LOS ANGELES | Central City Project Rundown 5.0

[brudy]

Originally Posted by alki

Is that a recent photo of the hotel? If so, the first floor doesn't look ready for prime time.

Yeah, they need add awnings and do something for the front, which looks completely barren. I've heard 2nd hand that it's done on in the inside, but who knows. Personally I can't wait since that block is completely barren.

[alki]

Originally Posted by brudy

Yeah, they need add awnings and do something for the front, which looks completely barren. I've heard 2nd hand that it's done on in the inside, but who knows. Personally I can't wait since that block is completely barren.

Opening the Hotel Clark would do a lot for pedestrian traffic on Hill. As it is, the bldg acts like a black hole.

[blackcat23]

Via SSC.

Originally Posted by robertee

From Webcor's timeline:



https://www.facebook.com/WebcorBuilders/...85573/906137109401171/?type=1&permPage=1

[Illithid Dude]

And it only took over 20 years!

[Gram3000]

As with many things LA...better late than never!!

[Wilcal]

Unfortunately the design since its first showing has been changed, I like the original design better.

[caligrad]

Awesome ! about time ! as Gram said. Better late than never.

Yeah Wilcal. The original design was more interesting to look at, I like this one too though. But we have to admit, we have dodged some major fails the past 20 years, not a single proposal was appealing or worthy of this lot until now. Hate that they tweaked this design but Its all good .

Now I hope the owners of Park 5th have a design over hall.

[Kingofthehill]

Great news! Hope it is for real this time!

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

I am pretty sure Eduardo Castillo (Pattern Bar) is from Argentina and the owner of Wood Spoon is from Brazil.

Eduardo and his brothers (as well as a few employees) are all from Venezuelan. Wood Spoon is, as you said, Brazilian. I lived in Buenos Aires for a while over the past several years, so I will definitely checking out the new Argentine resto!

[citywatch]

What a sight for sore eyes to see that huge gap between 8th & 9th, west of francisco st finally under the process of being more than just a parking lot! I cannot count the number of times I've gone by there, on either the neighboring fwy or on the 9th st offramp, looked over all that expanse of land, & wondered when something....anything....would finally be built there.

Not a day too soon!

here's another piece of the puzzle that also is finally being filled in. It was not that long ago....actually only a little more than a yr ago before the last july 4th or more than a yr ago, before the last january 31th.....when nothing of public significance would happen in dtla. Worse of all, when many ppl would avoid that part of town or mark it on the bottom of their list where they'd want to spend two of the yr's holidays most associated with gatherings of big crowds.

that was then, this is now......

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Gram3000

As with many things LA...better late than never!!

Unless it's the latest Michael Bay movie

[Kenchiku desu]

I'm a huge fan of Metropolis in its current form.

Cost and profit, naturally, are driving the boxier design. I guess we can forgive Greenland: The gracefully tapering towers made for smaller floor plates on the most desirable upper floors; the uniformly-projecting upper floors now reverse this by allowing grander living rooms for the 2-bedroom units up top. Also, floors have been made more uniform to avoid the multitudinous unit plans were each level slightly smaller than the one below.

Wilcal and caligrad, though something was definitely lost with the elimination of the tapered corner cuts, Gensler's new design is on other fronts a refinement. The staggered-window facade looks cool now but could have gotten dated. The sales agent at 888 said that the several-story Retail along Francisco Street (in Phase 2(?)) is now modeled after the intensely three-dimensional, mixed-use development in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills. Wow! That, if realized, could be amazing -- and so appropriate for LA!

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by Kenchiku desu

I'm a huge fan of Metropolis in its current form.

Cost and profit, naturally, are driving the boxier design. I guess we can forgive Greenland: The gracefully tapering towers made for smaller floor plates on the most desirable upper floors; the uniformly-projecting upper floors now reverse this by allowing grander living rooms for the 2-bedroom units up top. Also, floors have been made more uniform to avoid the multitudinous unit plans were each level slightly smaller than the one below.

Wilcal and caligrad, though something was definitely lost with the elimination of the tapered corner cuts, Gensler's new design is on other fronts a refinement. The staggered-window facade looks cool now but could have gotten dated. The sales agent at 888 said that the several-story Retail along Francisco Street (in Phase 2(?)) is now modeled after the intensely three-dimensional, mixed-use development in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills. Wow! That, if realized, could be amazing -- and so appropriate for LA!

Your argument which supports the current design may make a great deal of sense, however, I still don't like the current design. I think that the newer design for the buildings make them look bland and boxy. My sense is that if the floor plates diminish on the upper floors and are uneconomical because of the tapering then don't taper the buildings. And I don't know anything about three-dimensional, mixed-use development in Tokyo's Roppongi hills, but I do know that this development will be separated by a narrow street facing some pretty drab parking structures. It will be interesting to see how buyers will respond. Despite the fact that this project is first "out the gate," it will eventually be competing with the future Onni projects as well as the Urban Mack, and others for luxury housing, whether they be apartments or condominiums. In other words, in a few years there will be substantial competition. To me the area in which Metropolis sits is not that groovy, it is next to the freeway and is bordered by a "no man's land" to the south which blocks it from connecting to LA Live. How that area will develop is unknown at this point. I think the developers will be asking high end prices for this project and thus there should be high end design and development--no "value engineering or cheaping-out." That is, DTLA doesn't need a replay of the Watermarke tower.

[BrandonJXN]

^ All of that stuff that sits between LA Live and Metropolis is easily disposable. The Salvation Army, and whatever else is there is not long for this world.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by DTLAdenizen

Pershing Square with Park 5th site in the background.
Pershing with Title Gaurantee - 5th & Olive by Hunter DTLA, on Flickr

I'm assuming the following press release is accurate or at least was posted just a few days ago. I do hope their saying the design is still being worked on is correct as of July 2014, since the artwork for the proj that was released several months ago was not very impressive to me.

the tentative groundbreaking date is the main thing I'm focusing on right now. So we're looking at work beginning in about 12 months. Although time does fly by quickly, one yr is still one yr, & that's assuming that, as is true of many projs, a projected start time doesn't end up getting dragged out way beyond the original date.

The downtown Los Angeles residential building boom continues, with MacFarlane Partners acquiring a prime parcel overlooking Pershing Square for construction of high-rise and mid-rise towers totaling more than 600 apartment and condominium units and 17,000 square feet of retail.

After a long development drought, nearly 100 building projects are under way in the downtown L.A. market, many of them high-profile residential, hotel and office high-rises. The Park Fifth project at the northeast corner of Fifth and Olive Streets "reflects our confidence in the strong market for apartment properties downtown, which continues to experience a significant increase in rents," according to Greg Vilkin, MacFarlane Partners managing principal and president.

The transit-oriented development on the 99,000-square-foot site kitty-corner to the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel is still under design, but plans call for a much smaller project than that envisioned by the site’s previous owner, Africa-Israel USA.

The project totaling 600,000 square feet of residential space and retail will incorporate the company's signature smart growth and new urbanism concepts, Vilkin added.

Negotiations for the purchase of the site began about a year ago. The project is now fully entitled and was approved by the city this past spring.

"Our design will create a spectacular ‘central park’ of more than half an acre of open space and amenities on the podium deck between the two buildings," said Jeff Berris, managing director, development of MacFarlane Partners. "You will not find this size of private landscaped space anywhere else in downtown Los Angeles."

Construction of the property is expected to begin in mid-2015.

btw, based on its website, the jia apt proj in chinatown has leased about 60% of its units as of today. So it seems to be booking up at a fairly decent pace.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

^ All of that stuff that sits between LA Live and Metropolis is easily disposable. The Salvation Army, and whatever else is there is not long for this world.

The Salvation Army, and whatever else is there is not long for this world-- good expression. You're right of course. If the CRA were still functioning this would not even be an issue.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I'm assuming the following press release is accurate or at least was posted just a few days ago. I do hope their saying the design is still being worked on is correct as of July 2014, since the artwork for the proj that was released several months ago was not very impressive to me.

the tentative groundbreaking date is the main thing I'm focusing on right now. So we're looking at work beginning in about 12 months. Although time does fly by quickly, one yr is still one yr, & that's assuming that, as is true of many projs, a projected start time doesn't end up getting dragged out way beyond the original date.




btw, based on its website, the jia apt proj in chinatown has leased about 60% of its units as of today. So it seems to be booking up at a fairly decent pace.

"Our design will create a spectacular ‘central park’ of more than half an acre of open space and amenities on the podium deck between the two buildings," said Jeff Berris, managing director, development of MacFarlane Partners. "You will not find this size of private landscaped space anywhere else in downtown Los Angeles." I'm guessing that this statement from developers about creating an open space for the tenants assumes that they will not venture forth less than 100 feet to enjoy Pershing square

[alki]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

To me the area in which Metropolis sits is not that groovy, it is next to the freeway and is bordered by a "no man's land" to the south which blocks it from connecting to LA Live. How that area will develop is unknown at this point. I think the developers will be asking high end prices for this project and thus there should be high end design and development--no "value engineering or cheaping-out." That is, DTLA doesn't need a replay of the Watermarke tower.

This is the only render I could find that shows the project's relationship with
the freeway and it looks like there is only one bldg......the low rise.....that fronts the freeway. Is the low rise parking, or is it the retail bldg, or is it both? I can't tell.

My point is if the luxury apts are furthest from the freeway and sit on Fig with the hotel in between as a buffer. I don't think the freeway impact will be all that great.

[mdiederi]

Originally Posted by alki

the luxury apts are furthest from the freeway and sit on Fig

None of it sits on Fig, and the shorter building is the hotel. The tall building looks like it butts right up to the freeway on top of the podium.

I'm hoping that construction starting on Metropolis might restart interest in the Avenue of Angels project.

[alki]

Originally Posted by mdiederi

None of it sits on Fig, and the shorter building is the hotel. The tall building looks like it butts right up to the freeway on top of the podium.

I'm hoping that construction starting on Metropolis might restart interest in the Avenue of Angels project.

Yeah, you're right. That photo I was looking at does not depict the project very clearly. And not sure why I thought the project went all the way to Fig.

Clearly, lots of money will go into sound proofing those bldgs.