LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[pesto]

CC is a hard case for sure. But this particular development is actually right on the edge of CC where Little SM Blvd. is already retail. Between this and the approved Waldorf and condos two blocks down, there could develop some decent pedestrian activity. Local services seems more likely than retail, which is dominated by downtown BH and Westfield, which are in easy walking distance.

Maybe the old Friar's Club could become a Trader Joe's and nail salon.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by edluva

century city is a lost cause as far as sidewalk-activating is concerned

Not necessarily.

Those large plazas in Century City could easily be retrofitted to include new retail spaces that could help activate sidewalks at least during the day.

Brookfield had a similiar goal for their Sanwa Bank/Fig at Wilshire high-rise a few years ago. And they STILL have plans to do the same thing for their Bank of America tower on Bunker Hill by adding retail spaces to the plazas.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Not necessarily.

Those large plazas in Century City could easily be retrofitted to include new retail spaces that could help activate sidewalks at least during the day.

Brookfield had a similiar goal for their Sanwa Bank/Fig at Wilshire high-rise a few years ago. And they STILL have plans to do the same thing for their Bank of America tower on Bunker Hill by adding retail spaces to the plazas.

Wait whoa whoa whoa what? What is happening with those two towers? Link? Source? Renders? I want to see more about this, it is incredibly exciting.

[dktshb]

Well not much of an update but here is a picture of The Avenue formally known as the Madrone. I took the picture looking west on Hawthorne towards La Brea. Considering the lots that were used for the project used to be a used car lot and parking lot, this is an improvement:

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Wait whoa whoa whoa what? What is happening with those two towers? Link? Source? Renders? I want to see more about this, it is incredibly exciting.

Are you talking about the twin towers proposed behind the Century Plaza Hotel? As far as I know, it's looking for financing.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Are you talking about the twin towers proposed behind the Century Plaza Hotel? As far as I know, it's looking for financing.

No he's talking about the Sanwa Bank tower and the Bank of America tower that Brookfield owns in DTLA. They have plans to enhance their plazas in the future. Probably AFTER 7+FIG is completed in 2012.

[pesto]

The Sanwa and B of A towers plaza development plans are news to me as well and very welcome. I won't be optimistic about them until I see the whole plan, since I am not sure who is going to be on Bunker Hill unless they are at work. It's not exactly touristy and not residential at all.

The Century Plaza Hotel project had some significant additions in the form of walkways and landscaping toward Westfield and the subway, but how much of it survives is hard to say since the old hotel needs to stay where it is and his makes the space very awkward to develop.

Westfield had planned street-front retail on Ave. of the Stars and SM Blvd., but that will presumably be scrapped if the Purple Line stop is built south of there on Constellation.

[RAlossi]

^ Bunker Hill actually has a lot of residential (BH Towers, Promenade/Promenade West/Promenade Tower, Museum Tower, Grand Tower, with nearby Palmer developments and Canvas LA). Whether those residents actually explore the neighborhood is another story.

There's also a good number of hotel rooms nearby.

But yeah, even with all that, I'm not sure how retail would work at BofA Plaza. Their Friday farmers' market does really well though.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by RAlossi

^ Bunker Hill actually has a lot of residential (BH Towers, Promenade/Promenade West/Promenade Tower, Museum Tower, Grand Tower, with nearby Palmer developments and Canvas LA). Whether those residents actually explore the neighborhood is another story.

There's also a good number of hotel rooms nearby.

But yeah, even with all that, I'm not sure how retail would work at BofA Plaza. Their Friday farmers' market does really well though.

I think everything adds up, but it would obviously help if the Grand Avenue project was built. I see it like this. Without the Grand Avenue project, forget about activating Bunker Hill. But with the Grand Avenue project, all of a sudden, the existing and future retail spaces added (such as B of A plaza) will add energy to the Grand Ave Project to make Bunker Hill more active.

It's pretty obvious that Bunker Hill not only has tons of empty plazas, but also tons of empty lots. That can't help!

[edluva]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

Not necessarily.

Those large plazas in Century City could easily be retrofitted to include new retail spaces that could help activate sidewalks at least during the day.

Brookfield had a similiar goal for their Sanwa Bank/Fig at Wilshire high-rise a few years ago. And they STILL have plans to do the same thing for their Bank of America tower on Bunker Hill by adding retail spaces to the plazas.

pipe dream. modernist highrise districts just aren't built for that kind of activity. especially horribly executed ones like cc. even in great skyscraper cities like nyc, the greatest neighborhoods are brick and mortar neighborhoods that resemble our broadway. i don't get the fascination with forcing sterilized skyscraper districts to become what they're not. juvenile misconceptions of urbanism if you ask me

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by edluva

pipe dream

Building a few thousand square feet of new retail space on underutilized plazas isn't a pipe dream, it's really not that hard. And expecting people to patronize businesses in these new retail spaces, which will help activate the streets during the day isn't outlandish either.

[edluva]

a few thousand sf of retail? what kind of worthwhile mom and pop's are going to pay the exhorbitant rent? and how many will you get such that a worthwhile grouping of them coalesce into cohesive pedestrian experience? pipe dream.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by edluva

a few thousand sf of retail? what kind of worthwhile mom and pop's are going to pay the exhorbitant rent? and how many will you get such that a worthwhile grouping of them coalesce into cohesive pedestrian experience? pipe dream.

A few thousand square feet of retail on each plaza, combined over a wider area creates more spaces for future tenants. Retail spaces are nothing new or that hard to create once the demand is there. Not a pipe dream at all.

[202_Cyclist]

Luxury condo tower is planned on Santa Monica Boulevard

A Miami developer proposes a building of up to 39 stories with 283 units, which would be priced at an average $1.5 million. The $184-million project is at the site of a similar proposal that was aborted by the SunCal Cos.



An artist's rendering of Miami developer Crescent Heights' proposed condominium tower at 10000 Santa Monica Blvd. It would have 283 units priced at an average of $1.5 million. (Los Angeles Times)

By Roger Vincent
Los Angeles Times
March 4, 2011

"Plans have been unveiled for a $184-million luxury condominium tower on a highly sought-after site on Santa Monica Boulevard between Beverly Hills and Century City.

Miami developer Crescent Heights said it is seeking approval from Los Angeles officials to build a 283-unit tower at 10000 Santa Monica Blvd. The condos would range from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet, which is on the small side for the local luxury market, and are priced at an average of $1.5 million.

The project "is styled to be modern, elegant, chic and environmentally friendly," spokesman Steven Afriat said. It would look like "a totally modern aesthetic in glass," he added, with few of the glass pieces being the same size.

The previous owner, Irvine builder SunCal Cos., had planned to build a 45-story luxury condominium tower designed by prominent French architect Jean Nouvel. SunCal had paid $110.2 million for the property in 2006 after winning a bidding war with New York real estate mogul Donald Trump. The housing market cooled in the recession, however, and SunCal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the property in late 2008..."

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-condo-development-20110304,0,754386.story

[202_Cyclist]

Luxury apartment, retail development to get underway in L.A.

Mall magnate Rick Caruso is set to break ground on a $60-million development near his Grove shopping center.


The apartment and retail complex backed by mall magnate Rick Caruso is shown in an artist's rendering. The $60-million development will have 88 units. (Los Angeles Times)

By Roger Vincent
Los Angeles Times
March 8, 2011

"Few major commercial real estate projects have launched in Southern California since 2008, when the economic downturn crashed the party.

That may be about to change.

Mall magnate Rick Caruso is set to break ground Tuesday on a $60-million luxury apartment and retail development near his Grove shopping center in Los Angeles.

The eight-story complex will house 88 apartments over a Trader Joe's grocery store on a site on Burton Way at La Cienega Boulevard that was once home to a popular seafood restaurant known for its entrance in the shape of a whale's mouth.

The project will be smaller than the Grove or Caruso's vast Americana at Brand shopping and residential development in downtown Glendale, but it is one of a handful of substantial developments that have gotten underway since the downturn brought most building to a halt..."

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-caruso-development-20110308,0,7462076.story

[Jonovision]

That's a really cool little infill. I especially love that big piece of green right in the middle. Looks great!

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by pesto

Westfield had planned street-front retail on Ave. of the Stars and SM Blvd., but that will presumably be scrapped if the Purple Line stop is built south of there on Constellation.

No, not at all. The stop will be integrated, and the new retail will be TOD.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

That's a really cool little infill. I especially love that big piece of green right in the middle. Looks great!

The building looks nice, but that parking lot around it is absurd. Shouldn't luxury apartments have below ground parking?

[pesto]

As usual, I'm confused.

illithid: I don't understand your post. Westfield was planning a high-rise at SM and A of the Stars, with Bloomingdales moving to it, a subway station in it and retail of some sort along SM and A of the Stars. Is this still happening even if the station moves to Constellation and CP West (or near there)? Good news if it's true.

Caruso: is that a road (Burton or La Cienega) or a parking lot or both? I would guess that this sort of mid-rise development is going to proliferate on the west-side but not with surface parking lots. That's got to be banned.

[Quixote]

Nice looking infill.