WEST LOS ANGELES | Development News

[milquetoast]

Kenni, you tricked me into posting Downtown stuff in West L. A. ....

[surfnspy]

no, the crenshaw line study group just officially recommended that the line be light rail as opposed to bus or heavy rail. (That means it would be like the blue and gold lines.)

It is not official yet, as the MTA has to officially adopt the recommendation of the committee's study to be part of the LRP. (long range plan)

That should happen soon, however.

L.A. Times, 11/10/09

South Los Angeles has won a significant victory as transportation officials recommended this week that a proposed transit corridor along Crenshaw Boulevard be a light-rail line rather than a less expensive dedicated busway.

The proposed line would run about 8 1/2 miles down Crenshaw Boulevard, starting at Exposition Boulevard, past Leimert Park, shopping centers, through Inglewood and south to a stop near the airport and a connection with the Green Line.

[surfnspy]

and while we're on this topic:

L.A. Times, 11/16/09


El Segundo city officials are seething over a county pitch to build a train maintenance facility in town as part of an estimated $1.7 billion proposed light rail project.

The facility - envisioned for about 15 acres of a former industrial site now designated as the second phase of megashopping center Plaza El Segundo - is an element of a large-scale mass transit project designed to ease freeway congestion in the Crenshaw Corridor and improve access to Los Angeles International Airport.

El Segundo officials have argued the proposed site in town is inconsistent with surrounding commercial use, and could have significant environmental impacts, such as noise and air pollution.

"We've got two power plants, a giant sewage treatment plant, and we're next door to an airport," McDowell said. "It's time for government agencies and others to stop dumping these awful uses into the city of El Segundo. We have done our part."

The first batch of Plaza El Segundo's 425,000 square feet of retail shops - including Whole Foods, Best Buy, Borders and PetSmart - began opening in late 2006.

Since then, smaller chain retailers such as A. Crew and Banana Republic have filled out the development, and others, including Linens `N' Things, have closed.

As part of the project's second phase, developers hoped luxury, upscale boutiques would grace the 110-acre property south of Plaza El Segundo by 2008 - but Crosser said development is indefinitely delayed until the economy improves.

Still, El Segundo would at least like the possibility of eventual revenue from the site, an impossibility with an MTA maintenance facility, McDowell said.

"I would rather see a slaughterhouse than the rail yard because it brings more benefit to the city," he said. "At least it would pay taxes."

[Kenny]

Nice! no more Transitways. Light Rail or Subway please. Thanks for the answer.

Originally Posted by milquetoast

Kenni, you tricked me into posting Downtown stuff in West L. A. ....

Youzz calling me a trick? huh?

[milquetoast]

trickster doofus

[saiholmes]

City nears museum deal with Broad Foundations
By Nick Taborek
Santa Monica Daily Press
January 07, 2010

CITY HALL — Negotiations to bring a contemporary art museum financed by billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad to Santa Monica's civic center are close to complete, several city officials said Wednesday.

The terms of the agreement would require approval from the City Council, which could vote on the museum deal as early as Tuesday.

"I feel that the vast majority of issues have been discussed thoroughly and agreed to," City Councilman Bob Holbrook said.

The museum agreement had not been placed on the council's agenda for next week by press time Wednesday, but Holbrook said the only remaining sticking point was the legal language locking in the museum's endowment.

"It's my understanding that we're going to have a staff report on the agenda for next Tuesday [that will] make a recommendation to us on a variety of deal points for moving forward on the project," said Councilman Richard Bloom.

If approved by the council, the agreement with the Broad Foundations would be a major win for City Hall, which since November has been competing with Beverly Hills to attract the museum. A third, undisclosed location for the museum also has reportedly been in the running.

Neither City Manager Lamont Ewell nor a spokeswoman for the Broad Foundations could be reached for comment on the museum negotiations Wednesday.

In Beverly Hills, City Hall Spokeswoman Cheryl Burnett said she wasn't aware of any new developments in negotiations with the Broad Foundations, but added, "It's my understanding that we continue to pursue the potential opportunity of the Broad museum here in Beverly Hills."

The Santa Monica officials who spoke about the museum talks on Wednesday were clearly pleased it appeared City Hall was close to a deal on the project, but were cautious about declaring victory.

"Until everybody is in complete agreement it's still an aspiration," Bloom said. "But when it comes to fruition it's absolutely huge for Santa Monica and for the region."

Holbrook said he's been confident Santa Monica would prevail since he spoke privately with Eli Broad last month and shook hands on the project.

The museum would become home to a 2,000-piece contemporary art collection featuring names like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Andy Warhol.

Terms of the potential deal have not been made public, but Holbrook said City Hall would likely agree to contribute at most $3 million to the project in site preparation costs and fee waivers. The proposed location for the project is a 2.5 acre, city-owned lot located between the Santa Monica Courthouse and the Civic Auditorium that would be leased to the foundation for a nominal amount.

The Broad Foundations — made up of the Broad Art Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation — would cover the rest of the construction costs and would contribute an endowment in the hundreds of millions of dollars that would amount to one of the largest donations to the arts in Southern California history.

http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2010-...undations.html

[saiholmes]

Officials approve plans for Expo Line route on Westside
Some neighborhoods disagree with proposal and want parts of the route underground.
By Ari Bloomekatz
The Los Angeles Times
February 5, 2010

Los Angeles transportation officials on Thursday took a major step in bringing commuter rail to the Westside, approving plans for a route linking downtown L.A. to Santa Monica.

Officials hope to begin work later this year on phase two of the Expo Line, a nearly seven-mile link from downtown Culver City to the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica's main business district. Phase one of Expo Line is already under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City.

Extending the line to Santa Monica would be an important milestone in Los Angeles' ambitious rail-building campaign. It would also mark the farthest west a rail line has reached in several decades, serving a section of the county that is notorious for traffic problems.

"Every other part of Los Angeles has been served by mass public transportation," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents the Westside. "This part of town, this part of the county has waited a long time for this."

Transportation planners believe they will have the $1.5 billion in local and state money to build it.

And although there is broad support for the extension, some neighborhood residents have concerns about portions of the plan.

Some homeowners say the plan for the route approved Thursday is unsafe and will create traffic problems, particularly a stretch near homes in Cheviot Hills as well as areas near Sepulveda Boulevard and Overland Avenue.

Those residents insist that at least one portion of the line should be built underground, saying that would make the route safer for motorists and pedestrians. They also argue that the underground route would improve traffic flow.

Robert P. Silverstein, an attorney representing a coalition of Westside homeowners' associations called Neighbors for Smart Rail, said his clients support extending the rail line but feel strongly it can be made better.

"I want to be clear that my client is not opposed to the project, but is opposed to it being built without below grade, grade separation between Overland and Sepulveda," he said at Thursday's public hearing of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority board. "Build it, but build it right."

The Expo Authority, which is building the line, said a subway along that stretch is unnecessary. Building a subway between Westwood Boulevard and Overland Avenue would add about $224 million to the project's cost.

Some speakers on Thursday agreed -- and urged the authority to approve the plans for the route as is.

Sarah Hays, co-chair of the group Light Rail for Cheviot, told the board that she was in favor of approving the plans for the route.

"I live . . . less than half a mile from the [rail] right of way, and I work within half a mile of the 4th Street Station in Santa Monica, so I would use this line," she said.

After the board approved the plans, she added: "It means we can move forward -- that we are one step closer to having an alternative to sitting in traffic."

The MTA has for decades wanted to build a subway along Wilshire Boulevard through Beverly Hills and into Santa Monica. But the high price -- several billion dollars -- has stalled the effort. And that leaves the Expo Line as the only viable plan right now for an east-west rail link from downtown to Santa Monica.

Opponents of the plans approved Thursday are threatening to file a lawsuit that could delay construction of the second phase, which officials hope to open in 2015.

The line is being mostly built on an abandoned Southern Pacific right of way and was originally touted by planners as a cost-effective and fast route for rail service to the Westside.

But the first 8.6-mile link from downtown Los Angeles to Venice and Robertson boulevards is already more than a year behind schedule and is more than $220 million over its original budget of $640 million.

Some delays are due to safety issues near schools. Activists have complained that the first phase's route poses a risk to students at Dorsey High School and Foshay Learning Center and have called for improvements, including running the line above or below street level.

That issue is still unresolved and the state Public Utilities Commission is deciding which safety improvements are needed near Dorsey High, and those improvements could be costly.

Furthermore, the Expo Authority and the contractor for the first phase of the project are at odds over some of the delays and are wrestling over who is to blame. That could further raise the project's phase one cost depending on how the dispute is resolved.

Rick Thorpe, chief executive of the Expo Authority, said that is why officials are using a different contracting process for the second phase.

Thorpe said that for the second phase, two contracts will be awarded for design, and then one of those same companies will also receive the contract for construction. That way the contractor is responsible for the plans and the follow-through, Thorpe said.

Officials said they hope to open the first part of phase one, from downtown Los Angeles to Crenshaw Boulevard, sometime this year and estimate that the second part of phase one will open about a year later.

Thorpe said the timeline of the first phase will not affect the second phase of the project because the sources of funding are different.

But fully funding the line is not a sealed deal because sales tax revenues are lower than expected, there is a state budget crisis and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has projected a historic $251.3-million operating deficit in the 2011 fiscal year.

[milquetoast]

BACK ON?

.

.

Read how a douche bag

is trying to block its construction

because the tower

would block his supergraphic

at LACURBED

[LAsam]

^ I really hope they build that... it's a perfect fit for the abandoned Hollywood Video building it will replace. Douche bag will not prevent it from being built, if anything he will just extort some money from the developer to get him to shut up.

[VZN]

Originally Posted by milquetoast

BACK ON?

.

.

Read how a douche bag

is trying to block its construction

because the tower

would block his supergraphic

at LACURBED

I thought it was just funny the way you worded this.

But I hope it gets built.

[Mr.Hollywood]

^ where is this located?? "NICE!"

[milquetoast]

VZN? Why don't you just put a picture of Dennis Haysbert up as your avatar?

[Mr.Hollywood]

HAHA y???

[pesto]

this is at the corner of Gayley and Wilshire in Westwood; it blocks the Alice in Wonderland ad (last I saw) on the next building over on Wilshire.

It seems very appropriate for its location. Westwood could be primed for a bit of a come-back with the subway, university and medical center drawing large numbers of people.

[Mr.Hollywood]

Good Spot

[saiholmes]

Streets of gold: L.A.'s most desirable addresses
The Westside corridor from Beverly Hills to Malibu boasts one of the world's great concentrations of premier residential estates.
By Lauren Beale
The Los Angeles Times
March 27, 2010

Call it A-List Los Angeles.

L.A. County has plenty of high-end neighborhoods, from Palos Verdes Estates to Pasadena. But when it comes to finding the best mansions in town, there's still nothing quite like the golden corridor from Beverly Hills to Malibu.

This Westside area boasts one of the world's great concentrations of premier residential estates. The highest-price home transaction ever in California took place in this territory: the 2000 sale of an 8-acre Bellagio Road estate in Bel-Air by Dole Food Co.'s billionaire owner, David Murdock, to financial executive Gary Winnick in a $95-million deal.

Bellagio is one of a dozen streets that are among the most sought-after addresses, say veteran real estate brokers. Here's a look at these streets and why they are so coveted.

* Mapleton Drive, Holmby Hills. Home to the Playboy Mansion, Mapleton gets rave reviews for the quality and size of its properties, some of which back up to the fairways of the Los Angeles Country Club.

Arthur Letts Jr., who owned Broadway and Bullock's department stores, was instrumental in developing Holmby Hills in the 1920s. Letts picked Mapleton to be the best street and the site of his own residence, according to Jeffrey Hyland, president of Beverly Hills-based brokerage Hilton & Hyland and author of "The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills."

Today the Letts estate is the home and famed party site of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. The street has what Hyland called "a perceived value."

"A buyer feels more comfortable where everything around is already established and well in the double digits," he said -- double-digit millions, that is.

* North Carolwood Drive, Holmby Hills. Just around the corner from Mapleton, North Carolwood has been the address of a stream of stars including Tony Curtis and Sonny and Cher. Gregory Peck's longtime home was sold in 2004 for about $22 million. Michael Jackson rented on the drive at the time of his death.

At 2 to 4 acres, these are some of the biggest parcels on the Westside. Like other premiere streets, North Carolwood has a uniformity of prices, homes and lot sizes that well-heeled buyers like. "If you just bought your home for $20 million and you see other homes that look like your $20-million investment, you feel good" about your neighborhood, said Drew Mandile of Sotheby's International Realty, Beverly Hills.

* Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu: OK, so it's a highway, not a street. But this busy thoroughfare is the street address for a cluster of homes along Carbon Beach owned by the likes of DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen, restaurateur and Hard Rock Cafe chain owner Peter Morton and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Called Billionaire's Beach, the line of oceanfront properties has protection from housing market changes because the owners never have to sell, said Stephen Shapiro, co-owner of Westside Estate Agency in Beverly Hills. "It's like a private club, but they don't have meetings."

* Bellagio Road, Bel-Air. Views of the Bel-Air Country Club and the ocean distinguish this leafy road paralleling Sunset Boulevard. The record-setting Winnick estate borders the golf course.

"Most all the lots are pancake flat, so these are very big estates," Hyland said.

* Bel Air Road, Bel-Air. Approached through the arch at the East Gate entrance of the community, this winding street has city and ocean views as it climbs. Tall, dense hedges allow only an occasional glimpse of the homes, creating an air of inaccessibility, wealth and power, said Brooke Knapp of Sotheby's International Realty, Beverly Hills. Bel Air Road is convenient to Westwood Village and its markets, shops and restaurants.

* Oakmont Drive, Brentwood. The private street at the end of Rockingham Avenue gets top billing for its secluded setting, large mansions and light traffic compared with nearby well-traveled streets. "Once you get to Oakmont it becomes quiet," Hyland said.

Residents include conductor Zubin Mehta and philanthropist Eli Broad, according to public records.

* La Mesa Drive, Santa Monica. This street is also known for its homes of similar value and size -- some less than 5,000 square feet. Large trees, with roots that stretch a good foot or more above ground, help provide privacy. "There's a consistency to the street," said David Offer of Prudential California Realty, Brentwood. Building restrictions limit the scale, contributing to the uniform look. "People like the vibe," Shapiro said.

The north side, with views of the Riviera Country Club, has a discernible premium over the other side of the street. Homes "on the rim" can bring close to twice as much as south-side properties, which back up to San Vicente Boulevard and pick up the traffic noise, according to Offer.

* Maple Drive, Beverly Hills. There are the flats of Beverly Hills, an area with relatively small lots and commercial buildings. This isn't it. Maple north of Santa Monica Boulevard boasts the largest lots among Beverly Hills' flatland areas, and the homes have a continuity of design and landscaping. The street is quiet and traffic is light because a center divider prevents left turns onto Sunset, Knapp said.

* Napoli Drive, Pacific Palisades. Properties on the south side of Napoli are prized for their views overlooking the Riviera Country Club. Having a backyard bordering a golf course is like having a park behind you, Offer said.

* Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades. North Amalfi has canyon views to Will Rogers State Historic Park, while some homes on the south end have ocean and Riviera views. Over the years it has been popular with such entertainers as actor Cary Grant, comedian Jerry Lewis and singer Bobby Vinton.

* Malibu Road, Malibu. This coastal street is shielded from busy PCH to the east, offering ocean views and a relatively quiet neighborhood, Shapiro said. Once they move here, homeowners tend to stay: The street has little turnover, Shapiro said.

* Malibu Colony Drive, Malibu. Gates, 24-hour security and views of the Pacific make the street desirable, said Joyce Rey, who heads the estates division of Coldwell Banker Previews International. "It's a pretty exclusive enclave," the Beverly Hills-based agent said.

But the lots and houses, once cottages used as weekend places, are smaller than properties along Carbon Beach, which has "big, magnificent homes," Hyland noted.

Of course, even the best streets have some drawbacks.

Pacific Coast Highway can become clogged with traffic; Mapleton -- with its Playboy Mansion -- is a regular stop on bus tours; and North Carolwood is a hot spot for sightseers.

The corners of Carolwood and Sunset and nearby Baroda Drive and Sunset have been staked out by three generations of the Hot Star Maps family since 1936.

Linda Welton, who has been selling the maps for 21 years, said she feels the Carolwood residents have come to accept and even appreciate her presence -- her mother and maternal grandfather having paved the way.

Michael Jackson's security people asked for one of her maps, then another, which they later returned with his autograph, she said.

These days Dr. Phil stops by to say hello.

"Once David Hasselhoff wanted to know how to get to David Beckham's house," she said.

Standing up straighter with a mock-stern expression, Welton recounted her response: "Are you expected?"

[pesto]

Sure I came out here to make my name
Wanted my pool, my dose of fame
Wanted my parking space at Warner's
But after a year, a one room hell
A murphy bed, a rancid smell
Wallpaper peeling at the corners

Sunset Boulevard, twisting boulevard
Secretive and rich, a little scary
Sunset Boulevard, tempting boulevard
Waiting there to swallow the unwary

Dreams are not enough to win a war
Out here they're always keeping score
Beneath the tan the battle rages
Smile a rented smile, fill someone's glass
Kiss someone's wife, kiss someone's ass
We do whatever pays the wages

Sunset Boulevard, headline boulevard
Getting here is only the beginning
Sunset Boulevard, jackpot boulevard
Once you've won you have to go on winning

You think I've sold out?
Dead right I've sold out!
I just keep waiting for the right offer
Comfortable quarters, regular rations
24-hour Five Star room service
And if I'm honest, I like the lady
I can't help being touched by her folly
I'm treading water, taking the money
Watching her sun set... Well, I'm a writer!

L.A.'s changed a lot over the years
Since those brave gold rush pioneers
Came in their creaky covered wagons
Far as they could go end of the line
Their dreams were yours, their dreams were mine
But in those dreams were hidden dragons

Sunset Boulevard, frenzied boulevard
Swamped with every kind of false emotion
Sunset Boulevard, brutal boulevard
Just like you, we'll wind up in the ocean

She was sinking fast, I threw a rope
Now I have suits and she has hope
It seemed an elegant solution
One day this must end, it isn't real
Still I'll enjoy a hearty meal
Before tomorrrow's execution

Sunset Boulevard, ruthless boulevard
Destination for the stony-hearted
Sunset Boulevard, lethal boulevard
Everyone's forgotten how they started
Here on Sunset Boulevard...!

[pesto]

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2010/0...carls_jons.php

A couple of WeHo projects look like they may be starting up. It's interesting to see comments from curbed:

Too dense: street can't handle the additional traffic. My sense is that these are not that material. It will be interesting to see if there really is increased traffic. Pretty much any revitalization of underperforming zones is going to bring more activity.

Should be taller and on SM Blvd: true, but that's another project. Not really a reason not be build this. Building this taller makes it more expensive to build.

Ugly or bland design: maybe, but what can you do? It isn't hideous and we don't have a strict style template in this area.

At least no one is saying that Carl's and Jon's should stay.

[LAsam]

^ If you haven't noticed, CurbedLA has a fairly snarky crowd.

[klamedia]

I think these will be built. The Weho City Council is for this and I'm very happy to get rid of that Carl's Jr at the gateway to Weho. Thank God for the Gay Target though.