LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0 - Page 414

alki · #**8261** Posted **Jun 1, 2013, 11:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StethJeff

I don't know the details of the operations of the companies in these industries, but studios seem to have a few major differences. Picking up and moving 400 cubicles is probably no sweat. But when you figure that studios need large sound stages and backlots, my guess is that you need large swaths of land and very specific types of spaces that a DTLA office tower wouldn't be able to provide.

I wasn't talking the backlots nor the entire studio. I was talking administrative offices or the animation dept. Studios are more than just backlots, camera crews and talent. They have accting depts, human resources, animation etc..........none of which are dependent on being near filming.

brudy · #**8262** Posted **Jun 1, 2013, 11:40 PM**

They painted the Hotel Clark bars the same tannish color as the facade. I cannot believe they will keep them?

citywatch · #**8263** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTLA87

DTLA Update June 1, 2013

Here's my first picture update. Sorry I wasn't able to get to Little Tokyo and Chinatown.

Clark Hotel- What are they doing with those bars?! Looks like they're painting them.

thanks for all those pics! as far as I'm concerned, there can never be too many update photos of all the various changes now underway in dt. Focused snapshots of new projs, including renovations, always bring a sense of hope & excitement to me.

as for the clark hotel....

I believe part of the hotel's original ground level apparently was converted from interior hotel or shop space to enclosed parking some time ago, but I'm not totally sure about that.

I'm guessing that a lack of convenient, secure public parking for customers & guests of the clark yrs & yrs ago may have been judged a major weak point of the location in the eyes of at least one former owner. But even if that's correct, & the new owners still want to retain that space for the use of cars, why would they want to retain those

bars??! I'd think they'd at least try to create a more attractive barrier than that. Painting over rusty metal is like putting lipstick on a pig.

But new flood lights can be seen attached above the 3rd floor, so the owners at least are doing something correct in that regards. However, they may be so undercapitalized overall that they're similar to a do it yourself homeowner, who cuts corners & doesn't have enough $$ to finish a really thorough quality job, at least within a decent length of time. if so, I hope they'll still somehow manage to make a success of the clark. Its revival is long overdue.

dornsife.usc.edu

^ I've noticed a few of those clunky looking sidewalk street lights...painted a rather

color....placed in a few sections of dt. Not sure what the background story is on those.

I can't find any good images of the hotel from its heyday, so I'm not really sure how the entire ground level was used a long time ago.....

dornsife.usc.edu

StethJeff · #**8264** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 1:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I wasn't talking the backlots nor the entire studio. I was talking administrative offices or the animation dept. Studios are more than just backlots, camera crews and talent. They have accting depts, human resources, animation etc..........none of which are dependent on being near filming.

Is it possible that they could move some of their administrative offices to DTLA one day? Sure, why not. But again, I don't understand why a movie studio wouldn't just keep everything on a massive, historic, beautiful campus that has plenty of room for expansion. I'd love it if they all had a presence in downtown too but let's face it, almost every studio is expanding right now and none of it is anywhere near DTLA.

StethJeff · #**8265** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 1:58 AM**

DTLA87 - Thanks for the huge photo update. Good stuff and way to get such a huge variety of projects.

If there's one thing that fascinates me most about these various photo updates its the relative speed that different projects get built. I'm sure there are differences in construction that explains some of it (Broad comes to mind). 8th/Hope and the double Marriotts seem to be flying along.

mdiederi · #**8266** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 5:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citywatch

I can't find any good images of the hotel from its heyday, so I'm not really sure how the entire ground level was used a long time ago.....

This is the only early shot of the hotel I could find, but I was able to zoom into the ground floor.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll65/id/2928/rec/7

Looks like good window shopping.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll65/id/2928/rec/7

alki · #**8267** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 9:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTLA87

DTLA Update June 1, 2013

Here's my first picture update. Sorry I wasn't able to get to Little Tokyo and Chinatown.

I took all these photos.

They've been working on the front of this building for as long as I can remember. Don't know what they're doing.

Nice photos. Thanks for taking shots of some of the rehabs as well as new construction. Smart and Final is looking better than I expected.

alki · #**8268** Posted **Jun 2, 2013, 9:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdiederi

This is the only early shot of the hotel I could find, but I was able to zoom into the ground floor.

Look at all the trolley tracks. I wonder what percentage of people when DT by trolley back then.

alki · #**8269** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 4:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brudy

They painted the Hotel Clark bars the same tannish color as the facade. I cannot believe they will keep them?

I am fast concluding that crazy people own the Clark.

brudy · #**8270** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 4:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I am fast concluding that crazy people own the Clark.

Yeah. New today - they've begun to hang light fixtures in what could be the space between the lobby doors and the sidewalk. The fixtures themselves are all wrapped up though. It's like two steps forward, one step back with these guys.

Illithid Dude · #**8271** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 5:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I am fast concluding that crazy people own the Clark.

They are. LA DT News once ran an article about them. They are notorious for cheap construction and doing nothing with their properties.

gerryberry · #**8272** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I wasn't talking the backlots nor the entire studio. I was talking administrative offices or the animation dept. Studios are more than just backlots, camera crews and talent. They have accting depts, human resources, animation etc..........none of which are dependent on being near filming.

actually companies related to film and digital media are already moving into downtown. michael bay´s production company for high end commercials relocated to downtown. that is a big player and will eventually draw others...
www.theinstitute.tv

gerryberry · #**8273** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 2:05 PM**

this is an interesting video... a usc panel talking about the revitalization of downtown and especially about the wilshire grand! among others - chris martin (architect of the new wilshire)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbc5LsryWf0

alki · #**8274** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 4:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

They are. LA DT News once ran an article about them. They are notorious for cheap construction and doing nothing with their properties.

I am beginning to think they are laundering drug money. With the painting of those bars, they've lost any credibility I had for them.

alki · #**8275** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerryberry

actually companies related to film and digital media are already moving into downtown. michael bay´s production company for high end commercials relocated to downtown. that is a big player and will eventually draw others...

www.theinstitute.tv

Agreed. That's what I was hoping to see. Thanks for the heads up.

brudy · #**8276** Posted **Jun 4, 2013, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I am beginning to think they are laundering drug money. With the painting of those bars, they've lost any credibility I had for them.

I've written about it before, but I've seen limos pulling in and out of the garage at night and very pimp and pro like people getting out of them. Very strange. Various room lights going off and on at night. I don't know, they're definitely doing a semi-budget job on the Clark and time will tell with the bars and storefront spaces. It's all so weird and covert. Nothing seems above board with them. It's a shame that they own some great properties in downtown.

alki · #**8277** Posted **Jun 5, 2013, 3:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brudy

I've written about it before, but I've seen limos pulling in and out of the garage at night and very pimp and pro like people getting out of them. Very strange. Various room lights going off and on at night. I don't know, they're definitely doing a semi-budget job on the Clark and time will tell with the bars and storefront spaces. It's all so weird and covert. Nothing seems above board with them. It's a shame that they own some great properties in downtown.

Yeah, the Clark was one of my favorite bldgs DT and its in a strategic location. I wish they would sell the sucker.

ByTheBay · #**8278** Posted **Jun 5, 2013, 4:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I wasn't talking the backlots nor the entire studio. I was talking administrative offices or the animation dept. Studios are more than just backlots, camera crews and talent. They have accting depts, human resources, animation etc..........none of which are dependent on being near filming.

I think the fact that a lot of filming already does take place downtown shows that there is a market for studios to have a presence physically in downtown. I think tv would make more sense than movies since they require less space for sound stages but New York can make it work with all of the talk shows, news programs, and soap operas being filmed in high rises. DTLA can attract similar programming and it already started with ESPN, I think LA Live had some more projects in the pipeline with some space intended for studio broadcasting.

JDRCRASH · #**8279** Posted **Jun 5, 2013, 5:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ByTheBay

I think the fact that a lot of filming already does take place downtown shows that there is a market for studios to have a presence physically in downtown. I think tv would make more sense than movies since they require less space for sound stages but New York can make it work with all of the talk shows, news programs, and soap operas being filmed in high rises. DTLA can attract similar programming and it already started with ESPN, I think LA Live had some more projects in the pipeline with some space intended for studio broadcasting.

Didn't Metropolis originally have space in the project planned for broadcasting as well?

ByTheBay · #**8280** Posted **Jun 5, 2013, 6:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Didn't Metropolis originally have space in the project planned for broadcasting as well?

The original proposals didn't but I don't recall if they included it in one of their more recent revisions after LA Live opened. I just remember AEG's proposal a few years ago of an office/broadcasting component to their future expansion plans that included the current Marriott Courtyard that's under construction. I think Farmers Field may have diverted the company's attention away from their other efforts a bit. Now that Metropolis is being parceled off, I honestly think that area would be more suited for media purposes compared to residential because it's location is so isolated, street activity would be choked off being that close to the freeway. Hopefully some major media company takes interest in one of the plots or more.