LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[Niftybox]

A few days late, Urbanize did an update on Gehry's The Grand project:
Construction viewed from 1st and Grand

View looking north on Grand


View from 2nd Street and Grand Avenue

View from 2nd and Olive Streets

View from Hill Street

[Niftybox]

I think I misjudged the height of LA Grand project thinking it was a little taller, I didn't account for the floors starting on Olive 2-3 floors lower. Still might make a decent impact on the Northern part of the skyline when viewed from Southwest. It's really too bad LA's downtown Bunker Hill towers are so imposing and tall, it makes everything around them look pretty insignificant. Cities like SD and even Century City would benefit greatly from a project this size as they are less prominent skylines.

[caligrad]

The Grand project took off rather quickly I'm surprised. It took decades to get started but once it did, it hit the ground running.

Originally Posted by colemonkee

6AM would be the ultimate development to see in the Arts District. Hoping we see that, but not holding my breath.

The only thing that scares me about the 6AM project is the portion that sits behind the towers. Rows of 7 story housing. For me it just seems like a waste of space. The foot print is toooo big, its like the modern day version of the Macys fortress downtown. We may accept it now but our kids in 20-30 years will ask us WTF were we thinking. Keep the towers, ditch the 7 story floating fortress for something more dense and urban.

[Quixote]

^ Agreed. This wasn’t even above ground in January. At this construction rate, it will be should be topped out by early spring of next year. Also, the material is high quality; definitely not cheap plaster as the fear was raised.

[Niftybox]

I was just noticing how ugly those traffic lights and lamps are next to the concert hall and The Grand, and if they were able to close down that small section of the street permanently and remove those traffic and light posts how much better it would look, along with being more pedestrian friendly.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Quixote

Also, the material is high quality; definitely not cheap plaster as the fear was raised.

odd time in LA's history, at least for me. first the corona and now the minneapolis have made it hard to keep up the faith....not just for LA but lots of other cities too.

But the city has been down this same path before. DTLA has been the country's epicenter of dystopia, so today is nothing new under the sun. But the city's & world's economy being hit by a pandemic and likely that now becoming worse by the suspicion everything is a day away from another riot, makes projs like Grand ave seem somehow not as relevant any longer.

Who's gonna stay in its hotel rms, who's gonna shop in its stores, who's gonna rent or buy it apts?

The whole world today is like the oceanwide proj on Fig on lockdown steroids.

I'd rather not go back in time....but we did somehow manage to survive. But I don't want to play the waiting game all over again. however, the unfinished Oceanwide across from the convention ctr is forcing the old to be new again. The waiting game has reappeared.


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[urbanflight]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

6AM would be the ultimate development to see in the Arts District. Hoping we see that, but not holding my breath.

The 6AM is a horrendous project. I really hope it gets replaced by something better.

I extremely hate its parking podium at street level

[Niftybox]

Originally Posted by urbanflight

The 6AM is a horrendous project. I really hope it gets replaced by something better.

I extremely hate its parking podium at street level

The podium seems like it's easily 'fixable' or they can easily cover it up, the rest of the project I really like, it will make a big impact in the Arts District.

[caligrad]

Not sure if it was wishful thinking or just interesting. But. Am i the only one to notice that Santee alley/fashion district has taken back some areas of skid row? I was expecting to see tents and homeless camps on some streets but instead saw fully functioning outdoor shops and eateries dotted all around the area. Is this new or am i missing something ? granted i haven't been downtown since the pandemic started.

[Doctorboffin]

It's been a while since I posted any updates on my development map, so here's the latest version. I can't guarantee it is completely accurate, but it's pretty close.

Grey stands for buildings under construction, blue for approved, red for proposed, and yellow for proposals that haven't been updated in several years, don't feature detailed specs, or I just doubt are actually going to go through.



















Let me know if you have any questions in regards to the projects shown, want to see something in particular, or if any of my info seems out of date.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by Niftybox

I was just noticing how ugly those traffic lights and lamps are next to the concert hall and The Grand, and if they were able to close down that small section of the street permanently and remove those traffic and light posts how much better it would look, along with being more pedestrian friendly.

The City bureau of street lighting is currently holding a competition to redesign the city's street lamps.

https://www.lalightstheway.org/

Also, speaking of street lighting, the new Perry Mason from HBO looks amazing, especially for those interested in noir-ish Los Angeles (4th street/Main and the Devil's Gate dam in Pasadena make a cool appearance):

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[colemonkee]

DoctorBoffin, those are great! I doubt we'll see even close to that level of development for current projects, but a girl can dream...

[hughfb3]

We've really got to address the fire department building codes in Los Angeles. All of our Highrises are unnnecessarily bloated due to an LA specific code requiring huge central cores in our tower... increasing construction costs/rents/lease prices per square foot and decreasing sunlight.

All while we are in a housing crisis with ever escalating construction costs. We are the only major city on the west coast with these requirements. Time to do something about it

https://letsgola.wordpress.com/2015/...n-los-angeles/

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

DoctorBoffin, those are great! I doubt we'll see even close to that level of development for current projects, but a girl can dream...

Yea

Still wouldn't near Chicago much less NYC, but ideally close to where LA should be high-rise wise

[pwright1]

[Niftybox]

Originally Posted by hughfb3

We've really got to address the fire department building codes in Los Angeles. All of our Highrises are unnnecessarily bloated due to an LA specific code requiring huge central cores in our tower... increasing construction costs/rents/lease prices per square foot and decreasing sunlight.

All while we are in a housing crisis with ever escalating construction costs. We are the only major city on the west coast with these requirements. Time to do something about it

https://letsgola.wordpress.com/2015/...n-los-angeles/

I had no idea, let's get this FIXED!

[ChelseaFC]

Well above ground now.

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[Niftybox]

I wonder if you'll be able to walk on the grass on the top of that?

[Niftybox]

Originally Posted by Doctorboffin

It's been a while since I posted any updates on my development map, so here's the latest version. I can't guarantee it is completely accurate, but it's pretty close.

Grey stands for buildings under construction, blue for approved, red for proposed, and yellow for proposals that haven't been updated in several years, don't feature detailed specs, or I just doubt are actually going to go through.

Let me know if you have any questions in regards to the projects shown, want to see something in particular, or if any of my info seems out of date.

Thanks for that graphic that's a neat way to see into the future of LA, I am curious how it might look if you took some buildings away for a more conservative estimate to see what it might actually look like then. Maybe assume only 1 maybe 2 yellow gets approval, whichever one(s) you think might have the best chance, maybe around 66% of the reds (proposed) get approved within a reasonable time frame, 95% blue (approved) and 100% grey (u/c).

Edit: Also, your last shot is the best one by far it shows sprawling tower growth, this helps me realize what LA could look like in 30ish years, sprawling towers and mini cities shooting up all over the basin, this includes areas like Miracle Mile, Hollywood, the Arts District etc. And an incredibly long stretch of towers down Miracle Mile will connect DTLA to bigger city cores like Century City, with large towers that shine like beacons at their centers.

[Jun]

[QUOTE=Niftybox;8950054]A few days late, Urbanize did an update on Gehry's The Grand project:

View from 2nd Street and Grand Avenue


It would be criminal if there isn't a crosswalk added across 2nd street.