LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[Illithid Dude]

Happy that buildings of this density are being built in West L.A. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. Nice, clean, attractive architecture too. For infill in a residential area, you can't really ask for much better.

[Quixote]

More of this farther east, please!

[blackcat23]

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/09/heres-hollywoods-latest-office-building.html

This is an office building planned near the corner of La Brea and Willoughby. Six stories, 50,000 sq ft of office space with 15,000 sq ft retail.

[blackcat23]

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/09/hollywoods-lexington-development.html

This is an older project that's recently shown some signs of life. The Lexington, at the corner of Las Palmas and Santa Monica Boulevard. Redesigned a little bit (VTBS Architects), and downsized (786 apt/22k retail to 695 apt/25k retail).

Before:


After:

[Flavius Josephus]

Potentially interesting stuff from today's LADCP filing report:

- A small apartment building at 5036 W Rosewood. At 11 units, it seems to be a third of the size of the 33-unit condos that were proposed on the site pre-recession (from what I could find online, the "credit" once again seems to go to a certain prominent NIMBY lawyer, whose appeals delayed the approvals until the recession hit).
- Red/Orange Line adjacent 84-unit development at 5500 N Klump Ave. I think the application is just north of the sea of parking at the North Hollywood Station.
- Sprawly 242 SFD project at 12400 N Big Tujunga Canyon Rd. On the one hand, they're 2-story jobs, so hopefully some stuff that can house larger families (per census data, the City of Los Angeles is very short of 4+BR residences, consigning families to the exurbs); on the other, it's undeveloped land zoned for agriculture in the foothills of the mountains (and literally the last parcel within the the city borders per ZIMAS). Definitely on the fence about this one.
- 7 story 32 unit job at 888 S Devon in Westwood. Should bring out the local NIMBYs in force.
- A little adaptive reuse at the corner of 1st and State in Boyle Heights, with a little church being rehabbed into a restaurant and 10 live/work units.

[Flavius Josephus]

And, from the State Clearinghouse, a notice of preparation of an EIR for the proposed Riverwalk project in Long Beach - 131 2-3 story SFDs in a gated community with a private recreation center and pocket park. http://www.ceqanet.ca.gov/DocDescription.asp?DocPK=684367

And Metro is putting in some transit signal priority loops/transponders in West Hollywood, along Venice Blvd, and something along the Orange Line is apparently also in the works. http://media.metro.net/board/Items/2014/09_september/20140910othersectorwesitem4.pdf

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/09/hollywoods-lexington-development.html

This is an older project that's recently shown some signs of life. The Lexington, at the corner of Las Palmas and Santa Monica Boulevard. Redesigned a little bit (VTBS Architects), and downsized (786 apt/22k retail to 695 apt/25k retail).

Before:


After:

personally i like the older one better :/ taller... i like the stone color of the building and the fact that the corner was curved rather than pointy.. also how the retail was built right up against the sidewalk... rather than including another plaza

[caligrad]

^^^ Yeah, it seems like they downsized a lot and with the housing market getting big at the moment, I wonder why did they do that?

In news from Long Beach, I was driving downtown last night and the 18 and 33 story towers are already digging low for the parking garages, its moving fast, most of the heavy equipment needed is already onsite. wish I knew how to upload pictures on here

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by caligrad

^^^ Yeah, it seems like they downsized a lot and with the housing market getting big at the moment, I wonder why did they do that?

In news from Long Beach, I was driving downtown last night and the 18 and 33 story towers are already digging low for the parking garages, its moving fast, most of the heavy equipment needed is already onsite. wish I knew how to upload pictures on here

Please DO NOT take any photos when driving. It is not worth getting into an accident for.

If you have a Flickr account, posting a photo is pretty easy.

1) Post the photo on Flickr.
2) If you are using Internet Explorer, then:
*File --> View -- Source.
3) A new tab will open with internet code. Search ".jpg"
4) The internet link for the photo you want to post should be the second .jpg link available when you search.
5) Copy that link.
6) On this site, click on the "Insert Image" icon.
7) Paste the link that you've copied from Flickr.
8) Click on submit reply below.

[caligrad]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Please DO NOT take any photos when driving. It is not worth getting into an accident for.

If you have a Flickr account, posting a photo is pretty easy.

1) Post the photo on Flickr.
2) If you are using Internet Explorer, then:
*File --> View -- Source.
3) A new tab will open with internet code. Search ".jpg"
4) The internet link for the photo you want to post should be the second .jpg link available when you search.
5) Copy that link.
6) On this site, click on the "Insert Image" icon.
7) Paste the link that you've copied from Flickr.
8) Click on submit reply below.

OH no ! LOL I got out of the car, parked in the red granted since parking in Long Beach is HORRIBLE, took some pics, got rushed away be a overzealous security guard but will take some pics, thanks for telling me how to post pics.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Flavius Josephus

Potentially interesting stuff from today's LADCP filing report:
- A little adaptive reuse at the corner of 1st and State in Boyle Heights, with a little church being rehabbed into a restaurant and 10 live/work units.

Sounds cool!

[blackcat23]

According to Bisnow, the Sunset Bronson Studios expansion will break ground next week.

14-story (200 ft), 315k sq ft office tower, designed by Gensler. Five-story, 90k sq ft production building, 1,600 (?!?!?!) parking spaces.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/09/big-sunset-bronson-studios-expansion-to.html

[Flavius Josephus]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

According to Bisnow, the Sunset Bronson Studios expansion will break ground next week.

14-story (200 ft), 315k sq ft office tower, designed by Gensler. Five-story, 90k sq ft production building, 1,600 (?!?!?!) parking spaces.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/09/big-sunset-bronson-studios-expansion-to.html

That number of spaces doesn't sound crazy for a tallish LA office building. And as long as they're doing it for market-based reasons rather than some number someone pulled out of their derrière in the 60s and made a requirement, it's fine with me. If, on the other hand, they're doing this because requirements say they have to put a ton on site whether they'll need it or not, that's quite another thing.

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by Flavius Josephus

That number of spaces doesn't sound crazy for a tallish LA office building.

Lets put this in perspective:

Sunset Bronson Studios Project - 14 stories - 1,600 parking spaces

Wilshire Grand Tower - 73 stories - 1,100 parking spaces

[WonderlandPark]

The parking lot is almost certainly for the entire backlot there, plus the office tower. 1600 is fine for what they need in both places. Nearby Sunset Gower gets over-full often and with the Technicolor (5 Stories) + backlot is around 1000+ spaces. Columbia Square is about 2000 spaces from what I recall reading a while back (office, commercial +residential tower)

[N. Fred]

WonderlandPark makes a good point. I have meetings and sessions at Technicolor on Sunset Gower lot quite a bit, and parking there is rather insane. I almost exclusively walk, Metro and Lyft outside of work, but most people who work at lots like Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson often have to run back and forth between Hollywood, the valley and westside throughout the week. I think those 1,600 parking spaces are probably a necessary evil. It's good to see that Hudson Properties and others are bullish on Hollywood coming back to Hollywood.

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

The parking lot is almost certainly for the entire backlot there, plus the office tower. 1600 is fine for what they need in both places. Nearby Sunset Gower gets over-full often and with the Technicolor (5 Stories) + backlot is around 1000+ spaces. Columbia Square is about 2000 spaces from what I recall reading a while back (office, commercial +residential tower)

[edluva]

Originally Posted by N. Fred

WonderlandPark makes a good point. I have meetings and sessions at Technicolor on Sunset Gower lot quite a bit, and parking there is rather insane. I almost exclusively walk, Metro and Lyft outside of work, but most people who work at lots like Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson often have to run back and forth between Hollywood, the valley and westside throughout the week. I think those 1,600 parking spaces are probably a necessary evil. It's good to see that Hudson Properties and others are bullish on Hollywood coming back to Hollywood.

which proves my point that transit/walkability in LA continues to be abysmal for regular, productive members of society (transit is great if you're a poverty stricken salvadorean immigrant with few other options and you don't have business zipping cross-town on a daily basis).

placemaking doesn't occur if there is no *place* to conceptualize one's daily life around. in Santa Monica, for example, few people consider the vast swath of LA east of the 405 a "daily" part of their lives, and it probably goes the other way around. if century city is beyond practical concern for me it won't matter to me what goes on over there. if mobility hinders unity of place, then existence of such place remains tenuous.

it's ridiculous how defensive the rather unenlightened angeleno forumers get about my attacks on LAs pathetic walkability. third street promenade is an outdoor shopping mall, just like old town Pasadena. forumers fail to realize that walkability is a lifestyle, not a shopping strip, and despite these faux-urban exceptions to the norm, LA remains thoroughly unwalkable, whatever the density or height. but don't ask me. ask the developers. they're not building 1600 subterranean spaces out of charity.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by edluva

which proves my point that transit/walkability in LA continues to be abysmal for regular, productive members of society (transit is great if you're a poverty stricken salvadorean immigrant with few other options and you don't have business zipping cross-town on a daily basis).

placemaking doesn't occur if there is no *place* to conceptualize one's daily life around. in Santa Monica, for example, few people consider the vast swath of LA east of the 405 a "daily" part of their lives, and it probably goes the other way around. if century city is beyond practical concern for me it won't matter to me what goes on over there. if mobility hinders unity of place, then existence of such place remains tenuous.

it's ridiculous how defensive the rather unenlightened angeleno forumers get about my attacks on LAs pathetic walkability. third street promenade is an outdoor shopping mall, just like old town Pasadena. forumers fail to realize that walkability is a lifestyle, not a shopping strip, and despite these faux-urban exceptions to the norm, LA remains thoroughly unwalkable, whatever the density or height. but don't ask me. ask the developers. they're not building 1600 subterranean spaces out of charity.

Get over yourself. How many times do we need to hear how enlightened you are and how dumb the other Southern California residents are? At least four different cities are planning streetcars networks in Southern California. The second busiest Amtrak route serves Southern California. There is nearly 400 miles of commuter rail. The nation's busiest bus rapid transit route is in LA County. There is 80 miles of light and heavy rail, with 4-5 extensions or new routes under construction. Southern California will enjoy the mobility of high speed rail. The most ambitious transit station currently under construction is in Orange County.

Perhaps you might not be able to get from Mission Viejo to Chatsworth by transit but if you choose to live near rail or near your place of employment, it seems like it is certainly feasible to live 'car-lite' in much of LA and some of the suburbs.

Instead of constantly complaining, try advocating for more funding to expand transit to give residents even more transportation options.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by edluva

which proves my point that transit/walkability in LA continues to be abysmal for regular, productive members of society (transit is great if you're a poverty stricken salvadorean immigrant with few other options and you don't have business zipping cross-town on a daily basis).

placemaking doesn't occur if there is no *place* to conceptualize one's daily life around. in Santa Monica, for example, few people consider the vast swath of LA east of the 405 a "daily" part of their lives, and it probably goes the other way around. if century city is beyond practical concern for me it won't matter to me what goes on over there. if mobility hinders unity of place, then existence of such place remains tenuous.

it's ridiculous how defensive the rather unenlightened angeleno forumers get about my attacks on LAs pathetic walkability. third street promenade is an outdoor shopping mall, just like old town Pasadena. forumers fail to realize that walkability is a lifestyle, not a shopping strip, and despite these faux-urban exceptions to the norm, LA remains thoroughly unwalkable, whatever the density or height. but don't ask me. ask the developers. they're not building 1600 subterranean spaces out of charity.

Why even bring the Promenade in to this? No one was talking about the Promenade, and I've never heard anyone say that DT SaMo is anything BUT walkable. The Promenade is just one street.

And, for the record, I, who lived in SaMo for almost my entire life, would go past the 405 on a daily basis.

[WonderlandPark]

Robinson's May in BH site sold for !! $420 !! Million. Wow.

Sold to Wanda group who intends to build the Richard Meier project next year.

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-robinsons-asian-investors-20140912-story.html