LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[craigs]

I finally got some time off and went to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook today. Sorry about the low quality snapshot, but what is the tall building under construction?

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/242378690_10223060628878011_5710668185698228140_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=rsjFIId9NJ8AX93uMMy&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.xx&oh=3ca005e29c03a4aafd5f8bf5fd04c39d&oe=614C975A

[ChelseaFC]

I finally got some time off and went to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook today. Sorry about the low quality snapshot, but what is the tall building under construction?

Here you go:
https://urbanize.city/la/post/steel-frame-wrapper-continues-rise-la-cienegajefferson-station

[colemonkee]

It's also possible that we get another Eric Owen Moss-designed high rise in that surface lot to the south along Jefferson, though I wouldn't hold my breath on it starting this year. Or even next. The Wrapper was in the planning stages for years.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/another-eric-owen-moss-designed-office-tower-planned-baldwin-hills

[Illithid Dude]

It's also possible that we get another Eric Owen Moss-designed high rise in that surface lot to the south along Jefferson, though I wouldn't hold my breath on it starting this year. Or even next. The Wrapper was in the planning stages for years.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/another-eric-owen-moss-designed-office-tower-planned-baldwin-hills

Yes, there's this.

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/5860%20jefferson%201.jpg?itok=RePpYBk6

And a mixed use development designed by SHoP Architects.

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2021-07/210722_SLC_aerial.jpg?itok=GHnSjZtE

An unexpected area for a new high rise cluster to develop, but I'm certainly not complaining.

[ocman]

Renzo’s Revenge: The new Academy Museum has landed — and it’s out of this world
(https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-09-20/renzo-piano-creates-an-inescapable-building-for-the-academy-museum)

The first review of the museum opening at the end of the month. Infinitely better than Renzo Pianos’ work for LACMA which I still contend looks like a southern California high school.

[craigs]

Here you go:
https://urbanize.city/la/post/steel-frame-wrapper-continues-rise-la-cienegajefferson-station
Thanks! Very cool design.

Renzo’s Revenge: The new Academy Museum has landed — and it’s out of this world
(https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-09-20/renzo-piano-creates-an-inescapable-building-for-the-academy-museum)

The first review of the museum opening at the end of the month. Infinitely better than Renzo Pianos’ work for LACMA which I still contend looks like a southern California high school.
Good article, I'm looking forward to checking out the new museum and theater. That area is quite the cluster of major arts institutions these days.

[ChelseaFC]

First tenants revealed for restored historic Hollywood Citizen News Building

https://whatnowlosangeles.com/mother-wolf-coming-to-hollywood-this-fall/

https://live.staticflickr.com/2874/10370458645_88abd1e520_b.jpg
https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ef4aaf8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1707x1280+0+0/resize/840x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5b%2F55%2Ff2dc5ce794376152df2f539db1a7%2Fla-xpm-photo-2014-apr-02-la-fi-mo-citizen-news-building-sold-20140402

[ChelseaFC]

Godfrey Hotel now open in Hollywood four years after groundbreaking

https://www.godfreyhotelhollywood.com/

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/1d/d5/95/b7/the-godfrey-hotel-hollywood.jpg

[ChelseaFC]

$2.5 billion renovation of iconic 1966 Century Plaza Hotel complete in Century City

https://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels-resorts/fairmont-century-plaza-los-angeles-renovations

https://www.travelweekly.com/uploadedImages/Art/2021/0920/T0920FAIRMONTCENTURYPLAZA_C_HR.jpg?width=638&height=360&scale=both&mode=crop

https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2013/01/CP_New_Aerial_View.jpg

[badrunner]

$2.5b sounds ridiculously high for that project considering that the Wilshire Grand came in at around $1b.

[craigs]

I cannot find any source for the heights of the new residential towers behind the renovated Fairmount Century Plaza. Anybody have an idea?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

$2.5b sounds ridiculously high for that project considering that the Wilshire Grand came in at around $1b.

Thats probably including the remodel of the existing hotel. Helps a little but ya, still really high

[Jordan de California]

$2.5b sounds ridiculously high for that project considering that the Wilshire Grand came in at around $1b.

Not that I'm at all knowledgeable about finance, but we're comparing two very different projects here.

Wilshire Grand involved demolishing an old building and replacing it with a single new tower.

Century Plaza involved carefully renovating an old building and building *two* new towers right next to it as part of a single integrated complex.

More than twice the cost sounds about right to me.

[WonderlandPark2]

I cannot find any source for the heights of the new residential towers behind the renovated Fairmount Century Plaza. Anybody have an idea?

Within a couple of feet +- of the twin office towers. Hard to tell because of elevation, but I would put them at slightly taller. Twin towers are listed at 571 and FAA maps put them 866 above sea level. In this pic, they are about 10ft higher, but may be a wash as the ground elevation is different.

https://i.imgur.com/luHVqia.jpg

[Barney Greengrass]

I cannot find any source for the heights of the new residential towers behind the renovated Fairmount Century Plaza. Anybody have an idea?

https://ladbsdoc.lacity.org/

Do you have the address?

This looks rather specific:
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/century-plaza-north-tower/14946

[craigs]

https://ladbsdoc.lacity.org/

Do you have the address?

This looks rather specific:
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/century-plaza-north-tower/14946
Thanks, I'll try to figure out the address.

I've driven around the Westside enough recently and looked toward Century City's skyline from the north, east, south, and west, and I am convinced the new residential twin towers are taller than the office twins.

[plinko]

craigs, we talked about this here early this year. The World Almanac lists them at 537ft, which seems impossible until you really look. I actually think it's correct if the lowest entry is on the Ave of the Stars side (see explanation below):

According to Google Earth, the elevation at the drive entry/sidewalk into the Theme Towers is about 270ft. The elevation at the lowest entry into the new twin towers is about 264ft at Solar Way (the backside). The elevation of Avenue of the Stars in front of the Century Plaza Hotel (which may be the official entry to these two new towers) is about 300ft.

So if you count from Solar Way, the entry is 6ft lower and the towers appear just slightly taller from a distance (23ft would make them an even 600ft). If you were to count from Avenue of the Stars, they would be about 564ft tall? That's still significantly taller than the 537ft listed in the World Almanac and at CTBUH. It's possible that their entry is elevated even from Avenue of the Stars, though 27ft seems unlikely.

Actually, I just watched the fly-through video on the Century Plaza website. I would guess that the entry to the new towers is about 10ft above Avenue of the Stars. So if they are indeed 40ft above the Theme Towers, that gets pretty close.

Theme Towers 270ft+571ft = 841ft
Century Plaza Towers 310ft + 537ft = 847ft

Given that there is rounding involved and I'm using Google Earth and rendered videos, I would say that 537ft is likely the correct height unless you measure from Solar Way, which puts it around 583ft.

[craigs]

craigs, we talked about this here early this year. The World Almanac lists them at 537ft, which seems impossible until you really look. I actually think it's correct if the lowest entry is on the Ave of the Stars side (see explanation below):
Thanks, that makes sense!

[LA21st]

The new tower at LaJolla and Wilshire looks nice.
I think it's almost done.:cheers:

That stretch of Wilshire could easily tear down more of those boring midrises and add more 20-25 story blocks.

[Illithid Dude]

The new tower at LaJolla and Wilshire looks nice.
I think it's almost done.:cheers:

That stretch of Wilshire could easily tear down more of those boring midrises and add more 20-25 story blocks.

I agree. I appreciate the unique shape and glass coloration. A very nice, if unambitious, addition, to our highrise repository.

[LAnative61]

I cannot find any source for the heights of the new residential towers behind the renovated Fairmount Century Plaza. Anybody have an idea?

Looking at the area on Google Earth, it seems that the two towers should be measured from Solar Way, which has a street elevation of approximately 273 feet, and not from the elevated Avenue of the Stars at 302 feet. I think Wikipedia has the correct height of 600'. Also, the twin theme towers(571' X 2)are closer to Century Park East with an elevation of 271', and that is why the new towers appear taller.....because they are!

[craigs]

Construction goes vertical at LACMA's $750M revamp (https://urbanize.city/la/post/construction-goes-vertical-lacmas-750m-revamp)

A Peter Zumthor-designed building will span across Wilshire

Steven Sharp
Urbanize LA
October 5, 2021

A year after we last checked, a trio of tower cranes has risen at the former site of LACMA's lost William Pereira- and Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer-designed buildings,
showing the most visible signs of progress on a controversial $750-million remodel of the Mid-Wilshire campus.

The project, designed by architect Peter Zumthor, will consist of a new concrete and steel structure spanning above and across Wilshire Boulevard, containing
350,000 square feet of floor area within its undulating two-story frame.

LACMA will reportedly name the new wing the "David Geffen Galleries," in honor of one of its principal donors.

The construction process, which began with the demolition of some of LACMA's original buildings in 2020, is expected to be completed in 2023.
. . . .

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/LACMA%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2007.jpg?itok=OB970oWm

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/lacma%20-%201.jpg?itok=4_dH_Lr1

[homebucket]

Interesting design. The part where it goes over Wilshire kinda reminds me of an airport terminal where people are dropped off and picked up.

[craigs]

Interesting design. The part where it goes over Wilshire kinda reminds me of an airport terminal where people are dropped off and picked up.
If you check out the article, it turns out that they own parcels on both sides of Wilshire. Obviously, if they bridge the roadway they can have hundreds of thousands of square feet of gallery space but also leave room on the main campus for landscaping and/or other structures.

[edale]

I'm a LACMA member, and I'm pretty conflicted about the new museum structure. The old complex was a bit of a mess-- disjointed and hard to navigate around. I support the idea of tearing down those buildings and constructing a new, single building to house the majority of the galleries.

But there are several things to dislike about the new museum structure they are building. The biggest issue I have with it is that the new structure will have less gallery space than the buildings it's replacing. LACMA is only able to display a small fraction of its HUGE collection, and this new building should expand what is able to be shown, not reduce the gallery space!

I also don't love the idea of expanding over Wilshire when they already have such a huge space on the north side of the street. Get rid of the gargantuan waste of space that is the 'levitating mass' installation, and make better use of all the unused open space included in the museum complex. Going over Wilshire seems drastic and unnecessary when there is so much available space that could be utilized. I also don't love that the whole museum is going to be at the second level, potentially creating a huge void of activity at the ground level. People sit on the steps at the Met and Art Institute of Chicago, creating neat urban public spaces. This new design allows for none of that, and instead takes all the energy off the street. The building itself also seems quite bland, and the only thing interesting about it is the amorphous form of the building. The underside could become quite dark and uninviting unless careful consideration is taken to activate it.

Overall, I'm interested to see how this shakes out, but I think it's a pretty big missed opportunity to do something iconic and expand the space of the museum.

[LAisthePlace]

The levitating mass is the decision I've never understood. I actually like the piece, but to devote *so* much, easily developable land to a single piece of art when it could potentially hold hundreds if another wing was built there is wild to me.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the new LACMA will exceed expectations (especially the ground floor plaza areas), but I can't help but think it all would have been easier/cheaper/make more sense if they just built over the area where Levitating Mass is.

I'm a LACMA member, and I'm pretty conflicted about the new museum structure. The old complex was a bit of a mess-- disjointed and hard to navigate around. I support the idea of tearing down those buildings and constructing a new, single building to house the majority of the galleries.

But there are several things to dislike about the new museum structure they are building. The biggest issue I have with it is that the new structure will have less gallery space than the buildings it's replacing. LACMA is only able to display a small fraction of its HUGE collection, and this new building should expand what is able to be shown, not reduce the gallery space!

I also don't love the idea of expanding over Wilshire when they already have such a huge space on the north side of the street. Get rid of the gargantuan waste of space that is the 'levitating mass' installation, and make better use of all the unused open space included in the museum complex. Going over Wilshire seems drastic and unnecessary when there is so much available space that could be utilized. I also don't love that the whole museum is going to be at the second level, potentially creating a huge void of activity at the ground level. People sit on the steps at the Met and Art Institute of Chicago, creating neat urban public spaces. This new design allows for none of that, and instead takes all the energy off the street. The building itself also seems quite bland, and the only thing interesting about it is the amorphous form of the building. The underside could become quite dark and uninviting unless careful consideration is taken to activate it.

Overall, I'm interested to see how this shakes out, but I think it's a pretty big missed opportunity to do something iconic and expand the space of the museum.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

I'm a LACMA member, and I'm pretty conflicted about the new museum structure. The old complex was a bit of a mess-- disjointed and hard to navigate around. I support the idea of tearing down those buildings and constructing a new, single building to house the majority of the galleries.

But there are several things to dislike about the new museum structure they are building. The biggest issue I have with it is that the new structure will have less gallery space than the buildings it's replacing. LACMA is only able to display a small fraction of its HUGE collection, and this new building should expand what is able to be shown, not reduce the gallery space!

I also don't love the idea of expanding over Wilshire when they already have such a huge space on the north side of the street. Get rid of the gargantuan waste of space that is the 'levitating mass' installation, and make better use of all the unused open space included in the museum complex. Going over Wilshire seems drastic and unnecessary when there is so much available space that could be utilized. I also don't love that the whole museum is going to be at the second level, potentially creating a huge void of activity at the ground level. People sit on the steps at the Met and Art Institute of Chicago, creating neat urban public spaces. This new design allows for none of that, and instead takes all the energy off the street. The building itself also seems quite bland, and the only thing interesting about it is the amorphous form of the building. The underside could become quite dark and uninviting unless careful consideration is taken to activate it.

Overall, I'm interested to see how this shakes out, but I think it's a pretty big missed opportunity to do something iconic and expand the space of the museum.

I could not agree more with your sentiments.

[LA21st]

What is the construction crane at Universal city for??

[badrunner]

Interesting design. The part where it goes over Wilshire kinda reminds me of an airport terminal where people are dropped off and picked up.

You shoulda seen the first renders.

:P
https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/57a4/ab85/e58e/ce54/a500/00ae/newsletter/01_160322_Aerial_Press_release_(1).jpg?1470409595

Bad renders aside I think this could be an interesting building. Some of the exhibition spaces look amazing.

https://www.larchmontchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/lacma-Meander-North-FINAL.jpg

[ChrisLA]

Bad renders aside I think this could be an interesting building. Some of the exhibition spaces look amazing.

https://www.larchmontchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/lacma-Meander-North-FINAL.jpg

It looks something like The Getty, sort of okay but I’ll leave my final judgment once it’s built. As of now it’s looks a little weird and the over the street addition makes me think of an overpass, or even the cross over at the Crenshaw Plaza. It just seems like it will be dark and not too inviting, just look up the Metro Green line station in Lynwood-Long Beach Blvd station. :(

[badrunner]

It looks something like The Getty, sort of okay but I’ll leave my final judgment once it’s built. As of now it’s looks a little weird and the over the street addition makes me think of an overpass, or even the cross over at the Crenshaw Plaza. It just seems like it will be dark and not too inviting, just look up the Metro Green line station in Lynwood-Long Beach Blvd station. :(

Yeah it could end up looking like a freeway underpass or something. I do like all the new open space around the building though. That, along with the Urban Light installation will get people to wander on to the property. It's a little more inviting than the old building which was just a wall facing Wilshire.

[ocman]

Zumthor is a master of internal space. I’m expecting the galleries to surprise those who aren’t familiar with his work. The biggest shame was the removal of the chapel ceilings (see below). I wonder if those were budgetary compromises Zumthor had to make, because those were the highlight of the whole structure and would have given a sense of grandness and space and help alleviate museum fatigue.

Crossing Wilshire is a problem because you’re bisecting the public space with a busy intimidating street. Unless they designate the stair there as an emergency exit only and force people back to the main museum area for entering and exiting, it’s going to be annoying leaving and realizing you’ve exited far away from the action, essentially outside of the museum area.

As far as taking energy off the street by lifting it off the ground, not necessarily a bad thing because the energy of confining people to one area is replaced by what’s become a lot of open space. That’s a luxury if they use it well, but also a challenge.

What’s certain though is that this doesn’t solve the space issue the museum originally had. LA may need additional buildings in a couple decades.



https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6L95vLRyLo/XJleuvLr7mI/AAAAAAAAJaE/YJcNVAmDj9QThlg44lWXGXJx6T_hxVqgQCLcBGAs/s1600/peter-zumthor-LACMA-building-plans-los-angeles-designboom-06.jpg

[Illithid Dude]

I've heard from internal sources that Zumthor has been very close to leaving the project multiple times due to what he perceives as being the compromised nature of his project. I too am upset that the chapels were lost, but I'm not sure they would have saved a development that was flawed from its very inception. At least the new Academy Museum ended up looking very nice, though I have my qualms about its content... It's certainly worth seeing a movie in the new David Geffen theater, though make sure you bring a bottle of water, as they don't sell concessions and the water fountains are shut down.

[LAisthePlace]

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-10-08/apple-to-expand-offices-culver-city-los-angeles

Apple plans big office expansion in Los Angeles area as it adds employees

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e29157e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4512x1920+0+0/resize/840x357!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F60%2Fca357d0e4a5e98533bbb33d20365%2Fapple-culver-cityla-campus.jpg

In a sign that competition among streaming entertainment providers will stay heated in the years ahead, Apple announced Friday that it will roughly double its office presence in the Culver City area where Apple TV+ is based.The expansion of more than 550,000 square feet in two adjoining buildings is larger than expected by real estate industry observers. Apple, Netflix, Amazon, HBO and other streaming services have been gobbling up office and production space in recent years to help churn out movies and television series for their subscribers. “It’s a bold expansion,” said Petra Durnin, head of market analytics at Raise Commercial Real Estate. “These streaming giants are betting on the strength of demand for content even after the pandemic is over” and more people leave their homes again for entertainment.Apple said it would erect two new mid-rise buildings connected by a shared wall on multiple parcels in Culver City and Los Angeles surrounded by Venice, National and Washington boulevards. The parcels are now mostly occupied by small retail and light industrial buildings.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company currently has more than 1,500 employees in Culver City and L.A., including workers at Apple TV+ and Apple Music as well as engineers and teams working on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

In April, Apple said that it would spend $430 billion while creating 20,000 jobs in the United States over the next five years. The Culver City team would be expanded to more than 3,000 employees by 2026, Apple said at the time, and Apple would build a larger campus to house them.Apple occupies about 500,000 square feet of offices in the area now, Durnin said.

The expanding Apple campus is near the Metro rail stop in Culver City. The new facilities will incorporate environmentally sustainable building features and be powered by 100% renewable energy, spokeswoman Rachel Tulley said.

Apple did not say what development company would build the new buildings or when construction might start. The project is in its planning stages, Tulley said.

[Radio5]

[QUOTE=LAisthePlace;9419468]https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-10-08/apple-to-expand-offices-culver-city-los-angeles

Apple plans big office expansion in Los Angeles area as it adds employees

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e29157e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4512x1920+0+0/resize/840x357!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F60%2Fca357d0e4a5e98533bbb33d20365%2Fapple-culver-cityla-campus.jpg


Do we know the address of this?

[LA21st]

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-10-08/apple-to-expand-offices-culver-city-los-angeles

Apple plans big office expansion in Los Angeles area as it adds employees

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e29157e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4512x1920+0+0/resize/840x357!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F60%2Fca357d0e4a5e98533bbb33d20365%2Fapple-culver-cityla-campus.jpg

In a sign that competition among streaming entertainment providers will stay heated in the years ahead, Apple announced Friday that it will roughly double its office presence in the Culver City area where Apple TV+ is based.The expansion of more than 550,000 square feet in two adjoining buildings is larger than expected by real estate industry observers. Apple, Netflix, Amazon, HBO and other streaming services have been gobbling up office and production space in recent years to help churn out movies and television series for their subscribers. “It’s a bold expansion,” said Petra Durnin, head of market analytics at Raise Commercial Real Estate. “These streaming giants are betting on the strength of demand for content even after the pandemic is over” and more people leave their homes again for entertainment.Apple said it would erect two new mid-rise buildings connected by a shared wall on multiple parcels in Culver City and Los Angeles surrounded by Venice, National and Washington boulevards. The parcels are now mostly occupied by small retail and light industrial buildings.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company currently has more than 1,500 employees in Culver City and L.A., including workers at Apple TV+ and Apple Music as well as engineers and teams working on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

In April, Apple said that it would spend $430 billion while creating 20,000 jobs in the United States over the next five years. The Culver City team would be expanded to more than 3,000 employees by 2026, Apple said at the time, and Apple would build a larger campus to house them.Apple occupies about 500,000 square feet of offices in the area now, Durnin said.

The expanding Apple campus is near the Metro rail stop in Culver City. The new facilities will incorporate environmentally sustainable building features and be powered by 100% renewable energy, spokeswoman Rachel Tulley said.

Apple did not say what development company would build the new buildings or when construction might start. The project is in its planning stages, Tulley said.

That is such huge news. That whole radius around Downtown Culver City is feeling the effects of all these new entertainment jobs.

[Illithid Dude]

I think I like the design - looks like it could be their go-to-architect Norman Foster. But I'm not sure I can support something that treats the pedestrian space so poorly. In an area with so much retail, what's the sense of greeting the pedestrian with a ten foot high concrete wall? Hopefully as the project is refined commercial space, or at least a more transparent barrier, is added to the ground floor.

[Quixote]

Sweet. I'm assuming this rendering depicts the corner of Venice and National.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4c95bfa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4512x1920+0+0/resize/840x357!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F60%2Fca357d0e4a5e98533bbb33d20365%2Fapple-culver-cityla-campus.jpg
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-10-08/apple-to-expand-offices-culver-city-los-angeles

[Quixote]

The building they occupy at the corner of Washington/National is only 125,000, so this new expansion will be roughly 4.5 times the size of that. That means that Apple will probably occupy the entire block bounded by Venice, Washington, National, and the Helms complex. I wish they would use this project to consolidate their entire LA presence though.

[sopas ej]

I'm actually very excited about the new LACMA. I can't wait until it's done.

Yeah, I'm kind of disappointed that the gallery space will be smaller than what previously existed, but with the right programming, they could change the displays of the permanent collections and somehow make it go with a theme of a temporary exhibit, or something like that, and make it a whole new experience for people who have been coming to LACMA for years (like myself) and are already familiar with their permanent collections, as well as for people who have never been to LACMA before.

The old LACMA buildings were walled off/fenced off from Wilshire Blvd. anyway; this new building could actually engage the street and sidewalks more with the public spaces beneath the new building, and with the new subway station, could make for a very lively environment. And it provides SHADE---something that, for all the sunshine we get, it'd be nice to have some shade too, as well as shelter from the occasional rain. People are often wanting to make LA be like every other city urban-wise/pedestrian-wise, make it fit into some kind of mold/template, but LA is badass---I really like that it's its own animal.

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/lacma-4.jpg?itok=J3mw2w5b

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/lacma%206_1.jpg?itok=E8VmTRun

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/lacma%203_1.jpg?itok=D7vrSjAj

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/lacma%205_2.jpg?itok=LQ-RzY-g

[Easy]

I'm looking forward to the new LACMA building as well and I'll be taking the very convenient D line to get there.

I can appreciate that it's design is controversial. I'd be disappointed if it weren't. Critics of contemporary design are often at odds with history and often prefer buildings that look similar to what's popular at that point in time. Either way the choice has been made and all we can do is wait and see.

I'm also fine with the space being smaller. I may be in the minority, but I thought that the quality wasn't quite there for the space that existed and that their collection would be more impactful and of better overall quality with less space.

[ocman]

I'm looking forward to the new LACMA building as well and I'll be taking the very convenient D line to get there.

I can appreciate that it's design is controversial. I'd be disappointed if it weren't. Critics of contemporary design are often at odds with history and often prefer buildings that look similar to what's popular at that point in time. Either way the choice has been made and all we can do is wait and see.

I'm also fine with the space being smaller. I may be in the minority, but I thought that the quality wasn't quite there for the space that existed and that their collection would be more impactful and of better overall quality with less space.

LACMA keeps acquiring things like crazy. Now that LA’s philanthropic community has come of age, LA’s art institutions are arguably getting more donations than NYC, so space will be an issue in the coming years. After Govan is gone, I really doubt the next director is going to follow through with his plan of dispersing LACMA’s collection throughout the city. I think few actually like that idea.

We can complain over the planning stage, but I think most will just have to accept what’s there once it’s built, and just be among a certain minority that knows it’s a compromised and lesser version of earlier renderings that could have been. The original structures had way too many issue anyway. I thought the second or 3rd iteration when it went from black to the current color with the chapel ceilings was best. It’s just the crossing of Wilshire and the downsizing of space that’s two very big issues for me. And the fact that Govan keeps giving away so much of LACMA’s real estate.

I’m glad about LA finally getting a film museum, but imagine how much bigger LACMA could be with that property.

[LAisthePlace]

After Govan is gone, I really doubt the next director is going to follow through with his plan of dispersing LACMA’s collection throughout the city. I think few actually like that idea.



Count me as one who as at least open to the idea.

I feel like LACMA has always seen the Met as their aspirational peer (big aspirations) and is this not what the Met did with Met Breuer?

Los Angeles is such a massive metropolis that I could see branches of LACMA being successful in a Hollywood, Koreatown, or other areas of the city that are easy to get to by transit for those that can't make it, easily or regularly to miracle mile.

If the collection is as massive as it sounds, I get the benefit of only showing "the best" or having pieces available for temporary exhibitions, but why let the rest of the collection sit in storage when it could be enjoyed by the people of Los Angeles at another museum site?

[craigs]

$300-million apartment tower ready for move-ins in Koreatown (https://urbanize.city/la/post/300-million-apartment-tower-ready-move-ins-koreatown)

The 23-story building sits across the street from Lafayette Park

Steven Sharp
Urbanize LA
October 21, 2021

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2010.jpg?itok=0cTxHlPs

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2005.jpg?itok=QJAseR7P

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2007.jpg?itok=mbdgkICE

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2012.jpg?itok=Ef9BJgK0

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2009.jpg?itok=KU9kMgdF

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2003.jpg?itok=7lmI6ye7

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2021-10/Kurve%20on%20Wilshire%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2001.jpg?itok=06PhtH6E

Just over two-and-a-half years after breaking ground across the street from Lafayette Park, developers Hankey Capital and Jamison Services, Inc. have started welcoming the first residents at Kurve on Wilshire, a new residential tower on the eastern perimeter of Koreatown.

Located at 2900 Wilshire Boulevard, the 23-story building features 644 rental units, in addition to a 1,100-car garage and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space.

Per a news release, the apartments range from studio units to three-bedroom, two-story penthouses that each include a private roof deck and a spa. Rents start at $2,400 per month for a studio and range as high as $31,000 per month for penthouse.

The project team - which included LARGE Architecture, Dianna Wong Architecture + Interior Design, AECOM, Wilshire Construction - built a tower with a tiered roofline and an undulating footprint, deliberately engineered to avoid casting shadows on the neighboring park. Another unique feature is the use of wood-frame construction along the perimeter of the garage, masking above-grade parking from view.

The large podium is capped by a one-acre amenity deck, which features a pool, a spa, an outdoor theater, grills, and a dog run.

Kurve is the second partnership between Hankey and Jamison Services, following the two-tower Circa development which opened near Staples Center in 2018. The two companies recently broke ground on a 490-unit apartment complex across the street from Metro's Vermont/Beverly Station.

[plutonicpanda]

^^^ That project really turned out beautiful in person.

[LAisthePlace]

L.A. City Council signs off on 40-story Koreatown tower
Terrace Block would rise at the intersection of 6th and Shatto

This would be the tallest building outside Downtown Los Angeles and Century City at 483 feet, besting the Equitable Building (also in Koreatown) by 30 feet.

For me - So much to love about this project. The elegant, pedestrian oriented ground floor, the fully underground parking, the interesting facade, and the non flat crown. Can't wait to see it right and Koreatown's skyline continue to grow.

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/514%20shatto%20koreatown%20gensler%20urbanize%20la%201.jpg?itok=Mpdh4WRE
https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/514%20shatto%20koreatown%20gensler%20urbanize%20la%207.jpg?itok=hoJGbiWx
https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/514%20shatto%20koreatown%20gensler%20urbanize%20la%206.jpg?itok=d-pBO68s
https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/514%20shatto%20koreatown%20gensler%20urbanize%20la%2010.jpg?itok=1Hec-LP3

[homebucket]

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/514%20shatto%20koreatown%20gensler%20urbanize%20la%201.jpg?itok=Mpdh4WRE

Great project. The ground level interaction is well executed. Nice to see LA coming out with something else other than another podium tower. Looks way better than that monstrosity behind it.

[colemonkee]

What I love about this one is that it pulls the one-dimensional, rather linear Wilshire skyline further north, giving it some depth. We need a few more towers like this one (they don't all have to be this tall) moving perpendicular to Wilshire in close proximity to Purple Line stops. More of this, please!

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Fantastic and I echo the comments above! More more more

[craigs]

L.A. City Council signs off on 40-story Koreatown tower
Terrace Block would rise at the intersection of 6th and Shatto

This would be the tallest building outside Downtown Los Angeles and Century City at 483 feet, besting the Equitable Building (also in Koreatown) by 30 feet.
Universal City Plaza in the Valley is 506 ft. tall.

Anyway, I like this Koreatown project and I'm glad the city gave it the green light. I'm always psyched to see a new skyscraper going up, and this in particular is a great location for a new tower.

[LA21st]

So many small buildings they can knock down around it too for more towers.
What an exciting area this could end up being soon.

[LAisthePlace]

I stand corrected! I've had many meetings in Universal City Plaza, should have known.

What a different time where you could be a 500+ footer in the Valley.

Universal City Plaza in the Valley is 506 ft. tall.

Anyway, I like this Koreatown project and I'm glad the city gave it the green light. I'm always psyched to see a new skyscraper going up, and this in particular is a great location for a new tower.

[bossabreezes]

That “Kurve” on Wilshire, while better than a parking lot, has little to no connection to the street. Pretty much a walled fortress. I don’t really blame the developer though, this corner is dicey af. The sidewalk will likely be covered in homeless tents and/or drug paraphernalia in no time.

[homebucket]

That “Kurve” on Wilshire, while better than a parking lot, has little to no connection to the street. Pretty much a walled fortress. I don’t really blame the developer though, this corner is dicey af. The sidewalk will likely be covered in homeless tents and/or drug paraphernalia in no time.

The tower portion definitely looks nice but unfortunately the poorly done podium detracts from it significantly. It gives off the appearance of being unfinished (like unlabeled house wrap) and it shares not even one connecting design element to the main tower. It's just a haphazard arrangement of rectangles and many areas have blank walls. Fortunately most LA podiums aren't this glaringly bad. Hopefully the ground floor retail helps with the street connection, but it looks like it'll only be on the Wilshire side. The Sunset and Hoover sides get nothing at all.

[craigs]

That “Kurve” on Wilshire, while better than a parking lot, has little to no connection to the street. Pretty much a walled fortress. I don’t really blame the developer though, this corner is dicey af. The sidewalk will likely be covered in homeless tents and/or drug paraphernalia in no time.
According to the article, Kurve has 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. I would say it's best to wait to be all negative and judgy until you see it after everything's open, but then, you don't even live here.

[HeySparky]

Looks like Bardas Investment Groups have a lot of small projects in the works for Hollywood. Today I saw construction crews at 6344 Fountain (between Vine and Cahuenga) for a new office and retail complex. This one has somehow flown completely off the radar.

https://bardasinvestmentgroup.com/projects/echelon-6344-fountain/

[Illithid Dude]

Looks like Bardas Investment Groups have a lot of small projects in the works for Hollywood. Today I saw construction crews at 6344 Fountain (between Vine and Cahuenga) for a new office and retail complex. This one has somehow flown completely off the radar.

https://bardasinvestmentgroup.com/projects/echelon-6344-fountain/

Awful street-facing parking garage. Our city needs to stop allowing developers to build like that. Was the Hollywood District plan ever adopted? I thought that would prohibit that type of design.

[Busy Bee]

Do I understand that people think that white base of 2900 Wilshire Boulevard looks good?

[LAisthePlace]

Do I understand that people think that white base of 2900 Wilshire Boulevard looks good?

I think the consensus take seem to be:
The tower looks great
It is great that the podium is wrapped with residences and not screened parking
The residence wrapped podium doesn't look great
But it could be slightly better once the ground floor retail opens

[HeySparky]

Awful street-facing parking garage. Our city needs to stop allowing developers to build like that. Was the Hollywood District plan ever adopted? I thought that would prohibit that type of design.

The Hollywood plan has not been approved yet, but that stretch of Fountain probably wouldn't make for the best retail spot. There are so many abandoned/empty retail spots around Hollywood right now that I don't think adding more to every new building will inherently make people walk around more. As long as the sidewalk is well landscaped, which it appears to be.

[Busy Bee]

I think the consensus take seem to be:
The tower looks great
It is great that the podium is wrapped with residences and not screened parking
The residence wrapped podium doesn't look great
But it could be slightly better once the ground floor retail opens

Yeah the tower is sharp but im sorry that base is atroce. Why is there that shorter part? Its just so bad. I wasn't even sure that was part of the development at first. And are all those bath and kitchen.vents stuck.everywhere?

[craigs]

Amenities go wild at luxe apartments: Music studios, rooftop dog parks, bed making by app (https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-11-12/apartment-amenities-escalate-as-owners-compete-for-tenants-who-can-pay-top-rents)

Roger Vincent
Los Angeles Times
November 12, 2021

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e2ebd6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4200x2750+0+0/resize/840x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbd%2F89%2F14eaf1a6434d95f1c82f4a2f4ff3%2Fla-photos-1staff-858548-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-20-ajs.jpg
An exterior view of the upscale high-rise Kurve on Wilshire near Koreatown.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

As part of your rent at the new $300-million apartment building called Kurve on Wilshire, you can get a weekly visit from a housekeeper who will make your bed to hotel standards, load your dishwasher, tidy the place up and take out the trash.

Housekeeping will also deliver your mail to your unit, and box up and return items you bought online that you decide not to keep. That’s just for starters, all available for a fee through a phone app.

Assistants will do your grocery shopping and put food away in your fridge at a cost of 5% of the total bill. The same goes for dry cleaning and laundry, which will be hung in your closet. Additional services available through the tenants’ app include pharmacy pickups, basic tailoring and a tech “concierge” to help with your computer problems.

The pampering is not unique to Kurve, located near Koreatown, which is attempting to compete in a crowded upper-tier market. Floridly luxurious apartment buildings have a long history in Los Angeles, and the appetite for deluxe living quarters has been unabated by the pandemic as rents continue to rise.

Dobbins’ is president of Hankey Investment Co., which developed Kurve with Jamison Properties. The Los Angeles-based team also developed Circa, a $500-million twin-tower apartment complex across the street from Staples Center downtown that is wrapped in a block-long video screen and has penthouses that rent for $25,000 a month.

Kurve has two-story penthouses that the developers hope to rent for as much as $30,000 a month and include their own party-sized outdoor decks with capacious hot tubs that have city skyline views. Typical units are priced much lower, with a one bedroom going for about $3,000 a month.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/531262f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4200x2800+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa8%2Fbf%2F603fb5fd48199049a87e311b238d%2Fla-photos-1staff-858548-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-1-ajs.jpg
A view of the one-acre rooftop park and pool at Kurve.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Resident Daniel Lee, who moved in shortly after Kurve opened in September, was more drawn to the sprawling one-acre roof deck than the bed-making and kitchen-spritzing services.

“I’ve never seen a rooftop walk that’s dog-friendly,” said Lee, who strolls with his mixed-breed Danni.

Lee likes that the dog can relieve herself on a special patch of artificial grass that drains into the sewer system. Where he lived earlier in Koreatown, “walking my dog at night was kind of dangerous.”

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c780e00/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4200x2800+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0c%2F53%2F545e2f704566911e3bb05e4c97d5%2Fla-photos-1staff-858548-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-7-ajs.jpg
A view from an upscale unit looking at Kurve’s one-acre rooftop park and pool.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)[/img]

Lee, who works at home at least two days a week as an IT specialist for a fashion company in Hollywood, likes to set up shop in Kurve’s co-working facilities where he can plop at a wooden desk or in a conference room. Such WeWork-style offices are becoming common amenities in new buildings as flexible work schedules become the norm and tenants look for places to concentrate outside of their apartments.

At Park Fifth in downtown Los Angeles, residents can work on an open deck on the 24th floor with views of nearby skyscrapers and Pershing Square park below.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91adda9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F03%2Fad%2F87928cf74ed1b57ae1a4c138eaa3%2Fla-photos-1staff-862759-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-gxc-0452.JPG
[size=1]On the 24th floor of the 24-story Park Fifth Tower in downtown L.A., residents can work on an open deck with views of skyscrapers and Pershing Square park below. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

“We have USB ports everywhere,” landlord Victor MacFarlane said, where tenants can hook up their laptops, and Wi-Fi throughout the property, including the garage.

The pandemic will accelerate the creation of common spaces where tenants can work from home, MacFarlane said, because many employers are expected to embrace flexible work schedules even after COVID-19 fades. The trend of creating welcoming spaces for tenants to hang out was already growing in part because units have been shrinking to keep tenants’ rents down as construction costs rise, he said.

They’re also required to remain competitive. Amenities that once made apartment buildings stand out are now baseline for high-end complexes, said MacFarlane, chairman and chief executive of MacFarlane Partners.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f02024a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6257x4171+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb8%2Ffc%2F0c361430482cb5ce2d9fa6ad98da%2Fla-photos-1staff-862759-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-gxc-0372.JPG
Fitness center with views of downtown at Park Fifth Tower. Amenities that once made apartment buildings stand out are now baseline for high-end complexes.(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Having a nice gym and being pet-friendly are “a necessity today,” he said. “It’s not an option anymore. If you don’t have those things you’re not going to lease, nor are you going to get your rents.”

Kurve, Park Fifth and other buildings now come with furnished barbecue centers where tenants can host get- togethers. Big lockers to safely store e-commerce packages are getting common, and Park Fifth has refrigerated locker space for grocery deliveries.

Top-line gym equipment “and enough of it” are mandatory, MacFarlane said, along with spaces for classes such as aerobics, Pilates and yoga. Stationary bike rides in some buildings may be guided by instructors online or in person.

The 347-unit Park Fifth, which opened early last year, and a sister 313-unit building called Trademark built next door by MacFarlane Partners are both about 95% leased, MacFarlane said. To get renters in the downtown market where several luxury properties have come online in recent years, the landlord has been offering periods of free rent to tenants who sign one-year leases.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dffa544/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F5f%2F9c69e22f4edb8a424abff82189fd%2Fla-photos-1staff-862759-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-gxc-0147.JPG
Park Fifth Tower has a rooftop deck with an infinity-edge pool, cabanas and hot tub. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

He hopes to stop giving rent concessions as the economy recovers and office workers return downtown, but the competition for renters now includes two fancy high-rises that were planned to be condominiums when they were built.

Thea, a 58-story skyscraper built in 2020 by Chinese developer Greenland USA as part of the Metropolis condo and hotel complex, became a 685-unit apartment building after the condo market proved too thin to support it. Prospective tenants are offered as much aseight weeks of free rent to sign a lease.

At the Grand, a $1-billion Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use complex across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, developer Related Cos. chucked the original plan to include a high-rise full of condos and will instead open 436 apartments there next year, including what Related calls “ultra premium” units at the top of the 45-story tower.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1a30073/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6545x4364+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbc%2F72%2F1d14afd3412aa17ef6bdd05f63ba%2Fla-photos-1staff-862759-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-gxc-0305.JPG
Resident Kevin Aquino relaxes on the rooftop deck at Park Fifth Tower in downtown L.A.(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

“The majority of downtown L.A. residents are professionals who want to live close to their places of work and they want to rent,” said Rick Vogel, a senior vice president at Related. “Our leasing model reflects the growing demand for luxury apartment rentals full of first-class amenities, in a prime downtown L.A. location.”

Design can also be an amenity, as architects like Gehry bring flair to apartments — a commodity that seemed to disappear decades ago when stucco boxes and humble dingbats became the norm and provided low-cost housing. In recent years, many young professionals who make good money but move often or don’t want the hassles of home ownership have turned to apartment buildings with more style and status.

Chinese firm MAD Architects, known for its daring designs such as the “Star Wars” style Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, under construction near the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, just announced a new apartment building in Denver that features a cascading canyon that appears to “carve” into the building’s façade, as if by natural forces.

MAD avoided calling the project an apartment building, describing the 187-units instead as “for-lease residences.”

Thousands of apartments have been built downtown in recent years, many of them in tall steel-framed buildings that are more costly to erect than the shorter wood-framed apartment complexes that are common in Los Angeles.

“It is very expensive to build here,” economist Richard Green said, citing lengthy processes to get projects approved, and high construction costs, including the price of land. Higher rents are one result, he said.

When it costs $500,000 per unit to build apartments, developers want monthly rents of $3,000 or more to turn a profit, said Green, who is the director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. That’s one reason downtown has higher-than-average vacancy, because tenants should be earning more than $100,000 a year to pay such rents.

In popular apartment markets from downtown west to the ocean, including Koreatown, vacancy is more than 5%, according to a recent USC Lusk Center Casden Forecast. Ordinarily that vacancy rate would be high enough to depress rents, but empty units are being rented fast enough to suggest only moderate increases in rents are coming in those neighborhoods.

As a result of changes to renter behavior during COVID-19 when people left urban centers, many markets outside of densely populated metropolitan neighborhoods are experiencing vacancy rates at historically low levels, the report said. Falling vacancies are causing steeper rent hikes in many suburbs than big cities are experiencing.

The forecast predicts that by the end of the third quarter of 2023, rents will increase over their current levels by $252 in Los Angeles County, $410 in Orange County, $348 in San Diego County, $310 in Ventura County, and $241 in the Inland Empire, which includes San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

This year, average rent in Los Angeles County is $2,073 and vacancy is 3.9%. In Orange County, average rent is $2,439 and vacancy is 2.1%.

New buildings will continue to compete on amenities, said MacFarlane, who is planning one of the biggest mixed-use projects in the works in Los Angeles. The Angels Landing project downtown would include two upmarket hotels, apartments, condominiums stores and restaurants in two towers, the tallest of which would be a 63-story skyscraper.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4f5ab04/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F74%2Ffa%2F4b7bcc0e40618dd56f20c71e7a16%2Fla-photos-1staff-862759-fi-deluxe-apartments-escalate-gxc-0275.JPG
A view of Pershing Square from the rooftop deck at Park Fifth Tower in downtown L.A.(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

MacFarlane and his co-developer R. Donahue Peebles intend to complete Angels Landing in time to serve people attending the 2028 Summer Olympics, and MacFarlane acknowledges that market-rate units in the buildings next to historic Angels Flight funicular railway on Bunker Hill will be pricey to rent. (Five percent of the 252 apartments will be subsidized at “affordable” rates, and additional affordable housing is expected to be added offsite.)

Construction will be especially costly because the developers will have to excavate five stories of dirt at a cost of about $93 million, helping bring the overall price tag to $1.6 billion.

The escalation of amenities will continue in years ahead, said Kurve developer Dobbins, who is building a new 490-unit apartment complex by the Vermont/Beverly subway station in Los Angeles. Among its features when it opens in 2023 will be music recording studios and rooms for online gaming.

[craigs]

I'm surprised none of my fellow Angelenos have posted any reaction to the article about mid- and high-rise apartments above--if nothing else, the photos are pretty interesting!

[ChelseaFC]

Organic grocery chain Erewhon to open in former Borders building on South Lake in Pasadena

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/news-releases/city-of-pasadena-announces-erewhon-set-to-open-in-iconic-i-magnin-borders-books-building/

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/erewhon_rendering.jpg

[LAisthePlace]

Some views of of Playa Vista / Westchester development from my run yesterday. Entrada looks pretty impressive (parking podium aside) in person.

https://i.imgur.com/b6Zws8Dh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Dq75RFyh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qskR2dyh.jpg

[LAisthePlace]

The run also made me realize the seriously need to improve the pedestrian infrastructure between those two nodes of development.

Playa Vista proper is immensely enjoyable to walk around (pocket parks, landscaping, wide sidewalks, etc.) and it is less than half a mile from "The Playa District" (previously Howard Hughes Center), but sidewalks randomly end, streets seemed focused just on shuttle pass through traffic as quick as they can, etc.

Lots of room to improve especially as they continue to close the gap between the two with projects like this - https://urbanize.city/la/post/westchester-6501-sepulveda-centinela-dinahs-chicken-apartments

[Steve8263]

The 8150 Sunset project has resumed demolition. McDonalds closed finally and the parking lot is being torn up.

http://www.8150sunset.com/

[Quixote]

No photo, but can confirm that there’s a crane up at the site of 942 Broadway in Chinatown as of last Thursday. Can’t believe this is happening. With the forthcoming Regional Connector and project planned adjacent to LASHP, Chinatown is slowly but surely being integrated into DTLA proper.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/chinatown-downtown-942-broadway-harmony-construction-apartments

[homebucket]

Organic grocery chain Erewhon to open in former Borders building on South Lake in Pasadena

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/news-releases/city-of-pasadena-announces-erewhon-set-to-open-in-iconic-i-magnin-borders-books-building/

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/erewhon_rendering.jpg

I thought this place felt familiar!

From Wiki:
Erewhon is alluded to as "Anavrin" in the Netflix original series You; protagonist Joe Goldberg works at the store.

The name "Erewhon" is derived from the 1872 satirical novel Erewhon by Samuel Butler. In the novel, Erewhon (an anagram of "nowhere") is a utopia in which individuals are responsible for their own health.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

No photo, but can confirm that there’s a crane up at the site of 942 Broadway in Chinatown as of last Thursday. Can’t believe this is happening. With the forthcoming Regional Connector and project planned adjacent to LASHP, Chinatown is slowly but surely being integrated into DTLA proper.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/chinatown-downtown-942-broadway-harmony-construction-apartments
I really like that tower and that general area. Capitol mills, the new, wood frame office going up, blossom plaza and chinatown station... It's we can get the project overlooking the park to start, that will really be a game changer

[homebucket]

I really like that tower and that general area. Capitol mills, the new, wood frame office going up, blossom plaza and chinatown station... It's we can get the project overlooking the park to start, that will really be a game changer

No photo, but can confirm that there’s a crane up at the site of 942 Broadway in Chinatown as of last Thursday. Can’t believe this is happening. With the forthcoming Regional Connector and project planned adjacent to LASHP, Chinatown is slowly but surely being integrated into DTLA proper.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/chinatown-downtown-942-broadway-harmony-construction-apartments

Agreed. This is fantastic project all around. I get that the new Chinatown has moved on to places like Monterey Park, but old Chinatown is in need of some serious love. Would be great to see a modern, contemporary take on it to revitalize the area.

[LAisthePlace]

7th & New Hampshire tower in Koreatown (https://urbanize.city/la/post/koreatown-696-new-hampshire-apartment-construction) looking quite nice last night! Nearly the height of the Bank of Hope Tower already.

Love to see more height in the already fantastic neighborhood.

https://i.imgur.com/jIjZB9Wh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qbWX0rMh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GomKsbOh.jpg

[BrandonJXN]

I really like that tower and that general area. Capitol mills, the new, wood frame office going up, blossom plaza and chinatown station... It's we can get the project overlooking the park to start, that will really be a game changer

That is the project I really hope blossoms into fruition.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/chinatown-downtown-buena-vista-1251-spring

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

That is the project I really hope blossoms into fruition.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/chinatown-downtown-buena-vista-1251-spring

Ya that is one of my favorite proposals of all.

[Illithid Dude]

7th & New Hampshire tower in Koreatown (https://urbanize.city/la/post/koreatown-696-new-hampshire-apartment-construction) looking quite nice last night! Nearly the height of the Bank of Hope Tower already.

Love to see more height in the already fantastic neighborhood.


While I truly appreciate all the project updates, it would be great if you could resize your photos to a more manageable size.

[LAisthePlace]

While I truly appreciate all the project updates, it would be great if you could resize your photos to a more manageable size.

Totally. Best way to do that on this site?

[plinko]

The new APM station located between T1 and T6 at LAX on Thursday. It's so cool driving into LAX and seeing aerials coming into the central terminal area.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51734576781_580e2478aa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mPBegK)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2mPBegK) by Michael Stroh (https://www.flickr.com/photos/169751725@N05/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51735464635_350acc2fc9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mPFMcz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2mPFMcz) by Michael Stroh (https://www.flickr.com/photos/169751725@N05/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51735464650_6e0c05ac53_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mPFMcQ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2mPFMcQ) by Michael Stroh (https://www.flickr.com/photos/169751725@N05/), on Flickr

[Easy]

Totally. Best way to do that on this site?

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9021404&postcount=3439

[LAisthePlace]

Helpful! Updated :tup:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9021404&postcount=3439

[colemonkee]

Walked by the Staples store at Wilshire and Cochran, where the 42-story tower is planned. Staples has closed, as well as the beauty-supply store in the (actual) historic building on the other side of the block at Cloverdale. There are no "For Lease" signs posted, so hopefully this bodes well for this moving to the next step.

[LA21st]

:cheers:

[WonderlandPark2]

Is Palladium Towers under construction? Or is this part of the block a different project?

https://i.imgur.com/lwAhMgB.jpg

[hughfb3]

Is Palladium Towers under construction? Or is this part of the block a different project?

Different project. A mid rise 7 story adjacent to Palladium.

https://urbanize.city/la/post/hollywood-mill-creek-residential-modera-argyle-apartments

[Steve8263]

News on Crossroads Hollywood project

https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/12/13/harridge-development-gets-485m-in-construction-financing-for-crossroads-hollywood/

[Easy]

News on Crossroads Hollywood project

https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/12/13/harridge-development-gets-485m-in-construction-financing-for-crossroads-hollywood/

Nice! It's behind a paywall, but I gather that they received nearly a nearly $500 million construction loan, which should enable them to break ground. When it happens, this might be LA's biggest non-infrastructure groundbreaking since the Wilshire Grand. This will be transformative for that area.

[hughfb3]

News on Crossroads Hollywood project

https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/12/13/harridge-development-gets-485m-in-construction-financing-for-crossroads-hollywood/

This is great. The article says they received a $485 million construction loan on the $1 Billion project. The article also mentions the development will now include studio space which was never spoken about up until now. Not sure where this will be on the property as the plans show retail on the ground levels and 3 residential/hotel towers.

[colemonkee]

Nice! $485 million should be enough for at least Phase 1 and one of the towers in the project. This is great news.

[Easy]

Nice! $485 million should be enough for at least Phase 1 and one of the towers in the project. This is great news.

Is it being built in phases? With the planned 48 month timeframe I was assuming all at once or at least overlapping.

[LAisthePlace]

This is great. The article says they received a $485 million construction loan on the $1 Billion project. The article also mentions the development will now include studio space which was never spoken about up until now. Not sure where this will be on the property as the plans show retail on the ground levels and 3 residential/hotel towers.

Even their website still shows as the 3 residential/hotel towers with no mention of studio space. https://www.crossroadshollywood.com/

I really hope they don't change the overall plan much, because its well thought out and pedestrian oriented.

Really isn't the type of development to just plop down an insular soundstage or two and still have work as well IMO.

Concerns aside I cannot wait for this groundbreaking. Feels like it could be the one that takes Hollywood to the next level.

[colemonkee]

I don't have any specific knowledge of how they plan to build this out - in phases or all at once - but it stands to reason that a development with 8 separate buildings plus renovation of the historic Crossroads complex (also involving demolishing existing structures) would likely have some sort of phased rollout to the starts of each building construction. And based on the timeline, would assume overlap as well. Is it being built in phases? With the planned 48 month timeframe I was assuming all at once or at least overlapping.

[Quixote]

Everything located between Hollywood, Highland, Sunset, and Gower (about 0.16 square miles) is ripe for high-density development, and by "high-density" I'm talking structures over 10 stories. There's already the rail infrastructure to support it.

[ChelseaFC]

Owner of historic Cinerama Dome plans to reopen multiplex in 2022

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-17/cinerama-dome-to-reopen-under-new-ownership-arclight

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/beeb618/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5100x3400+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F33%2Fbc%2F231771e545edb4e9702b600b1510%2F3085020-la-ca-la-theaters-you-should-know-9-ajs.JPG

[craigs]

There's a short blurb about the Crossroads Hollywood project on Urbanize Los Angeles (https://urbanize.city/la/post/crossroads-hollywood-adds-studio-space-gets-485m-construction-loan). The latest incarnation would have 950 residential units, 190,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 308 room hotel.

Some renderings:

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/crossroads2_0_0.jpg?itok=HAmEQ3sU

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/crossroads1_1.jpg?itok=SMmKqhBQ

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/crossroads6_0_0.jpg?itok=9ExyzRSm

https://urbanize.city/la/sites/urbanize.city.la/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/crossroads3_0_0.jpg?itok=xUsGsmls

[craigs]

For shits and giggles, I used SSP's diagrams, Wikipedia, and Emporis to compile a list of 300+ ft. towers in the LA metro (not including downtown).

Caveats: this mostly excludes towers under construction, and I wasn't always sure how to locate each tower properly (e.g. Warner Center v. Woodland Hills, West LA v. Brentwood), but hey, what's a couple omissions or mistakes among skyscraper fans? Here's what I've got for the entire metro:

571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower I, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower II, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza North Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza South Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
533 ft. 39 floors, SunAmerica Center, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
506 ft. 36 floors, 10 Universal City Plaza, Ofc., Universal City (Los Angeles)
492 ft. 34 floors, Fox Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
491 ft. 35 floors, MGM Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
483 ft. 40 floors, 10000 Santa Monica, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
478 ft. 41 floors, The Century, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
460 ft. 36 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Burbank
454 ft. 34 floors, Equitable Life Bldg., Ofc., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
433 ft. 32 floors, 5900 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
427 ft. 29 floors, The Gayley at Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
417 ft. 35 floors, Shoreline Gateway, Res., Long Beach
413 ft. 25 floors, Warner Center III, Ofc., Woodland Hills (Los Angeles)
398 ft. 28 floors, 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
397 ft. 30 floors, One World Trade Center, Ofc., Long Beach
395 ft. 32 floors, Sierra Towers, Res., West Hollywood
364 ft. 26 floors, 10100 Santa Monica, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, California Federal Savings & Loan Building, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, Blair House, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 21 floors, Center West, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 31 floors, The Evian, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 24 floors, Oppenheimer Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
360 ft. 24 floors, 222 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
354 ft. 28 floors, Hilton Universal City & Towers, Hotel, Universal City (Los Angeles)
353 ft. 25 floors, Glendale Plaza, Ofc., Glendale
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza North Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza South Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
347 ft. 24 floors, 10960 Wilshire, Ofcl, Westwood (Los Angeles)
345 ft. 21 floors, West Ocean Condominiums I, Res., Long Beach
334 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire Landmark I, Ofc, West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 21 floors, Eighteen Eighty Eight Building, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 22 floors, The Lexington, Ofc., Glendale
328 ft. 27 floors, The Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
327 ft. 23 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
323 ft. 21 floors, 200 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
323 ft. 21 floors, 400 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
315 ft. 20 floors, 520 Newport Center Drive, Ofc., Newport Beach
314 ft. 20 floors, 6500 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
312 ft. 24 floors, Landmark Square, Ofc., Long Beach
312 ft. 22 floors, Mercury, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
309 ft. 21 floors, Valley Executive Tower, Ofc., Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 28 floors, 2222 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 21 floors, 6300 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 29 floors, The Vermont I, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 28 floors, 2220 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 21 floors, Century Park Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 20 floors, Sunset Vine Tower, Hollywood (Los Angeles)
303 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire and Barrington Condominiums, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
302 ft. 20 floors, Galaxy Towers, Res., Long Beach
300 ft. 20 floors, 100 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 20 floors, 200 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 21 floors, 1000 Wilshire, Ofc., Santa Monica
300 ft. 25 floors, Barrington Plaza A, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
300 ft. 21 floors, Nestle Building, Ofc., Glendale
300 ft. 24 floors, World Savings Center, Ofc., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)

I count 58 towers at 300 ft. or taller in the metro outside of downtown LA--45 of them within LA city limits alone. Imagine if LA had been built as a strongly centralized city, and all of these had been built in and around downtown . . . .

[BaldwinDPB]

For shits and giggles, I used SSP's diagrams, Wikipedia, and Emporis to compile a list of 300+ ft. towers in the LA metro (not including downtown).

Caveats: this mostly excludes towers under construction, and I wasn't always sure how to locate each tower properly (e.g. Warner Center v. Woodland Hills, West LA v. Brentwood), but hey, what's a couple omissions or mistakes among skyscraper fans? Here's what I've got for the entire metro:

571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower I, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower II, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza North Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza South Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
533 ft. 39 floors, SunAmerica Center, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
506 ft. 36 floors, 10 Universal City Plaza, Ofc., Universal City (Los Angeles)
492 ft. 34 floors, Fox Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
491 ft. 35 floors, MGM Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
483 ft. 40 floors, 10000 Santa Monica, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
478 ft. 41 floors, The Century, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
460 ft. 36 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Burbank
454 ft. 34 floors, Equitable Life Bldg., Ofc., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
433 ft. 32 floors, 5900 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
427 ft. 29 floors, The Gayley at Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
417 ft. 35 floors, Shoreline Gateway, Res., Long Beach
413 ft. 25 floors, Warner Center III, Ofc., Woodland Hills (Los Angeles)
398 ft. 28 floors, 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
397 ft. 30 floors, One World Trade Center, Ofc., Long Beach
395 ft. 32 floors, Sierra Towers, Res., West Hollywood
364 ft. 26 floors, 10100 Santa Monica, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, California Federal Savings & Loan Building, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, Blair House, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 21 floors, Center West, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 31 floors, The Evian, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 24 floors, Oppenheimer Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
360 ft. 24 floors, 222 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
354 ft. 28 floors, Hilton Universal City & Towers, Hotel, Universal City (Los Angeles)
353 ft. 25 floors, Glendale Plaza, Ofc., Glendale
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza North Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza South Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
347 ft. 24 floors, 10960 Wilshire, Ofcl, Westwood (Los Angeles)
345 ft. 21 floors, West Ocean Condominiums I, Res., Long Beach
334 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire Landmark I, Ofc, West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 21 floors, Eighteen Eighty Eight Building, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 22 floors, The Lexington, Ofc., Glendale
328 ft. 27 floors, The Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
327 ft. 23 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
323 ft. 21 floors, 200 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
323 ft. 21 floors, 400 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
315 ft. 20 floors, 520 Newport Center Drive, Ofc., Newport Beach
314 ft. 20 floors, 6500 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
312 ft. 24 floors, Landmark Square, Ofc., Long Beach
312 ft. 22 floors, Mercury, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
309 ft. 21 floors, Valley Executive Tower, Ofc., Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 28 floors, 2222 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 21 floors, 6300 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 29 floors, The Vermont I, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 28 floors, 2220 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 21 floors, Century Park Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 20 floors, Sunset Vine Tower, Hollywood (Los Angeles)
303 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire and Barrington Condominiums, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
302 ft. 20 floors, Galaxy Towers, Res., Long Beach
300 ft. 20 floors, 100 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 20 floors, 200 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 21 floors, 1000 Wilshire, Ofc., Santa Monica
300 ft. 25 floors, Barrington Plaza A, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
300 ft. 21 floors, Nestle Building, Ofc., Glendale
300 ft. 24 floors, World Savings Center, Ofc., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)

I count 58 towers at 300 ft. or taller in the metro outside of downtown LA--45 of them within LA city limits alone. Imagine if LA had been built as a strongly centralized city, and all of these had been built in and around downtown . . . .

Well done, that is quite a list of buildings. What about the Morgan Stanley Building in Oxnard, or the Casino Morongo Tower in the desert? Could they be on that list? Let's hope they build the One Broadway Plaza Building in Santa Ana. The footprint is already established in the dirt ground.

[LAnative61]

For shits and giggles, I used SSP's diagrams, Wikipedia, and Emporis to compile a list of 300+ ft. towers in the LA metro (not including downtown).

Caveats: this mostly excludes towers under construction, and I wasn't always sure how to locate each tower properly (e.g. Warner Center v. Woodland Hills, West LA v. Brentwood), but hey, what's a couple omissions or mistakes among skyscraper fans? Here's what I've got for the entire metro:

571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower I, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
571 ft. 44 floors, Century Plaza Tower II, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza North Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
537 ft. 46 floors, Century Plaza South Tower, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
533 ft. 39 floors, SunAmerica Center, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
506 ft. 36 floors, 10 Universal City Plaza, Ofc., Universal City (Los Angeles)
492 ft. 34 floors, Fox Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
491 ft. 35 floors, MGM Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
483 ft. 40 floors, 10000 Santa Monica, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
478 ft. 41 floors, The Century, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
460 ft. 36 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Burbank
454 ft. 34 floors, Equitable Life Bldg., Ofc., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
433 ft. 32 floors, 5900 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
427 ft. 29 floors, The Gayley at Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
417 ft. 35 floors, Shoreline Gateway, Res., Long Beach
413 ft. 25 floors, Warner Center III, Ofc., Woodland Hills (Los Angeles)
398 ft. 28 floors, 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
397 ft. 30 floors, One World Trade Center, Ofc., Long Beach
395 ft. 32 floors, Sierra Towers, Res., West Hollywood
364 ft. 26 floors, 10100 Santa Monica, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, California Federal Savings & Loan Building, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 28 floors, Blair House, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 21 floors, Center West, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 31 floors, The Evian, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
363 ft. 24 floors, Oppenheimer Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
360 ft. 24 floors, 222 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
354 ft. 28 floors, Hilton Universal City & Towers, Hotel, Universal City (Los Angeles)
353 ft. 25 floors, Glendale Plaza, Ofc., Glendale
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza North Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
348 ft. 23 floors, Watt Plaza South Tower, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
347 ft. 24 floors, 10960 Wilshire, Ofcl, Westwood (Los Angeles)
345 ft. 21 floors, West Ocean Condominiums I, Res., Long Beach
334 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire Landmark I, Ofc, West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 21 floors, Eighteen Eighty Eight Building, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
328 ft. 22 floors, The Lexington, Ofc., Glendale
328 ft. 27 floors, The Wilshire, Res., Westwood (Los Angeles)
327 ft. 23 floors, The Tower, Ofc., Westwood (Los Angeles)
323 ft. 21 floors, 200 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
323 ft. 21 floors, 400 Spectrum Center, Ofc., Irvine
315 ft. 20 floors, 520 Newport Center Drive, Ofc., Newport Beach
314 ft. 20 floors, 6500 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
312 ft. 24 floors, Landmark Square, Ofc., Long Beach
312 ft. 22 floors, Mercury, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
309 ft. 21 floors, Valley Executive Tower, Ofc., Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 28 floors, 2222 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 21 floors, 6300 Wilshire, Ofc., Miracle Mile (Los Angeles)
307 ft. 29 floors, The Vermont I, Res., Koreatown (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 28 floors, 2220 Avenue of the Stars, Res., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 21 floors, Century Park Plaza, Ofc., Century City (Los Angeles)
305 ft. 20 floors, Sunset Vine Tower, Hollywood (Los Angeles)
303 ft. 24 floors, Wilshire and Barrington Condominiums, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
302 ft. 20 floors, Galaxy Towers, Res., Long Beach
300 ft. 20 floors, 100 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 20 floors, 200 North Sepulveda, Ofc., El Segundo
300 ft. 21 floors, 1000 Wilshire, Ofc., Santa Monica
300 ft. 25 floors, Barrington Plaza A, Res., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
300 ft. 21 floors, Nestle Building, Ofc., Glendale
300 ft. 24 floors, World Savings Center, Ofc., West Los Angeles (Los Angeles)

I count 58 towers at 300 ft. or taller in the metro outside of downtown LA--45 of them within LA city limits alone. Imagine if LA had been built as a strongly centralized city, and all of these had been built in and around downtown . . . .

Nice List! The height of the Century Plaza residential towers is under dispute(Much like the new Brookfied Tower downtown)537' measured from Century Park, but 600' when measured from Solar Way. Which I believe to be more accurate.

[craigs]

Nice List! The height of the Century Plaza residential towers is under dispute(Much like the new Brookfied Tower downtown)537' measured from Century Park, but 600' when measured from Solar Way. Which I believe to be more accurate.
When I first moved back to LA this past summer, I asked about the height of the new twin towers and Plinko gave me a rundown on the discussions forumers had about the issue before I got involved in LA threads. I went with the shorter height used by CTBUH because there's no authoritative source to support going with the taller heights. But yeah--I've seen the towers from all angles now, and they sure look like 600 footers to me.

[craigs]

Well done, that is quite a list of buildings. What about the Morgan Stanley Building in Oxnard, or the Casino Morongo Tower in the desert? Could they be on that list? Let's hope they build the One Broadway Plaza Building in Santa Ana. The footprint is already established in the dirt ground.
The towers in Oxnard and Morongo are shorter than 300 ft., but they do seem tall in their given contexts.

[plinko]

Casino Morongo is actually 321ft.

Morgan Stanley in Oxnard is often cited to be 300’ exactly, but I’ve seen no exact measurement.

[craigs]

Casino Morongo is actually 321ft.

Morgan Stanley in Oxnard is often cited to be 300’ exactly, but I’ve seen no exact measurement.
No shit? I checked emporis and everything!