LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0

[ocman]

Originally Posted by Steve2726

They also own 1010 Wilshire. If the rumors of that building changing to rentals from condos is correct than I would think the likelihood of the 1027 tower breaking ground has diminished. I hope I am wrong tho as that is a beautiful looking building. Here are some updated renders of 1010 Wilshire-

That IS a nice looking building. I had to look at it for a few seconds to distinguish it from computer rendering, which are always more promising than the actual thing. It's a good example of what buildings can look like when a developer doesn't go cheap on the glass.

[WonderlandPark]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

What happened in the late 80's/early 90's was oversaturation of the office market. Pretty much the same thing as what's going on in Miami.

OMFG I googled your avatar

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

OMFG I googled your avatar

Wilford Brimley owns you.

And regarding 1010 Wilshire: Hard to believe that this boring box could look so nice. Sure is taking it's sweet ass time though.

[Echo Park]

It looks nice bcause it takes up most of the block unlike other projects that have the toothpick on a podium design. But yeah that is a horribly boring project, but fitting for city west i guess.

[fridayinla]

Originally Posted by Echo Park

But yeah that is a horribly boring project, but fitting for city west i guess.

What does that mean? City West has a lot going for it. Don't knock my hood man.

1010 Wilshire is going to bring more residents to the area and have 4-5 retail tenants which will help connect City West to the Financial District. I'm excited for it to open, as rentals or not. With 1010, Glo, 1100 and Vero (and La Parilla), there will be a nice string of retail along Wilshire in the coming months.

[BrandonJXN]

Is there any word on 1110 Ingraham?

[fridayinla]

That entire "problem" block bound by Ingraham, 7th, Bixel and Lucas was recently purchased. The GLO leasing office says the part of this block where 1110 Ingraham is proposed (directly across Bixel from GLO) will become a 5-7 story mixed-use development. The renderings we have of 1110 Ingraham may no longer be current. But really, who knows.

[BrandonJXN]

The sooner that crappy 2 dollar a night hotel goes away, the better. That pocket of City West will be one of the more interesting places in downtown. With Vero, 1100 Wilshire, 1010 Wilshire, Glo, 1027 Wilshire, whatever 1110 Ingraham will look like, and *sigh* even Medici will add alot to the westward march of downtown. Just hope that the neighboorhood gets a good scrubdown. City West is still kinda dirty.

All these damn numbers: 1010, 1100, 1110, 1234 (Vero)...goodness.

[fridayinla]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

The sooner that crappy 2 dollar a night hotel goes away, the better.

Unfortunately, there are two crappy 2 dollar a night motels on that block. Once they're gone, City West will shine. It's all just around the corner too!

[BrandonJXN]

Nonetheless, that'll be $4 bucks that City West won't miss.



Where is everyone? Did they all die of heat stroke?

[ladowntowner]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Will this possibly change momentum? The idea of global peak oil (www.peakoil.com) happening around 2010-2012? I'm dead serious. If it really does happen, how will it affect city development worldwide? How will it benefit or be detrimental to DTLA?

A brief video on YouTube about Global Peak Oil ($15 a gallon gas 18 months after peak oil begins).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMQd5nGEkr4


Any feedback would be appreciated...

Sorry for the delay in response to your post - I'm in Mumbai on assignment for a total of three weeks, two having already passed and my access to the net for "frivolous" uses is somewhat limited.

I've been following this subject (peak oil) for some time now. Some suggest that the peak may have already occurred. Others believe it will certainly occur well before 2010-12. Still others say we have 15-30 years before it hits. Regardless of the disagreement of when it will happen, it is blatantly clear to me that it will eventually occur - during most of our lifetimes - and that whenever it does we really won't know for sure until some time after the actual peak. It's a complex issue and not entirely on topic here. I'll try to limit my comments to how it may affect L.A.

Most of our electrical generation comes from oil derivatives like natural gas, which will peak either shortly before or after oil. While they look cool and most of us love them here, highrises may become impractical post-peak. All those Medicis, Veros, Hikaris et al that are maligned by us would be much more livable if the power grid is unpredictable. I remember someone here a while back saying how hot it got in a highrise they were working in while the AC was off over the weekend. Not to mention endless flights of stairs, getting stuck in elevators regularly, etc. A major reason why great European cities like London and Paris that came into their own development-wise prior to wide scale exploitation of oil and derivatives took place are more horizontal in nature, with most old construction not exceeding 5-6 floors is that more than that would be just too much to climb/descend every time you needed to leave or return to your residence.

The end of cheap oil could very well kill hinterland suburbia as we know it because it relies on easily available fuel for commuting via inefficient private autos. That's why comments like this one:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

^ ^ ^
Well, we could out-build Shanghai if we wanted to, if you think about it.
I mean we've got sooo much space for more suburbs in the Mojave Desert.
Then we could build up in the basin.

seem so foolish and are completely lost on me. Sorry JDRCRASH...

The only region of Southern California that has any form of public transit other than buses and is a hub for what public transit does exist is downtown L.A. This should bode well for the hood. If the peak does occur around 2012 we have so very little time to build up our public transit into other dense portions of the city that are lacking, especially considering the glacial rate at which these projects meet fruition in our city. Our leaders are either oblivious or shortsighted or both in regard to peak oil. After it hits the energy required to construct such projects (and yes, construction is extremely energy intensive) will make them even more cost prohibitive than they are already.

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

But here's something interesting about China:

In one decade, China has built the equivelant of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System....in one decade!!!(although there's something fishy about it)

Which is certainly helping to accelerate the peak.

In case anyone has forgotten, we also live in an arid region, dependent upon water from far flung sources being pumped for hundreds of miles using a huge amount of energy in the process. How reliable will water delivery be post peak? Keep in mind prior to large scale fossil fuel exploitation the population here was much smaller, the region only supporting and allowing a population that was sustainable from local sources of food production and water. In a lower energy future population trends may have to reverse if sufficient alternatives aren't found.

This will affect nearly every aspect of our lives and I could go on and on (I guess I already have) but I should stop here. Sorry for being so doom and gloom, but couldn't resist responding to LA Beauty's request.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

^ OOOH, I think you were actually being quite optimistic about it! haha And survival to live will be more important than just worrying about "towers and Medicis." In a region of 18 million people, once the supply of oil diminishes greatly without an alternative fuel supply, you get a city with massive famine because of the food supply getting cut off for a long time!

I would hope that the suburbs of LA start digging up their pretty lawns and learn how to plant crops to feed themselves.

[ladowntowner]

Agreed about sounding optimistic (at least to those who are familiar with the reality of the situation), but I've found one must be cautious when first broaching the subject with those not aware so as to avoid totally freaking them out or being labeled a raving lunatic. Also agreed on not having time to worry about towers and Medicis, and the likelihood of famine. But not just famine - possibly civil unrest on a scale heretofore unwitnessed.

Those lawns and backyards that can be manually tilled and planted might be the saving grace for the suburbs, were it not for the highly probable extreme water shortages in our part of the world under said conditions.

[mercurypa]

I've always wondered when the topic of water would come up. I grew up in LA and left in 2004. I always had a sense that things were environmentally unbalanced in Southern California. Yes the weather and terrain is beautiful, but the city could not exsist without imported water. I think a lot of people move to the area to escape cold weather and live in a bubble, but how many people can the basin support. Plus the huge amout of uneducated immigrants does not beget budding environmentalists. It just scared me so I moved east. (Where we are know in a drought) So who knows. The climate is out of whack anyway.

[BrandonJXN]

I know I'm not the only one who felt it.

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/ci10275733.html

[WonderlandPark]

Felt it here in the Valley. Weak, but felt it.

[edluva]

Originally Posted by DTLA

The key thing to remember is high-rise vs. skyscrapers. Shanghai dominates LA in terms of skyscrapers, no competition. However, LA is much higher in terms of high-rises.

^note that i said highrises. skyscrapers are a foregone conclusion and the fact that there's even a discussion about this right now suggests that you go see for yourself.

[ziggy331]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

I know I'm not the only one who felt it.

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/ci10275733.html

I felt here in Fullerton too.


btw, and sorry in advance if this is a newbie question, but is there a certain height or a certain # of floors that distinguishes a skyscraper from a high-rise?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

So last night, while i was laying down drunk in bed, i had a vision for a couple dead spots in downtown LA. sad, i know. One, the small strip of land between Staples Center and Hotel Fig, housing the Car wash and some small Buildings, should be all torn down and its place should be built a 60 story plus building in the shape of the letters L A. i thought that would be cool. Second, the huge lot at 8th and Fig, thats where we will have our newest supertall, at 1300 feet, as a huge spiral building in the middle of the lot with 4 finger like 800 foot buildings surrounding it. in between will be pathways linking Fig to Flower and the middle of the lot to 8th, lined with upscale retail. On top of the 1300 foot building would be a rotating restaurant. Cool huh? this is what happens after 10 hours of drinking. ..lol. i guess if something like this is proposed, i should be known as the new Nostradamus.

[BrandonJXN]

I remember a old proposal for a office tower at 8th and Fig. I wonder why it was never built.