LOS ANGELES: Downtown Project Rundown 2.0

[BrandonJXN]

^ I would love to see more 'mom and pop/independent' restraunts line 7th Street. Not just 7th Street but all over DTLA.

And another Riverside person. I thought I was the only one. Heh.

[KarLarRec1]

I think we need a few more big chain restaurants to open in DTLA, if only to give naysayers and skeptics reason to change their minds about the vibrancy and health of DTLA.

I would love love love to see Cheesecake Factory open on 7th.

I'm also excited to hear that La Salsa, etc are being renovated -- and that outdoor seating is coming to the spaces where McDs/Carls Jr previously were.

[colemonkee]

yakumoto's photos (ha! that rhymes) inspired me to take a walk today. Lots of ground to cover. 56K people, this may take some time to load.

Colburn Expansion

Exterior's getting closer, but still more work to do. Looking up from 2nd Street.



Looking south from Disney Hall. It integrates well with the rest of the Colburn School. Note the glass on the right side of the tower that matches the glass on the original school building.




SBC Center

The painting or replacing of the black fins to silver fins seems complete. Not sure what they're gonna do next. But they better watch out for that Evo crane before it steals something...




Evo

Rising out of the ground. Should get interesting from here on out, though the podium will probably rise slowly. It has very large floorplates.




Luma

Rising quickly. They're working on the 13th floor (or 14th, as they will probably call it). So 5 more floors until it tops out. From 11th and Hope.



From 12th St. Starting to make a nice pair with Elleven.



First glass is installed on the southwest corner.




LA Live

Lots of progress. A quick and dirty pano with a not-so-ideal angle of the sun. Bonus to those who can spot the "stair-stepped" port-o-potties.



The northeast corner (at Fig and Olympic) has reached ground level.



Interesting side note: when I was out there taking shots of LA Live, there was another guy taking construction shots who lived in the area, but wasn't a member of SSC. Nice guy. Seems we're not the only people interested in DT LA construction.


Hanover Tower

Looks like the first residential or maybe an amenities level. It's much taller than the parking levels below it. So we may be done with the "podium" of this one. From Olympic and Figueroa.



Peaking into the skyline from 11th St., overlooking Liberty Grill.




Concerto

Still just a hole in the ground, though it seems deeper than last time. Pictures don't really do it justice. That hole is freakin' deep.




Market Lofts

Lots of visible progress - the corner window frames are up to the 5th floor, and you can see they're applying what looks like a primer coat. Something tells me that's not the final color. The west side:



The east side, where they appear to be testing some greenish paint colors.




Pan American Lofts

I drive by this building every day to and from work, so I thought I'd post some pics of it. They've made more progress in the last two months than in the last year. I wouldn't be surprised if people start moving in before the end of the year.



New sign, and they've finished the back and side of the building.




Victor Clothing Lofts

I can't tell if this is residential conversion or commercial retrofitting, but there's tons of activity here. Plus the sun looked — cool shooting through the back of the building.




Bonus Shots

I took a loooong walk today - from 1st and Grand all the way to 12th and Grand, then back up to the City Center Metro station. So I got lots of bonus shots. First up, a little bit of history still stands. The original Clifton's Cafeteria sign, as seen from Grand Ave.



How NIMBY's are born. Salespeople integrate the whole "view" concept into the core of their marketing schemes.



Refacing of the south side of the Hope Street garage, presumably in advance of the sixth South Group tower (forgot the name).



New retail on Broadway right next to the McDonalds in between 3rd and 4th. For those of you who aren't familiar with Taco Time, it's a fast food chain similar to Del Taco that's much bigger in the northwest (Oregon and Washington).



Finally, the Redwood Bar on 2nd Street, right next to the Kawada Hotel, is now open. Lushes rejoice!

[Quixote]

I've said it before but I'll say it again. I'm very glad there filling in the base and hopefully bringing the columns down as well.

[Quixote]

And here is what the final product will look like:

[LongBeachUrbanist]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

I've said it before but I'll say it again. I'm very glad there filling in the base and hopefully bringing the columns down as well.

I'm so glad to see the ground-level woodwork, windows and awnings are being restored. The artist's rendering shows trees - hopefully there's a plan to make that a reality.

[Quixote]

Oh I see now. They're not going to extend the columns but just put indentations like the ones at the top. Now I'm hoping the podium of Zen will be level with Pan American and hopefully they'll share a wall.

[yakumoto]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Finally, the Redwood Bar on 2nd Street, right next to the Kawada Hotel, is now open. Lushes rejoice!

If only I had known...I ended up paying 13 dollars for a martini at the lounge on the top of the bonaventure. On a side note, even though the hotel may not be doing all that well, the restaurant on the top floor looked full.

[ucland]

Thanks for the pictures colemonkee. It is nice to see that all of the projects that I was keeping an eye on over the summer are moving along. Especially now that I am back in the Midwest—your pictures are a desperately need life line.

[ziggy331]

Originally Posted by KarLarRec1

I think we need a few more big chain restaurants to open in DTLA, if only to give naysayers and skeptics reason to change their minds about the vibrancy and health of DTLA. I would love love love to see Cheesecake Factory open on 7th.

Agree 100%! That is exactly what I was trying to say! or what about a downtown Old Spaghetti Factory?! that would be pretty sweet.

[ziggy331]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

And another Riverside person. I thought I was the only one. Heh.

UCR Pride!!!

There really should be a forum in the CA section for development in the IE!

[BrandonJXN]

^ Pfft. Aside from the movie theatre at Tyler Mall and M'Sole in downtown Riverside (not to mention acres of track homes) what developement?

[ziggy331]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

^ Pfft. Aside from the movie theatre at Tyler Mall and M'Sole in downtown Riverside (not to mention acres of track homes) what developement?

There is a ton of development in the inland empire! It's one of the fastest growing regions of the state. I think even the Tyler expansion and M'Sole is good enough to talk about! I know its not the most exciting place to discuss but for locals its fun. lol! I get kinda defensive of my town! but I dont know any specifics because I havent really had time to research any of it but I've seen plenty of new development in Rancho Cucamonga esp. around Victoria Gardens. Ive also read about an arena being built somewhere in the IE for a minor league basketball and/or hockey team. Since I'm a student at UCR, I know for a fact that there is a ton of development in the expansion of that campus.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by ucland

Especially now that I am back in the Midwest—your pictures are a desperately need life line.

I live a lot closer to DT than you do, but I too feel the same way about colemonkee's photo updates. Ppl like yakumoto & k3d have added their own pics on occasion, but CM remains the only one at SSP who's done all the heavy lifting for the longest amt of time. That's why it would be great if he had back up, because there are too many locations in the hood to expect only one person to keep track of on a regular basis.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

I drive by this building every day to and from work, so I thought I'd post some pics of it. They've made more progress in the last two months than in the last year. I wouldn't be surprised if people start moving in before the end of the year.

That bldg, even in its unfinished condition, looks better today than it ever has in prob over 60 yrs, at least based on this photo of it from the 1950s:



I cannot tell you how many times I'd drive by the Irvine Byrne/Pan Am bldg in past yrs, see the Giant Penny sign, esp when it became a rusty mess, & shake my head & think that the hood had become such a dive that it was beyond hope. That's why it's so sweet to see this bldg finally being brought back to life.

[SaF9]

Originally Posted by ziggy331

There is a ton of development in the inland empire! It's one of the fastest growing regions of the state. I think even the Tyler expansion and M'Sole is good enough to talk about! I know its not the most exciting place to discuss but for locals its fun. lol! I get kinda defensive of my town! but I dont know any specifics because I havent really had time to research any of it but I've seen plenty of new development in Rancho Cucamonga esp. around Victoria Gardens. Ive also read about an arena being built somewhere in the IE for a minor league basketball and/or hockey team. Since I'm a student at UCR, I know for a fact that there is a ton of development in the expansion of that campus.

The IE is growing at a phenomenal rate but its taking place in the form of mindless subdivisions and glassy suburban low rise office buildings; stuff most of us arn't interested in. It'd be different if dt riverside, or San Bernadino were experiencing similar to what is going in dt LA but that has yet to happen. I'm also a UCR student and have noticed the UCR campus is also growing, but not vertically :[

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

lets get back on track (pun intended) on this thread...

In Los Angeles, the Desire of Some Is Named Streetcar
A report prepared for city officials says downtown trolleys would be a boon for development.
By Steve Hymon, Times Staff Writer
September 5, 2006

A new study that will probably reinvigorate a decades-old debate about mass transit in Los Angeles concludes that bringing back streetcars to downtown would spur more development and attract riders. It also contends that trolleys could peaceably share the road with cars.

The report, expected to be released this week by the Community Redevelopment Agency, also makes another point: Reintroduced trolleys have met with success in many other cities, and there's no reason they can't in Los Angeles.

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In other cities, "the streetcars have inspired and promoted economic revival, they have encouraged and attracted tourism, and they have supplemented the existing, everyday public transit services already in operation," concludes the study, which was written by several transportation consultants.

"This isn't just a cute little tourist attraction," said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the influential Central City Assn., which represents downtown businesses. "We need a sophisticated and fun circulator that ties together all the vibrant districts that are spread around downtown."

While downtown is still heavily dotted with parking lots, a mini-construction boom is underway as new buildings are built and old offices are converted to residences. At least 7,600 residential units are in the development pipeline, the new L.A. Live entertainment complex is rising next to Staples Center and planning is underway for a Grand Avenue redevelopment project.

The study proposes connecting the southern and northern parts of downtown. Trolleys would run on tracks down the middle or the side of streets amid car traffic, and the streetcars would be powered by electricity from overhead wires.

There are hurdles, the most notable of which is the cost — $60 million to $73 million.

There is also the matter of political will in City Hall, which oversees a metropolis where streetcars were removed, albeit four decades ago, to clear the way for more automobiles. Although the idea of bringing back streetcars has been around for years, this particular proposal comes not from transit organizations but from the redevelopment agency, which is tasked with reinvigorating downtown, among other areas. And it was Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles), not city officials, who corralled the $100,000 for the report.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office declined to comment on the study or the idea of returning trolleys to the streets. The mayor has been pushing for a larger light-rail line that might run on surface streets and would traverse downtown to connect the existing Long Beach and Pasadena light-rail routes to future lines to the Westside and East Los Angeles.

Streetcars hold a special place in the history of Los Angeles. The streetcar system in Southern California, which blossomed in the late 1800s, once had over 1,000 miles of track, with Los Angeles at the center. But civic leaders preferred buses, and streetcars had difficulty competing with the door-to-door convenience of automobiles in a growing and sprawling region.

After the final five lines were shut down on March 31, 1963, most of the rolling stock was sold to the transit system in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, and the Los Angeles Convention Center eventually occupied the site of the city's old trolley yards.

But why spend millions for a trolley system when the city already has a fleet of DASH buses circulating downtown? The buses, after all, don't require tracks or power lines and offer more route flexibility.

Streetcar advocates argue that people who don't like riding buses are more willing to ride aesthetically pleasing streetcars, which are usually quieter and don't weave in and out of traffic. They also believe that streetcars, like other fixed-route lines, lure development.

"There's something about the reliability and obviousness of a rail line that trumps the bus every time," said Gloria Ohland, a vice president with Reconnecting America, a group dedicated to building housing near rail stations. "And obviously it works for developers because they see rail lines in the street and they know the public sector has made a commitment to that neighborhood."

Streetcars have become something of a rage in urban planning circles. Seattle; Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas and Portland, Ore., have brought back trolleys in recent years and Atlanta is seriously considering doing so. Closer to home, the Port of Los Angeles opened a 1.5-mile trolley line in 2003 as a tourist attraction.

Perhaps the most talked about is in Portland, where a six-mile trolley line traverses a neighborhood known as the Pearl that until the 1990s was rail yards. After it was rezoned to allow for housing to be built, the area has thrived with new lofts and businesses. The addition of the trolley, in 2001, helped, advocates say.

"Since 1997, when the city committed to build the trolley, until today, there has been $2.3-billion worth of investment near the trolley, 7,248 residential units have been built and another 4.6 million feet of commercial space," said Vicky Diede, the project manager for Portland Streetcar.

Diede said that the most impressive statistic for her agency is that prior to the streetcar project, most of the development near the future line was built at half the allowable density. Since the project, she said, new buildings within one block of the line are at 90% of the potential density — meaning that the real estate has become much more desirable.

In Los Angeles, the new study is only a beginning, and the CRA has not yet taken a position. If there's a push to go forward, another study will be needed to work out some of the more technical aspects and to settle on a route.

Schatz said that although downtown businesses would probably be willing to shoulder some of the financial load, the city probably would need to come up with at least $40 million at a time when federal funding for trolleys is in short supply.

"I don't think it's a pipe dream," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose district includes much of downtown. "When you look at all the new buildings coming on line here, I think that anything that could serve residents and tourists, and reduces the number of car trips, can't just be rejected."

Waiting for some type of resolution are people such as Jim Walker, who in the final days of the streetcar system in Los Angeles spent some of his free time photographing the trolleys as they scooted about town.

After the last train rolled, he avoided downtown. "I just closed the door because I didn't want to see the destruction," said Walker, 70, who is now the historian for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"I didn't think they would ever come back," Walker added. "But a lot of things happened since then that I never thought would, and I guess I still have some faith."

[TOMdowntown]

Personally I would rather the Metro be connected through from the Blue Line to the Gold Line before any new streetcars are added downtown. This connector would make the entire public transit system much more user friendly and quicker, plus it would connect most of the downtown points of interest that the trolley would aim to connect (Staples, LA Live, CBD, Grand Ave, Civic Center, Little Tokyo, etc.). I think both are great, but with limited money I would rather see the metro connector first.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

well, i would rather have the DT Connector as well, but these are two projects that are definitley both needed. the Streetcars would cost about 70 million, and that should not affect the DT Connector funding in my opinion.

[WonderlandPark]

Put the $60 million towards the connector for heaven's sake. No brainer.