LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

Speaking of the Arts District, here are the plans for Alameda Square:

http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6580

Really awesome seeing the Arts District getting a real shot in the arm. I can't imagine what it will be like in 5 years. What's even more awesome is how cool the Arts District is now. Has such a different vibe than the rest of DTLA.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Well... I thought about it, and interestingly enough, we were coming from Lake and Locust streets in Pasadena, RIGHT NEXT to the Gold line.

But I didn't know how they would feel about transferring TWICE both ways, so I didn't bother asking them...

But yeah, so, now I'm kinda regretting it... lol

You can just get off 7th Street and walk down Figueroa the 4 blocks to Staples Center, you really don't need to transfer twice. It's just one transfer from the Gold to either the Red or Purple Lines.

You'll be part of the pedestrian explosion if you walk, instead of driving

[petescafe]

Clifton's update.
Windows are in.

[Mojeda101]

Heading to Downtown tomorrow. Should be updates on 8th & Grand, Hope, Courtyard Marriott, 9th and Olive, and the Broad. I'll see if I can get into Chinatown, and Little Tokyo, along with a few of the renovations.

[Easy]

Olympic and Hill would be good to see as well if it's not too late.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Really awesome seeing the Arts District getting a real shot in the arm. I can't imagine what it will be like in 5 years. What's even more awesome is how cool the Arts District is now. Has such a different vibe than the rest of DTLA.

I like the AD a lot, and it really is taking off. It will be a different world over there in 5 years. Now it can be very quiet at night, almost creepy, if you aren't on one of the streets with stuff and it is still very industrial during the weekday. But I love this neighborhood. If you think of everything that is coming in there, markets, high end coffee, more restaurants and stores, it is just totally taking off. Once the regional connector is complete, that will really change the transit orientation for the AD as well and reduce the sense of isolation. I know a few people that moved from there because it was too out there for them, too far from the rest of downtown.

[ConstructDTLA]

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7th & Spring furniture store that was supposed to open last AUGUST. Who knows what's going on with it now...

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[DistrictDirt]

Good pics, Hunter.

Digging the lighting and haze in this photo a lot:

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by petescafe

Clifton's update.
Windows are in.

thanks for the update! it's the smaller renovation projs, or opening of new stores...restaurants...that will represent the most interesting....or finalized...changes over the next several months. the larger projs that are totally new from the ground up won't start to become recognizable & come into their own til around 2014.

Originally Posted by HunterK

you are the first to show a glimpse of something that hasn't been seen before....a shot of the clark hotel in somewhat clean shape! That hasn't been the condition of that bldg on Hill st for yrs & yrs & yrs.

interesting that you also have a pic of a former restaurant in the higgins bldg, since this is the latest news about what's going on there....

la.eater.com

Sit. Down. Because this is big HUGE news. Chef Josef Centeno — who, by now, should really need no introduction, but for those living under a rock, he's the chef and owner of the critically acclaimed Bäco Mercat and newer Bar Amá — is opening ANOTHER restaurant downtown, this one named Orsa & Winston. Where? Next door to four month-old Bar Amá in a space that up until March 29 housed Rocket Pizza Lounge. Word on the street is that this an Italian small plate concept and per door signage it should open "Summer/Fall 2013." Centeno is currently on track to open one restaurant per year.

across the street from that bldg is where this story takes place....

Landscaping fiasco at LAPD headquarters not over yet

The city spent $1 million on the grounds but zero for maintenance. Neighborhood volunteers filled in some of the gaps, but things keep going wrong.


Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

By Steve Lopez
April 6, 2013

If the penal code had a section on landscaping crimes, the Los Angeles Police Department would need a full-time squad to go after everyone responsible for the ongoing fiasco on its own property. It's been 3 1/2 years since the new headquarters opened at 1st and Spring streets, and the city is still trying to get the landscaping right, with planter boxes empty, dead palm trees still standing, a scrubby dirt garden near the memorial to fallen police officers and piles of soil and sand blighting the landscape.

Cheryl McDonald, who lives across the street from the scabby south lawn that was supposed to be the centerpiece of a nice little neighborhood park, said the work has been "shoddy" from the beginning, thanks to boneheaded decisions that go all the way back to the building's dedication ceremony, which killed roughly an acre of lawn in October 2009.

"It's just embarrassing," said McDonald, "and it does not befit a world-class city. It does not befit my neighborhood."

It would have looked even worse if not for McDonald and other volunteers who pitched in on weekends to handle the pruning, trimming and fertilizing chores the city neglected in the first couple of years.

That's right. The city paid $470 million for a new facility, up from an initial estimate of $300 million, and spent nearly $1 million for landscaping. But it had no plan for maintaining the grounds, with the exception of lawnmowing by the parks department. And now another $400,000 is being plowed into the latest upgrade, which includes replacing plants that were healthy, but considered inappropriate by the city.

In preparation for a Police Foundation fundraiser in late 2009, trucks and cranes carved up the building's lovely new lawn, and a tent erected for the party effectively smothered any grass that survived the initial assault. I don't know who the geniuses were who planned the event, but Brennan said an added bonus was that the irrigation system was crushed by the heavy equipment. Soon afterward, a dozen wilted palms looked like they were being fertilized with Agent Orange.

Even after some improvements, the grounds, now mostly used as a neighborhood dog park, were never ready for a magazine spread. And matters got curiously worse late in 2011. At first, said Brennan, it appeared that drains were rising up out of the ground. But that was an illusion. Instead, the ground was sinking. And so were trees and plants, some of which began to lean, topple and die.

You may be asking yourself why the ground was sinking.

"The soil mixture was incorrect," Brennan said. "It was supposed to be a certain percentage of sand and a certain percentage of organic material, and they got the percentages incorrect."

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by citywatch

interesting that you also have a pic of a former restaurant in the higgins bldg, since this is the latest news about what's going on there....

across the street from that bldg is where this story takes place....

Anyone know if operations costs for the Spring Street park are funded? The LAPD HQ situation is embarrassing enough, but imagine if we had two parks within a couple blocks of each other in the same state of disrepair. SMH

[LA/OCman]

Citywatch, that is the F&M Bank building on 4th between Main and Spring, not the Higgins Building.

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Anyone know if operations costs for the Spring Street park are funded? The LAPD HQ situation is embarrassing enough, but imagine if we had two parks within a couple blocks of each other in the same state of disrepair. SMH

Yes, I understand a non-profit will be involved in Maintenance and Security for the Spring St. Park. Hopefully the city learned its lessons from the LAPD park debacle.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by citywatch

interesting that you also have a pic of a former restaurant in the higgins bldg, since this is the latest news about what's going on there....

across the street from that bldg is where this story takes place....

Not quite. Rocket Pizza (thankfully soon to be gone) is on 4th, two blocks south of LAPD.

[colemonkee]

I wonder if Rocket Pizza will open up in another location nearby. That was kind of a neighborhood favorite.

[Kingofthehill]

Speaking of the AD, today I went to the NorthernGRADE pop-up on East Third. It was a pop-up event showcasing boutique, USA-made menswear. Great vibe, and great products on offer. The seems to get a little better each time I go there.

While I took pics with my actual camera, here is one from my phone:

[Mojeda101]

Downtown LA Update 4-7-13

Greetings everyone! From my ventures in downtown, I've come to learn that my friends seem to have no taste in the value of walking in the urban beauty of Los Angeles. I could walk the streets of LA for hours, but they seem to care less which is why I failed to grab a picture of 9th and Olive, but I did get the other bad boys. Enjoy!

Wilshire Grand Demolition

Seems to be making some headway. Good progress by the looks of it. I cracked a joke and said North Korea launched a missile and attacked us last night, I was laughing my ass off because they actually believed me for a second!



Courtyard Marriott

They are starting to put the facade!!! I didn't expect that to happen for a while! Whoa, this building grew so much since I was last there. A welcomed addition to the skyline if you ask me!



The Broad & Parcel Tower

Don't really care for the actual museum, but I've grown fond of the tower since it's better than nothing. Here you are.



The sight of these makes me smile.



Cranes were all over downtown today! What on earth is being built on south Figueroa? I couldn't grab a shot, but there was definitely something there I've never known about..

8th and Hope

Unfortunately, they were filming some commercial on the roof of the Macy's building so I couldn't grab an overhead view of 8th and Hope..But I did get a few ground shots, Sorry guys



8th and Grand

Making slow but decent progress. I can't wait until the cranes for 8th and Grand, and 9th and Olive go up. The sea of cranes will have returned



There you are guys! I hope you enjoyed my photo's to get a brief update on what is going on in the Downtown of Los Angeles If there is any way I can improve my updates or any requests, just go ahead and ask! Ciao!

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Cranes were all over downtown today! What on earth is being built on south Figueroa? I couldn't grab a shot, but there was definitely something there I've never known about..

I believe that project is 1340 Figueroa.


cypressequity.com

Thanks for the update! The Marriott has definitely picked up the pace in the last few weeks. It is one floor up from a week ago... and the addition of the facade is a nice surprise!

[Illithid Dude]

The fact that we finally have confirmation that the facade isn't stucco makes my day. This is actually going to be an attractive building!

[Quixote]

Other than a clean(er) facade, what's new at the Hotel Clark? I'm disappointed to see that those prison-like gates are still there. Where's the entrance to the hotel going to be? Is there going to be restaurant/retail on the ground floor? I don't think it's anywhere near ready to be open for business.

[sings twin]

Great update Mojeda. Thanks a lot.

Marriott really has seen some progress, looks like a quality building.

Appreciated

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Other than a clean(er) facade, what's new at the Hotel Clark? I'm disappointed to see that those prison-like gates are still there. Where's the entrance to the hotel going to be? Is there going to be restaurant/retail on the ground floor? I don't think it's anywhere near ready to be open for business.

It's got a long way to go, as I said before a June opening is not possible with the small crew they're using.

The main entrance looks like it'll be on the right of the building, under the fire escape like it originally was. The entire retail spot (to the left of what I assume will be the entrance) is still basically a parking garage.