I've seen, that wall will function as a sort of high-graphic "feature" wall. We shouldn't judge yet b/c I think when it's finished, it will look very cool - all those bright colors popping off the monochrome gray/black/white building.

There are a couple other blank walls on the project that may be used for ads.

Updated Wilshire/La Brea project rendering

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/266242949.jpg
Nadel Architects (http://www.nadelarc.com/)

15 and 24 story towers containing 325 condos and 40,000 SF of retail/restaurant space at street level with parking for 850 cars.

Has this been posted here before? I found it on the Nadel Architects (http://www.nadelarc.com) web site while researching updated renders for the St. Vibiana tower...

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/793/wilshirehobartrenderin0.jpg

Wilshire Hobart
Los Angeles, CA

Located in the Koreantown area of Los Angeles, this 580,000 sf 40-story residential tower contains 232 condominium units. Amenities include outdoor gardens, pool, spa, fitness club, sky lounge, and conference rooms. This project is supported by parking for 554 cars.

This must the updated rendering for 3670 Wilshire:
http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/3670Wilshireb.jpg

The Mercury's (SW corner of Wilshire & Western) retail is finally open and very lively; includes Coffee Bean, Yogurberry and Jamba Juice

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1274/933419503_50d7d3fd9a_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/934266716_df00c6e234_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/934267792_af6d6ebe3c_b.jpg

Major projects along Wilshire Boulevard

Solair Wilshire - Wilshire & Western
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/933241451_3ee184ca79_b.jpg

The Gardens at Wilshire Center Wilshire & Hobart
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1176/933242733_7d1bee7f74_b.jpg

Wilshire / Vermont Project - Project is complete, but the graphics are being installed on the feature walls

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1226/934096190_b71b9dc01e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/934094254_3be2fbe696_b.jpg

I noticed that a CVS banner is being installed in the Wilshire/Vermont project. I guess this means CVS has signed on as a retail tenant:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1099/933415531_2b1181298f_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/933416315_61d5a883a4_b.jpg

[QUOTE=fridayinla;

Wilshire / Vermont Project - Project is complete, but the graphics are being installed on the feature walls

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1226/934096190_b71b9dc01e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/934094254_3be2fbe696_b.jpg



^^ I would have totally tripped out on this if I was on E*

The more I see the walls the more I like them.

Koreatown photos from Sunday Aug 5th

Solair Wilshire
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1228/1037038000_11425db1cc_b.jpg

Wilshire Center Site Retail Demolition - It won't be long now
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1395/1037034334_aad1883276_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/1036182861_6592d2ca13_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/1036180345_11d702938e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1127/1036183879_9dea828402_b.jpg

A taller L.A.? He's making it happen

Christopher Pak's vision for the city has been preached by others. His knowledge of the area has helped him succeed.
By K. Connie Kang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 23, 2007
It's difficult these days to drive through Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire without noticing the mark of Christopher Pak.

At 7th Street and Serrano Avenue, there's a seven-story luxury condo tower that Pak has just completed. It's around the corner from the Aroma Sporex complex, Pak's gleaming five-story sports, health and retail facility that when completed a few years ago was the first large building to rise on that stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in a quarter of a century.


Then there is Pak's biggest Koreatown project: a 40-story mixed-use tower that is the centerpiece of a Korean trade and cultural center. Pak stood with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Seoul last fall when the mayor -- on his Asian trade mission -- announced the project and the more than $250 million in foreign investment that had been earmarked for it.

Pak, a 45-year-old architect, developer and political insider, is turning Koreatown into a testing ground for a vision of a dense, taller L.A. -- pushing the boundaries of what residents will bear when it comes to high-rise construction.

It's a style of building -- and living -- that he brings from projects he has designed in Asian cities such as Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

"We need to be embracing that density, that mix of residences, services and workplaces, libraries and schools in one area," said Pak, chief executive of Archeon International Group.

Others over the years have preached a similar vision of Los Angeles to a skeptical public, but Pak is succeeding where they have failed partly because he's an insider -- he was raised in Koreatown and has been part of the City Hall establishment since his early 30s. He is building his projects in a community of immigrants, particularly those from South Korea who are used to high-rise living.

Another factor working in Pak's favor is that his key projects are within the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment Project, an area targeted for revitalization by the city in the wake of the 1992 riots. With that designation, the city is saying that the benefits of redevelopment outweigh the negative environment consequences, according to an analysis on file with the city Planning Department.

Pak has also gained a big ally in Villaraigosa, who has spoken often about the importance of a more vertical Los Angeles with higher-density buildings that mix housing, commercial and retail along major transportation corridors.

An enthusiastic Villaraigosa was on hand for the 2006 groundbreaking of the Solair Wilshire -- Pak and developer Bruce Rothman's joint venture with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority above the Purple Line subway station.

"Chris is an innovative, creative architect who has his pulse on the community and the wherewithal to make things happen," Villaraigosa said.

But Pak and his denser vision of L.A. have their share of detractors. Neighborhood activists, leery of development encroachment near residential areas abutting major boulevards, such as Olympic, complain that projects like his will change the historic character of neighborhoods, and they worry about the effect of density on the quality of life that residents of these areas have long enjoyed.

Critics question whether the new projects will get people out of their cars or simply bring more residents -- and commuters -- to the area's already clogged streets. An environmental impact study says the Solair project is expected to create 1,700 new daily trips. Critics are also leery of some of Pak's other ideas. He would like to see zoning rules changed so that a developer could offer less parking and instead provide more open space for residents.

Pak believes it would get people out of their cars and encourage other modes of transportation, but critics say this is a recipe for a street parking nightmare.

"The city's general plan is a good plan that strikes a balance between homeowners and developers," said Elizabeth Morehead, a former president of the Wilshire Park Assn. "I find his total and unmitigated dismissal of the general plan quite scary, given his considerable political clout."

Residents were up in arms when Pak and other developers sought to construct an eight-story, 30-unit luxury condo building at Olympic Boulevard and Gramercy Place.

Led by Arlin J. Low, president of the Country Club Heights Neighborhood Assn., numerous residents signed a petition urging the city not to grant a zoning variance.

They won. But Pak then went to work, spending months meeting with community groups. What resulted was a compromise that reduced the size of the project from eight stories to six and made other changes residents wanted. Many community leaders backed the new plan, though some residents still felt it was far too big.

"He is a pragmatist, not a dreamer," Rothman said of his business partner. "He is politically savvy. He has a track record. When he goes and works, there is a certain trust that translates into results."

As a player in the city, Pak contributes to politicians at the local, state and national levels and across party lines.

Records show that Pak and his firm have donated to former Mayors Richard Riordan and James K. Hahn, and to Villaraigosa, mostly in the $1,000 range.

Pak grew up in Koreatown, the second son of two dentists who until their recent retirement practiced in the district. He attended Fairfax High School and Cal Poly Pomona, graduating with a degree in architecture. In the early 1990s, he quickly became a rising star around City Hall. At 31, Pak was starting his architecture business and volunteering at a Korean American community organization when he met Riordan during his campaign for mayor.

After Riordan was elected in 1993, Pak applied to serve on a city board, assuming that he didn't have much of a chance. But to his surprise, Riordan's office appointed him to the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He was the first Asian to join the board.

Few people outside Los Angeles' Korean American community had even heard of him. In fact, he was so green to city politics that he didn't even know what the agency did. But Pak was a quick study, reading everything he could about the agency.

"I learned that it was the lifeblood of Southern California," he said.

But the early to mid-1990s was a tough time for his business. Koreatown and the Mid-Wilshire area struggled to recover from the 1992 riots. And, as a young architect starting out, he did not have good prospects of landing architectural commissions in Los Angeles.

So he looked to Asia, where the economy was booming. He quickly made connections in Hong Kong that led to luxury residential and office projects in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and South Korea. Pak continues to commute to Asia.

He made a name for himself with his first project in Asia: developing Vietnam's first modern high-rise, the 22-story Citibank Tower in Ho Chi Minh City. Now he is working on two $400-million mixed-use projects -- one of them 56-stories -- in Shenyang and Tianjin, China.

In Hong Kong, financier Bernard Chan, a member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, said in a telephone interview that he was amazed at how well Pak -- then in his early 30s -- networked. Pak often operates out of the tony Hyatt hotel in Hong Kong, and Chan said he is treated like a VIP.

"I am a member of the Cabinet, but not necessarily everyone knows me by name" at the Hyatt, Chan said. "But Chris Pak -- everybody knows him. He gets better discounts than I do. Chris is amazing."

Chan experienced Pak's entree into power in Los Angeles when he came here with a delegation from Hong Kong. Pak arranged for Chan's group to visit with Mayor Riordan at City Hall.

"They were so impressed," Chan said. "They thought I knew the mayor of Los Angeles!"

The economic recovery of Koreatown in the late 1990s prompted Pak to refocus on developments there and in Mid-Wilshire -- and friends say the political connections he cultivated during the Riordan administration have paid off nicely.

In the 2005 mayoral race, Pak backed former Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg who, like Villaraigosa, expressed the need for a denser Los Angeles. But when Villaraigosa was elected, he immediately put Pak on his transition team.

A year later, Pak traveled with the mayor on the Asian trade mission, during which news of the Korean center turned out to be the biggest development out of the trip. Pak's firm is designing a sprawling complex -- called "Superblock" -- that will include a new office for the South Korean Consulate and a cultural center, theater complex, condos, stores and a Korean bank. (A South Korean firm is the developer).

Villaraigosa touted both the scale of the project and the more than $250 million in capital from Korean investors. Much of the economic boom that has swept Koreatown in recent years has come from Asian investment, particularly wealthy South Koreans who buy property and businesses because they see them as secure assets.

While most of Pak's projects use private financing, the 22-story tower at Wilshire and Western is a partnership with the MTA, which owns the land. Pak created the concept for housing above the Purple Line station and negotiated the deal. In exchange for an exclusive ground lease agreement, Metro is expected to receive $350,000 annually and periodic rent adjustments.

Pak sees these projects as bringing L.A. a step closer to the dense urban spaces of European cities and of the Asian metropolises where he is building similar developments (the only part of L.A. to truly embrace high-rise living is a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between Beverly Hills and Westwood, although most of those towers are far more upscale than the ones rising in Koreatown).

Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire are "ideal" for this kind of development, he said, because the area is already a fairly dense mix of commercial space, shops and residences.

His developments would help create "a true metropolis where people can live, work, shop, entertain, eat and do all of it without having to get in your car," he said. (Pak lives in Playa del Rey with his wife and two sons.)

Pak believes residents need to think about their city in a profoundly different way. Denser, mixed-use developments would mark a departure from the quaint Los Angeles of the past -- but it is crucial that the city make the break, he said.

"L.A. was zoned for vehicles in the early 1900s, not for pedestrians and public transportation," he said.

connie.kang@latimes.com

Updated Wilshire/La Brea project rendering

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/266242949.jpg
Nadel Architects (http://www.nadelarc.com/)

15 and 24 story towers containing 325 condos and 40,000 SF of retail/restaurant space at street level with parking for 850 cars.



Fuck! that would be a good site for a skyscraper instead of that puny little thing.

Sure would like to see a rendering of this 40 story mixed use tower,
but also, does any one have info on the Clubview tower at Whilshire and Comstock, in Westwood ?
I do know there is a crane up for The Carlyle, and it's high!!

I consider Wilshire to be L. A.'s 'Main Street'. That Korean dude is doing his part. What is it exactly about higher construction along major thoroughfares and their respective NIMBYS? Is it because of greater traffic, longer shadows or people on balconies with their binoculars looking down? I don't get it! :cheers:

Sure would like to see a rendering of this 40 story mixed use tower

Wilshire Hobart
Los Angeles, CA

Located in the Koreantown area of Los Angeles, this 580,000 sf 40-story residential tower contains 232 condominium units. Amenities include outdoor gardens, pool, spa, fitness club, sky lounge, and conference rooms. This project is supported by parking for 554 cars.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/793/wilshirehobartrenderin0.jpg

This must the updated rendering for 3670 Wilshire:
http://www.tndwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/3670Wilshireb.jpg

New project "Solair Wilshire"..

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3574/projectpj2.jpg

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/9182/project2ko2.jpg

source:

http://www.3designarchitect.com/gallery.html

^ Erm....Solair has been under construction for almost a year. Look at the posts above you.

New project "Solair Wilshire"..

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3574/projectpj2.jpg

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/9182/project2ko2.jpg

source:

http://www.3designarchitect.com/gallery.html

Look at the posts above you.

where is that?

Wilshire/Western

A taller L.A.? He's making it happen
Christopher Pak's vision for the city has been preached by others.
His knowledge of the area has helped him succeed.
By K. Connie Kang, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 23, 2007



Graphic
Upscaling
click to enlarge

Photo Gallery
Boomtown KoreatownIt's difficult these days to drive through
Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire without noticing the mark of Christopher
Pak.

At 7th Street and Serrano Avenue, there's a seven-story luxury condo
tower that Pak has just completed. It's around the corner from the
Aroma Sporex complex, Pak's gleaming five-story sports, health and
retail facility that when completed a few years ago was the first
large building to rise on that stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in a
quarter of a century.

Just down Wilshire at Western Avenue, construction has begun on a 22-
story condominium tower and upscale retail center rising above the
Purple Line subway station.

Then there is Pak's biggest Koreatown project: a 40-story mixed-use
tower that is the centerpiece of a Korean trade and cultural center.
Pak stood with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Seoul last
fall when the mayor -- on his Asian trade mission -- announced the
project and the more than $250 million in foreign investment that
had been earmarked for it.

Pak, a 45-year-old architect, developer and political insider, is
turning Koreatown into a testing ground for a vision of a dense,
taller L.A. -- pushing the boundaries of what residents will bear
when it comes to high-rise construction.

It's a style of building -- and living -- that he brings from
projects he has designed in Asian cities such as Jakarta, Indonesia
and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

"We need to be embracing that density, that mix of residences,
services and workplaces, libraries and schools in one area," said
Pak, chief executive of Archeon International Group.

Others over the years have preached a similar vision of Los Angeles
to a skeptical public, but Pak is succeeding where they have failed
partly because he's an insider -- he was raised in Koreatown and has
been part of the City Hall establishment since his early 30s. He is
building his projects in a community of immigrants, particularly
those from South Korea who are used to high-rise living.

Another factor working in Pak's favor is that his key projects are
within the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment Project, an area
targeted for revitalization by the city in the wake of the 1992
riots. With that designation, the city is saying that the benefits
of redevelopment outweigh the negative environment consequences,
according to an analysis on file with the city Planning Department.

Pak has also gained a big ally in Villaraigosa, who has spoken often
about the importance of a more vertical Los Angeles with higher-
density buildings that mix housing, commercial and retail along
major transportation corridors.

An enthusiastic Villaraigosa was on hand for the 2006 groundbreaking
of the Solair Wilshire -- Pak and developer Bruce Rothman's joint
venture with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority above the
Purple Line subway station.

"Chris is an innovative, creative architect who has his pulse on the
community and the wherewithal to make things happen," Villaraigosa
said.

But Pak and his denser vision of L.A. have their share of
detractors. Neighborhood activists, leery of development
encroachment near residential areas abutting major boulevards, such
as Olympic, complain that projects like his will change the historic
character of neighborhoods, and they worry about the effect of
density on the quality of life that residents of these areas have
long enjoyed.

Critics question whether the new projects will get people out of
their cars or simply bring more residents -- and commuters -- to the
area's already clogged streets. An environmental impact study says
the Solair project is expected to create 1,700 new daily trips.
Critics are also leery of some of Pak's other ideas. He would like
to see zoning rules changed so that a developer could offer less
parking and instead provide more open space for residents.

Pak believes it would get people out of their cars and encourage
other modes of transportation, but critics say this is a recipe for
a street parking nightmare.

"The city's general plan is a good plan that strikes a balance
between homeowners and developers," said Elizabeth Morehead, a
former president of the Wilshire Park Assn. "I find his total and
unmitigated dismissal of the general plan quite scary, given his
considerable political clout."

Residents were up in arms when Pak and other developers sought to
construct an eight-story, 30-unit luxury condo building at Olympic
Boulevard and Gramercy Place.

Led by Arlin J. Low, president of the Country Club Heights
Neighborhood Assn., numerous residents signed a petition urging the
city not to grant a zoning variance.

They won. But Pak then went to work, spending months meeting with
community groups. What resulted was a compromise that reduced the
size of the project from eight stories to six and made other changes
residents wanted. Many community leaders backed the new plan, though
some residents still felt it was far too big.

"He is a pragmatist, not a dreamer," Rothman said of his business
partner. "He is politically savvy. He has a track record. When he
goes and works, there is a certain trust that translates into
results."

As a player in the city, Pak contributes to politicians at the
local, state and national levels and across party lines.

Records show that Pak and his firm have donated to former Mayors
Richard Riordan and James K. Hahn, and to Villaraigosa, mostly in
the $1,000 range.

Pak grew up in Koreatown, the second son of two dentists who until
their recent retirement practiced in the district. He attended
Fairfax High School and Cal Poly Pomona, graduating with a degree in
architecture. In the early 1990s, he quickly became a rising star
around City Hall. At 31, Pak was starting his architecture business
and volunteering at a Korean American community organization when he
met Riordan during his campaign for mayor.

After Riordan was elected in 1993, Pak applied to serve on a city
board, assuming that he didn't have much of a chance. But to his
surprise, Riordan's office appointed him to the board of the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He was the first
Asian to join the board.

Few people outside Los Angeles' Korean American community had even
heard of him. In fact, he was so green to city politics that he
didn't even know what the agency did. But Pak was a quick study,
reading everything he could about the agency.

"I learned that it was the lifeblood of Southern California," he
said.

But the early to mid-1990s was a tough time for his business.
Koreatown and the Mid-Wilshire area struggled to recover from the
1992 riots. And, as a young architect starting out, he did not have
good prospects of landing architectural commissions in Los Angeles.

So he looked to Asia, where the economy was booming. He quickly made
connections in Hong Kong that led to luxury residential and office
projects in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and South Korea. Pak
continues to commute to Asia.

He made a name for himself with his first project in Asia:
developing Vietnam's first modern high-rise, the 22-story Citibank
Tower in Ho Chi Minh City. Now he is working on two $400-million
mixed-use projects -- one of them 56-stories -- in Shenyang and
Tianjin, China.

In Hong Kong, financier Bernard Chan, a member of Hong Kong's
Legislative Council, said in a telephone interview that he was
amazed at how well Pak -- then in his early 30s -- networked. Pak
often operates out of the tony Hyatt hotel in Hong Kong, and Chan
said he is treated like a VIP.

"I am a member of the Cabinet, but not necessarily everyone knows me
by name" at the Hyatt, Chan said. "But Chris Pak -- everybody knows
him. He gets better discounts than I do. Chris is amazing."

Chan experienced Pak's entree into power in Los Angeles when he came
here with a delegation from Hong Kong. Pak arranged for Chan's group
to visit with Mayor Riordan at City Hall.

"They were so impressed," Chan said. "They thought I knew the mayor
of Los Angeles!"

The economic recovery of Koreatown in the late 1990s prompted Pak to
refocus on developments there and in Mid-Wilshire -- and friends say
the political connections he cultivated during the Riordan
administration have paid off nicely.

In the 2005 mayoral race, Pak backed former Assembly Speaker Robert
Hertzberg who, like Villaraigosa, expressed the need for a denser
Los Angeles. But when Villaraigosa was elected, he immediately put
Pak on his transition team.

A year later, Pak traveled with the mayor on the Asian trade
mission, during which news of the Korean center turned out to be the
biggest development out of the trip. Pak's firm is designing a
sprawling complex -- called "Superblock" -- that will include a new
office for the South Korean Consulate and a cultural center, theater
complex, condos, stores and a Korean bank. (A South Korean firm is
the developer).

Villaraigosa touted both the scale of the project and the more than
$250 million in capital from Korean investors. Much of the economic
boom that has swept Koreatown in recent years has come from Asian
investment, particularly wealthy South Koreans who buy property and
businesses because they see them as secure assets.

While most of Pak's projects use private financing, the 22-story
tower at Wilshire and Western is a partnership with the MTA, which
owns the land. Pak created the concept for housing above the Purple
Line station and negotiated the deal. In exchange for an exclusive
ground lease agreement, Metro is expected to receive $350,000
annually and periodic rent adjustments.

Pak sees these projects as bringing L.A. a step closer to the dense
urban spaces of European cities and of the Asian metropolises where
he is building similar developments (the only part of L.A. to truly
embrace high-rise living is a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between
Beverly Hills and Westwood, although most of those towers are far
more upscale than the ones rising in Koreatown).

Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire are "ideal" for this kind of development,
he said, because the area is already a fairly dense mix of
commercial space, shops and residences.

His developments would help create "a true metropolis where people
can live, work, shop, entertain, eat and do all of it without having
to get in your car," he said. (Pak lives in Playa del Rey with his
wife and two sons.)

Pak believes residents need to think about their city in a
profoundly different way. Denser, mixed-use developments would mark
a departure from the quaint Los Angeles of the past -- but it is
crucial that the city make the break, he said.

"L.A. was zoned for vehicles in the early 1900s, not for pedestrians
and public transportation," he said.

Solar looks great. Wilshire/Western will be full of people walking around.

Now if the purple line could go past that stop...uuggghh.

that place is full with people... but now since solair is comming up... and the Subway .. dagn

http://www.socketsite.com/SOM%20Cathedral%20Hill%20Tower.jpg


planed for Wilshire nere Beverly Hills

"nere" :dunno:

Does it have a name? Height? Where is it?

wilshire and la cienega

wilshire and la cienega


^ Isn't that building already on that corner in the (Restaurant Row)? There's a bank on the lower level and the name of the building is something Publications. Not too sure, can someone confirm!

^You're referring to the Flynt Publications building. It's a black, oval-shaped building. It's much shorter than this tower.

looks similar but the new proposal is 40 stories.

Why don't you post the link?

this la cienega/wilshire proposal seems bogus.

That is one of the most crowded intersections in the city.

I can only see it going thru when and if the purple line is extended. As of now that seems like a long way off so I doubt such a large project would get the community or political support to go thru. This is a pretty sketchy, er, sketch too so that doesn't make it seem real.

Gardens at Wilshire Center - Wilshire & Hobart - Scaffolding now up on Wilshire side
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/1353041618_4b067c8161_b.jpg

Equitable City Center - 6th & Alexandria - Nearing completion
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1208/1352114383_a947186713_b.jpg

Solair Wilshire - Wilshire/Western - 11 Floors Up Now
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/1348720000_22febef32b_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1113/1347818553_31b37703c1_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/1347822127_15b1e2df5e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1103/1347814259_b2dad79ffd_b.jpg

Wilshire Center - Wilshire/Vermont - Site demolition complete, constrution should start in the coming months
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1276/1348701224_9becf6d8f3_b.jpg

Wilshire/Vermont - Complete but no retail yet
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1096/1347810669_99c858b0f9_b.jpg

Saturday the 10th?

The 8th, whatever.... this weekend.

Is it me, or does the painting on Wilshire/Vermont look like the cover of a Pink Floyd album?

Solair barely looks 11 stories up for some reason. Maybe its just the bend back or the huge gap level, both about halfway up.

its dissapointing seing all thos low rises go up on wilshire where highrises should be.

Infill in some cases are better than nonstop highrises.

there is a lack of highrises in the mid city.

^Yes, mid-city in general, but not along Wilshire Boulevard.

We don't need tall high-rises in Mid-City. We need a bunch of 5-20 story infill projects to fill up all of those deadzones.

there not even planning 20 story towers along midcity, there all 4-6 stories.

I don't need LA to be skyscraper city, I do need LA to continue its density and I think it is certainly going in the right direction.

Mall could revive once-vibrant Mid-City area
template_bas
template_bas
A $70-million mall is another indication that L.A.'s Pico-San Vicente area, once mired in economic decay, is resurgent.
By Ari B. Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12, 2007
Back in the days when Los Angeles had streetcars, the crossing of Pico and San Vicente boulevards in Mid-City was a hub of activity.

The streets were lined with shops, restaurants and movie theaters. A hilltop Sears department store drew customers from far and wide, some taking the Pico line of the Los Angeles Railway Co. trolley car system.

Then came the Watts riots in 1965, followed by years of economic decay and the 1992 riots. Crime rose, storefronts shuttered and the landmark Sears closed its doors.

But Mid-City is now in the midst of a revival, part of a wave of gentrification that has swept over many of L.A.'s once-neglected neighborhoods. The boarded-up Sears, for years a symbol of decay, is being replaced by a 500,000-square-foot mall, anchored by a Lowe's home improvement store.

The area, a mix of ethnic groups and neighborhoods that range from mansion-lined streets to rows of low-rent apartments, is benefiting from economic forces on its borders. People who can no longer afford the high prices of neighboring communities have moved in. It helps that Mid-City, as its name implies, is not far from downtown, Hollywood and the Westside. And development is following.

"This is one of the great untapped neighborhoods," said Samuel Garrison, director of public policy at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The gentrification has been embraced by some -- but not all -- Mid-City residents.

Barbara Julian, who has lived in a house one block south of Washington Boulevard on Dunsmuir Avenue for more than four decades, said she has to drive miles for shopping -- to Beverly Center or Culver City.

"The area has been a blighted area for quite a while," she said.

Julian, 71, said she hoped the new mall would bring a new sense of vitality to the area.

But Carlos E. Rodriguez, owner of El Salvadoran pupuseria Con Sabor that opened nearby 10 years ago, said new brand-name stores, such as Panda Express, will hurt small businesses like his. Developers "never come in with small, local businesses; they come in with brand franchises," Rodriguez said.

Experts say Mid-City's history and demographic shifts are emblematic of many low- and middle-income neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. The rise in home values in neighborhoods such as Hancock Park, the Fairfax district and Miracle Mile have young professionals and first-time homeowners giving Mid-City a new look.

A single-family home in the area sells for an average of $559,000 -- nearly four times more than in 2000, but about $300,000 less than in Olympic Park, according to John Karevoll of the real estate research firm DataQuick Information Systems.

Despite the influx of new homeowners, Mid-City remains a largely working-class area.

Nearly a quarter of its residents were living in poverty, according to the 2000 Census, a bit more than twice the nationwide rate of 12.4%. And according to the same census, slightly more than half of Mid-City residents 16 and older had jobs -- more than 5% less than the rest of Los Angeles and about 9% less than the national average.

The developers of Midtown Crossing, set on 10 acres, are not looking to attract exclusively upscale clientele. CIM Group Inc., the company funding the project, has a history of targeting emerging areas that the developers say don't have enough retail establishments.

The mission "is to be a catalyst for change in communities that have been underserved," said Philip Friedl, a CIM vice president. "This area, this community, this project, and this site really presented the opportunity to do that."

Detailed drawings of Midtown Crossing show a style similar to the much larger and more upscale Grove, a popular outdoor shopping mall a few miles away on 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue. Midtown Crossing would have tree-lined sidewalks, brand-name but not super high-end retailers surrounding a parking area. The developers won't confirm tenants because negotiations are not final, but stores that might open include Best Buy.

In the 1920s and '30s, Mid-City was a suburb of downtown Los Angeles -- "very dynamic, it was changing all the time," said Matthew Roth, a historian with the Automobile Club of Southern California. Some developers at the time tried new architectural plans in the neighborhood, including an innovative rooftop parking lot at the Sears store, Roth said.

It helped that at Pico and Rimpau boulevards, a key Los Angeles Railway line had its western terminus, with a depot next to the Sears that is now a transit center for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Big Blue Bus line.

Until the August 1965 riots, Mid-City and the neighboring Crenshaw district thrived, said Christopher West, history curator at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. But Mid-City struggled for the last 40 years, taking a second hard hit when riots again rocked the city in 1992.

After the dust settled from the riots, City Councilman Herb Wesson said, retailers were wary of moving into the area. Wesson said he has set up booths at development and retail conventions around Southern California, asking retailers to come to an area he described as "barren" and "starved."

"We've got enough liquor stores and auto body shops for one neighborhood," Wesson said about Mid-City, which is in his district.

Midtown Crossing is the first major development to bring in masses of new stores to the area. But residents said they began noticing changes in 2000.

More retail has crept in as community activists and local politicians pursued business-friendly community planning.

"I've seen the improvements, the different businesses that have moved in, the interest from big developers looking at properties," said Steven Vasquez, president of the Mid-City Neighborhood Council. "The street maintenance has increased. We're getting more medians, better street lighting. It's going to help more businesses come in, and of course, you have the people moving in that have more income."

Two years ago, when Franco Gambino opened Gambino's Grill and Pizza on Venice Boulevard near San Vicente, he was struggling to get customers. Now, he said, he sees customers coming from Hancock Park for "The Killer," a monster pizza.

Gambino said he hopes the development will bring more foot traffic. A bank and a few shops have opened at the new mall, just east of La Brea Avenue. To come over the next 16 months are the home improvement store, scores of other retailers and a three-story parking garage, all at a cost of $60 million to $70 million, said architect Brad Williams, the project's director at Studio One Eleven in Long Beach.

Darnell Hunt, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, called the development "momentous" because retailers have been wary of building in areas touched by the 1992 riots.

But Hunt pointed to an Inglewood neighborhood where residents argued bitterly over plans by Wal-Mart to open a mega store and said that developers are often not in tune with a particular community's needs, such as prevailing living wages and opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Julian, the longtime Mid-City resident, said she believes the community would love the kind of shopping and pedestrian interaction her neighborhood enjoyed during its heyday.

"I hope the mall will bring in business and actually make it look much better."

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Is that nere the expo?

Mall could revive once-vibrant Mid-City area
template_bas
template_bas
A $70-million mall is another indication that L.A.'s Pico-San Vicente area, once mired in economic decay, is resurgent.
By Ari B. Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12, 2007
Back in the days when Los Angeles had streetcars, the crossing of Pico and San Vicente boulevards in Mid-City was a hub of activity.

The streets were lined with shops, restaurants and movie theaters. A hilltop Sears department store drew customers from far and wide, some taking the Pico line of the Los Angeles Railway Co. trolley car system.

Then came the Watts riots in 1965, followed by years of economic decay and the 1992 riots. Crime rose, storefronts shuttered and the landmark Sears closed its doors.

But Mid-City is now in the midst of a revival, part of a wave of gentrification that has swept over many of L.A.'s once-neglected neighborhoods. The boarded-up Sears, for years a symbol of decay, is being replaced by a 500,000-square-foot mall, anchored by a Lowe's home improvement store.

The area, a mix of ethnic groups and neighborhoods that range from mansion-lined streets to rows of low-rent apartments, is benefiting from economic forces on its borders. People who can no longer afford the high prices of neighboring communities have moved in. It helps that Mid-City, as its name implies, is not far from downtown, Hollywood and the Westside. And development is following.

"This is one of the great untapped neighborhoods," said Samuel Garrison, director of public policy at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The gentrification has been embraced by some -- but not all -- Mid-City residents.

Barbara Julian, who has lived in a house one block south of Washington Boulevard on Dunsmuir Avenue for more than four decades, said she has to drive miles for shopping -- to Beverly Center or Culver City.

"The area has been a blighted area for quite a while," she said.

Julian, 71, said she hoped the new mall would bring a new sense of vitality to the area.

But Carlos E. Rodriguez, owner of El Salvadoran pupuseria Con Sabor that opened nearby 10 years ago, said new brand-name stores, such as Panda Express, will hurt small businesses like his. Developers "never come in with small, local businesses; they come in with brand franchises," Rodriguez said.

Experts say Mid-City's history and demographic shifts are emblematic of many low- and middle-income neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. The rise in home values in neighborhoods such as Hancock Park, the Fairfax district and Miracle Mile have young professionals and first-time homeowners giving Mid-City a new look.

A single-family home in the area sells for an average of $559,000 -- nearly four times more than in 2000, but about $300,000 less than in Olympic Park, according to John Karevoll of the real estate research firm DataQuick Information Systems.

Despite the influx of new homeowners, Mid-City remains a largely working-class area.

Nearly a quarter of its residents were living in poverty, according to the 2000 Census, a bit more than twice the nationwide rate of 12.4%. And according to the same census, slightly more than half of Mid-City residents 16 and older had jobs -- more than 5% less than the rest of Los Angeles and about 9% less than the national average.

The developers of Midtown Crossing, set on 10 acres, are not looking to attract exclusively upscale clientele. CIM Group Inc., the company funding the project, has a history of targeting emerging areas that the developers say don't have enough retail establishments.

The mission "is to be a catalyst for change in communities that have been underserved," said Philip Friedl, a CIM vice president. "This area, this community, this project, and this site really presented the opportunity to do that."

Detailed drawings of Midtown Crossing show a style similar to the much larger and more upscale Grove, a popular outdoor shopping mall a few miles away on 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue. Midtown Crossing would have tree-lined sidewalks, brand-name but not super high-end retailers surrounding a parking area. The developers won't confirm tenants because negotiations are not final, but stores that might open include Best Buy.

In the 1920s and '30s, Mid-City was a suburb of downtown Los Angeles -- "very dynamic, it was changing all the time," said Matthew Roth, a historian with the Automobile Club of Southern California. Some developers at the time tried new architectural plans in the neighborhood, including an innovative rooftop parking lot at the Sears store, Roth said.

It helped that at Pico and Rimpau boulevards, a key Los Angeles Railway line had its western terminus, with a depot next to the Sears that is now a transit center for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Big Blue Bus line.

Until the August 1965 riots, Mid-City and the neighboring Crenshaw district thrived, said Christopher West, history curator at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. But Mid-City struggled for the last 40 years, taking a second hard hit when riots again rocked the city in 1992.

After the dust settled from the riots, City Councilman Herb Wesson said, retailers were wary of moving into the area. Wesson said he has set up booths at development and retail conventions around Southern California, asking retailers to come to an area he described as "barren" and "starved."

"We've got enough liquor stores and auto body shops for one neighborhood," Wesson said about Mid-City, which is in his district.

Midtown Crossing is the first major development to bring in masses of new stores to the area. But residents said they began noticing changes in 2000.

More retail has crept in as community activists and local politicians pursued business-friendly community planning.

"I've seen the improvements, the different businesses that have moved in, the interest from big developers looking at properties," said Steven Vasquez, president of the Mid-City Neighborhood Council. "The street maintenance has increased. We're getting more medians, better street lighting. It's going to help more businesses come in, and of course, you have the people moving in that have more income."

Two years ago, when Franco Gambino opened Gambino's Grill and Pizza on Venice Boulevard near San Vicente, he was struggling to get customers. Now, he said, he sees customers coming from Hancock Park for "The Killer," a monster pizza.

Gambino said he hopes the development will bring more foot traffic. A bank and a few shops have opened at the new mall, just east of La Brea Avenue. To come over the next 16 months are the home improvement store, scores of other retailers and a three-story parking garage, all at a cost of $60 million to $70 million, said architect Brad Williams, the project's director at Studio One Eleven in Long Beach.

Darnell Hunt, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, called the development "momentous" because retailers have been wary of building in areas touched by the 1992 riots.

But Hunt pointed to an Inglewood neighborhood where residents argued bitterly over plans by Wal-Mart to open a mega store and said that developers are often not in tune with a particular community's needs, such as prevailing living wages and opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Julian, the longtime Mid-City resident, said she believes the community would love the kind of shopping and pedestrian interaction her neighborhood enjoyed during its heyday.

"I hope the mall will bring in business and actually make it look much better."

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Although I'm happy for the development, do we really need another mall? I guess I can't complain, whatever makes life easier for the residents of Mid-City... cash flow definitely needs to flow through that part of town.

any pics of the current site?

It's not the "mall" or collection of stores aspect that disturbs me, it's the "surrounding a parking area" quote that is disturbing. Any type of open air parking usually kills any kind of pedestrian activity. But the CIM group has its hand in it and I can only hope that it turns out "smart" after seeing all of the "smart" things that they have done in Hollywood.

is it near the expo line?

^^Not really. Don't you know how to spell "near"?

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-09-5600wilshire-con.jpg

Construction Watch: 5600 Wilshire Fills the Pit

By jwilliams
September 28, 2007

We're happy to report that work is progressing nicely at the 5600 Wilshire project (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2006/11/curbedwire_work.php), which as many of you may remember sat as an open pit (http://la.curbed.com/2006-10-thepit.jpg) for what seemed like years (actually, it was approximately 27 years). The proposed 284-unit, mixed use project had workers crawling all over it when we stopped by earlier this week. According to the Larchmont Chronicle (http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ArchiveDetail.asp?ArchiveID=663), the project is proposed for completion in Fall 2008. The water-colory renderings (after the jump) indicate a color scheme involving various shades of non-descript browns and beiges, sure to kill the soul of anyone who wanders near.

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-09-5600wilshire-rend1.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-09-5600wilshire-rend2.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Curbed LA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/09/construction_wa_14.php)

September 23, 2007

Solair Wilshire

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1102/1430971032_4399691678_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Serrano Palace Tower

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/1430975302_ce7b85f79f_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1430980198_cec6578cbd_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Gardens at Wilshire Center

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1083/1430115325_19e0014a07_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

The Summit

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1362/1430123849_bf1879234d_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

6th and Vermont

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1341/1430128531_e3afc60e66_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Holy shit! I never knew anything was happening in the pit.

We definitely need more "Solair Wilshire & Serrano Place" in the wilshire area...

I wouldn't mind seeing a couple buildings similar to Serrano and Solair downtown. Serrano has a very clean and clutter free look. It adds alot of 'clairity' into the area.

Circa will begin construction by the end of the year and is slated to be finished by 2010.

3033 Wilshire Blvd.

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2007-10-circa-sm.jpg

From CurbedLA.

We'll see.......

Finished by 2010?, a 25 story building?, wow.

^^ it's only like 2 years from now. doesn't seem so bad. I think it's harder to believe that it's gonna be freakin' 2010 so sooon!

Where does the time go....we all must be havin' fun!:cheers:

December 8, 2007

Solair Wilshire

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/2096753732_a4f760529e_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/2096755022_ff8c74a69a_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/2096756440_42877d8e68_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2156/2095980189_3cb9b59a24_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2143/2095982543_cf61903249_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Gardens at Wilshire Center

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2095998371_ffeaf587f7_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Hotel Emhurst

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2418/2096777282_85cb1c56fb_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Central LA New Learning Center #1

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/2096007043_fe7c02065d_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2256/2096005871_438a305e75_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/2096011251_cf45872cb8_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Wilshire Vermont

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/2096789766_1664c291cd_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/2096014115_9a03e3f0ac_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

for Wilshire, westwood corridor?

There are three developments going on here and all three are beginning to head up above ground and are worth watching in the next six months.

1. I think this is "the carlisle". I googled the building by this name and only got Belinda Carlisle's address among a hodge podge of crap. (I hate google!) I am sure someone has more info, right? ANyway, it is beginning to rise and should be in the 18-24 floor height of the Californian. The floor plan is in a sort of chevron which means lots of windows for the residents. It's looking good!

2. Park View is several floors above ground. I know this is the name and again, I google the project and get everything BUT Park View info. This building will be the first hi rise as you travel west from Beverly Hills to Westwood along Wilshire and should be quite impressive.

3. The last of the U/C along this area is a senior development that probably won't be very tall, but is also moving along at a brisk pace.

Once these three are done, I am not sure that there is going to be room for more along this stretch of Wilshire. All of the older charming low rise buildings have been replaced by mid to hi rise buildings. So this stretch of L.A. skyline along Wilshire Blvd. is about to come to a close.

Solair Wilshire

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/2132213980_c236d74026_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

The Mercury

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2238/2132214824_b953e7c78f_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Serrano Palace Tower

Recently completed...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/2132215732_12ef3cc80f_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/2131439397_d5aa4cc3bd_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Gardens at Wilshire Center

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2131440677_508df7ed69_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Equitable City Center

Recently completed...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/2131449113_b5a7c9e338_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/2132230390_5bcedafb91_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2132229374_e9bee7ffe5_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2132228206_e82cf856dc_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Kenmore Tower

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/2131456001_8a737b7d0c_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2132234418_0ccb6be75a_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2131454795_784158a461_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

LAUSD High School #3

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/2132242270_fe37922075_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Wilshire Center

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/2132244256_d1684be40d_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2155/2132245606_c0e20e6cd9_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Wilshire Vermont

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/2131465865_9000159f9c_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/2132246524_97627515c2_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Damn, I Love Koreatown!! This is what LA urban should look like!

Great update. I really like Kenmore Tower, no set back from the streets!

I wonder if the Equitable city center will have electronic billboards. What stores are going in there anyone know?

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.01.circasmall.jpg

Que Pasa Circa on Wilshire?

By Dakota
January 16, 2008

The latest on Circa, the planned 18-story, 190-unit mixed-use Wilshire condominium tower with 5,330 square feet of retail that'll eventually replace a cute but tagged-up sign on the ground. The building, which is being developed by Williams & Dame Development (http://www.wddcorp.com/projects/kt_circa.asp) of Portland, was originally slated to break ground by end of '07. So what's up, Circa? An email from the developer clues us in: "We had intended to break ground late last year on Circa, however with the changes in the market, we’ve decided to push it back until later in 2008." Patience, people. Full glorious rendering after the jump.

More on Circa on Wilshire: Tagged "A" and a Missing Web Site (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/10/more_on_circa_o.php) [Curbed LA]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Curbed LA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/01/que_pasa_circa.php#more)

More Wilshire Construction Delays: Barrington Project

By Dakota
January 16, 2008

Previously mentioned on the site (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2007/05/rumblings_bumbl_122.php), the planned Wilshire-Barrington project, a 78-unit condominium development, is also seeing delays. Per a reader, the dirt is just sitting there and nothing is happening. It's the "restructuring the financing" snag. "The land is clear, the permits are ready to issue," Tim Meier, director of development at California Landmark tells us. "We have our construction financing all set to go, but we're doing a re-capitalization of the partnership equity." Alrighty, then! Meier said construction on the building, which'll have a 2,500-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor, would start by June.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Curbed LA (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/01/wilshire.php)

January 12, 2008

Solair Wilshire

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2148/2192295662_8d1258aecc_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/2191549561_0edd390b05_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2171/2192341692_6969677f86_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

Wilshire Center

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2192344064_2586cb102a_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla

^I sure hope that lot doesn't stay vacant for a long time.

GO SOLAIRE!!:banana:

Solair Wilshire

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/2132213980_c236d74026_b.jpg
From Flickr, by fridayinla


These Windows will not stay Blue, will they?
They Look Cool like this.^^

I think that blue might be the color of the tarp behind the windows. maybe?

I AM SO FUCKEN SICK OF SEING all thses low rises going up on wilshire which should be LA's vsion of midtwon manhaten. we need some 40 hight towoers there.

I AM SO FUCKEN SICK OF SEING all thses low rises going up on wilshire which should be LA's vsion of midtwon manhaten. we need some 40 hight towoers there.

Why, it could be Los Angeles' version of itself. Fuck having to look like other cities.

Solair looks like a mid-rise to me.

That's exactly what it is.

Solair is considered a high-rise.

I see what he is saying but along Wilshire in Westwood you have legitimate highrises. Also extending the Purple Line down Wilshire which will completely solidify the corridor as a linear secondary CBD will help immensley.

Why, it could be Los Angeles' version of itself. Fuck having to look like other cities.

I agree with you 100%..:yes: :yes: :yes:

You know.. I get the feeling that if you don't have lots of highrises and some supertalls to go with them, that you as a city and location won't be taken seriously. That is not my opinion, but that is the majority opinion of people around the country. I see and read it every day. No one cares about the international contribution, people still say that for a city its size, Los Angeles has a miniscule skyline,..and no history. Interesting :)

You know.. I get the feeling that if you don't have lots of highrises and some supertalls to go with them, that you as a city and location won't be taken seriously. That is not my opinion, but that is the majority opinion of people around the country. I see and read it every day. No one cares about the international contribution, people still say that for a city its size, Los Angeles has a miniscule skyline,..and no history. Interesting :)

i think its more of an issue of relativity. downtown la is not small and the skyline is not small either. however, compared to the size of the rest of the city, yeah, its not too big. however, take our skyline against a city like pittsburgh and its much larger. people just expect that since la is the 2nd largest city in the country that there should be a larger skyline.

i happen to completely disagree with this line of thinking. most european cities are midrise at best and ultra dense. here in la, my favorite hoods happen to be lowrise neighborhoods like venice, ocean park, los feliz, larchmont, silver lake, etc. i think a lot of people would also agree with me. the same goes for new york. from my experiences there, the coolest neighborhoods are filled with 3 level (one of which is below grade) brownstones. a city certainly doesnt need to be filled with 30-50 story buildings everywhere you look to be a big city. i've been to asia and south america and can tell you that most skyscrapers outside of the US are ugly and actually take away from the character of an otherwise nice city.

I dont even think "normal" people care about the skyline. Its more what they experiance drive or walking. That depends alot on its character and how cities make people feel.

Fuck skyscrapers!

lol, i agree. Who needs 'em?!?!?

Fuck skyscrapers!

you are easily pleased

lol, i agree. Who needs 'em?!?!?

this web site is named after skyscrapers.
we argue and love everytime we hear a new one is being proposed!

I dont even think "normal" people care about the skyline. Its more what they experiance drive or walking. That depends alot on its character and how cities make people feel.

I agree.
When we view them in pictures we dont realize how small or big they actually are. Kinda like viewing the sun and the moon from our naked eye. Solair may not seem tall from the pictures shown but its a very different story once you walk or drive along Wilshire.

You know.. I get the feeling that if you don't have lots of highrises and some supertalls to go with them, that you as a city and location won't be taken seriously. That is not my opinion, but that is the majority opinion of people around the country. I see and read it every day. No one cares about the international contribution, people still say that for a city its size, Los Angeles has a miniscule skyline,..and no history. Interesting :)

All that matters is cultural amenties/access and quality of life. So long as I can experience world class events and have access to the worlds great artistic, culinary, or cultural opportunities, I could care less about a skyline. You can have vibrancy without a skyline.

People seem to love Orlando, despite its lack of history or a skyline. Vegas has casinos, but it also lacks history and a skyline. SF didnt get a skyline until 1970, but it was respected well before then.

Sau Palo has a great skyline. Much larger than London or Paris circa 1970. I dont know much about sau palo, and I dont care to ever go there. Skyline or no!

What LA needs is more cultural access, an improved economy, and more vibrancy. It needs a cohesive urban feel, but at the same time, it needs to offer a high quality of life. If a skyline achieves that, so be it.

you are easily pleased
Are you trying to imply that I'm just easy?:naughty:

Solair Wilshire-02FEB08

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2326/2238971738_db0a876c75_b.jpg

All photos taken on 2/4/08,

the Clubview

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/TICONLA2/pix20080203/dtla039.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/TICONLA2/pix20080203/dtla040.jpg

I don't know the name of this one, but it's going 3 under, and 7 floors above ground, but i found the luffing crane interesting

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/TICONLA2/pix20080203/dtla042.jpg

the Carlisle

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/TICONLA2/pix20080203/dtla043.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/TICONLA2/pix20080203/dtla044.jpg

The carlyle will look great!

Any renderings of the project with the luffing crane?

Any renderings of the project with the luffing crane?

No, but i'll try to get by there again soon, the rendering at the site, it looks very horizontal, with three main equal vertical elements,for a length of around 250', and a width of about 80 to 100', it's look's like it will top out just below the luffing crane swing area.

Cool,Is it a modern design , decent?

Cool,Is it a modern design , decent?

Yea, it's decent, i think it has a couple of setbacks on the last 2 upper levels, centered on the middle element.

Great ,can't wait to see the rendering!

Is it this building?

http://www.belmontvillage.com/images2/locations/locat_westwood.jpg

edit

Is it this building?

http://www.belmontvillage.com/images2/locations/locat_westwood.jpg

That's it, well it's almost like i described, (damn those dirty, ripped up and damaged, job site billboard renderings, LOL...) and i consider anything under 10 floors horizontal, this looks like it has many vertical cladding elements, so i stand corrected there, kinda looks like a hospital, don't you think...? not so much ugly, it's not bad, just a little, antiseptic.....!!

How did you find the rendering...??

I like it! It's simple , nothing special but it will fit in nicely.

I like it! It's simple , nothing special but it will fit in nicely.

Back in the day, (1980, 81) i was a union plumber/pipefitter apprentice on the tower next door to this, (opposite the church) it was called the Elyesee, and 18 floors, it's got a different name today, and i don't know what it is, but this building has the same general window plan, although the side that face's this building is a blank wall, with one set of open air stairwell openings, the only relief.

At that time, they where building 10 highrise condo's simultainiously (i worked on 5 of them, the tallest was the 22 story Wilshire house, it also is called something else today) on that section of Wilshire blvd. (the Golden mile) in the 16 to 30 floor range, and 5 more went in, starting before the first 10 where completed, what we are seeing here, is the last of the "buildable" sites, (sites that do not have to demolish exsiting buildings, although there are a few that may come down later) so the area is, for the most part "built out".

Yes, it will fill in good, there are a few others of the same mass, sprinkled along this corridor, and coupled with the fact that there are alot of elevation changes on this strech of Wilshire, it will add variety as well, plus this site was the church parking lot, and i believe it's low as not to overshadow the church itself.

What a waste of a chance to build on land zoned to go tall. That could go anywhere, but there are very few places for high rise residential left that would not provoke NIMBY-ism. That thing sucks. Oh well.

Half of Century City was wasted in that respect...

I totally agree wonderland

Half of Century City was wasted in that respect...

Yes, but once heavy/light rail lines are established thru Century City, and the Westside, ( i figure, at around 10 to 15 years from now) alot of those 3 story, "garden" apartment/condo's, will be seriously considered for razing, in favor of higher density residential, and who knows, maybe an Office tower, or two....

Legacy plans condos behind landmark Wilshire building
Los Angeles Business Journal, Sept 12, 2005 by Andy Fixmer
THE Desmond's building, a Miracle Mile landmark, is being purchased by a developer who wants to include the Art Deco property in a high-end condominium project.

Legacy Partners Inc. is in escrow to buy the property at 5500 Wilshire Blvd. from Wilshire Dunsmuir Co. LLC for an undisclosed amount.

Completed in 1932, the 79,000-square-foot building was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood and has two stories of ground-floor retail and office space with a slender 12 story tower. Its signature tenant was Desmond's Clothing Store, one of the high-end merchants that set up shop in the Miracle Mile area in the 1930s.

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Legacy plans to restore and refurbish the ground-floor storefronts and the tower, which will stay commercial. The new residential construction will take place behind the building, on a surface parking lot.

Legacy is planning three 12-story towers containing 125 condos and 41 for-sale live/work lofts, according to Dale Goldsmith, a partner at Armbruster & Goldsmith LLP, a land use firm representing Legacy. Also planned is a six-level parking garage.

Legacy executives have met with Renee Weitzer, chief planning deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose 4th District includes the site.

"We probably will support the project, but there are still some issues to be worked out," Weitzer wrote in an e-mail. "(Legacy is) going to restore the building to its original glory."

There has been some resistance, however. After meeting with residents last month, Legacy agreed to reduce the number of proposed units in the project to 175 from 190, and it's meeting again with the group to discuss traffic issues.

Legacy Partners didn't return calls. The Foster City-based developer is also set to raze a nearby Late Moderne building at 5570 Wilshire Blvd. to make way for a separate 197-unit condo project that includes nearly 34,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

Staff reporter Andy Fixmer can be reached by phone at (323) 549-5225, ext. 263, or by email at afixmer@labusinessjournal.com.

COPYRIGHT 2005 CBJ, L.P.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Mid wilshire needs to get some highrises.

mirricle mile could use some 30-40 stories. I like the idea of this towers like the one going up in NY. there are still some low rises and parking lots. they just do something at the corner of whilshire and fairfax where that cafe is and the peterson auto museum.

Miracle Mile definitely needs to be shown some development love

^ LOL @ maclinn, we all know you're Robert Stark. ;)

Miracle Mile definitely needs to be shown some development love

why has it been so slow. ever wilshire in westwood is getting some.

Legacy plans condos behind landmark Wilshire building
Los Angeles Business Journal, Sept 12, 2005 by Andy Fixmer
THE Desmond's building, a Miracle Mile landmark, is being purchased by a developer who wants to include the Art Deco property in a high-end condominium project.

Legacy Partners Inc. is in escrow to buy the property at 5500 Wilshire Blvd. from Wilshire Dunsmuir Co. LLC for an undisclosed amount.

Completed in 1932, the 79,000-square-foot building was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood and has two stories of ground-floor retail and office space with a slender 12 story tower. Its signature tenant was Desmond's Clothing Store, one of the high-end merchants that set up shop in the Miracle Mile area in the 1930s.

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Legacy plans to restore and refurbish the ground-floor storefronts and the tower, which will stay commercial. The new residential construction will take place behind the building, on a surface parking lot.

Legacy is planning three 12-story towers containing 125 condos and 41 for-sale live/work lofts, according to Dale Goldsmith, a partner at Armbruster & Goldsmith LLP, a land use firm representing Legacy. Also planned is a six-level parking garage.

Legacy executives have met with Renee Weitzer, chief planning deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose 4th District includes the site.

"We probably will support the project, but there are still some issues to be worked out," Weitzer wrote in an e-mail. "(Legacy is) going to restore the building to its original glory."

There has been some resistance, however. After meeting with residents last month, Legacy agreed to reduce the number of proposed units in the project to 175 from 190, and it's meeting again with the group to discuss traffic issues.

Legacy Partners didn't return calls. The Foster City-based developer is also set to raze a nearby Late Moderne building at 5570 Wilshire Blvd. to make way for a separate 197-unit condo project that includes nearly 34,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

Staff reporter Andy Fixmer can be reached by phone at (323) 549-5225, ext. 263, or by email at afixmer@labusinessjournal.com.

COPYRIGHT 2005 CBJ, L.P.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

is this project dead?

^^
http://www.legacypartners.com/Legacy.asp?loc=r_dev15&div=R

Says it will be ready by 2009. Can anyone confirm actual construction progress?

Ratkovich Starts Phase Two of $34M Renovation

By Bob Howard of GlobeSt.com


Wednesday, February 06, 2008 - LOS ANGELES-The Ratkovich Co. has started the second and most visible phase of the locally based investment and development firm's $34-million revitalization of the 500,000-sf 5900 Wilshire Blvd. office tower in the Miracle Mile district. This phase of work on the 30-story tower across from the L.A. County Museum of Art will include a new lobby opening onto Wilshire Boulevard that will be designed by Johnson Fain.

According to Wayne Ratkovich, president and founder of the Ratkovich Co., since acquiring the 5900 Wilshire building in December 2005, the locally based firm has “done a great deal of work behind the scenes” at the 5900 Wilshire building to “bring it up to modern standards.” The goal in this next phase is “to create a more natural connection between what's going on in and outside the building" with the new lobby design to make it more appealing to the public and to prospective new tenants, he says.

The completed first phase of the renovation included replacing the building's 16 elevators, replacing the HVAC system, central plant, fire life safety systems, roof, and emergency generator. The transformed building is scheduled to debut in the second quarter of this year with the unveiling of the completed lobby. In addition to the extensive work under way on the existing 5900 Wilshire tower, construction is expected to start in late 2008 on a new pavilion and café designed by architect Greg Lynn.

The Ratkovich Co. and Prudential Real Estate Investors acquired the 5900 Wilshire Building for approximately $102.5 million in December 2005. The 30-story office tower, along with its two, two-story satellite buildings, comprises just under 500,000 sf of office and retail.

The 5900 building, the tallest office building along the Miracle Mile, was designed by architect William Pereira as a companion to and across the street from the L.A. County Museum of Art. It was built in 1971 for Mutual Benefit Life by the Shorenstein Co. of San Francisco and was renovated in 1993

Condos are lifeblood of Wilshire Boulevard's rebirth
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/36617416.jpg

Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
A view from the rooftop of the new Solair development looking east toward downtown. The Wilshire corridor was once a center of commerce, but has been remade into a fashionable address for residences over the last five years.
By Cara Mia DiMassa, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
8:43 PM PDT, March 10, 2008
The 22nd floor of the new Solair building, a residential, retail and transportation hub at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, is still just a concrete platform -- the building's official opening is months away.

But from that high up, it's easy to see how the building stands at the crossroads of change along the storied boulevard.

Wilshire Boulevard as it stretches west from downtown was for decades a center of commerce, with a row of high-rise buildings once occupied by business powerhouses like Union Bank, Texaco, IBM and Getty Oil.

Those corporate logos disappeared from the tops of the towers long ago. But in the last few years, Wilshire has been reborn as a stylish residential address -- catering at least in part to monied Koreans who have flocked to the area.

There are more than two dozen residential developments -- adding up to thousands of new housing units -- either completed or proposed along the boulevard between downtown and the Miracle Mile district.

Some of the projects are rehabs of shuttered office towers, such as the 1100 and 1010 Wilshire towers and the Mercury, the old Getty Oil headquarters across the street from Solair. Others are brand-new projects, sleek glass-and-steel towers like the Solair, where officials gathered Monday to mark the building's "topping off"--the point in construction when the roof's concrete is poured and the structure itself fully enclosed.

"We expect this to be a hub, a focal point for the Wilshire corridor," said L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, of the project, which sits atop a Purple Line station.

But the building boom is meeting with growing concerns from some residents. There is particular alarm over new projects planned near the corner of La Brea Avenue and Wilshire, already a major traffic bottleneck, where hundreds of new housing units have been proposed.

"All we are seeing is growth and not the infrastructure," said Jim O'Sullivan, president of the Miracle Mile Residents Assn.

"All of these projects have what they call ground-floor commercial. What you get is Jamba Juice or Subway or Starbucks. That flies in the face of what the city calls smart growth," O'Sullivan said. "Smart growth is supposed to combine living and office spaces [to cut down on commutes]. No one who is moving into these new apartments is going to go down and work in Jamba Juice or Starbucks."

He and others said the city should encourage more office development on the sites, because those would bring in jobs where new area residents might work.

But other city leaders strongly support the revitalization. They note that some buildings that are being rehabbed had long been either empty or in decay -- like the Art Deco building that once housed Desmond's department store west of LaBrea, and the midcentury Colwell Co. building north of Vermont.

The stretch of Wilshire was once one of L.A.'s most fashionable districts, home to the Ambassador Hotel, Bullocks Wilshire department store and close to the mansions of Hancock Park. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Mid-Wilshire area took on the feel of a city center, with a canyon of high-rise office buildings between downtown and Hancock Park (where residents insisted on height limits).

But by the late 1980s, the area was showing signs of decline. The riots of 1992 -- and a recession in the early '90s -- hit the area hard, as companies vacated some of the buildings.

The current revival is being sparked in part by investment from Koreans and Korean Americans, which is fueling a shift in the area toward more upscale housing.

This demographic shift is apparent to George W. Mantor, community sales manager for the Mercury, a 1963 office tower designed by Claude Beelman. Condos in the building are now selling for $400,000 to more than $1 million.

"In my profession, we're not supposed to notice," Mantor said, "but interest in this area is primarily driven by Koreans."

One reason: South Korea has allowed its residents to invest more and more capital abroad, and Mantor has seen many of those dollars invested in residential housing in Koreatown.

John Kwon, 70, moved to Los Angeles from Chicago with his wife and bought in the Mercury because, he said, "It was the first high-rise in the Korean community. It's convenient. Everything is here."

Still, Kwon has set his sights on another Wilshire project. He is eyeing the Solair's construction project with the eye of a concerned parent, because he recently bought a unit on the building's top floor.
John Kwon, 70, moved to Los Angeles from Chicago with his wife and bought in the Mercury because, he said, "It was the first high-rise in the Korean community. It's convenient. Everything is here."

Still, Kwon has set his sights on another Wilshire project. He is eyeing the Solair's construction project with the eye of a concerned parent, because he recently bought a unit on the building's top floor.

"It's beautiful up there," he said.

The Wilshire corridor west of downtown is one of the few areas in the city -- along with downtown and Hollywood--that is exempt from a city law passed in 1986 aimed at stopping high-rise towers that had made certain parts of Westwood and the Valley resemble urban canyons.

The law cut in half the allowable size of future high-rises in about 70% of the city, but allowed a higher floor-to-area ratio for the exempt areas.

Christopher Pak, one of the partners in the Solair project, said the change "is driven by the sheer nature of the city evolving. It's becoming more metropolitan than suburban."

In addition, Wilshire is seen as one of the city's few transportation corridors, with bus lines and rail stations helping to whisk residents from there to other parts of the city.

"Wilshire Boulevard is one of the great streets for mixed use," said development consultant Kate Bartolo. "With its wide boulevard streets, light rail and bus service, Wilshire is an ideal corridor to creatively mix uses that result in both job creation and housing. Focusing growth on streets built to accommodate it can also better preserve residential neighborhoods."

Roger Moliere, chief of the MTA's Real Property and Development division, said the transit agency has partnered in two residential projects above subway stations along Wilshire -- the Solair and the rental-retail project at Wilshire and Vermont, jointly developed by Urban Partners and MacFarlane Partners.

The idea, Moliere, said, is to "bring attention to using public transportation." But he added that the MTA is fussy about what gets built there: "We try to get a project that fits in with what the area needs. We don't just plop something down."

Critics, however, have questioned whether building housing near transportation lines gets motorists out of their cars. For example, the subway under the Solair does not make the link to the Westside, a key L.A. destination.

Officials want to extend the subway west to Santa Monica, but it remains unclear how they can afford the $6-billion cost.

Nonetheless, some city leaders and residents see progress on the boulevard. Many said they lived through years of crime and neglect -- graffiti on buildings, little pedestrian life -- and are encouraged that some of the old office buildings are being reused.

Wilshire Boulevard, especially on the Miracle Mile, has "one of the greatest collection of Art Deco buildings in this city, or in any city," said Ken Bernstein, manager of the city planning department's Office of Historic Resources. "We are seeing renewed interest in those buildings."

Bernstein pointed to the American Cement Co. tower near MacArthur Park, a landmark of mid-century architecture that was recently rehabbed into live-work spaces.

Standing on the pool deck atop the Mercury, Brian Watson, the building's assistant manager, swept his hand over the vista, pointing out the FaithDome in South Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign and other highlights.

Actor Scott Baio was married next to the pool recently, he said, and Rich & Skinny Jeans held a party there.

"High-rises are popping up everywhere," Watson said. "The whole mantra of L.A., from here to downtown is live, work and play."

cara.dimassa@latimes.com

I'm surprised there hasn't been a Wilshire picture update in a while.

Miracle Mile Construction: Know Your Developments
Wednesday, March 5, 2008, by Dakota

The Larchmont Chronicle has published a tidy round up of all the projects cropping up on the 'old Miracle Mile, including the forthcoming The Viridian, a new apartment building--with an interesting name--that's pictured above. Since Wilshire traffic can leave the most patient Angeleno teary and hysterical, lets skip the car and walk the mile to check out what else is on the Chronicle's list, shall we?
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2311989289_236b12d4fd_o.jpg

1. The Viridian: This 60-unit apartment building at 5659 W. Eighth Street (located on the former Citibank parking lot site) will be finished in April. One and two-bedroom apartments will be available, according to the Chronicle.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2311989597_d8a1e6cf3c_o.jpg

2. 5550 Wilshire Blvd: Mixed-use, here we come. This will be a 163-unit condo building with 15,000 square feet of retail space. Completion: Summer 2009, according to the Chronicle.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2311989487_484329dca1_o.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2312799450_c527fa52eb_o.jpg

3. Wilshire & La Brea: This one is BIG and (judging from the comments left on the site) CONTENTIOUS. A 645-unit rental building with a whopping 41,500 square feet of commercial space.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2312810462_dc1e67ff1d_o.jpg

4. 5600 Wilshire: A 284-unit, mixed use project . Our favorite Asshat.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2312799358_43beea2e19_o.jpg

5. Desmond's: Courtesy of Legacy Partners, the historic building at 5500-5528 Wilshire Blvd. is getting a $1.5 million restoration, according to the paper. (Just $1.5 million? That seems small.)

6. Olympic Blvd: A 10-unit building at 948 S. Not pictured; we are naked and renderless. Also mentioned by the Chronicle:Dunsmuir Ave and a nine-unit building at Burnside Ave, according to the paper.

7. 727 S. Dunsmuir: 50 artist lofts are planned.
MIRACLE MILE DEVELOPMENT [Larchmont Chronicle]


Filed under Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire Curbed LA

Columbia Square Project Update: Cranes Coming!
Friday, April 11, 2008, by Dakota
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2406553450_4c1f06e38e_o.jpg
A reader points out errors in today's Slatin Report story about Hollywood development, (Katyusha instead of Katsuya, and there is no such thing as Madrone Street), but here's a nugget--the reporter mentions a Spring 2009 ground-breaking for the $850 million Columbia Square project, a mixed-use development at the corner of Sunset and Gower, the site of the CBS Studios. Add in the nearby Hollywood and Vine project, and the Hollywood and Vine/the W hotel, and yes, Hollywood is hopping.
Via the Slatin Report:

---400 dwelling units
---125 hotel rooms
---380,000 sf of office space
---12,000 sf of ground floor retail
---22,500 sf of restaurant space,
---The project will also incorporate about 105,000 sf of the original CBS Studios
CurbedLA

L.A. councilman proposes new billboard district in Koreatown
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/ginza.jpg 3deearts.com^^Ginza
Anti-billboard activists are alarmed by a plan to allow signs along a 17-block area, saying the city should first crack down on illegal ones.
By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 18, 2008
A Los Angeles city councilman has proposed the creation of a new billboard district in Koreatown, one that would run 17 blocks from east to west and take in major corridors such as Wilshire and Olympic boulevards.

With a separate downtown billboard district scheduled for a vote next week, the proposal by Councilman Herb Wesson has alarmed anti-billboard activists. They said the city should not allow any more outdoor signs until it can show that it is cracking down on the illegal ones.

One foe warned that a billboard district would force Koreatown residents to keep their blinds closed at night to avoid the glare, especially if some of the signs display electronic images.

"All the side streets are heavily residential," said Dennis Hathaway, a board member with the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight. "If you turn those streets into something like the Ginza [in Tokyo] or Times Square, people in their apartments and houses are going to be experiencing all that light and color."

Wesson argued that a sign district would be a good fit for Koreatown, which has a hopping bar scene and a number of nighttime attractions, such as the Wiltern Theater. With new multistory residential projects going up on and around Wilshire, those who move into the neighborhood won't be surprised to see a greater number of outdoor signs, Wesson said.

"In the event that you do have billboards there, if someone buys a condo or rents an apartment that we build there, they'll know that going in," he said.

The council banned new billboards in 2002 in an attempt to reduce visual blight from city streets. That law created a provision that allowed new signs to go up in entertainment districts and areas with large numbers of pedestrians. At the time, proponents of the ban said the new districts should be used as leverage to persuade advertising companies to remove billboards from other, quieter streets.

Wesson's proposal would join three other sign districts in Los Angeles. Hollywood's sign district takes in eight major corridors, including Hollywood, Santa Monica and Sunset boulevards. Downtown Los Angeles has special zoning that allows billboards around Staples Center and the Nokia Theater. And the council is expected to give final approval next week to a one-block billboard district next to the 10 Freeway.

The city's politicians and business interests have stepped up their interest in outdoor advertising in recent months, looking for ways of bringing new signs to new locations.

Last month, Councilman Ed Reyes proposed a sign district on the west side of the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles, on such streets as Beaudry, Boylston, 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Wesson, whose district includes parts of Koreatown, also is working with a developer to create eight to 10 vinyl signs at Midtown Crossing, a new shopping center between Pico, San Vicente and Venice boulevards. And a private developer, Astani Enterprises, is seeking to establish a second district near Staples Center that would allow at least one 14-story animated sign.

The Koreatown plan is easily the largest of the proposed districts, taking in stretches of Normandie, Vermont and Western avenues.

Wesson's proposal calls on the planning department to prepare the maps and documents necessary to create a sign district bounded by 6th Street on the north, Olympic Boulevard on the south, Shatto Place on the east and St. Andrews Place on the west.

Planning Commission President Jane Usher, who voted against the billboard district planned next to the 10 Freeway, had no position on the Koreatown proposal. But she suggested that city officials exclude Country Club Heights, a residential neighborhood on the western edge of the proposed district. "It seems to me that the boundaries bear looking at, and I think the council office will agree," said Usher, an appointee of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Wesson said the boundaries of the proposed district could change as the planning department spends the next year processing his request. But he argued that, if done right, Koreatown could derive an economic boost from a billboard district.

"It brings a pop and flash to a certain area," he said.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

^ Sounds intriguing, but I don't know how it will pan out. As the article pointed out, most of the side streets are residential.

Make, this, happen!!

Its LED signs that produce the most light but those colorful billboards like in that ginza picture is not that bright at all.

Isn't there someplace better that's all commercial so no residents get annoyed?

Beverly and Wilshire...http://photos-458.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v164/161/58/3310458/n3310458_36703588_7029.jpg

Oh, no! He's all over the place. Have you been previously banned? This is interesting, but.....we're gonna need more

It's a 5 story building.. with underground parking structure... the overhang your see is about 25' on the far side...

no.. i have not been previously banned~

Where is it located at? Wilshire and Beverly?

yes...

The Westside always gets the good stuff.

Isn't there someplace better that's all commercial so no residents get annoyed?

Funny there is residential all around Times Square and we're not really talking on that level. This is a good idea but I would like to see this really pushed along Hollywood Blvd between Vine and La Brea.

..Then we have the poor babies up in the hills saying they can't see the city because Hollywood Blvd. is too bright. They're just gonna have to bite it,.or suck it! Either way, I don't care :)

Today

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2039/2514904997_f971ef7d8d_b.jpg

Western and Wilshire is a pretty hip place to be right now :banana:

^ It's a shame they're not building more since they already have the transit to accommodate heavy density.

Anyone know the status of the Wilshire Center Towers project on Wilshire and Vermont. I know the old hideous structure was razed but has construction started yet?

The renderings on the first page of this thread should be categorized into U/C, Proposed, approved and completed sections. I have no idea what the status on Wilshire projects are (aside from Solair).

I really like the wilshire bilboard signage idea. It would likely be nothing like those famous signage districts' level of signage, yet people will still complain. Unless light is shining directly down those streets, they probably wont notice it. Wilshire is a busy street. They can pretend they live near some country road.

^ It's a shame they're not building more since they already have the transit to accommodate heavy density.

There is another condo sprouting up directly across the street from it.

Also, they only have the 7/920 & 757 rapid lines and Purple Line (which hardly goes anywhere). Besides, they need to get the transients and gangbangers, etc off the trains before people swap their precious cars to ride with Metro.

How will you expell transients and gangbangers from transportation? Will they just have to adhere to a certain dress code? Will it be up to the driver? (dead driver..). What if there are people who just dress like transients or gangbangers? Will there be covert federal marshalls on each bus or car?

gangbangers in mid-wilshire?

There is another condo sprouting up directly across the street from it.

Also, they only have the 7/920 & 757 rapid lines and Purple Line (which hardly goes anywhere). Besides, they need to get the transients and gangbangers, etc off the trains before people swap their precious cars to ride with Metro.

I'm talking about large scale developments. The MaDang Courtyard is merely an infill project.

Given the high concentration of jobs, restaurants, and other retail services and amenities; it makes sense to build denser projects. The same goes for Downtown and Hollywood - the three of which form LA's "urban triangle" of dense, walkable neighborhoods. These three areas are served by the Metro Red and Purple Lines (Downtown also has the Blue and Gold Lines). If you live in either of the three, you can pretty much fulfill all your needs. If not, chances are the other two will have what you need - and you can take the subway.

Also, these transit-oriented developments (TODs, as they are called) will attract the yuppies, who will be responsible for turning around long-blighted hoods.

Me likes this...http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2311989487_484329dca1_o.jpghttp://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2312799450_c527fa52eb_o.jpg

The Carlyle

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2530957757_f252ff2eb8_b.jpg
From Flickr, by lacurbed


Wilshire Comstock

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2530931289_0b3f2f2aae_b.jpg
From Flickr, by lacurbed


Wilshire Margot

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/2531827970_4d5820362e_b.jpg
From Flickr, by lacurbed

All very interesting for various reasons :)

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/200805korea.jpg
KOREATOWN: Summit on Sixth, an adaptive reuse condo project on the corner of 6th and Vermont, opened for sales last month and now hard hat tours are being given. An email sent out today by Summit on Sixth reps invites buyers to "please join us for a private tour of our brand new premier model. Wander around our spacious unit and explore finishes, admire soaring ceiling heights and chat with our sales agents....Ninety-six exclusive Wilshire Center residences." And there's the latest rendering. Last we heard, condos were priced from the low $500s to $1.4 million. Curbed inbox

http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ImageArchive/I2008/06-Wilshire.jpg

WILSHIRE AND LA BREA PROJECT DOWNSIZED (http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ArchiveDetail.asp?ArchiveID=854)

By Suzan Filipek
May 30, 2008

WILSHIRE LA BREA PROJECT REVISION features a seven-story, mixed-use building.

BRE Properties proposed a seven-story, mixed-use project at the southeast corner of Wilshire Blvd. and La Brea Ave. at a community meeting last month.

The Art Deco-style development includes 562 studios and one-and two-bedroom units as well as retail space, said BRE development director Dave Powers. The commercial space would be under a third-story podium.

A revised Environmental Impact Report for the project is due this summer with public hearings to follow.

Input from the community and Councilman Tom LaBonge’s office resulted in a more streamlined building—the original proposal was as high as 18 stories with 654 units, Powers added.

The building will taper to three stories with townhomes built on Sycamore Ave. Public green space is planned at Eighth St., added Liz Fuller of the Sycamore Square Neighborhood Assoc.

The 3.4-acre, block-size project by Thomas P. Cox Architects will include largely underground parking. A start date is targeted for early 2010 with an opening date in 2012.

I'll say what I said at Curbed...This looks like it belongs in Santa Monica. Looks like something off of Broadway. Would blend well there, but not next to the huge Samsung building [what is the name of this building?]. It's needs to be big to balance out the view and looks of Wilshire. Wilshire is going to be a happening street [it already is, but even moreso] with a subway stop [*crosses fingers*] right there, this can't be some cutesy building meant for PV. BIG BIG BIGGGG.

agreed

So they turned this...http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2311989487_484329dca1_o.jpg into this..http://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ImageArchive/I2008/06-Wilshire.jpg Oh, no! We have to 'streamline' this monstrosity! Can't have anything like this at 18 stories on some little country road like Wilshire! Weak... This is basically a little apartment complex at the CORNER OF WILSHIRE AND LA BREA!

I have this fantasy that every developer that settles like a PUSSY reads this forum to gather insight on how others KNOW how much of a failing PUSSY they are. That...would be my fantasy. Makes me appreciate the input of Wolverineman all that much more! Goddam, I hate people who settle! Now this will be a sub-development on a major intersection for years to come!

travesty. I felt the scale and design were BOTH better before.

Input from the community and Councilman Tom LaBonge’s office resulted in a more streamlined building—the original proposal was as high as 18 stories with 654 units, Powers added.

Thank you Beverly Hills. You once again show your ignorance. I just can't believe that the developers gave in so easily. If they would have fought it all the way through, they probably would have only had to decrease the height slightly.

Yeah, that's a pretty big downgrade :(

Oh well. I guess developers should build around existing major transit lines to increase their chances of pushing these big to mid size projects through. Look at NBC/Universal the main feather in their cap is the fact that they are building close to transit. This downgrade shouldn't be heartfelt nor surprising.

I'll say what I said at Curbed...This looks like it belongs in Santa Monica. Looks like something off of Broadway. Would blend well there, but not next to the huge Samsung building [what is the name of this building?]. It's needs to be big to balance out the view and looks of Wilshire. Wilshire is going to be a happening street [it already is, but even moreso] with a subway stop [*crosses fingers*] right there, this can't be some cutesy building meant for PV. BIG BIG BIGGGG.
It won't replace him, right? (BTW, when is someone gonna do that building some justice and refurb it?)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2547231816_6f69195e38_b.jpg

Beverly and Wilshire http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v256/161/58/3310458/n3310458_38576800_5857.jpg

Royyyy? Do you know anything else about this?

yea... what did you want to know?

6 story building with 5 underground parking... i thought i put in renderings before.. but i'll have to find one...

renders!!

^^

Beverly and Wilshire...http://photos-458.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v164/161/58/3310458/n3310458_36703588_7029.jpg

there we go.. thanks westsidelife... as you can see from the construction photo they're still a long way down.. i guess i'll post a picture once a month until they get into the steel portion cause the steel goes up really fast... hope ya'll enjoy...

Retailers Flee Miracle Mile, Wilshire Skyline Coming?
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2576425398_8490202385_o.jpg
"We're moving because a new building is coming." That's what the owner of a tae kwon do spot at the corner of Wilshire and La Jolla told us this week; we're assuming this means the arrival of the Wilshire Skyline, a 17-story residential and retail tower, is imminent. In a July 2007 Rumblings post, a reader said construction would begin in summer 2008; today, nearly all of the one-story businesses--including an Italian restaurant, a psychic, and the self-defense studio--that currently occupy the space are closed. The developer's website says to expect a 2011 finish on the tower, which will have four levels of parking (one subterranean), one level of retail, and 13 levels of luxury apartments. Strangely, the defunct psychic place had a months-old notice of abandonment posted on its front door; maybe the crystal ball had ominous warnings of concrete and steel.CurbedLA

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/200804wil.jpg
9900 Wilshire Delay — A "gigantic water pipe" that runs under the eastern portion of the Robinsons-May, site of planned 9900 Wilshire project, will have to be replaced by developer Candy & Candy, reports Beverly Hills Weekly. "The owners will have to delay demolition and pay for the costs of a new pipeline through the property. Costs could be as much as $2 to $3 million and demolition put off at least until January of next year, maybe even longer." Demolition was supposed to start this summer; if the aging pipe issue wasn't addressed, there would have been a "massive environmental disaster."Curbed LA

Solair yesterday:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2637272634_fc83408848_b.jpg

ConstructionWatch: Summit on Sixth
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2644364512_852a744842_o.jpgjwilliams
We've got a glass wall at Koreatown's Summit on Sixth. The former ghost tower appears to be closer than ever to having actual human beings living inside. As reported previously, the building's 96 units are selling from the low $500s to $1.4 million. We'll give this one another month or so before we hit it with a "Rendering versus Reality". We better see some golden hued highlights soon, Summit on Sixth - or else.

CurbedLA

La Jolla/ Wilshire Tower Inches Forward
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/2008-08-wilshire_skyline.jpg
Barring a NIMBY charge, the depressing northwest corner of Wilshire and La Jolla may soon get more glam. Local residents in this Miracle Mile neighborhood were informed of a public hearing next week on a new 16-story residential/retail tower that would replace two shuttered one-story buildings. Currently called La Jolla Wilshire and now being developed by Hanover Co., City planner Henry Chu tells us the project's already got detractors complaining about the building's height. Wilshire seems like one street that's fair game for high-rises, right? CurbedLA