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

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by pesto

I suspect it is too late to limit strip malls, since they are already the norm in many areas. New ones, of course, should be banned.

I don't know if it's true, but I already feel like there are no new strip malls being built within the City of Los Angeles; hehe maybe it's because I'm always going to the same parts of LA and strip malls aren't being built in those parts?

It's definitely not like back in the 1980s when it seemed that strip malls were being built EVERYWHERE in LA, many being built where gas stations used to be, but others being built on the sites of smaller commercial buildings that were demolished. I remember lamenting the demise of the original Brown Derby for a strip mall, and then the dome of the derby was put on top.

[pesto]

That seems right, but my concern is the existing ones and the effect on the possibility of there being sufficient foot traffic at the sidewalk to justify clothing, accessories, jewelry, knick-knack, small furnishings, etc., stores.

I have some hope that they are over-built and that eventually some will be torn down for housing above retail. Another possibility is to force conversion by banning surface parking lots visible from streets or within some distance of transit). But these will require some fighting.

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I don't know if it's true, but I already feel like there are no new strip malls being built within the City of Los Angeles; hehe maybe it's because I'm always going to the same parts of LA and strip malls aren't being built in those parts?

I've seen a few being built recently, though they are more the exception than the rule these days, which is good. There's a 3-story one that was built on La Cienega between Pico and Olympic, and it's not the best looking building ever built.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I don't know if it's true, but I already feel like there are no new strip malls being built within the City of Los Angeles; hehe maybe it's because I'm always going to the same parts of LA and strip malls aren't being built in those parts?

It's definitely not like back in the 1980s when it seemed that strip malls were being built EVERYWHERE in LA, many being built where gas stations used to be, but others being built on the sites of smaller commercial buildings that were demolished. I remember lamenting the demise of the original Brown Derby for a strip mall, and then the dome of the derby was put on top.

There's one that was built sort of near Korea town. It is actually pretty nice though, with lots of brick and high-quality materials.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

I've seen a few being built recently, though they are more the exception than the rule these days, which is good. There's a 3-story one that was built on La Cienega between Pico and Olympic, and it's not the best looking building ever built.

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

There's one that was built sort of near Korea town. It is actually pretty nice though, with lots of brick and high-quality materials.

OK. Yeah, these are in areas of LA I don't really go to. I go through Koreatown, but it's very rarely ever a destination point for me; almost never, actually. I'm regularly in downtown, Hollywood and the Fairfax District, and make the occasional jaunt to the Westwood area-- I love the Persian restaurants there and that French Canadian restaurant, Soleil... oh and that good Indonesian restaurant, Ramayani. Oh man now I'm hungry.

[tommaso]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_do...zG72qlpV69oA.iMjzn928vLYF?urn=nba-324316

There's a very good chance the Sacramento Kings are moving to Anaheim to become the Los Angeles Kings NBA team. Look out for news on this! Of course Staples Center, the Lakers and Clippers and sweating this.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2011/news/story?id=6140807

The Sacramento Kings are seriously considering the possibility of applying to the NBA by the league's March 1 deadline for relocation to Anaheim for next season, according to sources with knowledge of the team's thinking.

The Kings haven't made a final decision, but sources said team officials have been in Orange County, Calif., this month to gather more first-hand data on the feasibility and potential obstacles involved in trying to move to Anaheim's Honda Center at season's end after a 26-season run in Sacramento and numerous failed attempts to secure the financing needed for the construction of a new modern arena.

NBA commissioner David Stern publicly confirmed for the first time Saturday night at his annual All-Star Weekend news conference that the Kings have had discussions with Anaheim officials about a possible move.

“
We have to look at all of our options at this point. But we also want to concentrate on our team right now. Any of the arena stuff, we'll talk about that later.
”
-- Joe Maloof
In a subsequent phone interview with ESPN.com, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof declined to discuss specifics but said: "We have to look at all of our options at this point. But we also want to concentrate on our team right now. Any of the arena stuff, we'll talk about that later."

Maloof also reiterated comments he's made to the Sacramento Bee newspaper about the Kings being approached by "many cities" besides Anaheim.

But sources close to the situation say, with no NBA-ready arena for the Kings to move into in the Maloofs' home base of Las Vegas, that Anaheim holds the greatest appeal to the Kings.

The Kings have been trying for nearly a decade to replace outdated Arco Arena (soon to be renamed Power Balance Pavilion) with a new revenue-generating building that would ensure they stay in a market that was once known as the home of one of the NBA's most fervent fan bases. That was before Sacramento's slide down the Western Conference standings.

The Kings are 13-40 this season and it will be their fifth straight season out of the playoffs after a run that took them to the brink of the NBA Finals in an unforgettable seven-game series with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.

But Stern, at his news conference, confirmed the league no longer has an active role in trying to keep the team in Sacramento after originally backing the efforts of Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson -- the former star guard with the Phoenix Suns -- to find a solution to the arena issue.

"All I'll say is that we and they have tried very hard over the years to see whether a new building could be built, and with the collapse of the last attempt -- which took a few years, and several million dollars, on behalf of the league -- I said we are not going to spend any more time on that," Stern said. "That is for the Maloofs and the people of Sacramento.

"I don't know where that is right now. I mean, I do know -- I talk to Mayor Johnson from time to time in relation to the various projects he's engaged. But I'm not driving it and we'll see how it goes."

Among the issues that could dissuade the Kings from making the relocation request before next season's deadline in 10 days are the millions still owed by the Maloofs to the city of Sacramento in loans and the behind-the-scenes resistance they could potentially receive from the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

The Kings would likely need favorable loan and lease terms in Anaheim to mitigate those financial obligations and the franchise might still face opposition from the Lakers and Clippers. Although those teams would only have one vote each -- and despite the fact franchise relocations in the NBA only require a 15-14 majority vote for approval from the league's other 29 teams -- it's certainly conceivable the Staples Center co-tenants would band together to try to rally support from other teams to oppose to a third NBA franchise moving into a building that sits roughly 30 miles away.

Officials at the Honda Center, according to the Bee, declined comment Friday when asked if they are in negotiations with the Kings.

The NBA's Board of Governors has the right to attach a relocation fee to any franchise move it approves, but such fees are distributed evenly among the league's other teams and wouldn't be paid directly to the Lakers and Clippers in the event of the Kings moving to Anaheim.

One league source, furthermore, reiterated that such relocation fees are "discretionary."

March 1, meanwhile, is not only the NBA's deadline for relocation applications for the 2011-12 season but also the day that Arco Arena's name officially changes to Power Balance Pavilion.

Yet it's believed that the naming-rights deal with Anaheim-based Power Balance is one of the least lucrative in league history because of the age of the building -- which opened in 1988 -- and the franchise's uncertain status in town.

The Kings and the Atlanta Hawks have each moved three times, more than any other NBA franchise. After originating as the Rochester Royals and moving to Cincinnati, the franchise became the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and then the Kansas City Kings before relocating to Sacramento.

Sacramento radio station KFBK (1530 AM) reported in January that Henry Samueli, owner of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, has offered to loan $100 million to Joe and Gavin Maloof to pay off the requisite debts and fees to move the Kings into the Samueli-owned Honda Center.

Senior writer Marc Stein covers the NBA for ESPN.com.

[pesto]

The big winner looks like the Warriors who get the 10M SJ-SF-Sacto. region all to themselves, without even major college programs in the way. May make SJ a tempting location (share with the Sharks).

Anaheim, the Ducks and the Kings themselves should also do well. I would guess they're looking at the well-to-do 6.5M OC and SD demographic and figuring they have it to themselves for 5 months every year (assuming SDS doesn't become a perennial hoops power). I wonder if some games will be played in SD? Nice marketing strategy to play some exhibitions there.

Of course, the Lakers and Clips have a foothold on the OC part so there will be a fight over that. Parts of the IE may be up for grabs as well.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Maybe until a new arena is built in Anaheim, perhaps in Las Vegas, the Maloofs will use the Honda Center.
But I find it hard to see another NBA team in the LA area long-term.

Who said the Kings were eventually moving to LA? Pesto is referencing a joke about the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" with the Kings. I joke I used earlier on Twitter as well. Anaheim will get the Kings. They will never come to the "real" Los Angeles.

The Honda Center is one of the best unused NBA stadiums available today. The Clippers use to play 10 regular season games and nearly all their pre-season when the Honda Center first opened and their attendance was much higher than the Sports Arena. The Kings will do well at the Honda Center.

[Muji]

Passed by the site of the Macarthur Park Metro Apartments project for the first time this afternoon. Obviously I don't know what the construction timeline is, but given that the official groundbreaking was last April, it seems to be going up really slowly.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Who said the Kings were eventually moving to LA? Pesto is referencing a joke about the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" with the Kings. I joke I used earlier on Twitter as well. Anaheim will get the Kings. They will never come to the "real" Los Angeles.

I didn't say they were. Anaheim is part of the Los Angeles AREA and TV market.

[Illithid Dude]

Mods... It's your time to shine.

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by Muji

Passed by the site of the Macarthur Park Metro Apartments project for the first time this afternoon. Obviously I don't know what the construction timeline is, but given that the official groundbreaking was last April, it seems to be going up really slowly.

I had no idea they were that far along. I always enter/exit the station from the Alvarado side, so this development snuck up on me. I really thought it was just still a plan on paper.

[RST500]

New Tower in Century City

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/03/postnouvel_new_plans_for_1000_wilshire_unveiled.php


There is also another vacant lot in Century City as well where there use to be a low rise resteraunt but no idea if anything is planned there.

[JDRCRASH]

^ It's where the "Grass Blade" Tower by Nouvel was planned.

[Illithid Dude]

New building. Not final render at all. Expect it to change drastically.



Old building. Would have been designed by Jean Nouvelle. Big loss, if you ask me.

[RST500]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

^ It's where the "Grass Blade" Tower by Nouvel was planned.

No, I was referring to a large submerged vacant lot about two blocks South West of the Nouvel site.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by RST500

No, I was referring to a large submerged vacant lot about two blocks South West of the Nouvel site.

I know. I was referring to the first part of your post.

[DJM19]

Apparently this development does not include retail, and the homeowners think this is great because to them it means no traffic coming in. But of course what it really means is MORE traffic going out. The last thing Century City needs is another tower that doesnt activate the sidewalk. It should be mandatory that these buildings create activities for humans along the sidewalk.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by DJM19

Apparently this development does not include retail, and the homeowners think this is great because to them it means no traffic coming in. But of course what it really means is MORE traffic going out. The last thing Century City needs is another tower that doesnt activate the sidewalk. It should be mandatory that these buildings create activities for humans along the sidewalk.

Yeah, my one problem with the project. However, other cities don't have retail in their towers and are thriving pedestrian areas. The whole walking thing can't be forced by ground floor retail, it can only be a mindset. And, the people in the tower can just walk to the mall to get anything they need. As much as I like ground floor retail, it isn't that terrible that this building doesn't have it.

[edluva]

century city is a lost cause as far as sidewalk-activating is concerned