CENTURY CITY | Development News

[pwright1]

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

[milquetoast]

It was always supposed to be a grand office park by design. Actually, this is where I would put that Downtown Metropolitan project.

Organic street retail doesn't have a chance here.

[pesto]

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

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

[klamedia]

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

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

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

[pesto]

Originally Posted by klamedia

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

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

[klamedia]

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

[pwright1]

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

[ddxv]

Originally Posted by pwright1

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

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

News:

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

By Roger Vincent




10:00 AM PST, February 5, 2012
Advertisement

Century City skyscraper Constellation Place, formerly known as MGM Tower, is the first Los Angeles high-rise to be served by electricity-generating fuel cells.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by CURBED LOS ANGELES

Westfield Finally About to Start on 39-Story Century City Tower
Tuesday, June 26, 2012, by Adrian Glick Kudler

Read More: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...city_tower.php

[Mojeda101]

This is great news!!!

[slipperydog]

Would be great to see, how is the credit market doing for these types of projects?

I understand that the Wilshire Grand has received credit?

[milquetoast]

Westfield goes back at least to 2006!
Westfield was "so on!" back in 2009.
We'll see.

[pesto]

Looks like no demo for at least a year and no building for at least two.

It will be interesting to see how much street-facing activity they go for and whether the shopping center itself will show its face to the street. CC has the room for broad sidewalks and attractive plantings so the upside is considerable.

The streetlife in BH proper is actually quite strong during most of the day, and with a new subway stop, Little SM and eastern CC should show some improvement.

I suppose there's no news on the Century Plaza Hotel project or the Beverly Hiltion project?

[112597Jorge]

Originally Posted by pesto

I suppose there's no news on the Century Plaza Hotel project or the Beverly Hiltion project?

those would be great additions to the area an expansion to the century city skyline and street activity, and a luxury hotel in beverly hills called the Waldorf=Astoria.

[pwright1]

I hear that Bloomingdales has not made their decision yet to move. Their current location is a prime location with the only direct excess from the underground parking garage to the store. The 250,000 square ft store is one of the top stores in the company and is in the center of the mall. What would happen to the space if they do move? Tear it down and put in more stores? A flagship Nordstrom moving in the old Bloomindales spot? Will the Macys store become a Bloomingdales furniture and home store?

[pesto]

Originally Posted by pwright1

I hear that Bloomingdales has not made their decision yet to move. Their current location is a prime location with the only direct excess from the underground parking garage to the store. The 250,000 square ft store is one of the top stores in the company and is in the center of the mall. What would happen to the space if they do move? Tear it down and put in more stores? A flagship Nordstrom moving in the old Bloomindales spot? Will the Macys store become a Bloomingdales furniture and home store?

That makes sense. Bloomies committed to the relocation presumably on the assumption that the subway stop would be coming in through the building. If it isn't, then the building location is not desirable. That was the essence of my earlier comment that it would be interesting to see how much remains of the plan for street retail and other retail outside the enclosed shopping center now that the SM Blvd entrance has been rejected by MTA.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Constellation was always the frontrunner. SM Blvd was rejected a long time ago.

[pesto]

Well, yes, but Bloomies committed to Westfield when Westfield proposed a building with direct subway access on SM. If there is no such building, there is no Bloomies and no street retail on SM and Ave. of the Stars. Makes sense.

[klamedia]

Originally Posted by pwright1

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

Wide streets in themselves doesn't equate to pedestrian unfriendly. CC has some grand boulevards that already have pretty wide sidewalks. I always walked over to the mall when I worked there or wherever I would lunch. Santa Monica Blvd is on the extreme end of CC and agreed is not pedestrian friendly and probably never will be. But the internal arteries in CC could be quite magnificent and already are IMO. It will never be Hollywood or DTLA and I wouldn't want it to be. It will always have an air of aloofness to it and a bit of a "chill". But that doesn't preclude packed sidewalks during the day once the subway is installed. My take on CC.