LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[pesto]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

Wow that's the first thing I've ever completely agreed with you on!

Not sure I agree. This area already suffers from being deserted at 5:00, by which time the government employees are long gone. Unless there is significant housing and office adjacent, who exactly is going to come to the park? There aren't enough tourists to make an impression, and if there is no retail, commercial, public buildings or hotels, that just leaves the homeless with their bed rolls and carts.

Remember: FIRST you give people a reason to come there; THEN you put in the amenities. Removing the only reason that people come there (govt. employment) seems like a poor way to start.

Example: the Upper East and Westside were already overflowing with people in medium-rises when Central Park was put in. They had to throw out thousands of people who already lived there. DT LA does not have that situation.

[bobcat]

Smart and Final signs 20-year lease at 845 S Fig.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/smart...63ff7e6-9ade-11e1-a591-001a4bcf887a.html

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by pesto

Unless there is significant housing and office adjacent, who exactly is going to come to the park?

I will, and so will the thousands of people who live 3-4 blocks away who want to enjoy a park that's not essentially a dog park. The LAPD lawn is a great space, but I wouldn't go there to play catch for fear of stepping in dog poop. I would most definitely walk 1 or 3 or 4 blocks further for a park that's a bit cleaner in that respect.

[colemonkee]

Here's a closer render of 845 S. Figueroa that shows what looks to be a parking lot entrance to the Smart & Final, and a blank wall with a patio facing Figueroa St. If that's the case, it's a huge mistake and would earn an immediate 'F' in Urban Planning 101. I really hope this is just an outdated render.


Image Source: LA Downtown News & L&R Group

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

FYI, work has started on the new hotels on Olympic. saw them working today

[sings twin]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

FYI, work has started on the new hotels on Olympic. saw them working today

Thanks. Is that the new Marriott at 901 Olympic ?

[BOYCOTT 90210]

Originally Posted by bobcat

Smart and Final signs 20-year lease at 845 S Fig.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/smart...63ff7e6-9ade-11e1-a591-001a4bcf887a.html

Whole Foods ya'll better hurry up or you'll lose ur spot in downtown!

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Here's a closer render of 845 S. Figueroa that shows what looks to be a parking lot entrance to the Smart & Final, and a blank wall with a patio facing Figueroa St. If that's the case, it's a huge mistake and would earn an immediate 'F' in Urban Planning 101. I really hope this is just an outdated render.


Image Source: LA Downtown News & L&R Group

While I can't speak for the blank wall, I know for a fact that the parking lot will be there. After all, they are simply renovating a building, and that parking lot is already there and part of the piece of property. Obviously it will stay.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by sings twin

Thanks. Is that the new Marriott at 901 Olympic ?

yes, thats the one.

Colemonkee, agree 100%. that entrance has to be on Fig

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

FYI, work has started on the new hotels on Olympic. saw them working today

Here is a picture I took about 30 minutes ago. Sorry about the glowing blue thing in the corner. That's the fence. I took this with my phone and the flash is all sorts of vivid.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

FYI, work has started on the new hotels on Olympic. saw them working today

About bloody time. That explains why they removed the blue covers earlier this week.

[OneMetropolis]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

About bloody time. That explains why they removed the blue covers earlier this week.

It just needs media confirmation, so that I can truly believe.

[LA21st]

LAsportsfan,
Are their two hotels planned now?

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

I will, and so will the thousands of people who live 3-4 blocks away who want to enjoy a park that's not essentially a dog park. The LAPD lawn is a great space, but I wouldn't go there to play catch for fear of stepping in dog poop. I would most definitely walk 1 or 3 or 4 blocks further for a park that's a bit cleaner in that respect.

I'm going to agree with Pesto on this park/open space issue regarding the Civic Center area. First of all, we're already getting this great urban park, which I hope will rival Chicago's Millenium Park. (Sorry, this is THE best urban park I've seen in the USA, yes, beating Central Park in NY; tons of fun/activities/designs.)

We have parks at FIDM, Pershing Square (not a true park, but open space), LAPD lawn and now the Civic Park and Spring Street Park. We need more people in downtown LA, living and working, to begin occupying these parks (I DO NOT mean #occupy). Put in some residential buildings in that dilapidated area, and have a central park in the middle; that would be great. But don't make more open space. LA has too much open space, hence why we have building setbacks and buildings are not better connected.

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

I'm going to agree with Pesto on this park/open space issue regarding the Civic Center area. First of all, we're already getting this great urban park, which I hope will rival Chicago's Millenium Park. (Sorry, this is THE best urban park I've seen in the USA, yes, beating Central Park in NY; tons of fun/activities/designs.)

We have parks at FIDM, Pershing Square (not a true park, but open space), LAPD lawn and now the Civic Park and Spring Street Park. We need more people in downtown LA, living and working, to begin occupying these parks (I DO NOT mean #occupy). Put in some residential buildings in that dilapidated area, and have a central park in the middle; that would be great. But don't make more open space. LA has too much open space, hence why we have building setbacks and buildings are not better connected.

You didn' t mention my two favorite parks, Maguire Gardens and Vista Hermosa...as well as the State Park north of Chinatown and Elysian Park, which I wish would be connected more to Downtown since it is the second largest park in Los Angeles. I would take a few more Maguire Gardens-type parks around Downtown if I had any say so.

[bobcat]

A project is being upsized for a change:

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/south...a43cf86-9b8a-11e1-bfdb-001a4bcf887a.html

South Park Apartment Complex Adds Third Building

A groundbreaking is set for May 22 for the newly named The Avant, a now three-building, 440-unit project from developer Century West Partners, a partnership between Chicago-based Fifield Companies and Los Angeles-based Michael Sorochinsky of Cypress Equity Investments.

It was originally planned as a $95 million pair of seven-story apartment buildings set to rise on two parking lots at 1340-1360 S. Figueroa St. and 1355-1365 S. Flower St. The price with the third building has not yet been announced.

According to a project representative, plans for a third building at 1500 S. Figueroa St. will be part of a second phase of the development.

[The Dirty Goblin]

Originally Posted by bobcat

A project is being upsized for a change:

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/south...a43cf86-9b8a-11e1-bfdb-001a4bcf887a.html

South Park Apartment Complex Adds Third Building

hopefully it will be taller than seven stories

[JDRCRASH]

BTW, 1500 Figueroa is the lot where this building is supposed to go:

[Illithid Dude]

Look what I just found! This was proposed in late '08 for the parking lot between the Spring Arcade building and the Alexandria Hotel.



The developer of this also did a ton of adaptive reuse in the area. I found this going through the old SSC forum stuff. Granted, I have no idea if this proposal is still alive, but I thought it was very cool, and perfect for the area.

[Mojeda101]

^ You got my hopes up for a second. -__-