LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[202_Cyclist]

Changing topics from the interminable discussion of clothing retailers, the New Republic has a post about Southern California becoming a leading art capital of the US.

http://www.tnr.com/article/art/magazine/97781/los-angeles-art-pacific-standard-time-getty

[pesto]

Originally Posted by bobcat

Brigham's blog has the latest on the Hotel Clark renovation. According to him it will become part of the King & Grove chain of boutique luxury hotels. No word yet on opening date.

http://brighamyen.com/2011/12/02/breakin...and-grove-hotel-in-downtown-los-angeles/

This sounds almost too good to be true. That's a large property and presumably it will go sort of "elegant-hip" which is a bit surprising for that area (so close to govt. offices and Bunker Hill). But apparently someone feels like there is a future for Broadway, Grand Ave. and tourism in general.

[bobcat]

^According to this recent article, tourism is at record levels and convention business is strong. With the Wilshire Grand coming offline in few weeks there's an opportunity for one or more hotels to step in to fill the void.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Dropped by Artisan House last night.... wow. Beautiful is the only word to describe the place. Got a sandwich to go and it was spectacular.

That short stretch of Main is looking perfect. There is so much potential with the numerous empty lots and the one story buildings. Its only a matter of time before the Los Angeles to Broadway, Olympic to 7th stretch is the most booming part of downtown.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Department Stores aggregate clothing from multiple brands. XXI is just one brand. Target is a department store.

Well, Target has departments, but it's not a department store in the traditional sense, where there really are individual departments, each with their own registers and trained staff who are knowledgeable about the merchandise in their respective departments.

Target is basically just a large discount store.

[sopas ej]

I knew this bridge consisted of 2 bridges stacked on top of each other, but I wasn't aware of proposed plans for a marketplace...

From KPCC (Southern California Public Radio scpr.org):

Secrets under LA's 7th Street Bridge

Jerry Gorin



Most of the bridges that cross the LA River are your standard single-deck bridge. They might be pretty to look at, but one of the bridges has a secret world beneath it, and there's a plan, at least, to open it up to the public. Jerry Gorin reports.

Before 1927, crossing the 7th street Bridge was a traffic nightmare. Train tracks blocked traffic on both sides and city planners knew they had to build over them. But instead of tearing down the old bridge, they built a new span on top of the old one, and the space beneath has been sitting idle for 80 years. Arthur Golding, an architect who’s always had a passion for bridges, recently began a project to convert the unused space below the 7th Street Bridge into an open-air marketplace.

“It can be a kind of Mercado – I call it the Mercado del Rio – where there are shops, restaurants, and craft and art venues.”





[...]

For the rest of the story, more pictures and an audio transcript, click here (you actually get more from the audio transcript).

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by pesto

This sounds almost too good to be true. That's a large property and presumably it will go sort of "elegant-hip" which is a bit surprising for that area (so close to govt. offices and Bunker Hill). But apparently someone feels like there is a future for Broadway, Grand Ave. and tourism in general.

Actually, it makes sense because the location is close to the amazingly transformed Historic Core, the beautiful restaurant Perch, the Biltmore and is so close to Bunker Hill. Hill Street needs some changes but Broadway is really starting to take off. There are very few "hip" hotels Downtown. Kind of like Checkers Hotel meets the Standard Hotel. The area's residential population is booming...this bridges a lot of gaps....would love to see more. Time for a Pershing Square upgrade, eh?

Here is another tavern opening up in the Historic Core:

http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/12/02/...wn_new_nctl_resto_space_up_for_grabs.php

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

What does JCPennys or Nordstrom do to make them department stores than the new giant Forever 21s are not doing...?

Is it the fact that they sell dishes and stuff? Because with that definition, Target is a department store.

Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus, Macy's etc sell dishes, kitchen stuff, multiple brand names, shoes, expensive jewlery, make up, beds etc.. They have an image of being more UPSCALE in contrast to walmart or target which are DISCOUNT department stores.. that sell similar things but rather more cheap, they sell electronics, music and video games... toiletries and pet food... plants and whole bunch of things .. and they now sell groceries.. theres an obvious difference between the Upscale Bloomingdales to the Discount, half-price WalMart. Both department stores just different types of it.

XXI sells only certain brand names associated with the Forever 21 company...

21Men: Aimed at males
Forever 21+: Aimed for plus size women
Love 21: Contemporary style for women
Twisted Wonderland: Urban street chic, "harajuku-like"
and more

They sell jewlery too but its on racks and tables... obvious similarities to what Express and H&M sell.. XXI is a retail chain.. not a dept store.. their stores just happen to recently become HUGE thats all.

[JDRCRASH]

This 7th street marketplace idea sounds like it could be interesting. Could be a nice place to hang out and relax, especially when the LA River is fixed up. Plus, you get a clear view of the 6th St viaduct replacement.

Maybe if there were beautiful murals on the ceiling under the top deck? Or does that sound a little too silly and tacky?

[RuFFy]

Not that I have any indication of what department store would be moving in, but I believe there is a push from Walmart to break into urban markets. It seems kind of natural that Walmart would follow Target. Not just that, but there would be tons of people who could easily transition from the broadway shops to Wally World (which I never shop at). We'll see.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

Actually, it makes sense because the location is close to the amazingly transformed Historic Core, the beautiful restaurant Perch, the Biltmore and is so close to Bunker Hill. Hill Street needs some changes but Broadway is really starting to take off. There are very few "hip" hotels Downtown. Kind of like Checkers Hotel meets the Standard Hotel. The area's residential population is booming...this bridges a lot of gaps....would love to see more. Time for a Pershing Square upgrade, eh?

Here is another tavern opening up in the Historic Core:

http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/12/02/...wn_new_nctl_resto_space_up_for_grabs.php

Agree in general. All I was trying to say is that it's even BETTER news for DT if people think there is demand for nice tourist hotels like this one even to the north where suits and govt. are the rule. Great times coming!

[alki]

Originally Posted by pesto

This sounds almost too good to be true. That's a large property and presumably it will go sort of "elegant-hip" which is a bit surprising for that area (so close to govt. offices and Bunker Hill). But apparently someone feels like there is a future for Broadway, Grand Ave. and tourism in general.

The Clark was one of the buildings I liked most about DTLA......ditto for the Embassy. I could easily see that area going more upscale.......esp with a revamped Pershing Square [I think that will happen in the near future] and with the upgrade the gov't mall/park is getting. As much as I don't much care for Bunker Hill, it provides a great anchor for that part of DT.

Its amazing to see all the things I imagined for DTLA coming to fruition. Its an exciting time.

[alki]

Los Angeles’ Streetcar Plans: Too Duplicative of Existing Services?»

Los Angeles submitted an application for U.S. TIGER funds with the intention of building a downtown streetcar line. But the alignments proposed are very similar to those offered by existing rail and bus services — and each would operate in a one-way loop, a failed transit concept.

Los Angeles has big hopes for its downtown, and, like most of the country’s major cities, it has seen significant population growth in the inner core over the past ten years. Now, to extend this renaissance, the city — also like many others — is planning a streetcar line that would traverse the district from north to south. Last month, it applied for $37.5 million in U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant dollars, which it hopes to supplement with local and private funds to complete an initial route of between 3 and 5 one-way track miles at a cost of between $106 and $138 million.

Despite the fact that planning for the L.A. streetcar goes back for more than a decade thanks to the work of a public-private local advocacy group, the city will have plenty of competition in its effort to win federal funds. Requests for the third round of TIGER funding outnumbered actual funding available by 27 to 1. With so many projects up for consideration, anything funded by Washington ought to be valuable. But L.A.’s project could benefit from significant improvement.

The fundamental problem with the proposed streetcar is that its service pattern would overlap that of other transit lines either funded or in service today. Though there are several corridors under consideration (a final route alignment will be selected in February 2012), each would run within the general north-south corridor between Broadway to the east and Figueroa to the west and Pico to the south and Union Station to the north.

This broad corridor, it turns out, will be mostly duplicated by light rail once the Regional Connector — a more than $1 billion project — links the Blue and Expo lines south of downtown with the Gold Line north of it by 2020. The Silver Line, a bus rapid transit route that connects El Monte to South L.A., runs a very similar alignment. And literally dozens of local and rapid bus lines running with headways of 15 minutes or less throughout the day (shown in yellow on the map below) run similar routes. All of these lines are within half a mile or less of all of the proposed streetcar routes.

read more................

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011/...ns-too-duplicative-of-existing-services/

[pesto]

Originally Posted by alki

Los Angeles’ Streetcar Plans: Too Duplicative of Existing Services?»

Los Angeles submitted an application for U.S. TIGER funds with the intention of building a downtown streetcar line. But the alignments proposed are very similar to those offered by existing rail and bus services — and each would operate in a one-way loop, a failed transit concept.

Los Angeles has big hopes for its downtown, and, like most of the country’s major cities, it has seen significant population growth in the inner core over the past ten years. Now, to extend this renaissance, the city — also like many others — is planning a streetcar line that would traverse the district from north to south. Last month, it applied for $37.5 million in U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant dollars, which it hopes to supplement with local and private funds to complete an initial route of between 3 and 5 one-way track miles at a cost of between $106 and $138 million.

Despite the fact that planning for the L.A. streetcar goes back for more than a decade thanks to the work of a public-private local advocacy group, the city will have plenty of competition in its effort to win federal funds. Requests for the third round of TIGER funding outnumbered actual funding available by 27 to 1. With so many projects up for consideration, anything funded by Washington ought to be valuable. But L.A.’s project could benefit from significant improvement.

The fundamental problem with the proposed streetcar is that its service pattern would overlap that of other transit lines either funded or in service today. Though there are several corridors under consideration (a final route alignment will be selected in February 2012), each would run within the general north-south corridor between Broadway to the east and Figueroa to the west and Pico to the south and Union Station to the north.

This broad corridor, it turns out, will be mostly duplicated by light rail once the Regional Connector — a more than $1 billion project — links the Blue and Expo lines south of downtown with the Gold Line north of it by 2020. The Silver Line, a bus rapid transit route that connects El Monte to South L.A., runs a very similar alignment. And literally dozens of local and rapid bus lines running with headways of 15 minutes or less throughout the day (shown in yellow on the map below) run similar routes. All of these lines are within half a mile or less of all of the proposed streetcar routes.

read more................

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011/...ns-too-duplicative-of-existing-services/

The comments to the article effectively dismantle it. This is why you don't let techno-wonks make decisions. They see air and ship going on the same route as duplicative. And why send an oil tanker and a luxury cruiser to the same place when you can put everything on one boat? Why do NY and London have bus lines running almost the same places as subways?

Like it or not, it's the customer you have to please, not the academic urban planners. The great lesson of 3000 years of living in cities.

[alki]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

Actually, it makes sense because the location is close to the amazingly transformed Historic Core, the beautiful restaurant Perch, the Biltmore and is so close to Bunker Hill. Hill Street needs some changes but Broadway is really starting to take off. There are very few "hip" hotels Downtown. Kind of like Checkers Hotel meets the Standard Hotel. The area's residential population is booming...this bridges a lot of gaps....would love to see more. Time for a Pershing Square upgrade, eh?

Here is another tavern opening up in the Historic Core:

http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/12/02/...wn_new_nctl_resto_space_up_for_grabs.php

Dang. I just read your post........we think a lot alike.

BTW isn't that new upper story restaurant/club near the Clark? I don't know what condition Hill Street is in these days but I always like that street.

[alki]

Originally Posted by pesto

The comments to the article effectively dismantle it. This is why you don't let techno-wonks make decisions. They see air and ship going on the same route as duplicative. And why send an oil tanker and a luxury cruiser to the same place when you can put everything on one boat? Why do NY and London have bus lines running almost the same places as subways?

Like it or not, it's the customer you have to please, not the academic urban planners. The great lesson of 3000 years of living in cities.

I can't speak to the part about where the streetcar duplicates the routes of other transit lines in DT........I am just not that familiar with transit in DTLA........ but the discussion re. the line running in one direction in a rectangular or circular pattern is one we had up here.

And I think it has some merit. The way it looks now if you get on the streetcar at say Broadway and 6th, it looks like you have to go all the way around the route in order to get back to your original starting point. For a tourist that may not be such a big deal........because they usually are not pressed for time....but for a DT hipster in may be a big pain in the butt.

Something to think about.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Dropped by Artisan House last night.... wow. Beautiful is the only word to describe the place.

since i showed all those pics a few days ago of sad macys plaza, I have to do penance by posting what looks like a very appealing new part of the hood....


la.eater.com


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la.eater.com

instead of bottega's marble shininess, artisan house is more rustic & warm, with it wood plank floors. I'm sure its acoustics will be easier on the ears than BL, which can be deafening at times...or almost all the time.

AH looks like it is undertaking a more ambitious mini grocery store format, while I notice BL has reduced a bit of the same. I recall it having more food products on display in the beginning. of course, there's more competition from the nearby ralphs, so that may have affected BL's sales, while AH is more in isolated splendor. another difference....BL doesn't have sidewalk seating, AH does!

I still recall worrying that before BL opened its doors back in 2009, that it was too big & ambitious for the hood --->

more recently, I wondered if there was a formula for AH that would offer an equally nice niche as BL's....I was worried they'd have to duplicate BL to get that ---->

however, AH is closer to the grittier, skid row side of the hood, & I don't know whether that will intimidate ppl who otherwise have no problem visiting BL. With all the perishables in the mini mkt, they will need higher turnover, more sales from customers. I hope my worrying about that also is ---->

changes like this deserve.....

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

Is it the fact that they sell dishes and stuff? Because with that definition, Target is a department store.

I would classify target as a dept store if instead of a grocery store type of checkout area near the front doors, there were cashiers stationed throughout each dept of the store. but that's just my definition & ymmv.

I definitely would favor a forever 21 on broadway instead of a walmart. but whatever moves into the former space of the old may co bldg----assuming that's more than rumor----I just hope it doesn't encourage the existing base of slumlords, their codependent swapmeet tenants, & the customers who keep giving enough $$ to the swapmeets & slumlords to make it worthwhile for everyone.

[pesto]

Wow. Artisan is very nice. Agree about the woods creating more warmth and a neighborhood feel but with big city style and class. A real gem.

Louie's and LA Live's restaurants went for more of a big city tourist-oriented look; that's why, successful as they are, I can't consider them as creating a "neighborhood" where regulars gather and linger.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I would classify target as a dept store if instead of a grocery store type of checkout area near the front doors, there were cashiers stationed throughout each dept of the store. but that's just my definition & ymmv.

I definitely would favor a forever 21 on broadway instead of a walmart. but whatever moves into the former space of the old may co bldg----assuming that's more than rumor----I just hope it doesn't encourage the existing base of slumlords, their codependent swapmeet tenants, & the customers who keep giving enough $$ to the swapmeets & slumlords to make it worthwhile for everyone.

Backwards. Low income DRIVES low quality retail DRIVES low rents DRIVES minimal upkeep. The "slumlords" would much rather be renting to Bloomies or Nordstrom or anyone else who thought they could sell $400 shoes, $200 shirts, etc. But they can't get those guys so they rent to whoever is willing to sign a lease.