LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by R1070

This looks a lot like the 7th Street bridge in Fort Worth:
http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/7thstbridge.htm

Similar, but the sideview is somehow less whimsical; I think because the arches on the LA bridge extend downward way past the bridge deck, it gives it more of an interesting look.

Just my own personal opinion of course.

I'm really now looking forward to the park being built beneath the bridge; it'll really be the gathering/destination place it was designed to be rather than just transportation infrastructure. I've heard that there are plans to make the bridge a regular festival venue of sorts---which is what I was hoping would happen. So there will be future well-intentioned shutdowns of the bridge.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by pwright1

the grand...& conrad hotel....has bigger pr...more press...behind it. It's also in a more visible, cleaner part of dt. In comparison, this is in dt's gritty east, even further south from the new 6th St bridge than the owner's other place is. Never say never.


https://youtu.be/foWCeJaqADY?t=42

[Easy]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Similar, but the sideview is somehow less whimsical; I think because the arches on the LA bridge extend downward way past the bridge deck, it gives it more of an interesting look.

Just my own personal opinion of course.

It kind of feels like a popular style with many other bridges looking similar to some extent, even with substantially similar lights. Frederick Douglass Bridge in DC is another example.

But maybe it’s the total package that makes 6th Street bridge iconic.

[caligrad]

Will the Arches of the old bridge be placed in this park? I remember years ago the city said that one of the old arches would be conserved and placed in a park or something. Wondering if they would put it under this bridge? might take up a big chunk of room but it makes sense. I thought the State historic park would have been a viable option.

[dax_gray]

Visited the bridge yesterday and it is gorgeous! I don't know why cyclists are complaining. I'm an avid cyclist and I felt the bike lanes were wide/protected enough for me to feel safe from traffic.

Also it seems the guard rails aren't fully complete because of the park below. It was interesting to note the partial chain link fences around the bridge that would later be removed to be entrances to the park below. Can't wait for that to further cement this landmark!

[scania]

Originally Posted by citywatch

Thanks for the pics.....places in any city give off a better vibe....a sense of greater acceptance....when ppl are out & about. If the Grand were in Samo or venice...or the OC....would more ppl have been checking it out on day one?

Then again, when I think because dt is off the beaten path for various ppl throughout socal it will come up short, I keep this in mind....

https://youtu.be/klUjDnSQe04?t=44

Everywhere in LA is off the beaten path. Most people have no interest on driving to Venice unless they have friends visiting. That’s just one small example.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Similar, but the sideview is somehow less whimsical; I think because the arches on the LA bridge extend downward way past the bridge deck, it gives it more of an interesting look.

Just my own personal opinion of course.

I'm really now looking forward to the park being built beneath the bridge; it'll really be the gathering/destination place it was designed to be rather than just transportation infrastructure. I've heard that there are plans to make the bridge a regular festival venue of sorts---which is what I was hoping would happen. So there will be future well-intentioned shutdowns of the bridge.

I think the LA one is also significantly longer than the Fort Worth and DC versions. And yeah, I also like how the arches extend down to the ground level, whereas the Fort Worth one is on concrete pillars, which makes it look more like a regular freeway overpass. The heights of the arches on LA's 6th Street Bridge also vary which gives it more of a whimsical feel like you mention, and the largest arches being on the ends gives it a "gateway" feel.

The only thing I wish they could've done better structurally with the arches is to have the bases intersect in an "X" pattern like they did in the renderings, rather than meeting in a "Y" or wishbone shape like it currently does.

[SLO]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Similar, but the sideview is somehow less whimsical; I think because the arches on the LA bridge extend downward way past the bridge deck, it gives it more of an interesting look.

Just my own personal opinion of course.

I'm really now looking forward to the park being built beneath the bridge; it'll really be the gathering/destination place it was designed to be rather than just transportation infrastructure. I've heard that there are plans to make the bridge a regular festival venue of sorts---which is what I was hoping would happen. So there will be future well-intentioned shutdowns of the bridge.

Dallas has as a similar bridge also.

I agree I think the park is key to making the project really successful...


**edit
Dallas' bridge is not similar

[citywatch]

• Video Link


A lot of the lighting & surface areas of the bridge will be a never ending task for city maintenance crews. If they can't keep up with the work...& the future park under it too...6th St will end up making LA look bad. Same thing for how the new connector line in dt & the subway down Wilshire blvd are maintained & protected too.

the way LA city hall is headed, if it ends up mimicking what's going on in cities like chicago or seattle, SF, the road up ahead may be very bumpy.

[caligrad]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I think the LA one is also significantly longer than the Fort Worth and DC versions. And yeah, I also like how the arches extend down to the ground level, whereas the Fort Worth one is on concrete pillars, which makes it look more like a regular freeway overpass. The heights of the arches on LA's 6th Street Bridge also vary which gives it more of a whimsical feel like you mention, and the largest arches being on the ends gives it a "gateway" feel.

The only thing I wish they could've done better structurally with the arches is to have the bases intersect in an "X" pattern like they did in the renderings, rather than meeting in a "Y" or wishbone shape like it currently does.

Interesting. I just noticed that. I knew the bridge looked different than the renderings but couldn't pinpoint it. I wonder if it was because of a cost thing or structural thing since engineers said the soil under the bridge is horrible.

[citywatch]

I'm glad major features of the new bridge weren't value engineered to an obvious degree. But I sure hope the city has budgeted for maintaining the details that Michael Maltzan designed into the bridge, not even thinking of the graffiti that's going to be plaguing it...

Since it opened to the public in 2009, the lawn on the south side of the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters building has lingered in a municipal budget no-man’s land.

When the $440 million police building opened, there were no public dollars to pay for maintenance of the lawn or landscaped areas that surround the building. For several months, the site languished — weeds overtook succulent beds, many plants died of thirst and recently, city engineers found that some trees were literally sinking into their wells. The lawn’s once sorry condition sparked a group of volunteers organized by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council to get their hands dirty at routine monthly cleanups.

Speaking of the lapd, things like this are influenced by LA city govnt & the community...the voters of dtla & throughout LA....in general. If these trends aren't changed, the investment in new devlpt in dt along with trying to improve the city's image are going to take a hit.


https://youtu.be/US8pqMRrhzU?t=527

https://youtu.be/NcESv-5ED6M

[citywatch]

wait for it.....

https://youtu.be/QBKifsN_zeo?t=155


She sounds like one of those sspers who always wants new projs in dtla to be taller & are very disappointed when they're not....I don't hold that against her, however. In my case, I mainly want gaps & deadzones to be eliminated more than I want new devlpt to be 70, 80 100 stories tall. But that's just me.....regardless, I'll take LA over places that are less 'underwhelming', such as boston or seattle

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Easy

It kind of feels like a popular style with other bridges looking similar to some extent, even with substantially similar lights. Frederick Douglass Bridge in DC is another example.

But maybe it’s the total package that makes 6th Street bridge iconic.

That bridge in DC is similar looking too, but only the arches.

Apart from the aesthetics of a bridge, part of the fun of bridges is crossing them, whether on foot, on a bike, or in a vehicle. And now that LA's 6th Street Viaduct is open again, many people I assume, will also be crossing by public transit; buses used to cross the old bridge, so I assume bus lines will be rerouted back to the 6th Street Viaduct.

So, going back to the DC bridge, the arch theme might be similar, but looking at Google Street View, the feeling of it is completely different from the LA bridge: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8686016,...6MpC5AcqJQ7j9Kg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

And let's compare that with the bridge in Fort Worth: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7509382,...D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

And the one in Brasilia, Brazil: https://www.google.com/maps/@-15.8225474...CzKUgTvV-sGNpNw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

All nice bridges, but completely different feel to them when actually on them, as well as their aesthetics and physical context to their surroundings.

[pwright1]

[pwright1]

[citywatch]

^ good things like that or the opening of part of the Grand ave proj are being offset by trending news of a member of the 2008 Olympic US volleyball team being hurt by a homeless guy in dtla....during the afternoon, not even late at night.


https://youtu.be/b9X7v-Iq790


dtla already has a shaky reputation because of skid row & what's described as the largest number of sidewalk tent vagrants of any city in the US...perhaps even the world, certainly North america, europe, asia. I know when news broke out about 2 yrs ago of a lot of migrants taking over some of the streets or sidewalks of paris, that chilled my impression of that city. And that part of france has always had a stellar reputation. By contrast, LA....dtla...doesn't have as much room to maneuver.

Trends at LA city hall lead me to believe it's going to get worse in the next several yrs. Dtla already has less resiliency than hoods further to the west do, such as where new stops of the wilshire subway are being built. Every place throughout the US & world are in it to win it....time waits for no city.

[citywatch]

I read that studio or soundstage space is at a premium in LA, so a proj like this in SE dtla publicized almost 2 months ago isn't necessarily a matter of building it & hoping they will come....



la.urbanize.city


https://la.urbanize.city/post/8th-alameda-studio-complex-clears-la-city-planning-commission


^ But that doesn't line up with this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqydTPDKQ44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8PkMzRjupM


It keeps getting more & more competitive for LA, going back 10, 20 yrs, so the new studio space or sound stages in areas like dtla are based on what metric?

Local govnt is headed in the direction of making it harder & harder for LA....dtla....to compete. Combining that with the natural down cycle of the nation's economy, & things like a drought & chronic homelessness, means the ppl of dtla, including at city hall, had better not take the good of the city for granted. It wasn't that long ago when city govt, property owners & devlprs allowed major parts of dtla to fall apart for over 60, 80 yrs....before & after the existence of the cra.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I read that studio or soundstage space is at a premium in LA, so a proj like this in SE dtla publicized almost 2 months ago isn't necessarily a matter of building it & hoping they will come

Yeah, and there are two more studios coming in that same area and Urbanize LA has only written about one of the two additional.

There's also 670 Mesquit, which is one of my personal favorites and it's right under the bridge and proposes amazing, if unlikely, uses of the railroad right of way.

[Nyc1986]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Wouldn’t have been better to spend this kind of money building a mental health hospital with beds to clean up the whole city from all the mentally ill homeless /drug addicts?

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by Nyc1986

Wouldn’t have been better to spend this kind of money building a mental health hospital with beds to clean up the whole city from all the mentally ill homeless /drug addicts?

You've posted twice within the last 6 months and in both of those posts, you've asked the exact same question with the exact same flippant tone.

WAZUPWITDAT? #thehurricane