LOS ANGELES | Central City Project Rundown 5.0 - Page 295

citywatch · #**5881** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 2:41 PM**

^ a good example of why it's ppl that make the big difference more than design alone, whether good or bad.

Pershing Sq doesn't have the greatest or most inviting design, but if it were filled with ppl on the up & up....instead of the homeless or vagrants, as was true over 20 yrs ago before its current design had been created....the problem of whether its architecture is good or not wouldn't seem as important.

there are other sections of dt where public areas, including sidewalks, have traditionally been rather quiet during many hours of the day. I've noticed that on various occasions when I've been in dt myself or seen various pics or vids taken throughout the hood.

The power of ppl....their presence or absence....is also the case with the BofA bldg. the data that flavius linked to shows that property actually had a higher occupancy rate prior to 2014. So the BofA tower can be seen as another indication that ppl who own businesses either are shrinking the size of their offices or aren't moving to dt. But, again, it's a case of ppl making a big difference.

another case of the power of ppl over design per se. the 8th&hope apt bldg, while it's described as having a good early response of 25% of its apts being leased, still isn't as heavily booked as I believe has been true of many of the apt projs....many of the notorious fake tuscan horrors.....built by GH palmer upon opening day.

When devlprs see trends like that, where they have to charge more $$ for apt units in high rise bldgs, compared with apts in low rise wood framed projs, & have to deal with more price resistance from prospective renters, that's one reason why so many devlprs see shorter, less expensive apt bldgs as easier to handle, easier to fill up....as the best way to go.

So keep such things in mind when wondering why projs in dtla aren't taller, or can't be taller, or why the power of design may take a back seat to the differing tastes & preferences of the public.

In the matter of wood framed versus steel, here's a puzzler: the low rise apt proj at 8th & grand where the whole foods mkt will be located currently has at least its northern section being framed with steel. So steel instead of wood??!! what's that all about? So will the Whole foods apt proj end up being a rare case of a low rise bldg that's framed with steel instead of wood? If so, why?!

blackcat23 · #**5882** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 2:54 PM**

According to the Wilshire Grand Facebook page, there should be a big announcement today. Probably the hotel operator.

Valyrian Steel · #**5883** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 8:17 PM**

Intercontinental to Operate Wilshire Grand

Quote:

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Representatives of the Wilshire Grand replacement project announced today that Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts will operate the 900-room luxury property when the tallest building west of Chicago opens in 2017.

The $1 billion-plus project from Korean Air will stand 73 stories tall, and will eclipse Downtown’s U.S. Bank Tower in height. The hotel will be the first on the West Coast to offer a sky lobby, which will be on the 70th floor. The tower, rising on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets, will be the first hotel built by Korean Air in the United States.

Kirk Kinsell, president of the Americas at Intercontinental Hotels Group, said in a prepared statement that the company remains “focused on building its presence in top-tier cities and resorts around the globe, and our partnership with Korean Air is very much in line with this strategy.”

The 1,100-foot tall structure will have the four-star hotel rooms on the upper floors of the edifice, above 400,000 square feet of office space. The project will also include stores, restaurants and a rooftop pool. AC Martin is handling the design and construction is being overseen by the affiliated Martin Project Management.

The building replaces the old Wilshire Grand, which opened in 1952 and closed in late 2011.

Project officials say the new hotel will create more than 11,000 construction jobs and contribute $80 million in tax revenue through the construction phase. Additionally, it will sustain more than 1,700 new full-time jobs and generate $16 million in annual local tax revenueonce completed.

The building will also eschew the traditional flat roof for a sloping rooftop design.

According to a press release from IHG, several property accents will be a nod toward characteristics of Los Angeles: wood and warm colors are intended to reflect the beach culture, and the sky lobby will feature abstract representations of car lines in the interior paneling and decor.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/inter...13c4b26-4358-11e4-b11a-bbf4c7d7b574.html

BrandonJXN · #**5884** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcat23

According to the Wilshire Grand Facebook page, there should be a big announcement today. Probably the hotel operator.

According to ladowntownnews, Intercontinental will be the hotel operator.

bobcat · #**5885** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 8:20 PM**

^Yes! Exactly what I wished for!

Anyone wanting to stay overnight should sign up for the IHG branded credit card; you get one free night at any IHG property per year.

Valyrian Steel · #**5886** Posted **Sep 23, 2014, 8:55 PM**

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByPumwUCMAAEWKs.jpg:large

Skyline rendering

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/h...8317086_a92179832b82de370c61ac41d58ea11d

blackcat23 · #**5887** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 12:10 AM**

^^Nice to finally get a look at how the Wilshire Grand fits into the skyline from the northwest.

In less exciting hotel news, the CEO of Hampshire Hotels Management (Dream Hotel chain) says that they will have a new hotel near Staples Center. Not a Dream, but possibly a Time Hotel or a different 3-star brand. Unclear if they're managing an already announced project (Metropolis, Mack Urban, Fig Central?) or something that hasn't been made public yet.

StethJeff · #**5888** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 12:19 AM**

Those interior renderings look a lot like the typical aesthetic in an InterContinental Hotel. Looks very similar to what my hotel looked like in Nha Trang. Glad to hear that we're getting another tall awesome chain to go along with the Ritz.

Flavius Josephus · #**5889** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 1:31 AM**

Not sure if we already knew about this, but 939 S Broadway's conversion to 160 apts filed with LADCP a little over a month ago. http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/...ber=VTT-72967-CC&fuseaction=case.summary. I think it's a Barry Shy project next door to the Ace Hotel.

Jaycruz · #**5890** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 3:47 PM**

I wish the Metropolis site designated one guy to wear a live feed helmet cam. The current cam is so frustrating ! I know it wont be that way for long but UGH !

Eagle rock · #**5891** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 5:24 PM**

Since I am slightly addicted to this forum and recently moved downtown I thought I would contribute by sharing some photos. They were taken on my IPhone and were shot during the golden hour a la Terrence Malick so please excuse the poor quality.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128071759@N08/15320141186/in/photostream/

Looks like work has started on the Palmer development at Olympic and Broadway. They have ripped up the parking lot and the buildings along Olympic are partly demolished. I am glad this gap is getting filled but worried about what Geoff has planned for us.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128071759@N08/15342873022/in/photostream/

Olympic and Hill. Not bad in my opinion. I like how they break up the massing on this very long building and they materials don't seem too crappy.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128071759@N08/15343177895/in/photostream/

The development next to Olympic and Hill looks fully excavated. This area will be completely transformed when all these buildings are finished.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128071759@N08/15340003061/

888 South Hope, really not my best work on the photography front. You can see that the parking garage is starting to rise, the tower portion is still a mound of dirt however.

brudy · #**5892** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flavius Josephus

Not sure if we already knew about this, but 939 S Broadway's conversion to 160 apts filed with LADCP a little over a month ago. http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/...ber=VTT-72967-CC&fuseaction=case.summary. I think it's a Barry Shy project next door to the Ace Hotel.

Yeah, that's the Shy conversion. Will be a nice addition down there.

brudy · #**5893** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaycruz

I wish the Metropolis site designated one guy to wear a live feed helmet cam. The current cam is so frustrating ! I know it wont be that way for long but UGH !

Should we start a kickstarter?

brudy · #**5894** Posted **Sep 24, 2014, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle rock

Since I am slightly addicted to this forum and recently moved downtown I thought I would contribute by sharing some photos. They were taken on my IPhone and were shot during the golden hour a la Terrence Malick so please excuse the poor quality.

Can't see your pics - looks like broken links.