LOS ANGELES | Central City Project Rundown 5.0

[112597jorge]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

I recently moved out of the Museum Tower across the street from the Broad so this one is particularly personal to me. Such a disaster. It is so rare for us in LA to universally love a design. The original plan was so dynamic and unique that many of us were afraid/thrilled that it could potentially even steal the spotlight away from WDCH. At a minimum, it would be an icon for the city. Fast forward to today and it somehow actually manages to look terrible and be incredibly delayed. Might as well build it on the other side of WDCH and drop it somewhere into the music center where it'll fit in better.

such a disappointment, my hope is that the blue spot will be how it is in the renders though my gut is telling me it wont. also the triangular entrance is so much smaller than what the render proposed.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

That's the first aerial shot taken of dt from the south looking north I've seen on the internet....or anywhere else....since all the current new apt projs have broken ground, or been well under construction or even recently completed. It's a relief that the pieces of the puzzle are finally....finally!....falling into place.

kalbeen's pic of what I call the whole foods mkt apt proj is a reminder of how a major gap not only is being filled in, but how it's using steel frame construction instead of wood...& how even though it broke ground in late 2012....or almost 2 solid yrs ago....it still will require many more months to reach the completion stage. Since it took so long to get above the excavation level, I swear it didn't begin construction until late 2013, not late 2012.

btw, I came across the following post in the metro LA thread of ssp's compilations page, & I think it speaks for many of us....or certainly for me....

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Blackcat, your blog is hands-down the best source of information on Los Angeles development on the internet. I am constantly wowed by both your knowledge and the time you put into it. Are you a broker? Or in the real estate industry?

Also, are you planning to monetize your blog at all with minimal ads like Brigham Yen did? I think you should be compensated for your awesome efforts.

[colemonkee]

We received a request yesterday from Holland Construction to install a construction camera on the roof of the Higgins Building to monitor construction of the Vibiana Lofts project on Main Street just south of 2nd. Now, I've never received a request like this before, so I don't know how far in advance they plan these things out, but it appears to me that construction is imminent. Just a reminder of what's going there:


Image Source: Building Los Angeles

[Quixote]

Has the city undertaken some sort of "city beautiful" movement? Google recently updated their Street View for LA and I'm seeing lots of streets with what appear to be newly planted trees. The city looks a lot cleaner too.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

We received a request yesterday from Holland Construction to install a construction camera on the roof of the Higgins Building to monitor construction of the Vibiana Lofts project on Main Street just south of 2nd. Now, I've never received a request like this before, so I don't know how far in advance they plan these things out, but it appears to me that construction is imminent. Just a reminder of what's going there:


Image Source: Building Los Angeles

You are correct. They're getting very close, although I'm not sure of exactly when shovels hit dirt.

For better or worse, the developer has cut the project down by one floor, most likely to allow for the use of wood-framing instead of steel/concrete. The basic design is staying the same though, as well as the approximate unit count and retail square footage.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

We received a request yesterday from Holland Construction to install a construction camera on the roof of the Higgins Building to monitor construction of the Vibiana Lofts project on Main Street just south of 2nd. Now, I've never received a request like this before, so I don't know how far in advance they plan these things out, but it appears to me that construction is imminent. Just a reminder of what's going there:


Image Source: Building Los Angeles

Excellent! That's a project I've been eagerly anticipating. It's really gonna activate that stretch

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

For better or worse, the developer has cut the project down by one floor, most likely to allow for the use of wood-framing instead of steel/concrete. The basic design is staying the same though, as well as the approximate unit count and retail square footage.

This is actually really disappointing. Maybe they are just going for taller ceiling heights?

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

This is actually really disappointing. Maybe they are just going for taller ceiling heights?

At one point, wasn't this supposed to be much taller? On the plus side, I like the design enough. It's interesting without trying too hard. And the gray is nice - a welcomed break from the color diarrhea of AVA and the others.

[Muji]

Originally Posted by Quixote

Has the city undertaken some sort of "city beautiful" movement? Google recently updated their Street View for LA and I'm seeing lots of streets with what appear to be newly planted trees. The city looks a lot cleaner too.

It does seem like the city has finally started to improve its street tree cover in the last few years. I believe that many of the new street trees are the result of the Million Trees LA program that Villaraigosa launched in 2006, and it seems as well that a few neighborhood business districts have also gotten in on the game. Just this past month in my neighborhood lots of new trees have showed up along Vermont Ave and its side streets between 7th and Olympic.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

in addition to those initiatives, new developments are required to rebuild the sidewalks and adhere to the design guidelines which require street trees

[alki]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

We received a request yesterday from Holland Construction to install a construction camera on the roof of the Higgins Building to monitor construction of the Vibiana Lofts project on Main Street just south of 2nd. Now, I've never received a request like this before, so I don't know how far in advance they plan these things out, but it appears to me that construction is imminent. Just a reminder of what's going there:


Image Source: Building Los Angeles

Great design! Its seems to have evolved over time........and looks better than I remember it.

[ConstructDTLA]

LA's premiere project a few nights ago:

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Excellent! That's a project I've been eagerly anticipating. It's really gonna activate that stretch

The stretch between this and Baco includes a permanent garrison of homeless individuals who show no sign of leaving. This area needs a ton of work before anyone should expect foot traffic let alone a smell that isn't urine.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

The stretch between this and Baco includes a permanent garrison of homeless individuals who show no sign of leaving. This area needs a ton of work before anyone should expect foot traffic let alone a smell that isn't urine.

It will remain weird on this stretch until the second phase of that project at 4th and Main is built. It takes out those parking lots at 3rd and will bring a ton of people to the area. But the Vibiana one will be great and does help 2nd st. Really anything helps from a people perspective...

[ziggy331]

Just got an email about a meeting later this month regarding the Fig Central project. Here is the revised project description:

The Figueroa Central project will bring nearly 1.5 million square feet of new mixed-use development to the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. The project will transform an entire 4.6 acre city block and provide much needed hotel rooms, residential units, and retail for Downtown LA. The project includes a 183-room five-star hotel, 504 residential units, and close to 170,000 square feet of commercial and retail space in a 7-story podium anchoring three high-rise towers. The hotel and retail will support the Convention Center and the project overall will provide a transitional connection between the Sports and Entertainment District and South Park.

Looks like the design may have changed?

[blackcat23]

That does seem to be the case. It sounds like a much smaller project that the RTKL designs would indicate, based on the number of residential units and hotel rooms.

[Mojeda101]

Hm. Three towers. They'll probably be shorter but we are getting three high rises at least. I would happy if they managed to make them all at least 30 floors. Hopefully the design isn't all that different either. But weren't the permits submitted just for 2 towers?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

The public notice for the Onni towers on 12th is up on the fencing at the site as well so looks like that is moving forward asap.

[caligrad]

^^^ Great news about both projects. As Mojeda pointed out. 3 towers for fig central will most likely mean 3 shorter towers most likely between the 20-40 range which is fine by me. Hopefully both projects use different designs since the helipad ordinance has been lifted. 4 crowned/spired towers right there.

[colemonkee]

Hmmmmm, I wonder if the 3-tower thing for Fig Central is a typo. Changing the design would require them to resubmit plans to Building and Safety, not a easy and quick - or cheap - process. I thought they were going with the same designs because they were essentially approved and "shovel ready."