LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Bottom line: change the parking requirements, then we'll see these developments. It's just not feasible for developers to build something nice and dense with high parking minimums.

laofanaheim, the issue of required amts of parking space actually is the least of all the problems facing devlprs of highrise office space in dt. The biggest issue is that LA still is a town where too many ppl & too many businesses continue to prefer being way over on the west side, or elsewhere. It's news like this that makes it harder to get new projs such as the wilshire grand pre booked with tenants & ready to rise:

Google Inc., the ever-expanding Internet search giant, is establishing a beachhead in Venice. In a rare bright spot for the region's sluggish economy, Google is leasing more than 100,000 square feet of office space in three buildings, including the famed Binoculars Building designed by Frank Gehry.

The move is part of a major expansion by Google in Southern California and could set up a new center of operation in the region.

Google representatives confirmed Tuesday night that the company had signed a lease for the properties, saying its employees would begin moving into the offices this year. Google's new complex of buildings will have more square footage than its current facilities in Santa Monica, where the largest of the three buildings has 45,000 square feet and houses 300 employees.

The hiring spree comes as Google fights for top talent against upstart rivals including Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. — so a marquee location in Los Angeles could help the company score points with potential hires. In its recruiting efforts, Google has bragged that its Santa Monica offices "are strategically located just a few short blocks from sunny beaches" and benefit from "over 300 days of sunshine."

related to this is tommaso's point about wanting nicer stores in the hood. but that type of business depends on lots & lots---& lots---of ppl working & living in the area. Lots of ppl like the types who work in businesses similar to google or any company that has employees who make big $$. the 24/7 population of ppl in DT with a good annual income still is modest, esp by the standards of the cities referred to by tommaso or LAB.

the only way better stores will be able to thrive in the hood is for way more new apt & condo projs to be added to DT. that's one reason I'm always keeping an eye out on possible start of construction of any new housing in the hood & the way that existing projs are filling up. EX: when is the brockman bldg going to be finally opened & occupied?!!

[tommaso]

Originally Posted by citywatch

laofanaheim, the issue of required amts of parking space actually is the least of all the problems facing devlprs of highrise office space in dt. The biggest issue is that LA still is a town where too many ppl & too many businesses continue to prefer being way over on the west side, or elsewhere. It's news like this that makes it harder to get new projs such as the wilshire grand pre booked with tenants & ready to rise:




related to this is tommaso's point about wanting nicer stores in the hood. but that type of business depends on lots & lots---& lots---of ppl working & living in the area. Lots of ppl like the types who work in businesses similar to google or any company that has employees who make big $$. the 24/7 population of ppl in DT with a good annual income still is modest, esp by the standards of the cities referred to by tommaso or LAB.

the only way better stores will be able to thrive in the hood is for way more new apt & condo projs to be added to DT. that's one reason I'm always keeping an eye out on possible start of construction of any new housing in the hood & the way that existing projs are filling up. EX: when is the brockman bldg going to be finally opened & occupied?!!

Everything citywatch said here is right. And lets not delude ourselves, there are some 400,000 jobs here in downtown every weekday of the year. But, the vast majority of those people don't live in downtown. There is an undeniable Manhattan here in L.A. Guess what? It's the westside. Don't be surprised if the big money earners downtown live in those beautiful towers up on Wilshire sandwiched between Westwood and the Los Angeles Country Club. No surprise there. They might even live in Sterling's crummy tower.

Well, why not for those people? Their well-pocketed friends and family probably live on the westside as well. And their bosses and the bosses bosses also live on the westside. That's where the vast majority of the money goes to park its money at night in L.A. And you know that if it's not Santa Monica it's Brentwood, and if it's not Westwood then it's Beverly Hills and the list goes on and on. What a world, but it is the mighty westside of L.A. and I haven't even mentioned West Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and don't even get me started on the southland. Well, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and I'm sick and tired of naming names so I'll allow myself to rest my case before naming another 20 odd wealthy neighborhoods in L.A.

So, how can downtown L.A. become the premiere neighborhood to eat, drink, work and sleep with all of these known variables?

[citywatch]

^ tommaso, I will say that I originally believed the new ralphs mkt, before it opened a few yrs ago, would struggle without attracting customers from nearby hoods full of big families, like around mcarthur pk. The fact it not only didn't rely on such ppl but did quite well with just those from the immediate area was a pleasant surprise. And it did give me pause. however, that is a grocery store.

But I also remember thinking the owners of the bottega louie restaurant in the brockman bldg were sticking their neck out----& being very risky----in putting such a large new business on 7th St. Since then, as they say, the rest is history. however, that is a restaurant.

So maybe I'm being too cautious about the potential of soft goods stores in DT. but I do believe that such businesses are very, very dependent on serious minded shoppers, primarily those of us who are women. And esp women with $$. So creating that type of setting is even more specialized & difficult than it is for shops that sell food or serve dinner/lunch. But, again, maybe I'm being too cautious?

I'd advise patience for now & hope that everyone accepts baby steps. So even though the new target store won't be prestige type of shopping, it will help make dt seem more mainstream.

Now let me get to something that is specialized for you guys: a new sports bldg in the hood. If you look at the following pic, you'll see the logo & name of the new stadium that they're trying to build next to Staples:


At a warmup for Tuesday’s announcement,
(from left) GroupM ESP CEO Greg Luckman,
Farmers Insurance CMO Kevin Kelso and
AEG Global Partnerships COO Shervin Mir-
hashemi celebrated the new deal.

"Farmers Field"

will some ppl think that's a sports bldg in Iowa or kansas?! That was what I first thought when I first heard about it. But now the name is kind of growing on me. It makes me think of all those farmers mkts that spring up on city streets & that attract hip ppl interested in fresh, organic food.

talk about things like this, the new broad art museum, & the wilshire grand proj are bringing new life to things. we live in interesting times, & possibly even exciting ones too.

[tommaso]

Everything citywatch just described is what makes downtown great! And I am supportive of any development that creates a stronger and healthier downtown for Los Angeles. I have a quality example of successful urban architecture from Salt Lake's forum page. I am posting the photo and I would like your feedback. More specifically, do you know of any architects here in L.A. that have work on their table that looks anything like this Salt Lake development in terms of materials used, scale and massing? Thank you

Apartments on Block 76

[JDRCRASH]

Okay it's pretty much official that the stadium would be called "Farmers Field":

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nfl/news/story?id=6078709&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

[DJM19]

Hmmm...I dont really have an issue with it. While I think naming right makes a lot of places sound cheesy, Farmer's Field has a sort of ring to it. It does sound agricultural, and that has little to do with LA today, but was a very large part of the LA of yesteryear.

I'm just going to call it the event center though. I imagine farmers field will only refer to the stadium, and the whole complex will be something like LA Event Center.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by tommaso

Does anyone know whether Union Station will get additional food/retail options apart from the Wetzel's Pretzels and Famima? I noticed a commercial leasing ad, but that space was for a formal sit-down restaurant establishment available in the station. Thank you.

That's for the former Harvey restaurant space, which closed down in the mid 2000's. CBRE is looking to lease it out to a new restaurant.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Have you written to Jan Perry before about this?

Good idea. I will make my case directly to her and see what happens. It truly is the stopping force is affordable, dense development; which is sustainable in downtown LA.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by tommaso

Also, I recognize that this isn't the city discussion forum and you can move this question there. I would like an informed opinion on what the benefits of living in downtown L.A. over Hollywood are. The primary focus here and my criteria for this question are pedestrian experience, urban activity, liveliness, diversity of activities and opportunities for spontaneity.

Personally, I have enjoyed my downtown experiences, although they are too spread out for my liking. Although there have been some bright points, I have never felt a lasting deeper level of comfort and connection when spending time in DT Santa Monica, Venice, DT Beverly Hills and even DT Hollywood. Certainly, I feel that I have run out of options for places to be myself and experience life in a city setting. And, almost by default, I only really feel somewhat comfortable in downtown L.A. As a result, I sincerely hope that big money makes its way downtown as quickly as possible. I have to feel like I can yell, shout and scream at the top of my lungs when I am elated, disappointed and the entire range of human emotions in between. Despite all of my efforts to adapt and acculturate, I have never been consistently or thoroughly comfortable being fully open or myself in most of Los Angeles.

Clearly, I find that my everyday human experience is inextricably linked and married to the street scape, the personality of the buildings and the interaction between the human beings who live, eat, work and breathe the air of these city streets and our feelings, emotions, hopes, dreams, aspirations and lives. We are one and the same. The buildings and the people, we are equal parts to the marriage of humans and the buildings we eat, live, work and play in. Of course, I understand that there is too much wealth concentrated on the west side for downtown L.A. to develop as quickly as I need it to. However, the west side is already well developed and I believe now is downtown's opportunity to receive its share of care, wealth, opportunity and development. We must restore our soul as a city and give Angelenos an opportunity to dream and to wake up in the morning and have that burning fire in our belly, and to always be wanting to discover more and strive to quench that insatiable thirst.

There are two primary difference between downtown LA and those other places you mentioned.

1 - downtown LA is the transit center of Los Anges. You can easily reach downtown LA by a single bus or train ride. Try going between Cerritos and Glendale on a single bus or train.

2 - there are more areas of activity in downtown LA, albeit a few blocks disconnected. The other neighborhoods or cities of Los Angeles are usually centered on a single street. Pasadena (Colorado boulevard), Hollywood (Hollywood boulevard), Santa Monica (3rd street), West Hollywood (Santa Monica blvd), Beverly Hills (Rodeo), etc... Not to say there are side streets that split out and still provide areas of activities, but downtown LA has restaurants, points of interest on multiple and multiple streets. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, Olympic, 11th and then you have Figueroa, Flower, Hope, Grand, Olive, Hill, Broadway, Spring, and Main. Can we say today that downtown LA is centered on 7th street's restaurant row? Or what about Broadway with it's significant daytime shopping population? What about Spring street, a true 24 hour street in downtown LA with bars, clubs, restaurants? I honestly cannot tell you which is the 1 street that defines downtown LA; unlike those cities/neighborhoods I mentioned earlier. And each street is still growing....

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

There are two primary difference between downtown LA and those other places you mentioned.

1 - downtown LA is the transit center of Los Anges. You can easily reach downtown LA by a single bus or train ride. Try going between Cerritos and Glendale on a single bus or train.

2 - there are more areas of activity in downtown LA, albeit a few blocks disconnected. The other neighborhoods or cities of Los Angeles are usually centered on a single street. Pasadena (Colorado boulevard), Hollywood (Hollywood boulevard), Santa Monica (3rd street), West Hollywood (Santa Monica blvd), Beverly Hills (Rodeo), etc... Not to say there are side streets that split out and still provide areas of activities, but downtown LA has restaurants, points of interest on multiple and multiple streets. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, Olympic, 11th and then you have Figueroa, Flower, Hope, Grand, Olive, Hill, Broadway, Spring, and Main. Can we say today that downtown LA is centered on 7th street's restaurant row? Or what about Broadway with it's significant daytime shopping population? What about Spring street, a true 24 hour street in downtown LA with bars, clubs, restaurants? I honestly cannot tell you which is the 1 street that defines downtown LA; unlike those cities/neighborhoods I mentioned earlier. And each street is still growing....

Yes that's what I've been calling "3-dimensionality" as opposed to LINEAR development.

Downtown LA is the largest 3-dimensional urban walkable district in the entire Greater LA region.

What is CHANGING however from what you're saying is all those communities are starting to be a bit more multi-layered.

Pasasdena - Colorado Blvd. in addition to Green, Union and South Lake Ave.

Hollywood - Hollywood Blvd in addition to Sunset Blvd, Vine, Cahuenga, etc.

Santa Monica - 3rd Street in addition to Ocean Ave, 2nd, and 4th St.

Beverly Hills - Rodeo Drive is really just part of a larger Golden Triangle IN ADDITION to Beverly Dr south of Wilshire being a major commercial shopping street as well

[JDRCRASH]

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

So happy that Gensler won.

[DIESELPOLO]

that sports and entertainment district looks steroidal (<is that a word?)

[JDRCRASH]

www.farmersfield.com

An even larger image....so sexy:

[BrandonJXN]

I don't have a problem with the name. Besides, most people will call it 'The Farm' anyway which is pretty apt seeing as how it'll double as convention center space.

[bobcat]

There's nothing wrong with the name. People made fun of 'Staples Center' when that name was first announced but it sounds perfectly natural nowadays.

Ed Roski and the folks at Majestic must be shitting bricks.

[Steve2726]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So happy that Gensler won.

What makes you say that?

[Just-In-Cali]

Well, as long as its not taking any substantial amount of tax money to get off the ground, they can call it Summers Eve Field for all I care. I think its surprising how fast this project went from concept to already securing a financial backer for 30 years (a company based outa LA for that matter) The addition of jobs and the fact that, being a retractable roof style venue, it can be used for many different purposes throughout the year. Unlike the Industry plan that would sit empty for many months. Kinda happy to see if it pans out.

[Just-In-Cali]

Hmm, curious to see where this new "West Hall" will be going. But otherwise, interesting stats from the link JDRCrash provided.

Developer:
AEG
visit site>> Project Manager:
ICON Venue Group, LLC
visit site>> Design Firm:
Expected to be announced January 2011 Location:
Current West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center Details:•Construction of a new West Hall would be completed before demolition of current West Hall begins so convention bookings would not be interrupted.
•South Hall would increase by 90,000 sq. ft.
•The total new Event Center would be 1,700,000 gross sq. ft. with a retractable roof.
•Designed to accommodate 68,000 seats, expandable to 78,000 for special events (i.e. Super Bowl)
•The upgraded convention center with increased continuous flat, unobstructed exhibition space would propel Los Angeles to #5 in U.S. convention centers compared to #15 now.
•A state-of-the-art Farmers Field would allow Los Angeles to attract major events such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NCAA Final Four, other collegiate championships and Olympic Games among others.
•Able to host four teams simultaneously.
•32,000 parking spaces within a 15 minute walk to Farmers Field are already in operation.
•Allows Los Angeles to compete for many of the industries top 50 conventions that the Los Angeles Convention Center is currently too small to host.
•No other city would have a stadium located closer to its convention center.
•Stadium accessible location with access to Blue Line, Red Line- 3 Metro lines with 5 stops within walking distance.
•Target date for occupancy is Fall 2015.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

BUILD IT BUILD IT BUILD IT!


This project will hopefully help jump start LA Central, which is imperative if we want the rest of South Park to be connected into LA Live.