LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[RAlossi]

He said something weird on the CAHSR thread but I'm not sure it was worth banning him over (though it may not have been that comment that got him banned).

[DistrictDirt]

Anyone know the guy outside of this forum? I'm so curious now what the story behind the ban is.

[LAsam]

Well, it looks like he was upgraded from "Banned" to "Suspended."

[JDRCRASH]

Thanks again guys for the compliments!

BTW, I really don't mean to "stick my nose" into things, but Shiro and Onn were really getting into it on the China HSR thread. Pesto came in and said something, but his comment got erased.

-JDR

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Thanks again guys for the compliments!

BTW, I really don't mean to "stick my nose" into things, but Shiro and Onn were really getting into it on the China HSR thread. Pesto came in and said something, but his comment got erased.

-JDR

was it anything that seemed like it deserved being banned over. even suspended? i see people write some pretty mean/offensive things all the time around here so i'm surprised that he said anything that resulted in that type of punishment.

[Illithid Dude]

I know I'm breaking the Pest Pattern here, but has anyone heard the rumors of Opus/8th and Grand getting elevated to 52 stories and a second tower that would be 20 stories? Would anyone happen to kow if there is any truth in that, because that would be an awesome thing.

[colemonkee]

^ I read about that change a while back, probably 8-12 months ago, but no renderings have surfaced. We'll have to wait and see, but I'd wager that some changes were made to the original design/program.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i like taller as much as the next geek on these forums, but i thought the original design was perfect. i hope it hasnt changed much since then.

[Lipani]

Some tidbits on the proposed stadium downtown. Most of it is already well-known, but there's certainly been increased chatter lately.

Anschutz agrees to finance LA football stadium
By Matthew T. Hall

Billionaire entrepreneur Philip Anschutz has agreed to finance construction of a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles if four conditions are met, the Los Angeles Business Journal reported Monday.

Whether a stadium gets built remains to be seen. Proposals that would return the National Football League to Los Angeles have been floated like wobbly balls across the middle since the Rams and Raiders left about 15 years ago, and two are in play now.

How either proposal affects the San Diego Chargers at this point is anyone's guess, as it has been for some time. But one of Anschutz's conditions is that an NFL team commits to moving to Los Angeles, which is something only a handful of teams, including the Chargers, could consider given their existing leases. (Anschutz's other conditions involve commitments from businesses, city officials and the NFL.)

...

• Agreements with various corporations for naming rights and other sponsorships that would bring in tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

• A commitment from Los Angeles city officials for speedy approvals and $350 million in bonds to replace the West Hall of the city-owned Los Angeles Convention Center that would be torn down to make way for the stadium.

• A commitment from an NFL team to move to Los Angeles.

• A commitment from the NFL itself to approve an L.A. team.

Leiweke said that AEG is trying to meet three of these four conditions by a self-imposed March deadline; the agreement from the league would likely have to wait for the owners to conclude negotiations with players over a new contract.

Rest of the article from the Union-Tribune.

The rumor here is that the stadium proposed in downtown San Diego will be up for a public vote in early 2012 (since that year will have presidential primaries, the election would probably be held two days after the Super Bowl on February 7th). The Chargers have committed to stay in San Diego for the upcoming season, however, it's merely a verbal agreement -- and they can still pay off their lease any time between February 1st and May 1st of this year.

It'll be interesting to see if AEG meets their March deadline. After the roof collapse in Minnesota there seems to be a bit of momentum to replace the Metrodome; the new Rams owner wants to keep the team in St. Louis; the only other teams that could really move are the Bills, Jaguars, and the Raiders.

[Blueseattle]

Just read this on BlogDowntown. Very intresting story!

The company has just recently started work on the Chester Williams Building, an 88-unit conversion at 5th and Broadway, and the Winston, a 43-unit project at 117 E. Winston. It expects to complete both in 2012.

I thought the Winston conversion was a strange choice, but its gotta happen sometime right?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by Blueseattle

Just read this on BlogDowntown. Very intresting story!

I thought the Winston conversion was a strange choice, but its gotta happen sometime right?

I don't think it's a strange choice at all. Given the high demand lately to live in the Historic Core, it's only natural to convert any building with potential into cash flow.

I also like the idea of it being closer to Los Angeles St. which is in desperate need of attention as night fall turns LA St. into a set out of the Thriller music video.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

was it anything that seemed like it deserved being banned over. even suspended? i see people write some pretty mean/offensive things all the time around here so i'm surprised that he said anything that resulted in that type of punishment.

Looks like the "ban" or "suspension" was rescinded because pesto's name doesn't have any of that designation on it from what I can see. SO welcome back pesto?

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by Blueseattle

Just read this on BlogDowntown. Very intresting story!

I thought the Winston conversion was a strange choice, but its gotta happen sometime right?

Looks like the gentrification bug is finally hitting the Toy District/Skid Row area.

[ziggy331]

So I don't really post on this board a lot but I visit it quite often. I live in OC but I spend a lot of time in downtown LA.

With all this talk about a new convention space/NFL stadium, I'm kinda curious to see what people in LA, and more specifically those living downtown, think about the project? I know there's quite a few of you on this site that are within the direct vicinity of the proposed "event center" and it would be interesting to hear your takes on it!

To me it seems great! On paper, it looks like a win/win for AEG and the city (and potentially whatever team ends up here). I think it would be amazing to have more conventions here. To me, in the short term it seems like the only way to fast-track a lot of projects in south park. It makes me really excited just to think about the spill over effect and what impact it would have on the rest of downtown.

However, it's hard to find a lot of people (at least around my neck of the woods) that support the stadium in DTLA with concerns of tax money being used and of course the typical traffic arguments. For example, look at some of the comments on this LA Times opinion piece regarding the stadium: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-nelson-stadium-20110119,0,7934611.story

What are some thoughts about this?

[RAlossi]

Originally Posted by ziggy331

I know there's quite a few of you on this site that are within the direct vicinity of the proposed "event center" and it would be interesting to hear your takes on it!

I live close to the site and support the project wholeheartedly. It will be great to have events on Sunday (even though I'm not a football fan), and the expanding Metro system makes Downtown the most obvious choice for it. I'm excited about getting more space for the convention business (and newer space, at that!). The bonds will be backed by AEG, which has a very strong history in the neighborhood and the city.

Despite certain design flaws in the LA Live campus, I feel like it's been an overwhelming success and has enlivened an area that was absolutely dead for years. I remember going to a Cirque du Soleil event at the surface parking lot that LA Live is now on. The whole area was dead. Now there are always people there. Go AEG!

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by Blueseattle

Just read this on BlogDowntown. Very intresting story!

I thought the Winston conversion was a strange choice, but its gotta happen sometime right?

Why do you think it was a strange choice? It isn't even 200ft from Main St., lol. Anyways, great news, especially regarding the 5th/Broadway building - the last unrenovated building fronting that intersection.

[213]

Not opposed to a South Park stadium in principle, but the linked op-ed is correct in that more data is required. Without realistic (and preferably independent) assessments of cost, benefit and environmental impact, we really don't know what the sum affects of the project are likely to be.

Traffic is a particular concern of mine. Though transit options continue to improve, the proposed stadium would come online long before Metro's current expansion is fully realized. Event congestion would in the interim pose challenges to other downtown attractions and businesses that arguably generate more effective synergies and benefits. As things stand, the L.A. Philharmonic estimates that most of its no-show subscribers are absent for traffic reasons. This "congestion penalty" no doubt affects other events, institutions and businesses as well. To exacerbate it in favor of a halo project that principally would benefit South Park could work against other dimensions of greater downtown development.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by RAlossi

I live close to the site and support the project wholeheartedly. It will be great to have events on Sunday (even though I'm not a football fan), and the expanding Metro system makes Downtown the most obvious choice for it. I'm excited about getting more space for the convention business (and newer space, at that!). The bonds will be backed by AEG, which has a very strong history in the neighborhood and the city.

Despite certain design flaws in the LA Live campus, I feel like it's been an overwhelming success and has enlivened an area that was absolutely dead for years. I remember going to a Cirque du Soleil event at the surface parking lot that LA Live is now on. The whole area was dead. Now there are always people there. Go AEG!

Me too. i live a couple blocks away and i support this project a billion percent. there are so many positives, from having the NFL back, to increased conventions, to new hotels and developments, to improved infrastructure and the fact that AEG will fund a chick hearn station redo as well as be a major funder of the streetcar is a big fat cherry on top. lets get this done!!!

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by 213

Not opposed to a South Park stadium in principle, but the linked op-ed is correct in that more data is required. Without realistic (and preferably independent) assessments of cost, benefit and environmental impact, we really don't know what the sum affects of the project are likely to be.

Traffic is a particular concern of mine. Though transit options continue to improve, the proposed stadium would come online long before Metro's current expansion is fully realized. Event congestion would in the interim pose challenges to other downtown attractions and businesses that arguably generate more effective synergies and benefits. As things stand, the L.A. Philharmonic estimates that most of its no-show subscribers are absent for traffic reasons. This "congestion penalty" no doubt affects other events, institutions and businesses as well. To exacerbate it in favor of a halo project that principally would benefit South Park could work against other dimensions of greater downtown development.

you have to remember this. 400,000+ people work in downtown on a typical workday. most events will be on weekends when downtown is a ghost town. traffic is light on the weekend, believe me, especially in the early morning/afternoon. there is no concern about traffic. at most, you will have 20,000 cars per event. also, traffic is not necessarily a bad thing, it means that there is demand for the area.

[213]

^ Street traffic is nominal on weekends, but freeway traffic generally isn't. Compounded by stadium inflow, congestion would be severe enough to deter many from venturing downtown for other reasons.

Traffic alone is not a reason for nixing the project, but it's a factor to be considered if downtown is to remain a casual and appealing destination. If getting here becomes a presumed chore, we jeopardize that.