Posted Jun 27, 2013, 5:16 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2002
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there's a slide show accompanying this article at latimes.com, with a few good pics of the now vacant space. they can't be posted here, so mojeda's pics of the future site of the new wilshire grand tower make an equally good fit for this story....
Quote:
Demolition of the Wilshire Grand fascinates passersby
As the methodical destruction of the Wilshire Grand Hotel is taking place at two of L.A.'s busiest thoroughfares. Observers are impressed with how space is being made for the 73-story Korean Air skyscraper.
By Cale Ottens
June 26, 2013
At lunchtime, businessman Joe Wilson likes to check out the action just down the street on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. It's not the traffic he's watching; it's the slow but methodical demolition of the old Wilshire Grand Hotel at the corner of two of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
"Every afternoon when I go out for lunch, I walk by to see what they're doing," said Wilson, who has now seen the hotel reduced to an entire city block of rubble. It's the first step toward construction of a 73-story skyscraper hotel planned for that spot by 2017.
In the meantime, a surprise of sorts has emerged. Once partially hidden by the Wilshire Grand, the 21-story Wedbush Center at 1000 Wilshire — seen mainly from the Harbor Freeway — now stands prominently for all to see, facing South Figueroa Street. Even if only briefly.
"I never seen it, but I knew it was there," subway passenger Eric Portis said of the Wedbush Center after he emerged from the Metro station across the street from the building. "I think a lot of people would say that."
Also getting a fresh downtown profile west of Figueroa are a neighboring 22-story office building at 915 Wilshire built in 1980 and the 52-story Figueroa at Wilshire tower, built 10 years later.
Still in progress at the Wilshire Grand site is the demolition of the underground garage. And starting in August, crews will begin digging the massive hole where the $1-billion Korean Air skyscraper will soon have its foundation, which is scheduled to be complete by year end.
Businessman Wilson, who watches the progress daily, is eager for work to begin on what will eventually grow beyond the nearby U.S. Bank Tower and become the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. "The older building was obsolete," he said. "It wasn't the highest or best use of the land here. They're just doing what any good property owner does."
"As a little kid, you love seeing stuff like this," said Wilson, 49, a Santa Clarita resident. "It's still as intriguing as an adult. I have two boys who are 9 and 11. They love coming down and seeing what's going on with this."
Down the street, security guard Armando Avila monitors the FigAt7th mall, about a block south of the construction. Because he spends so much time outside, Avila said, he watches for hours each day as the project unfolds before his eyes. "I love the noise," Avila said. "I love the fact they work as a team. It looks like they're working like gears to a clock. The way these guys work together is amazing."
The destruction and leveling of the old hotel building have not been too disruptive to some of the surrounding businesses, according to Eric Brichacek, who works at a nearby high-rise. "We thought it was going to be dirty and messy, but so far it's been fun to watch inside," Brichacek said. "We just assumed there would be a huge wrecking ball for months and months."
Another area office worker, Ryland Taylor, is more interested in what will soon take shape there. "I hope it's some good architecture," he said. "I think L.A. could use it. I want to see downtown L.A. become somewhere people want to spend time."
Bernard Sichel, general manager of the Wedbush Center, said he couldn't be happier that the old hotel is gone and that his building is now having its day in the sun. Passersby had only a limited view of the shimmering granite and glass building that now overlooks a huge open space — strewn with the dirt, rubble and piles of steel beams.
"I've had a lot of comments because the way the [Wilshire Grand] was built, it took the whole block," Sichel said. "More than half of my building was hidden by the hotel. Now you can appreciate it and now you can see it."
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