LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by Easy

On the downside, what's happening with the Wilshire Grand demolition? I couldn't help but notice that there are still curtains in all of the windows. Doesn't seem like demolition is imminent at all.

blackcat posted on SSC that a security guard told him they're taking care of asbestos removal, demolition will take at least a year... and that a fence should be going up soon.

[Easy]

Ok. Appreciate the update.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

The only thing that worries me about the Barry Shy tower is that... it's Barry Shy. The man is notorious for using the cheapest possible materials, destroying historic architecture, letting in any tenant that has money (I remember an uproar over a sexshop) and more. I can't help but think any tower he builds will end up being extremely detrimental in the long run.

I am having a hard time buying into a 40 story condo project on Main St. It wouldn't surprise me if this one didn't get built.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Developer Barry Shy said he plans to start construction on a six-story parking garage at 601 S. Main St. and a 40-story, 700-unit condominium tower on the same parcel in about six months. Construction would last about two years. There is no budget available yet.

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by alki

I am having a hard time buying into a 40 story condo project on Main St. It wouldn't surprise me if this one didn't get built.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Developer Barry Shy said he plans to start construction on a six-story parking garage at 601 S. Main St. and a 40-story, 700-unit condominium tower on the same parcel in about six months. Construction would last about two years. There is no budget available yet.

Christ, even more parking?! If there is one place in LA that does not need more parking, it has to be DTLA, with its myriad of parking decks/garages, open lots, and in-house company garages. Mass transit will get nowhere in LA if it drivers and automobile infrastructure continue to be accommodated to on a silver platter. At this point, it is pretty much "two steps forward, one step backward".

[bobbyv]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

Christ, even more parking?! If there is one place in LA that does not need more parking, it has to be DTLA, with its myriad of parking decks/garages, open lots, and in-house company garages. Mass transit will get nowhere in LA if it drivers and automobile infrastructure continue to be accommodated to on a silver platter. At this point, it is pretty much "two steps forward, one step backward".

I know I am talking about something way out in the future but I don't mind if they build these parking lots because eventually they will have to come down when peak oil becomes a reality, now like I said this might not happen in our lifetimes but it will happen sometime in the future

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by Easy

I kind of like the proposed Hanover building, although the problem with some of these - especially the stucco ones - is that you really can't say until you see the finished product. Their first building looked ok on paper, but the final product missed the mark for me.

LASportsfan, thanks for the heads up regarding the DT News article. Things are definitely getting exciting again. What's already in the pipeline for the next 24 months is going to exceed the previous "boom" by quite a bit and I'm optimistic that we're going to hear good news from some of the larger projects within that time frame. Hopefully LA Central or Metropolis will be one of them.

On the downside, what's happening with the Wilshire Grand demolition? I couldn't help but notice that there are still curtains in all of the windows. Doesn't seem like demolition is imminent at all.

I heard from a local land owner that Metropolis may be for sale in the near future. It just doesn't look like IDS is going to take Metropolis on if the rumor is true...

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Citywatch must be ecstatic.

westsidelife, I'm still sort of recovering from my visit a few days ago...still a bit surprised by how ambivalent I am about the current shape of things. iow, I came away with a feeling of greater impatience...of wanting to sell the hood with great enthusiasm & conviction (such as to a longtime friend of mine & her daughter) but instead feeling like I was a sales rep of, for example, clothing that falls apart after a few washings (fwiw, that's a problem with some of the stuff sold by forever 21 ).

So very mixed emotions.....However, things definitely are better today than they were in the past. but I came away with a greater realization that the hood should never have been so rundown & empty to begin with. So I guess right now I'm in more of a "show me the money!" frame of mind, more demanding than I was previously. but not about things like whether a new proj will have parking or not, or even whether its design will win a Pritzker or not, but whether its scheduled completion....or groundbreaking....will be delayed, & delayed & delayed.

Among other projs or proposals.....I'm looking at you, clark hotel.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

There is more to office space location and vacancy then aesthetics.

If so, illithid, then I think the problem all these yrs & yrs has been that too many ppl have felt the exact same thing....& ignored or overlooked all the problems. they've ended up being too tolerant & patient about the condition of things. that goes double for the owners of bldgs along broadway, or all the owners of parking lots not too far from LA live, who've contentedly sat on their land....not lifting a finger to clean up things.....and happily twiddled their thumbs.

When some of the proposed new projs are coming from companies based in oregon or texas, or new york or atlanta, or farther away, I wonder if that reflects some of what has made me so all these yrs. iow, too many ppl here locally...here in LA....haven't been as interested as they should have been in cleaning up & improving the hood.

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

I heard from a local land owner that Metropolis may be for sale in the near future. It just doesn't look like IDS is going to take Metropolis on if the rumor is true...

Let's pool our money and buy it! With our penchant for urbanism and good design, what could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, though, this may be a blessing in disguise. If you look at many of the projects moving forward, a fair number of them are previous proposals at distressed - but entitled - properties picked up by deeper-pocketed, more experienced developers with easier access to financing or construction capital. If someone big (cough!AEGcough!) were to come along and buy it, they may have a better chance of launching that first phase, which realistically would be a hotel/apartment or hotel/condo development.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Let's pool our money and buy it! With our penchant for urbanism and good design, what could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, though, this may be a blessing in disguise. If you look at many of the projects moving forward, a fair number of them are previous proposals at distressed - but entitled - properties picked up by deeper-pocketed, more experienced developers with easier access to financing or construction capital. If someone big (cough!AEGcough!) were to come along and buy it, they may have a better chance of launching that first phase, which realistically would be a hotel/apartment or hotel/condo development.

exactly. With AEG and the proposed Avenue of Angels taking shape, it seems like a natural fit honestly.

[BrandonJXN]

I still say it should be called 'Francisco Street' and not 'Avenue of the Angels.'

[RuFFy]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Seriously, though, this may be a blessing in disguise. If you look at many of the projects moving forward, a fair number of them are previous proposals at distressed - but entitled - properties picked up by deeper-pocketed, more experienced developers with easier access to financing or construction capital. If someone big (cough!AEGcough!) were to come along and buy it, they may have a better chance of launching that first phase, which realistically would be a hotel/apartment or hotel/condo development.

Funny that I was thinking the same thing about LA Central and AEG. But in all seriousness there are plenty of properties that show this potential downtown including Grand Ave and I'm curious to see what happens in downtown over the next few years.

Other than that, I was in downtown last week for the first time in over a year and I have to say I kind of agree with CityWatch that I came away a little disappointed. I love downtown but I think as momentum has grown I'm starting to expect increased results. Unfortunately it was Sunday evening and that might have had something to do with it... But then I contrast that to downtown 20 years ago and I see it's jumped leaps and bounds in terms of image and growth. Then, downtown wasn't even an afterthought. I'm not sure what to make of it but I still think downtown is forming itself and developing a solid identity. On a few occasions I saw people walking their 4 legged family members which was nice. I also saw a good street fight outside bottega louie. The community seems to be younger, open minded and exploratory. I guess downtown still reflects this youth and will mature in time... We'll see. Either way I left feeling optimistic that when I return again there will be more storefronts open and from the looks of things, more community too.

[RuFFy]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

I still say it should be called 'Francisco Street' and not 'Avenue of the Angels.'

I know this sounds corny but how about in Spanish, Avenida de Los Angeles? It'd be saying the same thing but have the added benefit of saying where it is in its name for people who are visiting and all that bs.. :| or not.. Lol

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

I know this sounds corny but how about in Spanish, Avenida de Los Angeles? It'd be saying the same thing but have the added benefit of saying where it is in its name for people who are visiting and all that bs.. :| or not.. Lol

Say you lived in The Valley somewhere and you were looking for something to do on a Friday night. Imagine talking to your friends and someone says, 'Why don't we go to Avenida de Los Angeles?' Someone is going to say, 'Where is that? Mexico?' Then someone says 'Why don't we go down to Francisco Street where all the clubs and bars are at?'

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

Other than that, I was in downtown last week for the first time in over a year and I have to say I kind of agree with CityWatch that I came away a little disappointed. I love downtown but I think as momentum has grown I'm starting to expect increased results. Unfortunately it was Sunday evening and that might have had something to do with it...

I wonder if there will ever be a time....at least before everyone is old & gray....when a person will be able to go to dt & come away totally impressed, satisfied, contented?

in one way it's exasperating....at least for me....to visit the hood after yrs & yrs of improvements have been made, & are being made, & still feel sort of . It didn't help that the person I was with during my visit wasn't exactly bubbling with enthusiasm, but it also was my seeing things from a very close standpoint & realizing that it's the finer details that can be easily forgotten or ignored when dealing with dt from a distance.

One really has to be IN dtla, looking at it closely, to really understand what needs to be done. I saw bldgs & locations around FIDM that I don't recall noticing or being so bothered by in the past....properties that were really shabby. the abandoned tire store on 8th St (or was it 9th?) really stood out to me this time around. Parts of the hood looked surprisingly poor in a way that I didn't think would be so noticeable, or still even existed. I guess in my mind....when thinking of what dt is like, but as seen from a distance.....I've unfairly exaggerated the positive impact that various improvements have had on the aspects of the hood.

I've also based what's going on today using the past as kind of a marker, as a starting point. But that can be a misleading way to look at things, cuz things shouldn't have been so to begin with.

it would be interesting what my feelings would have been like if my visit there last wk coincided with lots of sightings of very new improvements &, most definitely, the start of groundbreaking of projs long talked about, &, so far, still only talked about. That & visiting the hood with a person who already was sold on the hood & didn't need to be hyped about it.

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

Funny that I was thinking the same thing about LA Central and AEG. But in all seriousness there are plenty of properties that show this potential downtown including Grand Ave and I'm curious to see what happens in downtown over the next few years.

Other than that, I was in downtown last week for the first time in over a year and I have to say I kind of agree with CityWatch that I came away a little disappointed. I love downtown but I think as momentum has grown I'm starting to expect increased results. Unfortunately it was Sunday evening and that might have had something to do with it... But then I contrast that to downtown 20 years ago and I see it's jumped leaps and bounds in terms of image and growth. Then, downtown wasn't even an afterthought. I'm not sure what to make of it but I still think downtown is forming itself and developing a solid identity. On a few occasions I saw people walking their 4 legged family members which was nice. I also saw a good street fight outside bottega louie. The community seems to be younger, open minded and exploratory. I guess downtown still reflects this youth and will mature in time... We'll see. Either way I left feeling optimistic that when I return again there will be more storefronts open and from the looks of things, more community too.

I can tell you Sunday evenings are super quiet Downtown (Little Tokyo is an exception). Only now there are many places starting to stay open. Also, let's compare the amount of time (not a city to city comparison) it took for a Southern California Downtown (north of Mexico) to change. Decades. There it started around the early 80's...before that, there was nothing. So, Downtown LA may not really be the place you want it to be for at least 20 years (10 years ago it started). I am older and will still be around in 20 years....but that is OK. The changes I have seen from the time I was in High School (1974) until now are astonishing. Be patient and you won't be disappointed.

It takes a long time for changes here. Imagine DTLA 20 years from now. Population will be 100,000. Streetcars will be taking people around Downtown. More parks will open. Retail will establish itself. Yes, I get frustrated at the pace...but then again I spent a lot of working hours in Downtown in the 80s and have seen the progression. The Downtown population is VERY young, creative and successful.

[RuFFy]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Say you lived in The Valley somewhere and you were looking for something to do on a Friday night. Imagine talking to your friends and someone says, 'Why don't we go to Avenida de Los Angeles?' Someone is going to say, 'Where is that? Mexico?' Then someone says 'Why don't we go down to Francisco Street where all the clubs and bars are at?'

I guess Ave of the Angeles as well as the Spanish version sound a little fabricated while Francisco Street is pretty much what it is. I can agree with your point. It would def be more organic or authentic.

[D-town.]

in one way it's exasperating....at least for me....to visit the hood after yrs & yrs of improvements have been made, & are being made, & still feel sort of . It didn't help that the person I was with during my visit wasn't exactly bubbling with enthusiasm, but it also was my seeing things from a very close standpoint & realizing that it's the finer details that can be easily forgotten or ignored when dealing with dt from a distance.

Lest we not forget that downtown has made some huge advancements in spite of the worst recession in 80 years. Businesses have been folding all around the world and yet we have made huge leaps with our infrastructure and growing commerce. I have actually been pleasantly surprised by how things have continued to develop considering the circumstances. Now that lenders are finally starting to loosen up again, it seems like downtown is not wasting any time in getting back to building mode! Bring on the cranes!

[Easy]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Seriously, though, this may be a blessing in disguise. If you look at many of the projects moving forward, a fair number of them are previous proposals at distressed - but entitled - properties picked up by deeper-pocketed, more experienced developers with easier access to financing or construction capital. If someone big (cough!AEGcough!) were to come along and buy it, they may have a better chance of launching that first phase, which realistically would be a hotel/apartment or hotel/condo development.

Agreed! I'm thinking that we're going to continue to see properties change hands and in most cases that will be a good thing. Hopefully it won't be parking lot operators like bought...what was it...the South Group lot next to LA Central?

[ByTheBay]

I know some people will probably be against this idea but I think a vertical mall would go great in the Metropolis site. There have been so many new proposals for condos, hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, museums and now even a football stadium but one key component for thriving urban activity has mostly been ignored and thats retail. Condos and hotels aren't a good fit for this site because it sits against the freeway and faces parking structures and a freeway on ramp on all other sides so it's not exactly pedestrian friendly.

A shopping mall would connect with figat7th, a pedestrian bridge could connect with "Avenue of Angels" and give a lot of people something to do besides eat when trying to avoid traffic during game days. Now it looks like I just argued against my point about that site not being pedestrian friendly, but people tend to traverse challenging walking conditions when trying to reach an end destination, such as Disneyland or Staples Center/LA Live for example, as opposed to a start destination such as a hotel/condo.

There are many examples for successful urban malls that didnt harm streerlife such as San Francisco Centre, a handful of malls along Michigan Ave. in Chicago, practically any big city in Asia, even Hollywood's revitalization was jump started by a mall (and a subway) as much as people hate it. And now Salt Lake city is opening up one called City Creek Center. I admit there are a lot of urban malls that have failed usually due to terrible design and lack of street connectivity but if designed well, I think it would be a great fit.