LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0 - Page 490

JDRCRASH · #**9781** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 4:23 AM**

Wow those renderings are awesome...

HNTB and Gensler are the best, IMO.

citywatch · #**9782** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 5:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

From Flickr, by lacurbed

Quote:

The developers hope to begin work on the hotel — phase one of the two-tower project — in December 2011. At that point, they will close the hotel, begin demolition of the 1952 structure and then, in Dec. 2012 break ground on the new building that includes 560 rooms and up to 100 condominiums.

I know time is flying by fast, but still, this proj, even if there are no delays in financing & more red tape (&, yea, when has that never been the case), won't break ground until 2 solid years from today! for some reason, I thought they'd at least start tearing down the current hotel well before the end of 2011.

JDRCRASH · #**9783** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 6:44 AM**

^ Like i've said, I think the 12-2 program would've have slashed quite a bit of "red tape". Hopefully the mayor will revive it again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RuFFy

I really don't know what has changed so much in the past 2 or so weeks, but suddenly, it's starting to feel like 2007 in Downtown Los Angeles.

Part of me wonders if some of these developers watch each other and see what they do with their plans for downtown.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**9784** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 7:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM19

gensler is also moving their offices downtown, may have some impact.

I don't think they have confirmed that yet (unless you read it somewhere recently). Last I read, they were considering the City National Bank plaza, taking over the "jewel box" space (as we used to call it) where Drago and Chaya are. Or staying right there in Santa Monica is it?

mdiederi · #**9785** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 2:59 PM**

At the news conference Ron Turner "confirmed" that Gensler is moving their office a few blocks away to City National Plaza.

LA Times article about stadium funding and the next steps in the process and politics.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-aeg-nfl-20101216-15,0,1903637.column

BrandonJXN · #**9786** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 4:44 PM**

GENSLER

HKS

]

HNTB

Lipani · #**9787** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 5:22 PM**

Wow! All of those are great. I had positive feelings about a downtown stadium in L.A. before, but AEG certainly raised the bar.

patriotizzy · #**9788** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 8:02 PM**

^^^ That stadium looks so —!

LosAngelesBeauty · #**9789** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lipani

Wow! All of those are great. I had positive feelings about a downtown stadium in L.A. before, but AEG certainly raised the bar.

Yes, it actually is exciting now as opposed to the BS stadium Roski wanted to do in City of Industry, far away from anything interesting.

When will people learn that creating synergy is what urbanism is all about?

eburress · #**9790** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 10:48 PM**

Those are certainly some exciting renderings of an exciting project. Being a San Diego resident though, I just hope they don't end up being renderings of the Chargers' new home!!!

Illithid Dude · #**9791** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 5:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Yes, it actually is exciting now as opposed to the BS stadium Roski wanted to do in City of Industry, far away from anything interesting.

When will people learn that creating synergy is what urbanism is all about?

I have to say, though, as far away as City of Industry is, those renderings sure were nice looking.

JDRCRASH · #**9792** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 6:20 AM**

^ Well even Hawthorne in the Times thinks CofI is better looking than these AEG proposals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eburress

Those are certainly some exciting renderings of an exciting project. Being a San Diego resident though, I just hope they don't end up being renderings of the Chargers' new home!!!

I hope it's the Raiders or Rams, just because of the existing enormous fan base (especially the Raiders).

Illithid Dude · #**9793** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 7:50 AM**

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2010/12/amid_a_warning_from_the.php

Planning Commissioner approved Wilshire Grand. Boom-Shaka-laka. BTW, they chose the less signage option.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**9794** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 7:54 AM**

So basically according to citywatch, demo will take place same time next year, and then construction will begin same time two years from now, and it'll take at least 2 years to build the towers. So we're looking at 2015 really when the towers are done. Right when Expo is SUPPOSED to make it to Santa Monica.

Wish we were on Beijing time.

Dylan Leblanc · #**9795** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 10:55 AM**

Here's the LA development map, 42 towers are marked as proposed or U/C - http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/maps/?cityID=26&z=13&status=1

Most of the projects included are from several years ago before the whole recession thing, but it was said earlier in this thread that many of them could still happen at some point when the economy picks up.

Lipani · #**9796** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 2:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eburress

Those are certainly some exciting renderings of an exciting project. Being a San Diego resident though, I just hope they don't end up being renderings of the Chargers' new home!!!

I'd add Comic-Con in there as well. L.A. came close to getting Comic-Con over the summer. The downtown stadium project, plus new convention space (and the existing infrastructure -- transit, Nokia Theatre, Staples Center, etc.) would give them a strong bid in a couple of years. Being the entertainment capital of the world doesn't hurt, either.

pesto · #**9797** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 5:51 PM**

Good news on the Grand. I still don't like ads everywhere, but that's an issue that needs to be addressed for the city as a whole, not building by building.

I would expect not only world class dining but lounge and clubbing facilities as well. Koreans know how to party and these are going to be upscale Koreans.

I wonder if there will be more development interest just across the freeway in the hodge podge of old housing, small office and vacant lots.

Kingofthehill · #**9798** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 6:11 PM**

^ Speed dating, call girls, indoor smoking, and underaged drinking, here we come!

DistrictDirt · #**9799** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 10:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Wish we were on Beijing time.

Makes me wonder, how are they able to build projects so much more quickly than we do? Less red tape? More pressure to finish quickly because there are more projects in the pipeline? Cheap labor? Less unions? When I see photos of Shanghai, Beijing, and the other cities that have seemingly sprouted overnight, I am more than a little bit jealous!

LosAngelesBeauty · #**9800** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 12:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Makes me wonder, how are they able to build projects so much more quickly than we do? Less red tape? More pressure to finish quickly because there are more projects in the pipeline? Cheap labor? Less unions? When I see photos of Shanghai, Beijing, and the other cities that have seemingly sprouted overnight, I am more than a little bit jealous!

There is like ZERO red tape in China. If the gov't wants to build something, there isn't this ridiculous thing called NIMBYs around that can work the system to slow and even cancel projects. Of course, I don't necessarily agree with everything China does obviously, but I wish LA had a kind of hybrid system where, yes, you have oversight when it comes to proper planning and architectural design standards, but frivolous lawsuits filed by NIMBYs would be thrown out.

Plus, from my understanding, there are no unions in China.

I have not visited China yet, but from what I'm reading, China could become the next world superpower.

...I just wish LA could infill Downtown LA (and the rest of West Central) already!!! Is that too much to ask for?