LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[bjornson]

Originally Posted by HunterK

No

Seeing whats going up around DTLA is so depressing. Even our most beautifully designed building pale in comparison to MUCH smaller cities. It's baffling to me. I can only assume city planners/developers dont bother trying because theres no outside desire for them to. LA has always had spectacularly low architectural standards. Why spend more now when Angelenos are generally happy with shit quality?

Well it's commonplace knowledge that the best architecture in the city has historically been private residences. I wouldn't say that the city is lacking in architectural ambition or integrity. Within the U.S., the most relevant city in terms of architectural thought (i.e. theory) is L.A. It's relevance is based on the idea that it was essentially a tabula rasa with development patterns unlike what you'd find in more traditional urban centers. Much of the problems the city face are based on the way government is set up and cultural backlash towards a changing demographic. It's just now in another era in defining a identity and sensibility regarding density vs. pure architectural form.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it has always had low architectural standard because again that's lazy and very broad thinking. The problem is a subset of people tend to complain yet they don't question WHY things are this way and even worse they offer no new solutions. And when solutions are proposed it's decried as superfluous and unnecessary simply because it's a different idea. Or it's derided as being this normative unchangeable culture that's always been--that's not helping anyone.

And so the question remains as to why there is no design standard in DTLA or why the process is so slow to get this design-review board started? Questions have been posed by architects and planners (that L.A. Times article). The other cities are irrelevant to be honest.

I don't have a planning background but I do have an architectural one. Don't get me wrong, I get upset and it's a large part why I moved out of L.A. over a year ago. But the changes taking place especially downtown I wouldn't have even imagined a year ago.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by HunterK

Seeing whats going up around DTLA is so depressing. Even our most beautifully designed building pale in comparison to MUCH smaller cities. It's baffling to me. I can only assume city planners/developers dont bother trying because theres no outside desire for them to. LA has always had spectacularly low architectural standards. Why spend more now when Angelenos are generally happy with shit quality?

Los Angeles has always had low architectural standards? From basically the 50s though the 90s, L.A. was building some of the most innovative architecture in the world. Architecture only really became the way it is today in Los Angeles after the riots.

[blackcat23]

Grand Avenue Project update.

Source: http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/b...vNIw&postId=569028558231722804&type=POST

Phase 1A: 48-story/485 foot tall tower, designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects. 380 rental units, 31,000 sq feet of commercial space, 400 parking spots. Price tag: $160 million

Groundbreaking scheduled for March 2015, completion in Sep. 2017

Not clear if this is the final design, but the renderings are labeled "RAMSA"





Phase 1B: 250 key hotel tower/option for 50 condominiums above. 141,000 sq feet of commercial space, including a supermarket. Diagram shows a 41 story/453' tall building. Without the condos, that drops to 24 floors/283 feet. Price looks to be approx. $490 million.

Groundbreaking scheduled for Sep 2017, completion in June 2020

Some other renderings:











The actual images are a lot larger, but they would have made scrolling through this page a pain in the ass.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Los Angeles has always had low architectural standards? From basically the 50s though the 90s, L.A. was building some of the most innovative architecture in the world. Architecture only really became the way it is today in Los Angeles after the riots.

In terms of single family residences you are correct. SFR's tend to always slip my mind. Regarding everything else I disagree but this would turn into a city vs city debate if I tried to show pictures of other, non-LA buildings.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Grand Avenue Project update.

Phase 1A: 48-story/485 foot tall tower, designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects. 380 rental units, 31,000 sq feet of commercial space, 400 parking spots. Price tag: $160 million

Groundbreaking scheduled for March 2015, completion in Sep. 2017

Not clear if this is the final design, but the renderings are labeled "RAMSA"

Whoa Blackcat you're more on top of things here than any of us! These projects would be phenomenal if they come to fruition. Incredibly exciting. Wish they could break ground sooner.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by HunterK

In terms of single family residences you are correct. SFR's tend to always slip my mind. Regarding everything else I disagree but this would turn into a city vs city debate if I tried to show pictures of other, non-LA buildings.

Fair enough, though I would argue that L.A. also has it's fair share of groundbreaking commercial/apartment buildings as well.

And holy shit at those renderings! I like it better then the Gherry ones. Wow. Woooow.

[Gram3000]

Thanks blackcat for the renderings But with over 1300+ parking spaces (phase 1: 400/ phase 2: 940) & an upcoming metro stop 1 block away....Sheesh LA...overall alot better than Ghery's proposal, I've always thought they could easily squeeze a 3rd tower on that plot also but oh well.

[Mojeda101]

48 and 41? Love it. I will forever shun them for deciding to go by phases, but on the bright side we will always see cranes in the Civic Center, and should both be completed on schedule, they will be ready just in time for the regional connector!

[StethJeff]

2020? Some of you sound away too excited about a 2020 completion date for a pair of towers that were proposed back in 2006. This is more sad than anything else. I'd rather them turn that parking structure into a park now than wait forever for towers that might never come. Kills me that we promote WDCH as "world famous" but allow it to sit across the street from the metro's cheapest-looking parking structure.

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

2020? Some of you sound away too excited about a 2020 completion date for a pair of towers that were proposed back in 2006. This is more sad than anything else. I'd rather them turn that parking structure into a park now than wait forever for towers that might never come. Kills me that we promote WDCH as "world famous" but allow it to sit across the street from the metro's cheapest-looking parking structure.

Yeah, I don't understand why they can't build both towers simultaneously. Would really like for the whole thing to be completed by 2017. I don't care so much about the height of the buildings as I do just replacing that fugly parking lot with something attractive.

[inSaeculaSaeculorum]

Ahh more sticks on a podium. Lovely. And 2020 you say? Just in time for the downtown connector! Not that it matters cause there's gonna be pleeeenty of parking so being your cars! Hey the towers are nice and I would be psyched if this went up in South Park. But for grand avenue with its museums and elegance, I would have preferred something a bit more radical. (Am I the only one preferred the Gehry version?). But yeesh that groundbreaking date makes it impossible to get excited one way or another about this project

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by eclipse

Yeah, I don't understand why they can't build both towers simultaneously. Would really like for the whole thing to be completed by 2017. I don't care so much about the height of the buildings as I do just replacing that fugly parking lot with something attractive.

Related actually says that they would much prefer to build the entire Parcel Q development at the same time, but that this is the only realistic way to get the project built under current market conditions. Not a coincidence that they want to do the cheaper rental tower first and then save the more expensive part for later.

The Millennium Hollywood project wants to do the same thing.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by inSaeculaSaeculorum

Ahh more sticks on a podium. Lovely. And 2020 you say? Just in time for the downtown connector! Not that it matters cause there's gonna be pleeeenty of parking so being your cars! Hey the towers are nice and I would be psyched if this went up in South Park. But for grand avenue with its museums and elegance, I would have preferred something a bit more radical. (Am I the only one preferred the Gehry version?). But yeesh that groundbreaking date makes it impossible to get excited one way or another about this project

Because nothing else is going on downtown to be excited about.

[202_Cyclist]

Why so much parking for these buildings? LA really is bipolar. It is investing billions of dollars in rail transit, the downtown streetcar, encouraging bike lanes, and has great plans for Union Station and then it requires nearly one parking space for each unit for a building that is near a metro station. Allowing so much parking limits the affordability of the housing and directly undermines transit ridership.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Why so much parking for these buildings? LA really is bipolar. It is investing billions of dollars in rail transit, the downtown streetcar, encouraging bike lanes, and has great plans for Union Station and then it requires nearly one parking space for each unit for a building that is near a metro station. Allowing so much parking limits the affordability of the housing and directly undermines transit ridership.

Related isn't required to build this much parking, but they feel that the project won't be able to attract retail tenants without it.

It should be noted that the residential tower in Phase 1A plans 400 parking spaces for 380 residential units and 31,000 sq feet of retail. Basically a 1 : 1 ratio, which is very progressive for Los Angeles.

[brudy]

I like the design, hate the timeline. And there are a lot of ifs in blackcat's piece. The condo piece on the second phase is dependent upon market conditions, and the height could be lower if they don't do condos. The amount of phase 2 parking seems particularly high though. Maybe a deal with WDCH or Music Center? It seems way too high, especially with a hotel in the mix.

I have to say though, even though I like the renderings on their own, I'm not a huge fan of these mega block developments. They do something funny to the streetscape where you lose a city feel, at least in the way that I think of it.

[The Illusive Man]

Originally Posted by eclipse

This thread is so miserable. Maybe we should all put on eyeliner and form an emo band to rage about buildings not being pretty enough.

Seriously, it's ridiculous. These folks need to enjoy their lives a little more. Getting mad over a building not being a certain way isn't healthy. You have a right to vent, but damn. At some point you either accept it or move on.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Related actually says that they would much prefer to build the entire Parcel Q development at the same time, but that this is the only realistic way to get the project built under current market conditions. Not a coincidence that they want to do the cheaper rental tower first and then save the more expensive part for later.

The Millennium Hollywood project wants to do the same thing.

Blackcat, amidst all of this madness, you are my hero. Your diligence and adeptness at research and documentation, along with your calm and unbiased style is to be commended. Your are now first in line: BuildLA+LA Times+coffee (and lastly the BM)

[Illithid Dude]

I can live with the timeline. I've waited since 2008 for construction to start up again downtown, I can wait a few more to get a quality product.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I can live with the timeline. I've waited since 2008 for construction to start up again downtown, I can wait a few more to get a quality product.

So 7 years is a few more? That's already two years longer than you've been waiting so far.