LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0 - Page 277

colemonkee · #**5521** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 3:23 PM**

^ yes!!!

StethJeff · #**5522** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 6:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

My wish of Grand Park expansion could be a reality.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/graff...b07347c-13eb-11e2-92ba-0019bb2963f4.html

Wow, great find. I think a lot of us agree that Grand Park was never ambitious enough - too small, too much concrete and not enough grass, huge parking ramps, roads remain open, etc. Grand Park should hopefully not be seen as a finished product and I'm glad to see that expansion is still a part of the plan.

I've been to Grand Park 3-4 times now and I do like it, but there are at least a dozen ways to make it better that are constant reminders of the fact that it's not even close to it's full potential.

JDRCRASH · #**5523** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 6:43 PM**

HunterK, we enjoy your photo updates! Truth is, they're one of the few things that are keeping this thread from ending up like so many others in the City Compilations section... on the dreaded "page 2". Every little bit counts.

sings twin · #**5524** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Going to make sure I use up the whole day Saturday to observe the city. Last visit I went at 5 PM and the pictures were a bit rushed due to time constraints. I'm going this Saturday at around 10 AM for the whole day. My focus is downtown, so don't expect me to go to Hollywood or Century City. Farthest I'd go is to go see the Vermont Towers. I'm going to do my best to get as much pictures as possible. Any sites you guys want to see in particular? It'd help if you could leave the address to it too so I can find it with the Iphone.

i always enjoy your Courtyard Marriott photos. So if your passing would appreciate an update.

a9l8e7n · #**5525** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 10:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Going to make sure I use up the whole day Saturday to observe the city. Last visit I went at 5 PM and the pictures were a bit rushed due to time constraints. I'm going this Saturday at around 10 AM for the whole day. My focus is downtown, so don't expect me to go to Hollywood or Century City. Farthest I'd go is to go see the Vermont Towers. I'm going to do my best to get as much pictures as possible. Any sites you guys want to see in particular? It'd help if you could leave the address to it too so I can find it with the Iphone.

The Avant Towers: 1340 S. Fig and 1355 S. Flower
The Broad Musuem: Ajacent to walt Disney Concert Hall: 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
...And Civic Park Please..

Illithid Dude · #**5526** Posted **Oct 12, 2012, 11:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

My wish of Grand Park expansion could be a reality.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/graff...b07347c-13eb-11e2-92ba-0019bb2963f4.html

Nice! I hope they keep the old Art Deco foundations, even if they do build a new park. They add a lot of character, and are just generally beautiful to look at.

In other news, I learned today that my trainers uncle is non other then Welton Becket. So that's cool.

Quixote · #**5527** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 12:30 AM**

Haven't had a chance to check out the final component of Grand Park, but I hope the grassy lawn feels as expansive as it looks in this photo:

Flickr | golembeski

Looks like a pretty nice place to chill.

SC_00_05 · #**5528** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterK

"Anti-poverty activists wanted USC to pay up to $30 million to offset the potential effect on affordable housing. Activists have charged that redevelopment of this scope would gentrify the area, bringing in more affluent residents and students, and pushing out the poor who are unable to pay higher rents.

USC disputed that but agreed to the $20-million payout after meeting with city officials."

Wow. How disgusting that there are people out there who dislike gentrification.

Every time I walk by the affordable housing in DTLA (Hotel Hayward, Hotel Alexandria, Hotel Bristol, etc) I'm reminded of how badly they need to be flipped. Spring Street for one could be a nicer place virtually overnight.

I'm amazed people like that exist too...in fact, I don't doubt there's a sizable portion even on this site. That said, it's great to see this project move forward regardless.

LosAngelesSportsFan · #**5529** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Haven't had a chance to check out the final component of Grand Park, but I hope the grassy lawn feels as expansive as it looks in this photo:

Flickr | golembeski

Looks like a pretty nice place to chill.

it really feels expansive and its a great place to chill.

Mojeda101 · #**5530** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 5:37 AM**

Courtyard Marriott
8th & Hope
Figat7th
Grand Park
Broad
Avant
Wilshire Grand

Missing any others projects people want to see? Leaving tomorrow morning.

Illithid Dude · #**5531** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Courtyard Marriott
8th & Hope
Figat7th
Grand Park
Broad
Avant
Wilshire Grand

Missing any others projects people want to see? Leaving tomorrow morning.

Ace Hotel

Figero Cafe exterior

Any under construction restaurants or stores.

The adaptive reuse on Broadway and... sixth? Across from the CVS.

Mojeda101 · #**5532** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

My wish of Grand Park expansion could be a reality.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/graff...b07347c-13eb-11e2-92ba-0019bb2963f4.html

If the park is going to be shaped like this..

Hope it at least ends up like this in the future...

Get rid of those ugly county buildings! Would be a shame to see the Superior Court building go, but I hope they are all replaced by taller, more beautiful buildings in the future.

Quixote · #**5533** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:56 AM**

What the city should do is close off Hill and Broadway on the weekends. If they can shut down Spring and 7th for cicLAvia, then it should be no problem.

LosAngelesDreamin · #**5534** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Nice! I hope they keep the old Art Deco foundations, even if they do build a new park. They add a lot of character, and are just generally beautiful to look at.

It could be kinda like a "ruins" area lol... historic element added to the park ^.^

BrandonJXN · #**5535** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesDreamin

It could be kinda like a "ruins" area lol... historic element added to the park ^.^

I was thinking of something similar. Maybe highlight the foundation of the old State Building while implementing it as park space as well.

Btw, a picture of the old State Building for those who don't know what it looked like. It was a pretty nice looking building. I really wish this was still around.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3442/la0414smog1951view.jpg

And the foundation.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2372/2405909587_81bf2f6b20_b.jpg

pwright1 · #**5536** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:05 PM**

I will also be in dt LA today. Stopped at the new Starbucks at 6th and Spring last night around 11pm and to my surprise were still open. People were sitting there on their laptops or just chilling with friends. One of the employees sid they're open till midnight.

pwright1 · #**5537** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

I was thinking of something similar. Maybe highlight the foundation of the old State Building while implementing it as park space as well.

Btw, a picture of the old State Building for those who don't know what it looked like. It was a pretty nice looking building. I really wish this was still around.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/3442/la0414smog1951view.jpg

And the foundation.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2372/2405909587_81bf2f6b20_b.jpg

You've got to be kidding me! Are you serious? That was a beautiful building. Now that is sad.

Quixote · #**5538** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

And the foundation.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2372/2405909587_81bf2f6b20_b.jpg

So much can be done with this parcel. Since they are so keen on preserving the footprint, the simple and logical solution would be to cover it with grass. The ivy adds a nice effect too.

Whatever they decide to do with it, I don't want any frills or gimmicks. Simplicity is elegance.

StethJeff · #**5539** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 8:58 PM**

My Pie-in-the-Sky Grand Park Vision:

Turn the foundation of the old State building into a skate park, rip out the law library, make the new boundaries Grand/Temple/Main/2nd (minus the blocks with LA Times and LAPD), permanently close all streets within this new park space (Broadway/Spring/Hill/Olive/1st), keep the Courthouse and make the park wrap all the way around it.

This new park would essentially be a huge expanse of grass with the amenities that exist and not much more. The area would be ringed by City Hall, LAPD, LA Times, Ahmanson, Dorothy Chandler, Taper, WDCH, Broad, and Colburn. It would have a Red Line station and a DTLA Streetcar stop. This would FINALLY begin to resemble a supposed world class park.

If we really wanted to finish the job . . . the Northern boundary would be extended further and be contiguous with the 101 cap park (again, all streets would be closed and turned into grass/trails). The showstopper would be if the parking spaces around the Pueblo became park space as well. A mega park that connects all of the civic center/music center/museums to the Pueblo/Union Station would be the Holy Grail of DTLA redevelopment jobs.

Illithid Dude · #**5540** Posted **Oct 13, 2012, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StethJeff

My Pie-in-the-Sky Grand Park Vision:

Turn the foundation of the old State building into a skate park, rip out the law library, make the new boundaries Grand/Temple/Main/2nd (minus the blocks with LA Times and LAPD), permanently close all streets within this new park space (Broadway/Spring/Hill/Olive/1st), keep the Courthouse and make the park wrap all the way around it.

This new park would essentially be a huge expanse of grass with the amenities that exist and not much more. The area would be ringed by City Hall, LAPD, LA Times, Ahmanson, Dorothy Chandler, Taper, WDCH, Broad, and Colburn. It would have a Red Line station and a DTLA Streetcar stop. This would FINALLY begin to resemble a supposed world class park.

If we really wanted to finish the job . . . the Northern boundary would be extended further and be contiguous with the 101 cap park (again, all streets would be closed and turned into grass/trails). The showstopper would be if the parking spaces around the Pueblo became park space as well. A mega park that connects all of the civic center/music center/museums to the Pueblo/Union Station would be the Holy Grail of DTLA redevelopment jobs.

I'd say keep the Neutra building, and restore it. Fantastic example of mid-century modernism. Instead of closing down the streets, underground them, so that the park runs above the streets. And connect the park to the planned freeway cap!