LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[colemonkee]

^ I care. I care because I live downtown - as well as this place many people refer to as the "real world" or "reality" - and realize that downtown streets need to work for pedestrians, bikes, and auto traffic. Thumbing your nose at one of those three just because you don't use one is inane and frankly, living in denial.

Many of the one way streets downtown are too wide, and could use bike lanes to A) take a lane of auto traffic away and B) slow down the vehicular traffic, making it safer for both bikes and pedestrians, while not having too much of a material impact on the volume of vehicular traffic that goes through there. Which would make 8th and 6th streets, even 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, & 11th Streets perfect candidates for east-west bike lanes.

7th Street could possibly work, though it could get precarious, and potentially dangerous for bikes by taking away two lanes of traffic (this presumes having bike lanes in both directions). 2nd Street is simply too narrow between Broadway & Hill, Main & Spring, and Los Angeles & San Pedro to accommodate a bike lane. Though I'll admit that dedicated bike lanes through the 2nd Street tunnel and further west could - and should - be easily accommodated.

[alki]

Vast improvement over Carl's Jr. With its ugly signage, Carl's only hurt the look of this building.

Industriel Plows into Downtown with Urban Country Digs





http://la.eater.com/archives/2012/05/17/industriel_plows_into_downtown_with_urban_country_digs.php

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Also, just saying JDR, you don't have AMP lofts on the front page. It's a five story development in the Arts District designed by Koening Eizenberg. Here are some renderings.











All from Curbed LA.

Nice looking infill for the Arts District. I have to spend more time there next time I'm in LA. What's the retail and restaurant scene like over there?

[alki]

Originally Posted by citywatch

The devlprs apparently deciding to now tear down the existing small brick bldg surprises me cuz based on the article about the proj from several wks ago, I thought they wanted to preserve that bldg, if only for cost reasons. I had a sense they weren't big time devlprs with the kind of $$ that would allow them to do something ambitious. However, I just read that the flashy images of a new concrete bldg on that site aren't accurate. The devlpr said they asked architects to submit proposals for the new hotel. so for all we know, the actual design may end up being stucco with faux euro trim. .

Could be.......or it could be their way of getting into the big leagues by coming up with an intriguing design that makes someone with deep pockets want to see it get built.

Having said that, I suspect the proposal isn't big enough at 7 stories to pencil and it definitely isn't big enough to fit in aesthetically with its surrounding environment. I think it needs to be doubled in size.

[alki]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

^ I care. I care because I live downtown - as well as this place many people refer to as the "real world" or "reality" - and realize that downtown streets need to work for pedestrians, bikes, and auto traffic. Thumbing your nose at one of those three just because you don't use one is inane and frankly, living in denial.

Many of the one way streets downtown are too wide, and could use bike lanes to A) take a lane of auto traffic away and B) slow down the vehicular traffic, making it safer for both bikes and pedestrians, while not having too much of a material impact on the volume of vehicular traffic that goes through there. Which would make 8th and 6th streets, even 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, & 11th Streets perfect candidates for east-west bike lanes.

7th Street could possibly work, though it could get precarious, and potentially dangerous for bikes by taking away two lanes of traffic (this presumes having bike lanes in both directions). 2nd Street is simply too narrow between Broadway & Hill, Main & Spring, and Los Angeles & San Pedro to accommodate a bike lane. Though I'll admit that dedicated bike lanes through the 2nd Street tunnel and further west could - and should - be easily accommodated.

I understand what you are saying but I think there may be some method to All of that Trash's 'madness'. From what I am reading, Seventh Street is fast becoming a strong pedestrian/destination street. Where there are a lot of pedestrians you definitely want to slow traffic and there is no better way than to introduce bike lanes. And its not like DTLA doesn't have other wide West/East streets that can pick up the slack. I think traffic moving through DT should be diverted to 8th or 9th or Olympic whichever makes more sense. Just a thought.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Nice looking infill for the Arts District. I have to spend more time there next time I'm in LA. What's the retail and restaurant scene like over there?

For its size, not much of a scene; however its getting better. There are a handful of small nodes with some decent restaurants/bars but they're very spread out from each other and not really connected to the rest of downtown. Arts District still needs a lot of work but it's potential is huge considering just how much land it occupies.

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by alki

Could be.......or it could be their way of getting into the big leagues by coming up with an intriguing design that makes someone with deep pockets want to see it get built.

The design previously posted is apparently not the winning design. Stay tuned for the real rendering reveal around June...

From the Los Angeles Downtown News:

Group Planning South Park Hotel
by Ryan Vaillancourt

Another hotel is coming to South Park, and although plans for what is now a derelict structure are early, those involved say it will be a boutique establishment.

The city had initially looked at acquiring a three-story brick edifice at 1130 S. Hope St. and tearing it down to build a park. That plan never came to fruition, and instead the property was purchased by a group of private investors. The group, BIMHF, LLC, has hired an architect and is in the preliminary design and planning phase, said co-owner Rick Son.
Amgen Tour of California (InStory)

While Son said that BIMHF has $25 million in financing "lined up" and the group is looking to open the new hotel in 2014, the room count has not yet been decided. Earlier this week, the website Archdaily.com published renderings purportedly of the project by architecture firm XTEN.

XTEN participated in a design competition for the hotel, but did not win, Son said. He also said the images posted online do not reflect the design direction of the hotel.

“It’s completely different,” he said.

Son said he expects to reveal renderings of the hotel in June.

Source: Los Angeles Downtown News

[alki]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

While Son said that BIMHF has $25 million in financing "lined up" and the group is looking to open the new hotel in 2014, the room count has not yet been decided. Earlier this week, the website Archdaily.com published renderings purportedly of the project by architecture firm XTEN.

XTEN participated in a design competition for the hotel, but did not win, Son said. He also said the images posted online do not reflect the design direction of the hotel.

“It’s completely different,” he said.

Son said he expects to reveal renderings of the hotel in June.

Source: Los Angeles Downtown News

Okay. Nice find. Could be interesting or a disaster..........we'll have to wait until June. Its a stand alone bldg...........I hope they do right by the site.

[JRinSoCal]

^^Of course that design didn't win! Why would anything as cool as that ever be built in downtown LA??

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by JRinSoCal

^^Of course that design didn't win! Why would anything as cool as that ever be built in downtown LA??

Maybe the winning design is cooler? For all we know, the winning design is a BIG design, or something like that.

God, what I would do for a BIG design...

[Quixote]

Illithid Dude, that post from Curbed LA is over 4 years old. The project is in all likelihood dead at this point.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Illithid Dude, that post from Curbed LA is over 4 years old. The project is in all likelihood dead at this point.

It was officially approved summer 2010, so I think the project still has life.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

definitely a great weekend for Downtown LA. The sports marathon went of without a hitch and the traffic was minimal (just like it will be when Farmers Field is built)

Saturday had the Clippers, Lakers, Dodgers and Roger Waters all going
Sunday had the Amgen Tour of California ending at LA Live, the Kings, Clippers and Dodgers

All networks had great aerial coverage of Downtown and LA, and all of em were gushing over how it was an amazing weekend and how much fund they had

[Mojeda101]

Construction has begun on the new Marriott across from LA Live.

Here is a few screenshots from street view.












And here is when I got a good view from LA Live.





By the time I left, there were 2 more tractors on site. I wasn't able to get a picture of them, I just saw them as I drove back home.

I will do the best I can to keep you guys posted on updates!

[JDRCRASH]

wow, thanks for the update photos Mojeda!

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Also, just saying JDR, you don't have AMP lofts on the front page. It's a five story development in the Arts District designed by Koening Eizenberg. Here are some renderings.

Great, I'll add it.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

I will do the best I can to keep you guys posted on updates!

Thanks, mojeda, for helping keeping this thread interesting & alive! I didn't expect much on a sunday evening, but it's forumers like you who actually are in dt, or who certainly live or work there----& better yet, who also bring along cams----who make this thread worth visiting.

your last pic is the more important one to keep in mind. the reason? Ppl staying in the marriott & ritz carlton have a perfect view of all those parking lots & old bldgs. And then we wonder why so many visitors to LA, or at least dtla, have a reaction to the city?

I've read so many 'experts' on urbanism saying LA live isn't architecturally perfect or appropriate, or that it's not accessible to the surrounding hood, or whatever. But when there's still all that north of it-----yet to be cleared out & cleaned up yrs & yrs & yrs after the fact-----fussing over new devlpt not fitting some ideal makes me think of a person getting into a car with a flat tire & worrying that its upholstery is vinyl instead of leather.

[sings twin]

Mojeda:

thanks very much for the photos. I have an interest in this development so i would greatly appreciate you posting any updates you see or hear. Great photos really gave me some insight .

thanks

[Mojeda101]

It's my pleasure everyone! I will keep you guys posted every other weekened! I'm sure the other forum members will give you guys a few pictures here and there when they go as well. We finally have something to look forward to and kept updated on!

Let's just pray the stadium gets built.

[Illithid Dude]

It's gonna be nice finally watching some steel rise again. Thanks for the pictures.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

It's my pleasure everyone! I will keep you guys posted every other weekened!

Your pics inspired me to do my part & use a lazy way of visiting & getting shots of the hood....through google street view!! But I just now did notice a small improvement from when google's cams snapped a part of the area north of la live in 2009 & last yr in 2011.....

the faded old brick apt bldg on georgia st was painted, but most importantly another old brick apt bldg right on 9th street was torn down....


maps.google.com


maps.google.com

TG for small favors.

but quite seriously, it's a COMBINATION of not just the big improvements, but the small ones too that do count. So ppl driving down 9th St more recently have seen a slightly less hood.

let's keep the ball rolling.