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

[caligrad]

The massive parking lot around the World Trade Center in LB is officially fenced off.

[Charmy2]

What's going on over there?

[wisheye]

Something positive about LA's public transit:
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-11-03/los-angeles-public-transportation-metro-bus-train

A little excerpt: "Take it from me and two dozen other visitors from Germany: Los Angeles has an eminently usable mass transportation system, and from the construction we saw, it’s only going to get better. May it also become more popular with the locals."

[a9l8e7n]

Large scale activity at Warner Bros Ranch in Burbank CA

https://twitter.com/LA_Construct/status/1721645248311660720

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F-SDIW0aUAAD7a-?format=jpg&name=medium

[ChelseaFC]

Egyptian Theatre re-opening scheduled for Nov 9

https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/news/hollywoods-renovated-egyptian-theatre-is-finally-reopening-heres-a-look-inside-101823

Vista Theatre re-opening scheduled for Nov 17

https://www.vistatheaterhollywood.com/

[ChelseaFC]

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon groundbreaking scheduled for December

https://sjvsun.com/business/kern-co-hard-rock-hotel-casino-to-break-ground-on-construction/

https://y5o997.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/rendering-main.jpg

[OneRinconHill]

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon groundbreaking scheduled for December

https://sjvsun.com/business/kern-co-hard-rock-hotel-casino-to-break-ground-on-construction/

https://sjvsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SUN-OG-_-Feat-148-800x500.png

Wait there's going to be a giant guitar hotel in Mettler?

[ChelseaFC]

Wait there's going to be a giant guitar hotel in Mettler?

Wrong rendering apparently, fixed now

https://www.instagram.com/hardrock_tejon/

[citywatch]

Large scale activity at Warner Bros Ranch in Burbank CA

eOBrm1sBxsw?si=dQQUSa8sT8Z4fIgG

[citywatch]

https://evmagz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tesla-Diner-render-2-e1654615847767-750x375.webp
evmagz.com
Location is 7001 W. Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7ICXTMWsAAAWex?format=jpg&name=360x360
S.E. Robinson, Jr.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7ICV9WX0AAK1Jd?format=jpg&name=360x360
S.E. Robinson, Jr.

Tesla has commenced construction on its ambitious project (https://evmagz.com/tesla-breaks-ground-on-futuristic-diner-and-supercharger-station/)– a futuristic diner complete with a drive-in theater and Supercharger station. After several years of speculation and regulatory hurdles, it seems Elon Musk's brainchild is taking shape.

Back in 2018, Elon Musk, the enigmatic CEO of Tesla, first announced his vision of creating an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant” at a new Tesla Supercharger location in Los Angeles. Many were left wondering whether it was just another whimsical idea from Musk, but as it turns out, he was dead serious....Undeterred by the setbacks, Tesla decided to relocate the diner project to Hollywood while proceeding with the Supercharger installation at the original location. Last year, the automaker filed its construction plans with the city, offering a glimpse of what this unique establishment would entail.
Ezoic

According to the submitted plans, the diner will take the form of a semi-circular two-story structure, boasting an impressive 29 Supercharger stalls and two movie theater screens. After languishing for a year with minimal activity, Tesla has finally obtained the necessary building permit and broken ground at the site.

Recent images, shared by food robotics and automation expert Ottomate (accessible via Substack), reveal that Tesla has razed the existing buildings, which previously housed a Shakey's Pizza, and has begun laying the foundations for the innovative restaurant.

Adding an interesting twist to the story, Kimbal Musk, brother of Elon Musk and a Tesla board member, is an accomplished restaurateur with his own chain of dining establishments. It raises the possibility that Tesla could leverage his expertise to establish a dedicated restaurant division within its extensive Supercharger network.
.

[bighomey3000]

Wait there's going to be a giant guitar hotel in Mettler?

Most random thing ever

[craigs]

Onni Group switches from hotel to housing at 601 N. Brand Boulevard in Glendale (https://la.urbanize.city/post/onni-group-switches-hotel-housing-601-n-brand-boulevard-glendale)

The high-rise complex would include 858 apartments in twin 36-story buildings

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
November 17, 2023

Three years after revealing plans for a high-rise hotel complex in Downtown Glendale, Onni Group is changing things up, opting for a more familiar type of project for the Vancouver-based firm: a pair of apartment towers.

On November 14, the Glendale City Council took its first look at the updated project, which would rise just south of the 134 Freeway at 601 N. Brand Boulevard. The property, currently improved with a 14-story office tower and associated parking, would see a surface lot at the northern perimeter of the site give way to a pair of 36-story buildings featuring 858 one- and two-bedroom apartments above at-grade and subterranean parking for 942 vehicles and approximately 5,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

The change to housing will also subject the 601 Brand to Glendale's inclusionary housing requirement, requiring 129 of the new apartments to be set aside for rent as very low-income affordable housing. That set-aside makes the project eligible for density bonus incentives which would permit waivers from certain zoning standards relating to floor plates, height, and building separation.

Solomon Cordwell Buenz is designing the twin tower complex, which would rise 380 feet in height, making them the tallest structures in Glendale.

"The contemporary-styled project utilizes various building material, texture, massing, column projections, publicly accessible open space, recessed entries, porte cochere, windows and angular forms to articulate the street-facing facades along Brand Boulevard and Sanchez Drive," reads a staff report to the City Council. "The design addresses the public sidewalks with street-level facades detailed with human-scaled high-quality materials, including a significant amount of fenestration and limestone."

Besides housing, 601 Brand also calls for a new public plaza located at the intersection of Brand and Sanchez, as well as co-working spaces, a fitness center, lounges, and amenity decks at both rooftops.

The proposed tower complex is still subject to several other layers of review by the City of Glendale prior to approval, including the Design Review Board.

Onni is one of three firms which have recently pitched high-rise buildings for Downtown Glendale, joining proposals for a standalone hotel tower to the north across the 134 Freeway and a 24-story building which could sprout on the opposite side of Brand Boulevard.

Other upcoming projects from Onni include an under-construction apartment tower in Downtown Los Angeles, as well as new high-rise buildings planned in Hollywood and Mid-Wilshire.

[craigs]

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-11/601%20n%20brand%202023%201.jpg?itok=KYsTvWgb

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-11/601%20n%20brand%202023%202.jpg?itok=LA7OdeSF

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-11/601%20n%20brand%202023%206.jpg?itok=ry1ccowr

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/611%20brand%20map.JPG?itok=UM8VqGTJ

[Busy Bee]

Lookin good

[colemonkee]

Hell yeah! Would love to see the Glendale skyline get not one, but two new peaks!

Now, it's only two proposals so far (this one and the Hard Rock Hotel in Long Beach), but hopefully this is a trend where we see a bit of a McFlurry of developer proposals in the coming months, both new and revisions to old ones. The broader consensus in financial circles is that interest rates could start to fall late next year if the current moderation of inflation continues. Smart developers are realizing that now is the time to move their proposals through our draconian reveiw process to have their projects shovel ready when the financial conditions are more favorable for their business models.

[Zapatan]

Nice!

[202_Cyclist]

How an L.A. Rams Training Complex Could Help Transform Urban Sprawl
The football team’s proposal for a San Fernando Valley neighborhood includes plans to create a walkable community with stores, offices and apartments.

By Arielle Paul
Nov. 23, 2023
New York Times

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/11/24/multimedia/24rams-hq-02-lqcg/24rams-hq-02-lqcg-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp
An abandoned 13-story building previously owned by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will be the site of the Rams’ new practice facility.Credit...Adam Amengual for The New York Times

"The San Fernando Valley, once an endless ramble of orange groves in Southern California that evolved into the porn capital of the world in the 1970s and later gave way to big-box retailers and strip malls, will now become the home of the 2021 season’s Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams.

In a $650 million land deal by the team’s owner, Stan Kroenke, Rams executives laid out their vision last week for revitalizing nearly 100 acres in the valley’s Woodland Hills neighborhood into a sports-centric, live-work-play development, including a practice facility and team headquarters.

The deal includes two properties owned by Westfield, a shopping center developer that is pulling out of the U.S. market, as well as an abandoned 13-story building and parking lot that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield owned..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/23/business/rams-football-training-sports-complex.html?unlocked_article_code=1.A00.fMHr.AJtKlDPIFTn9&smid=em-share

[craigs]

New details for West Hollywood's future tallest tower at 1000 N. La Brea Avenue (https://la.urbanize.city/post/new-details-west-hollywoods-future-tallest-tower-1000-n-la-brea-avenue)

CIM Group aims to break ground on the 34-story building in 2025

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
November 27, 2023

An initial study published earlier this month offers new details for a proposed high-rise development could one day rank as the tallest building in the City of West Hollywood.

The proposed project, first revealed in community meetings held in mid-2023, comes from Mid-Wilshire-based CIM Group, which acquired the notorious Cemex Hollywood Concrete Plant roughly one year ago. CIM is currently seeking approvals to raze the increasingly out-of-place industrial complex at 1000 N. La Brea Avenue to redevelop the underlying property with a new 34-story building which would feature 514 apartments above 30,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a 674 parking spaces located in a podium and subterranean garage.

Plans call for a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom dwellings, with 128 to be set aside as affordable and workforce housing.

The tower, which would rise approximately 377 feet in height, is described in plans as an L-shaped structure with recesses and cutouts, using unevenly layered floors to allow for assorted balcony placements and overhang areas which could serve as outdoor gardens. Proposed finishes include wood-finish metal mullions and canopies, glass railings, and frosted glass windows. The tower's color palette would include neutral and earth-toned colors in shades of blue, gray, and brown. Additionally, billboards are planned around the exterior of the structure at seven locations.

Planned private open spaces include a fitness center, a lounge, a yoga room, a library, and an outdoor swimming pool. Additionally, an entry plaza with outdoor seating and an art feature would be located at the southwest corner of the site at La Brea and Romaine Street.

Wehoville previously reported that Large Architecture is designing 1000 La Brea.

According to the initial study, construction of 1000 La Brea is expected to occur over a roughly 32-month period commencing in October 2025 and concluding by June 2028. That schedule is contingent on approvals from the City of West Hollywood, including items such as a development agreement and a zoning map amendment.

CIM Group, which owns a number of properties along the segment of La Brea Avenue which divides the City of West Hollywood from Los Angeles, has transformed previously industrial blocks into a mix of apartment buildings, shops, restaurants, and office buildings leased by satellite radio provider SiriusXM and Kaiser Permanente. Its future plans for the area also include yet another office complex on the eastern half of the Cemex property, which falls within L.A. city limits. The Cemex property also borders a property at 1040 La Brea where CIM is planning a mid-rise hotel complex.

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-11/1000%20la%20brea%20new%201.jpg?itok=bYAt_BT_l

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-11/1000%20la%20brea%20new%202.jpg?itok=BbUKewRo

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-06/cemex.JPG?itok=xmSiKtjF

[colemonkee]

Love the density, especially for the location, which is getting very built up and populated, and even think the design is decent. I just don't think it needs the billboards. Would rather see this as a clean glass tower.

That being said, that Cemex plant is pretty key in the region for providing concrete to projects around the city (per a friend who works in the concrete trade). I wonder if replacing it and moving it further out will make construction costs rise. I suppose they could rebuild it in an industrial area in Long Beach or City of Industry without too much disruption, but that should be considered.

[Easy]

Love the density, especially for the location, which is getting very built up and populated, and even think the design is decent. I just don't think it needs the billboards. Would rather see this as a clean glass tower.

That being said, that Cemex plant is pretty key in the region for providing concrete to projects around the city (per a friend who works in the concrete trade). I wonder if replacing it and moving it further out will make construction costs rise. I suppose they could rebuild it in an industrial area in Long Beach or City of Industry without too much disruption, but that should be considered.

If you look on Google maps there are quite a few Cemex plants around the area. I don't think that they're a very good use of land but one issue is that the trucks have to unload within a couple hours of being filled. This isn't an issue in most places but in some places, like LA, this means that much more than 10-15 miles of distance might be pushing it given traffic and queuing at the construction site. So they usually get busy outside of rush hour and weekends.

If and when this closes my guess is that it would be replaced with smaller, more temporary facilities in central LA. Places that may be there only for a few years. But they probably won't get permitted so scratch that.

[Blesha13]

Glendale and West Hollywood getting new tallest! Beverly Hills
could be next and I’d like to see Culver City get one as well. Such ripe development. Speaking of Culver City, what’s the city’s tallest?

[Illithid Dude]

Hate the billboards, and would be shocked if West Hollywood approved this as is.

[headcheckjj]

CIM group is a native LA company and they have a very strong track record. This project might get a haircut (though, I hope not), but I don't doubt CIM's intentions to build.

[BrandonJXN]

Hate the billboards, and would be shocked if West Hollywood approved this as is.

I actually don't hate the billboards. If they are LED screens then they could look cool if they were just static billboards.

[craigs]

I don't mind the billboards if they are kinetic.

[202_Cyclist]

The building looks great. I have some shares of Skanska stock, so hopefully they are able to lease all of this space. Perkins&Will is also a good DC firm.

[craigs]

The building looks great. I have some shares of Skanska stock, so hopefully they are able to lease all of this space.
I realized I posted that in the wrong thread, so I moved it to the "downtown" one. But yeah--it's awesome!

[hughfb3]

Tesla Diner/Supercharger Hollywood

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53386919400_5db7a9d6cd_b.jpg

[Easy]

Last week LA City Council approved District NoHo, a 15-acre development on top of the North Hollywood metro station which will consist of:
- 1,481 total new housing units (includes 366 rent-restricted units)
- 3 shopping plazas totaling 105,000 square ft of retail/restaurants
- 2 acres open space
- 750 metro parking spaces
- 580,000 square feet of offices
- 3,300 parking spaces

All well and good but Trammel Crow has already stated that they'll struggle to make these numbers work.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-08/district-noho-development

https://www.trammellcrow.com/projects/district-no-ho

[craigs]

Last week LA City Council approved District NoHo, a 15-acre development on top of the North Hollywood metro station which will consist of:
- 1,481 total new housing units (includes 366 rent-restricted units)
- 3 shopping plazas totaling 105,000 square ft of retail/restaurants
- 2 acres open space
- 750 metro parking spaces
- 580,000 square feet of offices
- 3,300 parking spaces

All well and good but Trammel Crow has already stated that they'll struggle to make these numbers work.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-08/district-noho-development

https://www.trammellcrow.com/projects/district-no-ho

It's fantastic to see development like this around LA's northernmost subway station. North Hollywood has a bright future.

[SoCalKid]

All well and good but Trammel Crow has already stated that they'll struggle to make these numbers work.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-08/district-noho-development



https://www.trammellcrow.com/projects/district-no-ho


Exactly right. Between an extended approval period, the Measure ULA tax, heavy affordability requirements, and expensive labor requirements, the City and Metro really get in the way with these types of developments. I would be shocked to see anything similar to this actually get built in the next decade (without significant public subsidies). If the local government would just get out of the way and allow housing development, we'd see so much more of it. I attended a panel recently where former city council candidate Scott Epstein said something along the lines of "The City is still viewing approval of housing as something to be traded for instead of as a good thing in it's own right. We need to get to the place where housing development is viewed as a positive thing that should be allowed without preconditions.". We need people like him in City government.

[Easy]

Exactly right. Between an extended approval period, the Measure ULA tax, heavy affordability requirements, and expensive labor requirements, the City and Metro really get in the way with these types of developments. I would be shocked to see anything similar to this actually get built in the next decade (without significant public subsidies). If the local government would just get out of the way and allow housing development, we'd see so much more of it. I attended a panel recently where former city council candidate Scott Epstein said something along the lines of "The City is still viewing approval of housing as something to be traded for instead of as a good thing in it's own right. We need to get to the place where housing development is viewed as a positive thing that should be allowed without preconditions.". We need people like him in City government.

Well they're partnering with metro for the land, so I get that they have to give something back. I just looked at the urbanized article from September and they report via numble that metro may create an EIF to fund all of the affordable housing along with the new station entrance.

[craigs]

All well and good but Trammel Crow has already stated that they'll struggle to make these numbers work.
Today's Urbanize Los Angeles (https://la.urbanize.city/post/la-city-council-signs-district-noho) article about this project reports that "the specific plan approved for the site would permit a more intensive development." So Trammel Crow could theoretically rework the project to make the numbers work.

[Zapatan]

The Tesla Diner is gonna look cool once finishes.

Can someone in LA take pictures of the tower U/C in Century City when they get the chance?

Excited to see the progress on that one.

[citywatch]

PGrLPoXF6V4?si=Ia3BwiDO5Fny1z_l

[craigs]

25-story apartment tower survives appeal at 6350 Selma Avenue in Hollywood (https://la.urbanize.city/post/25-story-apartment-tower-survives-appeal-6350-selma-avenue-hollywood)

The Artisan Hollywood development would feature 260 residential units

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
December 15, 2023

At its meeting on December 14, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission moved to uphold the approval of a proposed high-rise development near Hollywood and Vine, rejecting an appeal from the operating of a historic property next door which had sought to block the project.

The Artisan Hollywood development, announced by Artisan Realty Advisors in September 2019, would rise from a property at 6350 W. Selma Avenue, replacing a surface parking lot. Plans call for the construction of a 25-story high-rise building at the southwest corner of Selma and Ivar Avenues, featuring a total of 260 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments above 6,790 square feet of retail space and a parking garage.

Project entitlements for the Artisan Hollywood include Transit Oriented Communities incentives to permit greater floor area than would be allowed by the property's base zoning. Artisan Realty Advisors would set aside 26 apartments as deed-restricted extremely low-income affordable housing in exchange for the incentives.

Gensler is designing the roughly 286-foot-tall building, which would feature an exterior of brick, metal and glass. Plans show on-site amenities including a fitness center, a podium-level amenity deck, a business center, and a rooftop lounge.

An environmental study conducted for the project points to a roughly 26-month timeline, with a conclusion date previously expected in 2025.

he appellant of the project, the owner of the historic Sound Factory across Selma Avenue, has objected to the project to due to the potential for vibrations from construction interrupting the operations of the recording studio. A staff response, recommending denial of the appeal, noted that the vibrations expected from the construction process would be temporary - and lower than a motorcycle pass by. Additionally, the staff report noted that while the Sound Factory building his historic, those protections to not extend to the use within.

The project would sit due east of a series of new hotels built by Relevant Group, and north of a proposed 14-story office building at Sunset Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue.

[craigs]

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/gensl_arttisan_cam02.jpg?itok=EzM8mZ3H

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/artisan%20hollywood%20aerial.jpg?itok=pVdSgHGF

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/gensl_arttisan_cam04_1.jpg?itok=jJSXfIgU

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/gensl_arttisan_cam01B.jpg?itok=YQLF2EnX

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-12/artisan%20hollywood%202023.jpg?itok=-2AQsu8t

[colemonkee]

Man, I wish the Jack in the Box hotel tower just south of this was still in play. Think if this, the hotel tower, and the Amoeba tower across Sunset all went up in the next few years. You'd have a mini cluster here with the CNN building and the apartment tower next to Netflix where Ivar splits from Cahuenga.

[hughfb3]

I took a picture of the Metro holiday wrapping of the E Line pillars at La Cienega Station and forgot about the mid/high rise project just behind it. The temporary assembly crane for the tower crane can be seen just behind the columns. The tower crane was assembled all the way up to the cab with the boom yet to be put up

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53405218454_5118b3ebec_b.jpg

[Altoic]

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/gensl_arttisan_cam02.jpg?itok=EzM8mZ3H

What a great early Christmas gift, the base is really nice..

[Zapatan]

^ Nice,

Anyone know the status on this one?

https://la.urbanize.city/post/renderings-revealed-big-high-rise-complex-planned-above-westlakemacarthur-park-station

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_image_1140x538_retina/public/background/2023-06/centro%20westlake%201.jpg?itok=WeFoUIjE

[DownTown Giant]

Is this the site where a 40 story tower had been proposed a few years back, with a large statue in front of it?

[Illithid Dude]

Is this the site where a 40 story tower had been proposed a few years back, with a large statue in front of it?

That's a block over, but comes from the same developer. Would be great to see both projects go up at the same time, but I'm not crossing my fingers.

[liat91]

^ Nice,

Anyone know the status on this one?

https://la.urbanize.city/post/renderings-revealed-big-high-rise-complex-planned-above-westlakemacarthur-park-station

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_image_1140x538_retina/public/background/2023-06/centro%20westlake%201.jpg?itok=WeFoUIjE

https://theregistrysocal.com/1-3mm-sqft-mixed-use-development-planned-at-metro-site-in-los-angeles-westlake-neighborhood/

Still a newish proposal it seems. Though this is his second round, so if he addressed the councils concerns and lines up funding, this should be a go.

I would certainly invest in this. The location is fantastic for upscale growth. Get some lululemon up in there.

[ocman]

Update on LACMA construction. We can now see the actual color of the concrete. https://larchmontchronicle.com/progress-becomes-visible-at-lacma/

More image from a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=830791389049547&set=pcb.830791412382878

[colemonkee]

Oh wow, it looks pretty cool from that view. A great angle for visitors of Ray & Stark's Bar as well as for when the Friday Jazz series starts back up in the summer.

[craigs]

Excavation underway for $2-billion One Beverly Hills development (https://la.urbanize.city/post/site-prep-underway-2-billion-one-beverly-hills-development)

Norman Foster-designed project would include a pair of luxury condo towers

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
January 2, 2024

Just west of the Beverly Hilton hotel, a flurry of activity is underway at a vacant site that was once home to a Robinsons-May department store, as heavy equipment hauls away soil in advance of a $2-billion development that will create the tallest buildings in Beverly Hills.

One Beverly Hills, approved for a roughly 17.5-acre site at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard, is being developed as a joint venture between Alagem Capital Group and Cain International. Plans call for the construction of a collection of mid-rise and high-rise buildings containing a combined total of 350 condominiums, 42 hotel suites, and approximately 35,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Parking for more than 2,100 vehicles would be located in a subterranean structure.

Aman Resorts, a Swiss hospitality firm, has been announced as the operator of the 42 hotel suites, as well as 37 branded condominiums and a private club on the site.

Architect Norman Foster headlines the design team for One Beverly Hills, which also includes executive architect Gensler and landscape architecture firm Rios. From a distance, the most distinctive elements of the project will be a pair 32- and 28-story residential towers that will rank as the tallest buildings in Beverly Hills at completion. The homes within will range from 2,000 and 16,000 square feet in size, with some even featuring plunge pools on terraces and direct elevator access.

Along Wilshire, plans also call for a smaller 10-story structure which would feature the Aman hotel suites and condominiums. Project amenities would include a private members club, an indoor lap pool, basketball courts, and an outdoor fitness center.

Much of the site would be given over to a botanical garden, with plans calling for 40 tree and 250 plant species from different regions of California spread across eight acres. Approximately two miles of pathways would also cut through the site, making roughly half of the space accessible to the general public.

An environmental study adopted by the City of Beverly Hills indicates that construction is expected to occur over a roughly 50-month period. A website and dedicated hotline have been set up to announce construction activities and potential impacts on surrounding roads.

The current plan for One Beverly Hills dates to 2018, when Alagem acquired the former Robinsons-May property which had long been slated for a Richard Meier-designed hotel and condo complex. That site was then folded into the neighboring Beverly Hilton campus, where Alagem had first secured approvals for an expansion via voter initiative in 2008.

[craigs]

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/One%20Beverly%20Hills%20Aerial%20View_0_0.jpg?itok=pzF8iIWT

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-06/aman%20beverly%20hills%201.jpg?itok=L4aqxlL-

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/One%20Beverly%20Hills%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2006.jpg?itok=_8X73Ybi

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2023-12/One%20Beverly%20Hills%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2005.jpg?itok=Q_IZWg7l

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/field/image/One%20Beverly%20Hills%20Site%20Plan_0_0_0.jpg?itok=-DKReeWi

[Zapatan]

Well that's a great Xmas and New Years present :cheers:

[colemonkee]

Amazing! LA's first Norman Foster building. And it's a beautiful complex at that. But a 50-month construction timeline is a bummer for us skyscraper geeks...

[plinko]

Yes please!

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Massively good news! Can't wait

[DIESELPOLO]

This Hanging Gardens of Babylon Beverly Hills is quite the ambitious project - I'm here for it! The 2,100 car parking garage also feels like a feat. Good luck with that part too I guess! :uhh:


https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-06/aman%20beverly%20hills%201.jpg?itok=L4aqxlL-

[colemonkee]

^ Some of those 2,100 parking spots will be replacing the current 6-story structure for the Beverly Hilton, though I'm not sure how it will affect the underground structure the valet services currently use. I've never been down there to know the footprint, and if it extends underneath the above ground garage. When I go there, my car magically disappears then reappears after draining my bank account of $20 (which is a relative steal comparatively).

[edale]

I think this is an exciting project, but kind of odd to see all this tropical vegetation in a semi-arid climate. It looks like something you'd find in Singapore or Honolulu. Should be a fun project to watch rise.

[headcheckjj]

Curious how close to this lush vision the reality will be (my guess is less than 80%)

[colemonkee]

^ The trees definitely won't be as mature at the outset as they are in the renderings, but in 5-10 years, that level of lushness (is that even a word?) is attainable. Lush gardens are not unheard of in California (Huntington Gardens and the Beverly Hills Hotel come to mind immediately), though this would be new in our more drought-sensitive current and future state.

[sopas ej]

From the Los Angeles Times:

UCLA will transform dead Westside mall into major science innovation center

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4d75494/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3198x2174+0+0/resize/1200x816!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2F89%2Fb498b2c64a6491695db1f4475f87%2F1394207-me-newsom-ucla-science009-ls.jpg
Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, joins University of California and elected officials on a tour of the former Westside Pavilion shopping center in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

BY ROGER VINCENT, MELODY PETERSEN

JAN. 4, 2024 3 AM PT

The fomer Westside Pavilion, a long shuttered indoor mall, will be transformed into a UCLA biomedical research center aimed at tackling such towering challenges as curing cancer and preventing global pandemics, officials announced Wednesday.

The sprawling three-story structure will be known as the UCLA Research Park and will house two multidisciplinary centers focusing on immunology and immunotherapy as well as quantum science and engineering.

Establishment of the public-private research center is a coup for Southern California that “will cement California’s global, economic, scientific and technical dominance into the 22nd century and beyond,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The former owners of the mall, Hudson Pacific Properties Inc. and Macerich, said Wednesday that they sold the property to the Regents of the University of California for $700 million.

By purchasing the former shopping center, UCLA saved several years of potential toil to build such a facility on campus. UCLA is the most-applied-to university in the nation, but its Westwood home is among the smallest of the nine UC undergraduate campuses, leaving it limited room for growth.The former mall sits on prime real estate in the heart of the Westside at Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue, about two miles from the UCLA campus. The mall was owned by commercial developers who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to dramatically remake the old shopping center into an office complex intended to appeal to technology firms, which signed some of the biggest office leases in L.A.’s Silicon Beach before the pandemic.

Google agreed to become the sole tenant and began paying rent last year yet never moved in. The interior is mostly unfinished, but is ready for UCLA to build out to its specifications in a process Newsom said would take about 40 months.

[...]

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-04/old-westside-pavilion-transform-ucla-biomedical-quantum-science-center

[headcheckjj]

"The interior is mostly unfinished, but is ready for UCLA to build out to its specifications in a process Newsom said would take about 40 months."

40 months?! Damn

[craigs]

This new Research Park deal is good news for local real estate, science, the regional economy, and UCLA. Some 700k sq. ft. of empty space will be recycled. Scientific advancements are almost assured. New jobs and spinoff businesses will be created. And UCLA will likely garner significant new funding (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-04/old-westside-pavilion-transform-ucla-biomedical-quantum-science-center):

The institute will pay UCLA 7.5% of the net revenues generated by the sale of new medicines and other inventions its scientists create, the document said.

Immunology, or the study of the immune system, has produced medicines such as Humira, which generated more than $20 billion in worldwide sales last year. In recent years immunology has been a high-growth area of medicine, in part because of the drugs’ high prices. Analysts say it has now become much more competitive as it has attracted more scientists, companies and research investment.

Those sorts of percentage deals are what made Stanford the academic and scientific powerhouse that it is, and led directly to the creation of Silicon Valley. I don't expect the impact here to be as profound, but this is a win-win for LA.

[LA21st]

I wonder if UCLA starts buying more on Pico. Pico/Sepulevda has strip centers and small industrial buildings that could be redeveloped.
That whole area could be UCLAs research district.

[hughfb3]

I wonder if UCLA starts buying more on Pico. Pico/Sepulevda has strip centers and small industrial buildings that could be redeveloped.
That whole area could be UCLAs research district.

I hope they can purchase the adjacent GPI Westend project (formerly Macys) and its under construction apartments. This could be student housing and more research space

[LAisthePlace]

Didn't get a picture, but can confirm that two tower cranes are up at this excellent project over at the La Cienega/Jefferson station :cheers:

One of my favorite projects going up in the city right now.

https://la.urbanize.city/post/foundation-work-underway-metro-adjacent-development-3401-la-cienega

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-05/3401%20la%20cienega%20new%201.jpg?itok=LSc5Ens0

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-05/3401%20la%20cienega%20new%203.jpg?itok=dTKHRtpT

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-05/3401%20la%20cienega%20new%204.jpg?itok=cAHdd_PD

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Hell ya! That's a wonderful project in a great area

[BrandonJXN]

Designs like this need to be the benchmark standard for all projects in LA. SHoP rarely disappoints. Very much looking forward to this.

It should said that it'll be a good contrast with Wrapper right next door.

[ocman]

Designs like this need to be the benchmark standard for all projects in LA. SHoP rarely disappoints. Very much looking forward to this.

It should said that it'll be a good contrast with Wrapper right next door.

Not familiar with this developer or architecture firm. Do they have other examples in LA?

[BrandonJXN]

Not familiar with this developer or architecture firm. Do they have other examples in LA?

https://www.shoparc.com/work/

SHoP Architects are responsible for 111 W57 in NYC.

https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/04/SHoP-Architects-111-W57-completion-manhattan_dezeen_2364_col_4-scaled.jpg
https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2022/04/SHoP-Architects-111-W57-completion-manhattan_dezeen_2364_col_4-scaled.jpg

[colemonkee]

Much of SHoPs work is in NY, and includes the Brooklyn Tower (https://www.shoparc.com/projects/9-dekalb/) (new tallest in Brooklyn), as well as the American Copper (https://www.shoparc.com/projects/american-copper-buildings/) buildings on the east side of Manhattan. But they've also done some work in SF with Uber's HQ (https://www.shoparc.com/projects/uber-hq/), and generally turn out really phenonemal end products, so excited to have their first work come to fruition in LA. I would LOVE for SHoP to design a high rise for one of the two lots at La Brea & Wilshire when those get put up for development after the Subway opens. Their neo-Art Deco style would be a perfect fit for that corner.

[a9l8e7n]

Via Avanti Complex adjacent to Sherman Oaks Galleria. Project has gone above ground level as seen from Sepulveda Blvd. Just from looking from Camarillo street you can see how much work has gone in.

https://twitter.com/LA_Construct/status/1749335310578991207

https://la.urbanize.city/post/avanti-cleared-construction-4827-sepulveda-sherman-oaks

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEbi_RgboAEmod_?format=jpg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEbiynqawAAZbwx?format=jpg&name=medium

[ChelseaFC]

The team at Century City Center, a commercial office tower in Los Angeles, started steel erection in November 2023 and is currently working on levels five through six above grade. The 569-foot-tall building will climb to more than 37 stories and sit 520 feet above sea level. The project is slated for completion in 2026.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEd0qawXUAAeGZf?format=jpg&name=small
https://twitter.com/ClarkBuilds

[LA21st]

Via Avanti Complex adjacent to Sherman Oaks Galleria. Project has gone above ground level as seen from Sepulveda Blvd. Just from looking from Camarillo street you can see how much work has gone in.

https://twitter.com/LA_Construct/status/1749335310578991207

https://la.urbanize.city/post/avanti-cleared-construction-4827-sepulveda-sherman-oaks

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEbi_RgboAEmod_?format=jpg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEbiynqawAAZbwx?format=jpg&name=medium

Oh wow, I didnt realize it was that far along. Great addition to sherman oaks with the mixed use.

[Zapatan]

The team at Century City Center, a commercial office tower in Los Angeles, started steel erection in November 2023 and is currently working on levels five through six above grade. The 569-foot-tall building will climb to more than 37 stories and sit 520 feet above sea level. The project is slated for completion in 2026.

Nice update, much further along than I expected.

[craigs]

The team at Century City Center, a commercial office tower in Los Angeles, started steel erection in November 2023 and is currently working on levels five through six above grade. The 569-foot-tall building will climb to more than 37 stories and sit 520 feet above sea level. The project is slated for completion in 2026.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEd0qawXUAAeGZf?format=jpg&name=small
https://twitter.com/ClarkBuilds
That popped up quickly!

This news makes Century City Center, at 569 ft., the second-tallest skyscraper under construction in Los Angeles. The tallest is Olympic + Hill, at 594 ft.

[LAisthePlace]

That popped up quickly!

This news makes Century City Center, at 569 ft., the second-tallest skyscraper under construction in Los Angeles. The tallest is Olympic + Hill, at 594 ft.

And it looks like it will just be a hair shorter than twin Century Plaza Towers at 571 ft.

Was hoping for a little bit taller or shorter to avoid a tabletop effect, but still very great to have some more height and depth in Los Angeles' 2nd skyline (a skyline that most cities would kill for as their main skyline).

[ReDSPork02]

The century City Center tower is a central location, surrounded by other buildings. A taller designed would be ideal. Similar effect as Library Tower.

But sadly, it wont be.

Soon this will be the only skyscraper under construction in Los Angeles. Sadly not many new towers have started yet.
Eight and FIg, Alloy, and Olympic-Hill are almost done.

[craigs]

We're lucky that developers are still building skyscrapers in Los Angeles, given the freeze seen in other cities.

The aesthetics of skylines are a fun diversion for us forumers to indulge, but apparently the developer of this tower didn't think a taller tower penciled out. So we're getting what will be the city's 26th-tallest tower upon completion. There's nothing "sad" about that.

[Zapatan]

Soon this will be the only skyscraper under construction in Los Angeles. Sadly not many new towers have started yet.
Eight and FIg, Alloy, and Olympic-Hill are almost done.

Olympic & Hill will be U/C for a while,

As far as potential new projects maybe Mistui downtown or hopefully 1045 S Olive or Angels Landing.

[colemonkee]

The height of buildings in Century City are limited by the flight path of Santa Monica airport. Until that airport is no longer operational, you won't see a building in Century City cross 600-650 ft.

[Charmy2]

Makes me so happy to see the Century City Center going up this fast! I really like this one and Century City is one of my favorite parts of LA.

[Illithid Dude]

The height of buildings in Century City are limited by the flight path of Santa Monica airport. Until that airport is no longer operational, you won't see a building in Century City cross 600-650 ft.

Though that day is coming soon! Will be very interesting to see what happens to Century City when Santa Monica finishes converting that airport to a park.

[craigs]

Was hoping for a little bit taller or shorter to avoid a tabletop effect, but still very great to have some more height and depth in Los Angeles' 2nd skyline (a skyline that most cities would kill for as their main skyline).
Yeah, Century City (especially when combined with Westwood) has a better skyline than a lot of big US cities:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53411953576_4f4fd953d3_b.jpg
source (https://flickr.com/photos/31375322@N00/53411953576/)

[colemonkee]

Yeah, I was hoping that would happen sooner rather than later, but it's still not finalized, right? I mean, there aren't that many available lots in Century City to build tall, so would require demolishing existing buildings. The next big development in the area to watch is the Fox Studios expansion plan, though that feels like a ways off given the state of the entertainment industry and the office market in general.

Though that day is coming soon! Will be very interesting to see what happens to Century City when Santa Monica finishes converting that airport to a park.

[a9l8e7n]

11600 W. Santa Monica Blvd in Sawtelle West Los Angeles. Intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Federal Ave. For someone who used to live in the area, I am really liking this addition.

https://twitter.com/LA_Construct/status/1749846851560591546

https://la.urbanize.city/post/100-apartments-rise-11600-w-santa-monica-boulevard-sawtelle

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEi0Tdia0AMHz4f?format=jpg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEi0UNRa0AItmQj?format=jpg&name=medium

[Illithid Dude]

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

[AskMrNoah]

11600 W. Santa Monica should’ve been a least seven stories, the stumpiness doesn’t work in favor of the design but at least it’s different!

[Busy Bee]

Is it supposed to be Neo-Googie or something?

[colemonkee]

I laughed out loud at this one.

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

[craigs]

More pics of Century City Center under construction from Urbanize Los Angeles (https://la.urbanize.city/post/steel-skeleton-rises-century-city-center-office-tower):

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/Century%20City%20Center%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2003.jpg?itok=onpVQnnq

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/Century%20City%20Center%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2004.jpg?itok=2P78uGLd

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/Century%20City%20Center%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2005.jpg?itok=afqRsLAK

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/Century%20City%20Center%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2006.jpg?itok=PcJ3P1pi

https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w_watermark/public/2023-12/Century%20City%20Center%20by%20Hunter%20Kerhart%2007.jpg?itok=Dgd_HPNw

Rendering:
https://la.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/2018_article_gallery_image_2000w/public/2022-01/Century%20City%20Center%20-%20Aerial%20Rendering%20-%20Kilograph.jpg?itok=1wR-vvXZ

[craigs]

Yeah, I was hoping that would happen sooner rather than later, but it's still not finalized, right? I mean, there aren't that many available lots in Century City to build tall, so would require demolishing existing buildings. The next big development in the area to watch is the Fox Studios expansion plan, though that feels like a ways off given the state of the entertainment industry and the office market in general.
Today's Urbanize Los Angeles (https://la.urbanize.city/post/steel-skeleton-rises-century-city-center-office-tower) post on Century City Center mentions the Fox Studios proposal: "While Century City Center may be the first office tower seen in the neighborhood in more than a decade, it may not be the last. As part of an overhaul of its historic studio lot, Fox Corp. recently announced plans for a speculative 35-story office tower a short walk to the south along Avenue of the Stars."

11600 W. Santa Monica Blvd in Sawtelle West Los Angeles. Intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Federal Ave. For someone who used to live in the area, I am really liking this addition.
Back when I was in college I lived a couple of blocks from there, too! That strip of SMB was always so underutilized, so I'm happy to see all of the new housing coming in, including Amara. The transit there is pretty good, between Metro and Big Blue Bus. As for the aesthetics, it's too busy. But whatever. We need all the new housing we can get.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

Lmao nailed it.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Is it me or is the pit for the Century City project absolutely MASSIVE? The renderings looks fantastic and im looking forward to this one.

[colemonkee]

If you look close enough here, you can see the boom of the main tower crane for the new CAA Century City Tower just in front of the left Century Plaza Tower. Just look for the diagonal line.

Yeah, Century City (especially when combined with Westwood) has a better skyline than a lot of big US cities:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53411953576_4f4fd953d3_b.jpg
source (https://flickr.com/photos/31375322@N00/53411953576/)

[FromSD]

So shockingly ugly that it circles back around into becoming cool looking

I agree with at least the first part of your assessment.

But at least the red, white and steel gray/blue color scheme gives it a patriotic vibe. It will be great as a backdrop for Fourth of July parades.

[Charmy2]

The Century City cityscape is so nice. The clash of classic 1960s/1970s towers like the Century Plaza Towers, the slick 1980s-style Fox Plaza (or as I like to call it Nakatomi Plaza), the 1990s and 2000s residential towers, and the 2010s glass titans. I LOVE IT!

[colemonkee]

I worked in Century City from 2015 - 2018 or so in Century Plaza Towers, and I agree that when those offices are at or near capacity, it's a great area. It could use an influx of more residential to make it a bit more active outside of regular business hours, but it definitely hums during the week.

[edale]

I'm somewhat surprised to see all the love for Century City on here. I have a soft spot for it because of the somewhat retro-futurist vibe, but it's pretty bad urbanism and sterile. I mean, the vast majority of the commercial activity in CC is in a suburban style mall, and the whole site is bordered by massive pedestrian-hostile roads. There are some great individual buildings, but overall I find Century City to be pretty lackluster as an urban place.

[scania]

I'm somewhat surprised to see all the love for Century City on here. I have a soft spot for it because of the somewhat retro-futurist vibe, but it's pretty bad urbanism and sterile. I mean, the vast majority of the commercial activity in CC is in a suburban style mall, and the whole site is bordered by massive pedestrian-hostile roads. There are some great individual buildings, but overall I find Century City to be pretty lackluster as an urban place.

This a skyscraper forum. You don’t have to love urbanism to love skyscrapers. So what if it’s not urban…hell it’s not even in DTLA. No one is moving to Century City to walk everywhere. That’s not where to move if that’s what you want…there are other areas of the city if you want that type of vibe and energy.

[Busy Bee]

But it's so LA.

[edale]

This a skyscraper forum. You don’t have to love urbanism to love skyscrapers. So what if it’s not urban…hell it’s not even in DTLA. No one is moving to Century City to walk everywhere. That’s not where to move if that’s what you want…there are other areas of the city if you want that type of vibe and energy.

Well skyscrapers and urbanity are pretty linked. You rarely see skyscrapers in suburban or rural areas for good reason. They're a function of land values and space constraints more than anything.

Also, the notion that only DTLA is supposed to be urban and walkable is absurd. That encapsulates the mindset that too many Angelenos have, and frankly is a mindset that holds this city back. We should be aspiring for our whole city to be walkable and transit oriented, not writing off whole districts as being unwalkable because they aren't DTLA, especially our 'second downtown'.

[scania]

Well skyscrapers and urbanity are pretty linked. You rarely see skyscrapers in suburban or rural areas for good reason. They're a function of land values and space constraints more than anything.

Also, the notion that only DTLA is supposed to be urban and walkable is absurd. That encapsulates the mindset that too many Angelenos have, and frankly is a mindset that holds this city back. We should be aspiring for our whole city to be walkable and transit oriented, not writing off whole districts as being unwalkable because they aren't DTLA, especially our 'second downtown'.

I didn’t say that only dtla should have urbanism. Re-read my post. The concept the entire LA should be walkable would be absurd. One of the reasons LA has the economy that it does is because there are a plethora of wealthy people that move to LA to be in areas where people can’t just walk or take public transportation to their homes. Otherwise LA wouldn’t be the second largest city in the country. LA and NYC offers separate lifestyles that people…especially people with money want to have.