LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by edale

I recently took an out of town visitor to the Broad to see the Haring exhibit. The museum and the exhibition were great, but we went across the street to check out The Grand after, hoping to grab a drink or something before heading out of downtown, and there wasn't a single business open, other than an art gallery and a gift shop for the Basquiat exhibit they're hosting there. I really hope they can get going on leasing out that retail space. I worry they provided way too much commercial space in the development and it's going to be difficult to fill up. Some standard, street facing retail/restaurant space would have been fine, and would have contributed more to the vibrancy of Grand Ave than the multi-level mall that was built. Even before the pandemic, I thought it was strange to provide that much retail on multiple levels in this part of downtown. Malls everywhere are struggling. Brick and mortar retail everywhere is struggling. Hope they can figure something out with this site quickly. It was a total ghost town on a Friday afternoon...

Thanks for the insight. Always interesting to hear different "boots on the ground" type perspectives. Just out of curiosity, did you and your friends take Metro Rail to the Broad? I've been wondering how many of the Broad visitors have been utilizing the new Grand Ave Arts / Bunker Hill Station. I wonder if placing the station behind the Broad rather than front and central at the intersection of the Broad, WDCH, The Grand, and Colburn School has lessened its potential impact.

As for restaurants/retail, I believe Agua Viva as well as San Laurel are open inside the Conrad on the 10th floor, although perhaps they are further in and more difficult to access than the street facing experience you were looking for. My usual go to spot is Otium since it's right next to the Broad and pretty decent.

[edale]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Thanks for the insight. Always interesting to hear different "boots on the ground" type perspectives. Just out of curiosity, did you and your friends take Metro Rail to the Broad? I've been wondering how many of the Broad visitors have been utilizing the new Grand Ave Arts / Bunker Hill Station. I wonder if placing the station behind the Broad rather than front and central at the intersection of the Broad, WDCH, The Grand, and Colburn School has lessened its potential impact.

As for restaurants/retail, I believe Agua Viva as well as San Laurel are open inside the Conrad on the 10th floor, although perhaps they are further in and more difficult to access than the street facing experience you were looking for. My usual go to spot is Otium since it's right next to the Broad and pretty decent.

Didn't take Metro there, but I did check out the new regional connector stations a few weeks ago, and they're very impressive! Great public art and well designed. I wish the station entrance could have been on Grand, as the current location is kind of out of the way, but it's still a nice addition to that part of downtown.

Otium is excellent. I was considering going there, but thought it'd be nice to check out The Grand instead. After seeing there was nothing there on the first couple stories, I thought we could go to Agua Viva, but once we made our way up to the hotel, we were told it was closed, I think due to a burst pipe or something. So that day, there was literally nothing open! I'd like to come back and try Agua Viva another time.

I also think that whole area would benefit tremendously from a road diet on Grand. It's so wide (6 lanes), and really feels daunting to cross from one side to the other. There also seems to rarely be enough traffic to justify the width. Either a landscaped median or an extra wide sidewalk on one side of the street would do wonders for connecting the Colburn, MOCA, The Grand, Grand Park, etc. with the Disney Concert Hall, Music Center, Broad, metro station, etc.

[Illithid Dude]

Interesting project designed by one of my favorite architects currently working proposed for Boyle Heights:

https://la.urbanize.city/post/museum-aff...2141-e-cesar-chavez-avenue-boyle-heights







Are we counting Boyle Heights as downtown still?

[ajbeaver25]

Anyone know what's happening with Pershing Square Tower/5th & Hill? I really love the design and it's been years since I've seen anymore progress.

[black_crow]

Originally Posted by ajbeaver25

Anyone know what's happening with Pershing Square Tower/5th & Hill? I really love the design and it's been years since I've seen anymore progress.

Well, the city planning commission approved that one in 2019. The entitlement process passed the City of Los Angels in February 2020.
JMF Development LLC never called that project off. They are still showing a picture of it on their website.

.. but to be honest with you, I think that project was a bit too big for them. Just take a look at their portfolio or the ongoing constructions.
They are doing some reconstruction work or create small apartments with the help of federal financing.

I hope they sell those three parcels eventually.. Anyways I reached out to them. Let's see what they have to say.

[ajbeaver25]

Yeah, if they are still going to go ahead with the project my guess is they are waiting for interest rates to go down. Especially for a smaller sized developer. Although, it seems like a lot of developments are on hold due to the economy :/

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by edale

It was a total ghost town on a Friday afternoon...

Any city or community moves up in appeal when a lot of ppl are out & about on its sidewalks. That's the lifeblood of businesses such as stores too.

When driving on one of the fwys that pass by dtla & they're crowded, I always wonder why those roads are full of ppl (in cars) while dt's sidewalks...& even many of its streets (& cars)....are not. How many ppl on those packed fwys should live closer to where they're driving or work closer to where they're living?

https://youtu.be/ULToVLDtmt4?si=qMuJgdyKA5JmdTsF&t=927

In the same vid, the newer beaudry apt tower can be seen, with many of its windows showing lights behind them. But not sure how its leasing is doing....their website shows that 8 wks of free rent are now being offered.

https://www.beaudrydtla.com/availability/

Not sure how the Grand LA apts or condos are doing either. But their website now lists "Sign a Lease and We’ll Hold Your Apartment for up to 90 Days".

https://www.relatedrentals.com/apartment-rentals/los-angeles/downtown/the-grand-gehry

Right now the retail levels of the proj on Bunker Hill are reminiscent of a newer version of the Bonaventure shopping gallery. The Bloc also seems to still have plenty of unleased store stalls, & I believe Fig @ 7th has vacant spaces too.

I've long assumed that dtla was at a big advantage because it's surrounded by lots of lower income areas....& it is. Which is why I thought, by contrast, dt san Francisco, because it isn't (although Oakland is very weak), wouldn't wobble like a dtla. But now even dtsf is going through a big downturn. Yikes.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by edale

I recently took an out of town visitor to the Broad to see the Haring exhibit. The museum and the exhibition were great, but we went across the street to check out The Grand after, hoping to grab a drink or something before heading out of downtown, and there wasn't a single business open, other than an art gallery and a gift shop for the Basquiat exhibit they're hosting there. I really hope they can get going on leasing out that retail space. I worry they provided way too much commercial space in the development and it's going to be difficult to fill up. Some standard, street facing retail/restaurant space would have been fine, and would have contributed more to the vibrancy of Grand Ave than the multi-level mall that was built. Even before the pandemic, I thought it was strange to provide that much retail on multiple levels in this part of downtown. Malls everywhere are struggling. Brick and mortar retail everywhere is struggling. Hope they can figure something out with this site quickly. It was a total ghost town on a Friday afternoon...

There are multiple restaurants being built out right now, including one on the corner of Grand and 1st

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

These appeals are par for course for every development. Its an extortion tactic and are easy and cheap to file if i recall correctly. The process needs to be changed as this bullshit delays sorely needed projects by months and months for no reason

I wonder how long it will delay the project. That was supposed to start Q1 2024 I believe.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by citywatch

Any city or community moves up in appeal when a lot of ppl are out & about on its sidewalks. That's the lifeblood of businesses such as stores too.

When driving on one of the fwys that pass by dtla & they're crowded, I always wonder why those roads are full of ppl (in cars) while dt's sidewalks...& even many of its streets (& cars)....are not. How many ppl on those packed fwys should live closer to where they're driving or work closer to where they're living?

https://youtu.be/ULToVLDtmt4?si=qMuJgdyKA5JmdTsF&t=927

In the same vid, the newer beaudry apt tower can be seen, with many of its windows showing lights behind them. But not sure how its leasing is doing....their website shows that 8 wks of free rent are now being offered.

https://www.beaudrydtla.com/availability/

Not sure how the Grand LA apts or condos are doing either. But their website now lists "Sign a Lease and We’ll Hold Your Apartment for up to 90 Days".

https://www.relatedrentals.com/apartment-rentals/los-angeles/downtown/the-grand-gehry

Right now the retail levels of the proj on Bunker Hill are reminiscent of a newer version of the Bonaventure shopping gallery. The Bloc also seems to still have plenty of unleased store stalls, & I believe Fig @ 7th has vacant spaces too.

I've long assumed that dtla was at a big advantage because it's surrounded by lots of lower income areas....& it is. Which is why I thought, by contrast, dt san Francisco, because it isn't (although Oakland is very weak), wouldn't wobble like a dtla. But now even dtsf is going through a big downturn. Yikes.

Every downtown has vacant spaces since covid. Maybe you should travel more to get some perspective. Hell, watch other city videos. Downtown Miami videos look sad. Whatever that street they have in the "old" downtown looks like a ghost town with little retail or anything. I should post it so people can see what is going on in these other cities. There's like 4 pedestrians and they're probably homeless or on drugs.

[scania]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Every downtown has vacant spaces since covid. Maybe you should travel more to get some perspective. Hell, watch other city videos. Downtown Miami videos look sad. Whatever that street they have in the "old" downtown looks like a ghost town with little retail or anything. I should post it so people can see what is going on in these other cities. There's like 4 pedestrians and they're probably homeless or on drugs.

Some of the pepp is Le on here are comparing apples to oranges. If you go to NYC, there are sections that are empty and like a ghost town. There are also area that are vibrant. It’s ridiculous not to understand those simple facts. DTLA has areas that are hustling and bustling at rates never before in the past two or three decades. Bunker Hill/Disney Concert hall is its own island as far as DTLA. Who on this page doesn’t know this by now??? #Hilarious

[craigs]

Arts District hotel get City Council approval at 2057 E. 7th Street
The Rendon would include a new 15-story tower at 7th and Santa Fe

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
October 25, 2023

Six-year-old plans to build a new hotel tower in the Arts District have finally cleared the finish line.

At its meeting on October 24, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approved a proposal from property owners Ralph Ziman and Maria Greenshields-Ziman, who have sought since 2017 to redevelop a site located at 2057 E. 7th Street. The project, named "The Rendon," would bring a new 15-story building to the northwest corner of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, expanding upon the existing three-story building of the same name. Plans call for 103 guest rooms as well as nearly 16,000 square feet of commercial uses, which would consist of an art gallery, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bar.

Construction of the new hotel would be coupled with the proposed rehabilitation of El Sol, an aging residential hotel at 719-725 E. 5th Street, as 42 units of affordable housing. As the Rendon is currently designated as affordable housing, the recreation of those units at a nearby site would allow the project to comply with the requirements of the Wiggins Settlement Agreement, which limits the loss of SRO and affordable housing units within the Downtown area.

Omgivning is designing the project, which would keep in place the existing Rendon, a 1914 structure named for its former manager Ada Rendon. New construction would be located to the north on what is now a surface parking lot, consisting of a white concrete tower rising 172 feet in height. Amenity decks and commercial uses are proposed for the tower's fourth floor, upper level, and rooftop.

While the hotel and affordable housing projects were initially faced with appeals from Unite Here Local 11 and Creed LA, the former a union representing hotel workers and the latter a coalition of building trades unions, both organizations submitted letters to the City Council prior to the hearing indicating a withdrawal of their appeals, citing new agreements reached with the Zimans. The appeals had alleged unstudied environmental impacts associated with both projects.

Though it would be one of only a small number of hotels in the Arts District, the Rendon development in modest when compared to other larger projects in the works near the intersection of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, including mixed-use developments from Onni Group and Hines which are slated for nearby sites on Violet Street, and a Bjarke Ingels-designed tower complex planned along the L.A. River.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by scania

Some of the pepp is Le on here are comparing apples to oranges. If you go to NYC, there are sections that are empty and like a ghost town. There are also area that are vibrant. It’s ridiculous not to understand those simple facts. DTLA has areas that are hustling and bustling at rates never before in the past two or three decades. Bunker Hill/Disney Concert hall is its own island as far as DTLA. Who on this page doesn’t know this by now??? #Hilarious

His problem is he wants to pretend it's only LA/downtown LA having these problems and just be negative about it. There isn't a downtown thats doing better than pre covid and and anyone who says that is lying.

The vacant storefront is a NATIONAL issue. Who knows when that's getting fixed. Nobody should expect it to, not in this NATIONAL economy.

[scania]

Originally Posted by craigs

Arts District hotel get City Council approval at 2057 E. 7th Street
The Rendon would include a new 15-story tower at 7th and Santa Fe

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
October 25, 2023

Six-year-old plans to build a new hotel tower in the Arts District have finally cleared the finish line.

At its meeting on October 24, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approved a proposal from property owners Ralph Ziman and Maria Greenshields-Ziman, who have sought since 2017 to redevelop a site located at 2057 E. 7th Street. The project, named "The Rendon," would bring a new 15-story building to the northwest corner of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, expanding upon the existing three-story building of the same name. Plans call for 103 guest rooms as well as nearly 16,000 square feet of commercial uses, which would consist of an art gallery, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bar.

Construction of the new hotel would be coupled with the proposed rehabilitation of El Sol, an aging residential hotel at 719-725 E. 5th Street, as 42 units of affordable housing. As the Rendon is currently designated as affordable housing, the recreation of those units at a nearby site would allow the project to comply with the requirements of the Wiggins Settlement Agreement, which limits the loss of SRO and affordable housing units within the Downtown area.

Omgivning is designing the project, which would keep in place the existing Rendon, a 1914 structure named for its former manager Ada Rendon. New construction would be located to the north on what is now a surface parking lot, consisting of a white concrete tower rising 172 feet in height. Amenity decks and commercial uses are proposed for the tower's fourth floor, upper level, and rooftop.

While the hotel and affordable housing projects were initially faced with appeals from Unite Here Local 11 and Creed LA, the former a union representing hotel workers and the latter a coalition of building trades unions, both organizations submitted letters to the City Council prior to the hearing indicating a withdrawal of their appeals, citing new agreements reached with the Zimans. The appeals had alleged unstudied environmental impacts associated with both projects.

Though it would be one of only a small number of hotels in the Arts District, the Rendon development in modest when compared to other larger projects in the works near the intersection of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, including mixed-use developments from Onni Group and Hines which are slated for nearby sites on Violet Street, and a Bjarke Ingels-designed tower complex planned along the L.A. River]

This is really cool for this area. People who are familiar with this area of the Arts District knows how incredibly cool this will be for the Arts District. SoHo House is down the street and going in an opposite direction is a smaller rooftop club. I can tell you that people rave about the views of DTLA. Most saying it’s the best and it’s crazy that so many people have never seen views from this angle.

[scania]

Originally Posted by LA21st

His problem is he wants to pretend it's only LA/downtown LA having these problems and just be negative about it. There isn't a downtown thats doing better than pre covid and and anyone who says that is lying.

The vacant storefront is a NATIONAL issue. Who knows when that's getting fixed. Nobody should expect it to, not in this NATIONAL economy.

Totally agreed!

[NIMBY Slayer]

Originally Posted by scania

This is really cool for this area. People who are familiar with this area of the Arts District knows how incredibly cool this will be for the Arts District. SoHo House is down the street and going in an opposite direction is a smaller rooftop club. I can tell you that people rave about the views of DTLA. Most saying it’s the best and it’s crazy that so many people have never seen views from this angle.

Agreed. This is the view right now from my window.

[scania]

Originally Posted by NIMBY Slayer

Agreed. This is the view right now from my window.

Exactly…nice!

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Every downtown has vacant spaces since covid. Maybe you should travel more to get some perspective. .

Certain of my posts over the past few months have very much indicated I know exactly what you're referring to. In fact, my post from 2 days ago mentioned how shocked I am by what's going on to the dt of NoCa's largest city (or technically actually 2nd, right after San Jose). btw, there's a typo in my last post....I meant to say I thought that compared with dtsf, dtla had more of a DISadvantage, not advantage.

This is another vid that shakes up my assumptions......

https://youtu.be/bJSv4MEY1HM?si=hZlyw4NGQNeKKPca

^ In turn, I've long assumed the gritty nature of the arts dist of eastern dtla.....& very close to skid row....would put it at such a DISadvantage, it would never compete. Never say never, so in the long run who knows?

Right now, the biggest sign of ongoing problems in real estate in dtla, the rusting oceanwide proj, is just a few blocks north of this devlpt....

https://abc7.com/video/embed/?pid=13981185

[LA21st]

The point is, nobody should be "shocked" with vacant storefronts anywhere in the post covid era. Its just part of the new reality, and who knows when thats going to change.

Because every city downtown/neighborhood in the country has them to some extent.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by NIMBY Slayer

Agreed. This is the view right now from my window.

That's a cool view, thanks for posting it!

Originally Posted by LA21st

The point is, nobody should be "shocked" with vacant storefronts anywhere in the post covid era. Its just part of the new reality, and who knows when thats going to change.

Because every city downtown/neighborhood in the country has them to some extent.

Nobody is shocked at vacant storefronts post-pandemic; some forumers are just obsessively, relentlessly negative.