SAN DIEGO | Boom Rundown, Vol. 2 - Page 150

sandiego_urban · #**2981** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 8:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IconRPCV

Wow this forum likes to bitch. The designs are too boring, the designs are too short. Well this design definetly isn't boring nor is it short. If this gets built it will definetly be a distinctive addition to our skyline.. I for one like it.

More and more, I'm beginning to like this tower because of the strong opinions it's generating - both good and bad.

Because we'll never have any supertalls due to the airport being nearby, I won't mind getting a building that will make people say "What the hell is that?" It will be like going into a modern art museum and seeing something that you think is really cool, then having your buddy walk up behind you and say "That's ugly". Right away, it becomes a topic of conversation.

I say, bring it on! I also wonder what others in this forum would say about this tower? I bet it would be 50/50 on whether people would like it or not.

sandiego_urban · #**2982** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 8:44 AM**

Just thought I'd post a pic of Emerald Shapery to show how different it looks from the Shapery Lotus proposal. 16 years later and it still makes a statement in the skyline. At 450', I've always like this building.

HurricaneHugo · #**2983** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 10:24 AM**

Emerald Plaza is puuuurdy.

Derek · #**2984** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HurricaneHugo

It's hideous.

Just a little bit.

[sarcasm]

Shapery Park should go die. The tower is fine until you get to the top and the base. Those two things kill the tower.

Marina_Guy · #**2985** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandiego_urban

More and more, I'm beginning to like this tower because of the strong opinions it's generating - both good and bad.

Because we'll never have any supertalls due to the airport being nearby, I won't mind getting a building that will make people say "What the hell is that?" It will be like going into a modern art museum and seeing something that you think is really cool, then having your buddy walk up behind you and say "That's ugly". Right away, it becomes a topic of conversation.

I say, bring it on! I also wonder what others in this forum would say about this tower? I bet it would be 50/50 on whether people would like it or not.

I like it... But hey Im the only one that likes the brown glass on the Electra! it is different. The only thing weird about it is that is does not relate at all the the brick structure next to it. I think the top has gotten much more interesting...

I wouldnt worry too much about it, I don't think it will get built anytime soon, unless someone knows something I don't.

Marina_Guy · #**2986** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 3:44 PM**

I am really, really disappointed in the new Hilton. I walked by the other day and it is basically one big stucco white box with windows. The base doesn't even have any nice materials. The view of it from Coronado is terrible. The base is massive. And the top, good god.

keg92101 · #**2987** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 4:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marina_Guy

I like it... But hey Im the only one that likes the brown glass on the Electra! it is different. The only thing weird about it is that is does not relate at all the the brick structure next to it. I think the top has gotten much more interesting...

I wouldnt worry too much about it, I don't think it will get built anytime soon, unless someone knows something I don't.

I wouldn't be too sure. Mr. Shapery has pockets deep enough to pretty much do anything he wants. Hell, he's finincing his own study for HSR from SD to LA. I think it will break ground by 2009.

On another note, the Hotel Indigo site is now cleared, Strata is working on soil mediation, and Parkside on 14th & Island should be breaking ground in about 3-4 months. Just when I though my windows were going to stay clean from the construction slow-down!

bmfarley · #**2988** Posted **Dec 24, 2007, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg92101

I wouldn't be too sure. Mr. Shapery has pockets deep enough to pretty much do anything he wants. Hell, he's finincing his own study for HSR from SD to LA. I think it will break ground by 2009.

Well, technically he's studying maglev, not HSR. HSR is on rails. But even so, it's pie in the sky and flawed.

One, even if he's intending to use his own money, or other private sector funds, the project would cost a couple-few billion dollars. Ouch. I suspect there's not enough funding in the private sector for this project given...

Two, the technology is suspected in causing health problems associated with the high electrical currents generated; and

Three, coastal communities in San Diego and/or Orange counties have already objected to California high-speed trains being run in their front yards and maglev would really be no different. I believe the argumetn had to do with noise or view-shed obstructions. I believe Carslbad city leaders have also objected to even a complete under-grounding of the Coaster beneath I-5.

Four, I suppose the proposed alignment could be re-done, but as-is now, it goes from airport to airport; Lindbergh, John Wayne and LAX. That may sound logical to some, but if you want people on it you need to hit city centers and provide some suburban access. Right now, it's pretty much designed for travelers; not commuters or even local weekend shopping and tourism.

http://www.sdlamaglev.org

HurricaneHugo · #**2989** Posted **Dec 25, 2007, 1:36 AM**

Eh, HSR is going to get show down anyway.

No San Diego, no thank you.

edluva · #**2990** Posted **Dec 25, 2007, 9:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marina_Guy

Mid Century fabulous!

I'd say it looks better than Cortez Blu and the Alegro Tower...

the Sands resurrected!!!

eburress · #**2991** Posted **Dec 25, 2007, 9:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg92101

Sure...
We'll hold you to it. People were saying the same thing when he Built the Emerald Plaza, and now people love it. I think the idea of an observation deck is fantastic.

hahaha-- you think I'm kidding! Seriously, I'm outta here!

HurricaneHugo · #**2992** Posted **Dec 25, 2007, 10:15 PM**

Bye!

SD_Phil · #**2993** Posted **Dec 27, 2007, 12:50 AM**

So I'm copy/pasting a bit from an article I posted in CE about the sudden drop in home values across the country:

Quote:

Miami was hit with a 12.4 percent decline in the month, the most of any area. Tampa fell 11.8 percent and Detroit, 11.2 percent. Sun Belt cities have suffered deep losses with San Diego down 11.1 percent in the past year, Phoenix off 10.6 percent and Las Vegas 10.7 percent. In Los Angeles, a huge market, home prices have fallen 8.8 percent.

Seems like the end (for a while anyway) of the highrise condo isn't it? I mean it will be much harder to new construction to pencil out given the combination of increased construction prices and lowering home values.

Couple that with the fact that many of the condos in our new highrises were bought as speculative income properties (and thus sit empty) and it looks like bad times ahead. Am I being too gloomy? Maybe.

Here's one silver lining, maybe more of us could afford to live DT now eh?

edit: here's a link to the whole article: link

keg92101 · #**2994** Posted **Dec 27, 2007, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD_Phil

So I'm copy/pasting a bit from an article I posted in CE about the sudden drop in home values across the country:

Seems like the end (for a while anyway) of the highrise condo isn't it? I mean it will be much harder to new construction to pencil out given the combination of increased construction prices and lowering home values.

Couple that with the fact that many of the condos in our new highrises were bought as speculative income properties (and thus sit empty) and it looks like bad times ahead. Am I being too gloomy? Maybe.

Here's one silver lining, maybe more of us could afford to live DT now eh?

edit: here's a link to the whole article: link

Construction costs still won't come down, as the commercial market is booming, and the apartment market is continuing to pencil out.

keg92101 · #**2995** Posted **Dec 27, 2007, 4:42 PM**

Does anyone know what WalMart is calling their urban prototype going into TR Produce?

sandiego_urban · #**2996** Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 12:32 AM**

^^^Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn't have the word "Mart" in it.

Nothing exciting, just a few shots from the webcams that were actually working today-

Sapphire and Bayside rising, as seen from Cortez Hill

Aria lurking behind the El Cortez

Aperture looks finished

Bankers Hill/Hillcrest

Balboa Park

Zooming in on the California Tower

Bayside and Sapphire from the top of One America

Vantage Pointe rising

Electra's impact

Thank goodness for view corridors

The reason why we have a height limit

bushman61988 · #**2997** Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:00 PM**

[QUOTE=sandiego_urban;3249963]^^^Whatever it is, I just hope it doesn't have the word "Mart" in it.

Electra's impact

Something is VERY VERY wrong w/ this picture and it's driving me crazy!!!

You edited this, right? Because it looks like the webcam is facing northwestish, but there is NO WAY in hell, if it's facing northwest that the Emerald Plaza can be LEFT of One America Plaza, Electra can be behind and Left of One America Plaza, and...yea, this makes no sense for the buildings to be this disordered...

But of course, I think you did an EXTREMELY well job of cutting and pasting...but damn, I almost went crazy trying to think of how everything got mixed up!!

SDPhil · #**2998** Posted **Dec 30, 2007, 6:14 AM**

The view is correct, it is from a northeast position (like Front and Ash) looking towards the bay with a southwesterly view.

HurricaneHugo · #**2999** Posted **Dec 30, 2007, 11:16 AM**

yea nothing wrong with it

bmfarley · #**3000** Posted **Dec 31, 2007, 2:57 AM**

It looks like Sapphire Tower is about half way to its eventual ultimate height of 32 floors. I see about 16 now.