LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[brudy]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

^ I was wondering what was going on with that the other week when I passed by and saw green tarp surrounding the building!

That's going to really help "clean up" a rather derelict corner and make it looks less skid row-ish.

Agreed. While I tend to think the area has enough supportive housing already, you have to give Skid Row Housing Trust credit for what they do with their properties in terms of design and attempting to integrate them into the neighborhood better by offering retail and restaurant spaces.

[Gram3000]

^^^ And besides that (not to say that isn't important) is that in the case of 5th St...there will be an unbroken synergy from Fig to LA Street which says more about the way DT is changing than any new development taking place now. Even back in 2006 you'd be hard pressed to venture past Bway or Spring. I feel 5th will continue its upswing and maybe by 2020 it will have reached to at least, San Pedro St. This will definitely help for gentrifying & removal of the heart of Skid Row!

[gerryberry]

Originally Posted by HunterK

This is extremely good news. Right up there with Urban Outfitters in terms of gamechangers for Downtown. We need more big names like these!

totally agree! great not only for people working in the area, also for the crowds of nearby hotels walking sixth street

[LA/OCman]

Regarding that space in the old Payless Shoes at the SE corner of 9th and Broadway, Jason's Wine and Spirits in the Mart is opening a local upscale market in that space. It will carry wine and spirits....and some groceries. Sure beats the 7-Eleven that wanted to open in that spot. Above the market is Rocketdog (clothing). I wish they would get moving on the Sparkle Factory next door.

[yakumoto]

Originally Posted by Vangelist

It's too close to the residential buildings. There's something really voyeuristic about that location, it's unnerving to me. Walking past it last week I again got the sensation that it's private property that will be turning public; hundreds of people can potentially be watching you hang out in that park from the lurid privacy of their bedrooms any time you're there

FYI, part of the urban experience is that people may be looking down on you or filming you through their windows so they can masturbate to it later. I'd go so far as to say that's one of its draws. If you don't like it perhaps you should consider moving to the valley.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

This is pretty cool.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-building-facade-downtown-20130508,0,2565134.story

19th century building facade will be preserved in downtown L.A.



69 residential units, extra two floors added onto the top of the existing structure. Healthcare services will be housed within the building too.

My brother and I always wondered what would happen to that space. We've always thought this little building was a great treasure within DTLA. The only nearby buildings from the same era all seem be in El Pueblo. Glad to see that it's getting preserved but a large part of me wishes it was simply cleaned up without the addition of new floors. It's stands out so much more the way it is now.

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by yakumoto

FYI, part of the urban experience is that people may be looking down on you or filming you through their windows so they can masturbate to it later. I'd go so far as to say that's one of its draws. If you don't like it perhaps you should consider moving to the valley.

Vangelist's worst nightmare

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

dtlarising.com

They've probably been there for a while now, but... I love, love, love the continental crosswalks! They make such a difference as far as emphasizing and protecting the pedestrian realm. Cars will be less inclined to block the crosswalks. I notice that more of these are starting to pop up all over the city. It's small upgrades like these that can go a long way.

[alki]

Originally Posted by petescafe

The green fence is down along the Spring street park.
The playground actually looks pretty cool looking.

I like the park but it needs trees.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Gram3000

^^^ And besides that (not to say that isn't important) is that in the case of 5th St...there will be an unbroken synergy from Fig to LA Street which says more about the way DT is changing than any new development taking place now. Even back in 2006 you'd be hard pressed to venture past Bway or Spring. I feel 5th will continue its upswing and maybe by 2020 it will have reached to at least, San Pedro St. This will definitely help for gentrifying & removal of the heart of Skid Row!

Yeah, its amazing to me that anything east of Spring is actively going through changes. In the 90s, I would walk Spring but I drove Los Angeles and Main Streets.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Vangelist's worst nightmare

The best part of that shot is that it's almost the reverse - The Standard hotel in NYC is famous for the floor-to-ceiling glass facing the outside. It's not so much the hotel guests looking out, it outsiders looking in and the exhibitionism that is on display.

[StethJeff]

Anyone have any idea what those two huge question-mark-looking structures are on the Los Angeles Street overpass for the 101? I saw them for the first time on my way to work on Wednesday or Thursday morning. I assumed that they'd be there temporarily but they look like they're bolted into the ground. Never seen anything like em before so I'm baffled. Awning? Signage?

[blackcat23]

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/major...62c8e66-b9c1-11e2-8df2-0019bb2963f4.html

Major Apartment Complex Planned in Arts District



by Ryan Vaillancourt

The surge of activity in the Arts District shows no sign of letting up: A developer is moving forward with plans to build a 472-unit apartment complex on a six-acre site that abuts the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Legendary Development, which three years ago bought the property out of bankruptcy (it had been owned by the now defunct Meruelo Maddux Properties), hopes to break ground on the project by the end of the year.

The development, which calls for seven structures to rise around a 922-space parking facility, is already entitled. To proceed, the developer only needs approval for a site plan change, which it is expected to get.

The site at 950 E. Third St. has long been eyed for development, but almost always at the dismay of Arts District stakeholders. There was the Los Angeles Unified School District’s proposed school meal production facility in the early 2000s and later a proposed public mental health court. Both were canceled after community protests.

In 2005 Meruelo Maddux proposed two 40-story Miami Beach-style condo towers. Those too died after neighborhood opposition.

Legendary’s proposed project calls for a series of brick-clad buildings with five to six levels of apartments above street-level commercial or live/work units. The tops of the structures would be encased in metal finishes, and steel walkways would connect the buildings on the upper levels. Details of the project were presented on Wednesday, May 8, to the board of the Arts District Business Improvement District.

The look of the buildings is meant to blend into the industrial aesthetic of the neighborhood, said Surjit Soni, a managing partner in the company. The decision to build several structures instead of one massive complex was motivated by a desire to maintain sightlines through the site, Soni said.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

My brother and I always wondered what would happen to that space. We've always thought this little building was a great treasure within DTLA. The only nearby buildings from the same era all seem be in El Pueblo. Glad to see that it's getting preserved but a large part of me wishes it was simply cleaned up without the addition of new floors. It's stands out so much more the way it is now.

I just walked by this bldg during Art Walk Thursday night. I always loved this one. Its was all fenced off around the entire bldg. This is fantastic news.

[Illithid Dude]

Sounds like the arts district project is gonna be pretty decent. I like that they are trying to preserve the character of the neighborhood. If a developer isn't going to do something crazy avant-garde, then it's good that they at least do something palatable.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Sounds like the arts district project is gonna be pretty decent. I like that they are trying to preserve the character of the neighborhood. If a developer isn't going to do something crazy avant-garde, then it's good that they at least do something palatable.

Agreed. There's such an aesthetic to the Arts District that it deserves to be maintained to an extent. And I think their proposal sounds good so far.

[ConstructDTLA]

Paint job coming to Pac Mutual. I didn't know about this - but it's a welcome upgrade. Wish they could take down the facade all together and restore it to its former glory.



Also - someone forwarded me this email regarding the Hope Street Hotel (next to Luma & Evo).

The public hearing for the proposed boutique hotel located at 1130 S. Hope Street, to the south of Luma, will take place this Wednesday May 15, 2013 at 10:30 am at City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 1020. If you support the proposed hotel or have any concerns you should attend the public hearing and voice your opinion.

Some of the potential issues are the following:

Noise - An open air pool deck to be used as a bar area on the 9th floor, a restaurant lobby/bar on the ground floor, a bar/lounge in the basement. Alcohol will be served until 2 am.

Loading - Provide no loading space in the alley in lieu of the requirement for a loading space for a hotel. Delivery hours will be between 10pm and 7am.

Parking - They propose to provide zero parking instead of the 4 spaces required.

If you cannot attend the hearing you can submit your comments in writing to: Los Angeles City Planning Department, Expedited Processing Section, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 721, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (attention: Theodor L. Irving, AICP).

[bobbyv]

An ugly surface parking lot at the SE corner of Olympic and Grand, adjacent to the infamous and now defunct Crash Mansion night club, may have a much brighter future ahead reborn as a potential mixed-use hotel development, improving and activating this anti-pedestrian intersection. Several sources have informed me that the 58,000 square foot lot is currently in escrow and point specifically to Hilton is the purported buyer. The South Park site, located a stone’s throw from LA Live/Staples Center, is definitely hot on the hotel industry radar. In fact, at one point, even Four Seasons was apparently kicking the tires a bit.

http://brighamyen.com/2013/05/14/rumor-mill-hilton-buying-lot-for-future-hotel-in-downtown-la/

[blackcat23]

Some additional information from Brigham's article.

Last year, the lot was being heavily marketed for a potential residential or hotel development site. At a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) of 6:1, the parcel is entitled for a high-rise building up to 33 stories with over 25,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. According to public records, the current 266 parking stalls only generate about $300,000 of annual revenue.

[ChelseaFC]

The Renaissance and Hilton hotels should be added to the Approved section.