LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0

[JDRCRASH]

[k3d]

In case anyone who doesn't see DT everyday wanted to see a close up of these two often talked about buildings...



By k3d at 2008-02-25

[JDRCRASH]

Concerning the U.S. Bank tower; because of the throwing out of the helipad ordinance what would be really cool is if they added 2 more smaller crowns with a small ball on the top with a tall antennae sticking out of it. I estimated that that would push the height above 1300 ft.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Concerning the U.S. Bank tower; because of the throwing out of the helipad ordinance what would be really cool is if they added 2 more smaller crowns with a small ball on the top with a tall antennae sticking out of it. I estimated that that would push the height above 1300 ft.

Terrible.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Concerning the U.S. Bank tower; because of the throwing out of the helipad ordinance what would be really cool is if they added 2 more smaller crowns with a small ball on the top with a tall antennae sticking out of it. I estimated that that would push the height above 1300 ft.

Library Tower is such a perfectly designed and beautiful anchor for the city. That crown should never be messed with (except maybe to get rid of that stupid US Bank logo!)

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Terrible.

What are you talking about? That's a marvelous idea!

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by citywatch

Meanwhile, here's the way that a visitor from the London Times sees things:

Art attack in Los Angeles

Once a rambling city of suburbs, LA is reinventing itself. Chris Haslam reports on La-La land’s cultural revolution

Over the past 15 years, the city has poured a lot of money into its empty heart. There’s the $163m (£84m) cathedral – nicknamed the Taj Mahoney after its controversial cardinal – and Frank Gehry’s magnificent Walt Disney Concert Hall, part of a highbrow entertainment complex that is LA’s version of London’s South Bank. A mile away down South Figueroa Street, beside the huge stadium of the Staples Center, is the Nokia LA Live complex – a $4.2 billion entertainment zone comprising a theatre, performance spaces, bars, restaurants and a 54-storey Ritz-Carlton (to open in 2010) – touted, somewhat depressingly, as “Times Square West.”

And that’s just the start. This summer sees the beginning of the Grand Avenue Project, a $3 billion reworking of the city centre, pitched as “the Los Angeles version of the Champs-Elysées”, and featuring a 16-acre park flanked by public buildings leading down to the Daily Planet tower of City Hall. The man behind the plan is none other than Eli Broad, the builder who made his billions persuading Angelenos to live in the ’burbs, and the Grand Avenue Project isn’t his only scheme to drag them back into town.

This sort of shit seriously needs to stop. I don't care who came up with this stuff, but we need to stop describing our city and its landmarks as the little brother version of grander examples in other cities. New York and Paris are great and all, but F 'em.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Concerning the U.S. Bank tower; because of the throwing out of the helipad ordinance what would be really cool is if they added 2 more smaller crowns with a small ball on the top with a tall antennae sticking out of it. I estimated that that would push the height above 1300 ft.

Ewh no. The US Bank Tower - NO Library Tower is completely perfect, helipad and all. I might be biased but it really is my favorite skyscraper ever. I just hope the Library Tower stays LA's king for a very very long time, it is such a symbol to the city, plus it has a crown! Fit for a king!

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Ewh no. The US Bank Tower - NO Library Tower is completely perfect, helipad and all. I might be biased but it really is my favorite skyscraper ever. I just hope the Library Tower stays LA's king for a very very long time, it is such a symbol to the city, plus it has a crown! Fit for a king!

So true. I'm totally biased also, but Library Tower is easily my favorite skyscraper. In fact, if they ever do build a taller skyscraper in LA one day, which I am sure they will, I just hope its more toward the South Park side in order to not diminish Library Tower's placement in the center of the DTLA skyline. Along with ESB and One Liberty in Philly, Library Tower perfectly anchors the city.

[ladowntowner]

Originally Posted by DowntownCharlieBrown

It is going to be a 5-story LAPD Motor Transport Division Facility to house the LAPD vehicles.

It will have retail on the ground floor.

A belated thanks for the answer and the great render! Come to think of it now, I do believe someone did answer that question, however without posting the render.

[ladowntowner]

Originally Posted by danparker276

Tranquility Base under Sky lofts is really good. Went there on Friday. Everything about it is good and it's open till 2am.

Haven't eaten there yet, but I will say that the glass around the patio reminds me of a van Gogh painting for some odd reason...


Are you the same Dan Parker that was quoted in the L.A. Times article today about the Downtown Connector:

"Dan Parker, who gave up his car after moving downtown and now relies on public transportation, said he didn't care whether the trains ran above or below ground.

"Anything would be positive if they make that connection," he said. He said he was concerned that having the rails at street level would mean they would run slower than they could below ground."

[milquetoast]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

This sort of shit seriously needs to stop. I don't care who came up with this stuff, but we need to stop describing our city and its landmarks as the little brother version of grander examples in other cities. New York and Paris are great and all, but F 'em.

I think it was Eli Broad who came up with the 'Champs' comparison. If you forced street level retail into the length of Figueroa, then maybe. Then again, I don't see too many L. A. billionaires out there contributing like they do in other cities, other than Broad.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by milquetoast

I think it was Eli Broad who came up with the 'Champs' comparison. If you forced street level retail into the length of Figueroa, then maybe. Then again, I don't see too many L. A. billionaires out there contributing like they do in other cities, other than Broad.

Not too sure how that would look with the 101 bisecting it . . .

[RuFFy]

I don't like to compare Los Angeles to other cities. One thing I do wonder is if LA takes so much crap from the 4 world cities (tokyo, paris, london, new york) because LA is emerging as one of them. Kind of like the freshman year of highshool. LA is finding it's place in this new field and the cities already in this arena find it easier to reject LA than appreciate it as we can. Anyhow, that was just a thought.

K3D, from that angle the Staples Center and LA Live look amazing. Wish I had your apartment! The crashed ship comment was looking at it from the corner of Fig & Olympic. It looks massive from that corner and I'm sure the billboards that are displayed there are going to be HUGE! Can't wait to see it though. : )

[TOMdowntown]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

This sort of shit seriously needs to stop. I don't care who came up with this stuff, but we need to stop describing our city and its landmarks as the little brother version of grander examples in other cities. New York and Paris are great and all, but F 'em.

I couldn't agree more. It only makes these projects look underwhelming. Just let LA become it's only place while following a larger vision for pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented growth. From the way things are going, I think people like the LA that is shaping up. It doesn't have to be a palm tree version of some other place.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

What are you talking about? That's a marvelous idea!

Mmhmm...marvelous and terrible. Only thing that should happen is the removal of the US Bank signs.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

What are you talking about? That's a marvelous idea!

Yeah; I mean it would be nice having 3 crowns altogether!

Kind of like a wedding cake with a cherry on top with a long stem! Mmm!

[Just-In-Cali]

Hello Again,
After a long (and unplanned...ahem...absence) I wanted to say that there was actually a report on channel 7 last night referring to the apparent stalling o fthe downtown market and the delays of the two "mega projects", Park Fifth and "The Grand"
They basically said all the same things that have been reported here, but the fact that it actually made broadcast news kind of speaks to how much attention the area is getting. They also reported that since the downtown market is lagging behind the rest of the market as far as the slowdown, the worse is probably not going to show itself for another year. A councilwoman from that area said however, that the money is in place for the proposed park that will be part of "The Grand", so its construction will proceed on schedule.
I also totally agree with Ruffy on the comparison game. Its kinda like that scene in "Titanic" when the stuffy matrons didn't want to associate with Molly Brown because she was "new money"...its the same game. These other "World Cities" wanna keep their elite club, and their elitist promoters will always look down their nose at LA. The fact remains, that we as a city have equaled in most and even overtaken in some ways the "world class" title of many of these places, despite the best efforts of the outside, and some inside.

[BrandonJXN]

So LA is Molly Brown? I like that.

[JDRCRASH]

After the mayor answered my question I gave him on Eyewitness Newsmakers concerning Park Fifth and Grand Avenue Project, that one Anchor lady said she and the Mayor would keep tabs on it the next time he arrives on the show.

One thing I noticed though, is when he DID answer it, he said Grand Ave. Project was worth $2 Billion. I'm starting to wonder if even the MAYOR has any accurate information.