LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by petescafe

All is quiet on the Medallion front.

You can say that again. And what the hell is going on with this proj?! A publicized Sunday startup date comes & go. Nothing. A small patch of asphalt is removed a few days later. Then nothing. Worse of all, new signs, gates & repainted parking stripes are not the type of changes I was hoping for right now.

These gates are the new green gates that are located only on the east side of the lot.

BTW, thanks for the update, petescafe. However, I think your sense of direction is wrong. Anything towards Main St would be on the west side of the block, anything towards LA St would be on its east side. And if you're standing on 4th St & pointing your camera towards city hall, you're looking northward.

But this may not matter much if alot of the current deadzone is going to remain a deadzone way into the future.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

The ugly billboard has been completely removed as of a few days ago from the parking lot.

That's good to know. Based on today's photos from petescafe I wouldn't have been surprised if the removal of the sign a few days ago was merely because the billboard company was going to put up a new one.

When work began on the Concerto some time ago, I was hoping that one of the added benefits would be the elimination of that site's big billboard on 9th St near Fig. No such luck.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LongBeachUrbanist

My only point was to emphasize that Mr. Farkhondepour has a direct financial interest is in his project's success. I seriously doubt he is delaying his project for some trivial reason (such as to tease citywatch).

Considering how many months & yrs his proj already has been delayed, & now all the delays following the supposed groundbreaking date of a few wks ago, I don't know what the devlpr has in mind, or what he's doing.

No, I don't think he's out to "tease" me or anyone else in the forum-----& why comments posted here are taken so literally is beyond me----but I'm beginning to wonder if he has the $$$ & skills to get the job done.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by funhaus

I just took a look-see walk around the block, and saw the concrete. It looks like a crew has gone around the perimeter of the property along 11th and down Figueroa, pulling up the concrete landscaping curbs (as well as the landscaping). The concrete chunks are piled up in a cordoned-off area, but so far no asphalt has been broken into.

Wow! That's possibly a hint of major change in the works, because unless they're going to totally remove the parking lot, I can't think of any other reason why something as worthwhile as landscaping & the concrete around it would be torn out right now.

Because of reported problems with the Glass Tower, which supposedly was a sure thing to break ground in April, & the South Group's 4th tower (originally known as Jardin), I doubted any other major condo or apt proj would have any easier of a time in getting started. At least not until around Oct, when work is to begin on the Grand Ave proj, & possibly around March 2008, when the parkfifth tower is supposed to start rising.

With all the current projs underway-----the mystery of the Medallion notwithstanding-----& because of reports of big trouble brewing in overbuilt cities like Miami & San diego, I'm perfectly happy with the status quo. Anything else is gravy, esp a devlpt like Fig Central. However, because of their symbolic importance & crucial locations, I'd say only the actual start up of the Grand Ave & parkfifth projs is mandatory.

[petescafe]

Originally Posted by citywatch

BTW, thanks for the update, petescafe. However, I think your sense of direction is wrong. Anything towards Main St would be on the west side of the block, anything towards LA St would be on its east side. And if you're standing on 4th St & pointing your camera towards city hall, you're looking northward.

Actually that's not correct. Los Angeles St. would be the South, Southeast side, Third st faces almost due east. Main would be the north side and Fourth is the west side.

I have a compass on my desk that faces Los Angeles Street.

[JDRCRASH]

Well, only a couple more months to go till Grand Avenue Project breaks ground guys!

[blogdowntown]

Originally Posted by petescafe

Actually that's not correct. Los Angeles St. would be the South, Southeast side, Third st faces almost due east. Main would be the north side and Fourth is the west side.

I have a compass on my desk that faces Los Angeles Street.

For a bit of perspective on this, take a look at the site in Google Maps:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=34.048513,-118.245565&spn=0.003396,0.005949&z=18&om=1

Downtown Los Angeles is laid out in a grid, but that grid is offset from north by 39.5 degrees. So our "north-south" streets are actually running southwest to northeast.

That said, Downtown is typically experienced as if it were a true north-south layout. The "local north" is just offset from true north by 39 degrees. That's why looking at Downtown on most maps just doesn't quite feel right.

In local terms, and in closeness to real terms, 3rd and 4th are the north and south sides of the lot, with Main and Los Angeles as its west and east.

[citywatch]

^ petescafe, to add to blogdowntown's description, look at these 3 links:

Map of LA from a distance

Aerial view from a bit closer

Closer view of site


I hope everyone is on the same page when it comes to describing what's going on at 4th & Main, because when someone says "construction is finally taking place on the SW corner of the block!", I'm going to assume that means the area directly across from Pete's cafe. Or if someone says "the parking lot on the east side of the block is being ripped out!", I'm assuming that means the area around LA St.

Of course, the only description I really wanna hear is "the entire block, bordered by Main, LA, 3rd & 4th Sts----from north, south, west & east----is being scrapped clean & dozens of construction workers are on the site as we speak!"

[Echo Park]

Medallion is the block that's adjacent to The Smell, and Jalisco bar, right?

By the way I always thought of the civic center as an 'upper downtown' and south park as 'lower downtown' so the north/south designations of those areas makes sense

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Well, only a couple more months to go till Grand Avenue Project breaks ground guys!

From the Grand Avenue Committee website:

Posted July 27, 2007 APPROVAL OF PHASE I SCHEMATIC DESIGN

The Schematic Design package submitted by The Related Companies and their architect, Gehry Partners, was approved by the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority, the Community Redevelopment Agency, and the County Board of Supervisors in mid-June. These approvals allow the project to advance into the Design Development phase, which should be completed in the fall of 2007.

Phase I includes the development of Parcel Q, which is directly across Grand Avenue from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The scope of development on this site includes: 500 units of housing (100 of which are affordable housing), a 275-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and 285,000 square feet of retail space. Over 1500 parking spaces will be located below ground. Retail uses are expected to include an urban grocery, a health club, a large book and music store, seven to eight restaurants, and other uses.

Schematic Design for the Civic Park, which is also part of Phase I, is underway and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2007. The Civic Park stretches from Grand Avenue, at the top of Bunker Hill, to Spring Street at the bottom of the Hill. The scope of work for the park includes extending the existing park area to City Hall and improving and upgrading the existing sections of park to meet a variety of needs of downtown residents, office workers, and tourists.



Posted July 27, 2007

GRAND AVENUE PROJECT APPROVALS

In a series of board meetings that stretched from November 20, 2006 through March 5, 2007, a significant set of approvals were granted to the Grand Avenue Project. The boards that took action on the project included: the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The most significant actions taken by these boards included certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report approval of the Disposition and Development Agreement, approval of Phase 1 Ground Leases, and approval of various Conveyance and Funding Agreements. Collectively, these approvals signify the agreement of all parties on the basic business terms of the project, the scope of work, and the schedule of performance.

The Developer has agreed to start construction of Phase I by October 1, 2007. Phase I will include the development of Parcel Q and the creation of a newly extended and revitalized Civic Park. Parcel Q is the parcel of land directly across Grand Avenue from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The estimated completion date of Phase I is August 2011, although some parts of the project may be completed and operating as early as August 2010.

[colemonkee]

^ That's encouraging. Let's hope they stay on schedule. I'm optimistic they will, as Related tends to hit their stated start dates.

Originally Posted by Echo Park

Medallion is the block that's adjacent to The Smell, and Jalisco bar, right?

Not quite, but close. Medallion is the block bounded by Main, 3rd, Los Angeles and 4th streets, so it sits kitty corner to the Persian kabob restaurant on the corner of 3rd and Main. There are currently no plans for the surface lot directly to the north of Jalisco and the Smell.

[LAMetroGuy]

Do you think that (assuming they will start Oct 1) that is whent hey will start to take down the parking structure or they will take down the structure prior to Oct 1 so they can start construction???

[LongBeachUrbanist]

Originally Posted by Echo Park

By the way I always thought of the civic center as an 'upper downtown' and south park as 'lower downtown' so the north/south designations of those areas makes sense

I call 'NoFo' ('North of Fourth') the area bounded by the OBD, Bunker Hill, Civic Center, and Little Tokyo.



That area includes the Medallion lot, the Higgins, St. Vibiana's, ImaginAsian, Ronald Reagan bldg, the Douglas, the Irvine Byrne, the Kawada and several other parking lots.

Of course, 'NoFo' as a neighborhood doesn't actually exist. Still, that area is critical to Downtown's future because it will provide the 'connective tissue' joining the existing neighborhoods together.

[colemonkee]

^ soooooo, if I live in the Higgins building, does that make me a mofo livin' in the 'NoFo?

[fridayinla]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Do you think that (assuming they will start Oct 1) that is whent hey will start to take down the parking structure or they will take down the structure prior to Oct 1 so they can start construction???

I have a feeling the parking structure will come down prior to October 1st.

[fridayinla]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

^ soooooo, if I live in the Higgins building, does that make me a mofo livin' in the 'NoFo?

fosho, Como.

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by fridayinla

fosho, Como.

oh no, como the mofo lives in nofo, I can't take no mo!

[fridayinla]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

oh no, como the mofo lives in nofo, I can't take no mo!

nicely done.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Do you think that (assuming they will start Oct 1) that is whent hey will start to take down the parking structure or they will take down the structure prior to Oct 1 so they can start construction???

Considering Related originally said they'd start work on the Grand Ave proj in Oct.....of LAST yr, I'd estimate their current schedule probably will end up being later rather than sooner. I know their work on the Hikari apt bldg in Little tokyo was dragged out past its original estimated groundbreaking date (about 2 to 3 yrs ago?). However, Related pretty much hit their mark a few months ago when it came to meeting the publicized time their new apt bldg on San Pedro St was to begin construction.

As for the other major proj planned for the hood that I consider essential, I hope the web site of the parkfifth condo tower isn't showing early signs of "concerto: the Guessing Game!" The devlpr now says their sales ctr will be opening in the fall. They first announced it would be opening early in the summer, then they changed that to later in the summer. And now....

[petescafe]

Here's a funny bit of business I captured this morning.
The booth was moved to the Third St side today.













The next few shots are from inside the former MTA building being renovated into a parking structure.
The cement floors have all been removed in this area for the installation of new ramps to the upper floors.




[IMG][/IMG]


The exposed beams of the building haven't been removed yet. You can see all the way up to the seventh floor. It felt like being in a cathedral. Very cool.








Very cool shot of the different colors on the walls of each floor.



That's all for now.