LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[RAlossi]

Gold Line ridership is definitely up significantly (looks like it could be a record), but it's not "up twice as much as the same period last year," at least according to Metro's stats. Is this the first time the Red Line has hit 170k daily riders?

[Quixote]

American Film Market Owner Confirms Talks to Move to Downtown L.A.


The Independent Film & Television Alliance is hoping to make a new home at the LA Live complex.

By Sophie Schillaci
August 8, 2011

The Independent Film & Television Alliance has confirmed that it is in negotiations to move the annual American Film Market from its longtime home in Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles as soon as 2013, as The Hollywood Reporter wrote last week.

“In order to provide the best environment, resources and value for the world’s buyers and sellers, we are negotiating to make the L.A. LIVE district the AFM’s new home for 2013,” IFTA said in a statement Thursday. “There is no deal yet.”

IFTA outlined four reasons it is considering a move: It would lower costs for buyers and sellers; provide a better showcase for movies (which would screen at the Regal Cinemas); increase business efficiency by having everything in close proximity; and provide more dining, sports and entertainment options for travelers from around the world.

...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/american-film-market-owner-confirms-233034

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/american-film-market-owner-confirms-233034

...and I'm assuming that some forumers here will STILL complain about L.A. Live's tax credits. This is investment! This is how mega-projects are funded in ALL CITIES around the world. Without LA Live!, we wouldn't have BUSINESSES showcase their interest to come into downtown LA!

This is going to be a great addition to the center of the City!

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

...and I'm assuming that some forumers here will STILL complain about L.A. Live's tax credits. This is investment! This is how mega-projects are funded in ALL CITIES around the world. Without LA Live!, we wouldn't have BUSINESSES showcase their interest to come into downtown LA!

This is going to be a great addition to the center of the City!

Actually, though I don't like L.A. Live itself, I've never complained about what it has done for the city (which is all good).

[Vangelist]

As someone who works in the film industry and has to attend AFM every other year, this is major news for downtown - and a loss for Santa Monica. Tie it together with the news that the Los Angeles Film Festival (the second most prominent in the city, after AFI Fest every year, which itself only trails Sundance and Telluride nationally) also took place downtown this year, and you have more evidence that the city center is "winning" - in power, perception, prestige and economic tourism, vs LA's other urban nodes.

Exact opposite of the process that slowly submerged it from the mid-50's through the 90s

Los Angeles' AFM is the biggest of the four film markets in the world, with the other three annually occurring in Hong Kong, and then the Berlin and Cannes' Film Festivals. Thousands of international buyers, sellers, distributors and sales agents attend from every corner of the globe, looking to secure rights for broadcast material for television in addition to picking up the latest product industry-wide, from indies to the mini-majors, for their nations' home theaters. Most of what Europe, Asia, North & South America sees and buys is determined at AFM every November, with many premieres simultaneously taking place in previous years at the Arclight (as a tie-in with the AFI Fest) or a theater on the 3rd Street Promenade.

The Regal has more theaters than the Promenade for sure, but I hope that all these new international visitors won't judge downtown just by LA Live or the Regal's "Tucson-wannabe" stucco barfitechture. Hopefully we won't be too far off from a streetcar by then, and they could venture into the more organic, historical and charming parts of the revitalizing downtown: namely Broadway and the rest of the Old Bank District

[Vangelist]

Ideally let's hope the entire enterprise moves further east in half a decade!

The convention should be held at the grand Biltmore, not the new Mariott, with the ballrooms = perfect for the convention booths

And then the AFMarketers could just walk out and down Broadway to see the prospective films in the reopened movie palaces on the boulevard, organically interacting with the city's streetscape and manifesting the market as an "urban activity" in a proper city setting: the world's most important film market taking place in the world's grandest movie palaces: the pride of the world capital of commercial cinema

Yeah, long way off. But much better use of the theaters than as Latino churches or swapmeets, and more preferable than the "faux-urbanity" of LA Live...this is not a convention like any other, this is about MOVIES so what else do we have these grand "palaces" for? We already have the infrastructure, and its not an impossible dream, but probably a decade off. Streetcar and Pershing Squ's remodeling would have to finish up first, with the other half of the palaces' restoration

[LAofAnaheim]

Have I told you how much I love AEG?

Well, not only did they get their 175 day clause for lawsuits..but now it's been expanded to public works projects over $100 million!!!!!! The good thing...this can help prevent a year-long drown out litigation process for our Metro transit projects in Los Angeles (FixCrenshaw must be pissed!!). So, not only was their exemption approved...but we can probably see large public works transit projects move faster with less litigation delays!!! And now you know why some of us appreciate AEG........

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/downtown-stadium-legislature.html

[all of the trash]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

...and I'm assuming that some forumers here will STILL complain about L.A. Live's tax credits. This is investment! This is how mega-projects are funded in ALL CITIES around the world. Without LA Live!, we wouldn't have BUSINESSES showcase their interest to come into downtown LA!

This is going to be a great addition to the center of the City!

No one said L.A. Live wouldn't bring this kind of project. Stop creating inserting false narratives in other people's mouths to gloss over and silence real criticisms of L.A. Live.

[edluva]

Originally Posted by Vangelist

Ideally let's hope the entire enterprise moves further east in half a decade!

The convention should be held at the grand Biltmore, not the new Mariott, with the ballrooms = perfect for the convention booths

And then the AFMarketers could just walk out and down Broadway to see the prospective films in the reopened movie palaces on the boulevard, organically interacting with the city's streetscape and manifesting the market as an "urban activity" in a proper city setting: the world's most important film market taking place in the world's grandest movie palaces: the pride of the world capital of commercial cinema

Yeah, long way off. But much better use of the theaters than as Latino churches or swapmeets, and more preferable than the "faux-urbanity" of LA Live...this is not a convention like any other, this is about MOVIES so what else do we have these grand "palaces" for? We already have the infrastructure, and its not an impossible dream, but probably a decade off. Streetcar and Pershing Squ's remodeling would have to finish up first, with the other half of the palaces' restoration

^that would be a dream come true

[alki]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Don't forget @alki..........Metro bus operations was cut by 8% on July 1st. So you cannot say it's "flat" when 8% of bus hours was cut but ridership stayed essentially the same.

That's right. I forgot about the cutback in bus service. I don't remember for what month the figures were.

Its also good to hear that there is demand for bus services.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Vangelist

The Regal has more theaters than the Promenade for sure, but I hope that all these new international visitors won't judge downtown just by LA Live or the Regal's "Tucson-wannabe" stucco barfitechture. Hopefully we won't be too far off from a streetcar by then, and they could venture into the more organic, historical and charming parts of the revitalizing downtown: namely Broadway and the rest of the Old Bank District

If LA is smart, they won't leave this to chance. They need to actively work to get attendees to explore the rest of downtown. You want the attention of anyone in media whether it be film, news, internet, teevee, etc. It will pay of big time going forward.

Nice catch for DT.

[colemonkee]

^ I regularly see international tourists walking around in the Old Bank District and Little Tokyo. So they get into that area just fine.

Driving over to Home Depot earlier today to pick up some supplies, I noticed 1027 Wilshire is well underway. They've shored up the site and dug down pretty deep. Don't recall seeing a crane, but I wouldn't think it's too far away. I didn't get any pics because A) I was driving and B) it looked like it would be tough to get a shot over the construction fence, and the fence netting is not the kind that's kind to cameras.

Oh, and Glo has given itself a new (to me) paint job. It's no longer baby shit green, but rather a not-as-bad-as-at-it-used-to-be-but-not-necessarily-aesthetically-pleasing tannish brown, with some green accent walls.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by alki

If LA is smart, they won't leave this to chance. They need to actively work to get attendees to explore the rest of downtown. You want the attention of anyone in media whether it be film, news, internet, teevee, etc. It will pay of big time going forward.

Nice catch for DT.

Agree with this. My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year. It's a place where you go because you HAVE to go there to see the Lakers, a concert, etc. For something that really sticks in tourist's or LA people's minds as a nice evening out, the trolley into the rest of DT is critical. Gets you in touch with a real street scene, whether it's Bway, Jtown, 7th St., or hoped for further development.

Unless I am really confused, a sports arena, football stadium and convention center are not going to get people to say, "Hey, this is a cool place to live". Clean, attractive urban streets with people and transit and activity day and evening will bring this kind of reaction. Once LA Live gets them to DT, something has to keep them there.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

there has been a significant jump in tourists in the last year, and they are not sticking to just LA Live. In fact, i would say the average tourist is more likely than an average Angeleno to explore downtown LA.

"My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year" - unfortunately, you are wrong. i wish more tourist would spend more money and time at mom and pops and small chains in the heart of Downtown, but people are most comfortable with what they know, and chains that are available at home get the most business. Tourist LOVE LA Live!

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Driving over to Home Depot earlier today to pick up some supplies, I noticed 1027 Wilshire is well underway. They've shored up the site and dug down pretty deep. Don't recall seeing a crane, but I wouldn't think it's too far away. I didn't get any pics because A) I was driving and B) it looked like it would be tough to get a shot over the construction fence, and the fence netting is not the kind that's kind to cameras.

I think you mean 1111 Wilshire right? 1027 Wilshire by City Center Development hasn't broken ground yet...I hope they do though as they've been talking about that for YEARS.

Oh, and Glo has given itself a new (to me) paint job. It's no longer baby shit green, but rather a not-as-bad-as-at-it-used-to-be-but-not-necessarily-aesthetically-pleasing tannish brown, with some green accent walls.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

there has been a significant jump in tourists in the last year, and they are not sticking to just LA Live. In fact, i would say the average tourist is more likely than an average Angeleno to explore downtown LA.

"My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year" - unfortunately, you are wrong. i wish more tourist would spend more money and time at mom and pops and small chains in the heart of Downtown, but people are most comfortable with what they know, and chains that are available at home get the most business. Tourist LOVE LA Live!

I totally see tourists walking down 7th Street a lot. I have also seen tourists wandering down from the Biltmore into Bottega Louie. It always makes me WISH that 8th/Grand was finished already to provide that strong pedestrian connection from the Financial District into South Park.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by pesto

Agree with this. My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year. It's a place where you go because you HAVE to go there to see the Lakers, a concert, etc. For something that really sticks in tourist's or LA people's minds as a nice evening out, the trolley into the rest of DT is critical. Gets you in touch with a real street scene, whether it's Bway, Jtown, 7th St., or hoped for further development.

Unless I am really confused, a sports arena, football stadium and convention center are not going to get people to say, "Hey, this is a cool place to live". Clean, attractive urban streets with people and transit and activity day and evening will bring this kind of reaction. Once LA Live gets them to DT, something has to keep them there.

LA Live is actually a pretty good place for bar hopping on a sports weekend with a few buddies. So it's not a place that locals go to just because they made it early for a Lakers game.

On the topic of international tourists in LA, I feel like this is the year that I've seen the most tourists visiting LA ever. Santa Monica, Hollywood, and DTLA have been packed with Europeans to an extent that I've never seen before. Haven't noticed a lot of Asian tourists though.

[colemonkee]

Brigham, yes, I did mean 1111 Wilshire.

And I'm surprised that no one has yet brought up the potentially shortened - or nonexistent - NBA season coming up this year due to the Labor disagreements. No NBA season would be pretty devastating to the businesses in LA Live, that probably derive 40% of their annual income as a result of those games (Lakers & Clippers).

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

LA Live is actually a pretty good place for bar hopping on a sports weekend with a few buddies. So it's not a place that locals go to just because they made it early for a Lakers game.

On the topic of international tourists in LA, I feel like this is the year that I've seen the most tourists visiting LA ever. Santa Monica, Hollywood, and DTLA have been packed with Europeans to an extent that I've never seen before. Haven't noticed a lot of Asian tourists though.

I see a lot of European tourists walking near City Hall, the LAPD HQ and the Caltrans building. interestingly I see a lot on the Red Line. You see working class people, students and white Europeans taking the Red Line. Sadly you do not see many professionals unless they are headed to Union Station to catch the Metrolink to the burbs. I think it will change with the Expo Line but it seems like when young professionals take the train it is like they are doing it for the first time and act like it is some big adventure.

Yesterday I was on 7th and a European couple asked for directions to the Mayfair Hotel on 7th... I pointed out they had to walk over the 110 and head west. We need more affordable hotels in Central Downtown. Why don't more developers convert some of these historic and empty buildings into "Best Western" type hotels like you see in other cities? There is such a market here. Now if only the City would spend money on sidewalks, landscaping, fountains, flowers and clean restrooms.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

there has been a significant jump in tourists in the last year, and they are not sticking to just LA Live. In fact, i would say the average tourist is more likely than an average Angeleno to explore downtown LA.

"My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year" - unfortunately, you are wrong. i wish more tourist would spend more money and time at mom and pops and small chains in the heart of Downtown, but people are most comfortable with what they know, and chains that are available at home get the most business. Tourist LOVE LA Live!

I can't disagree with you because I don't have statistics, but this sounds terribly wrong. I can't think EVER of someone saying let's go to LA Live unless they had a specific reason to go there. Very different from Hollywood, SM, WeHo, Pasadena, the Grove, Venice, or even Jtown, which people actually enjoy going to and hanging in without a set plan of action.

At the end of the day, LA Live is institutional. They could have tried for an urban neighborhood feel (say, Greenwich Village or Lower East Side), but they went to the opposite extreme: large entertainment venues and connected food service. This isn't bad, but it isn't enough. If you want people to linger then the shopping, cafes, streetlife, art galleries, historic sites, parks, plazas, etc., need to be there as well.