LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Citywatch should be happy about this

Glad to see the DTLA "trickle down effect," though!

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by milquetoast

PERSHING SQUARE - 1965

.

Not my cup of tea but my Kingdom for some open space!

.

.

NEAT-STUFF-BLOG-BLOGSPOT.COM

Check THIS Pershing Square out. This video is labeled as being LA in the 1920s, but judging by the fashions, the cars and the fact that Pershing Square is referred to as Central Park, this has to be the mid-1910s, definitely WWI era; it wasn't until World War I ended that it was renamed Pershing Square.

• Video Link

[Illithid Dude]

Here's an interesting read:

http://ia600304.us.archive.org/14/items/downtownstrategi00losa/downtownstrategi00losa.pdf

This is the mid 90s strategic plan for Downtown. I am surprised at just how forward thinking it was. The plan advocates for heightened pedestrian experiences, reduced dependence on automobiles, more rail transit, and many other things that aren't typically associated with the mid 90s. It's also nice to know that downtown has far exceeded the plans expectations. The plans says that by 2020, 18,000 residential units could be built. Now it is 2011, and we are already at 22,000 residential units. It's all very interesting, and it's great to contrast this paper with today and see how far we have come.

[citywatch]

the broad museum has a webcam page, so it's at least one new devlpt that ppl can keep track of over the next 20 or so months.....



Webcam page

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Curbed attended the opening of the West 27th Place development near USC today.....The project has 161 rental units and will include 2,600 square feet of retail (including Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which you might have heard of)......And the development is already fully leased (class starts Monday!).

your post made me so curious about the latest condition of the usc area, that I did a bit of traveling with google streetview.

I recall that hood having so many deadzones for yrs & yrs, including the huge auto lot next to the shrine auditorium, the site of what's now the galen sports ctr, & various locations around exposition pk that used to be parking lots or tired old bldgs. Or the corner of expo & fig that once housed a gas station til not long ago & is now being replaced by a new apt bldg.

There also was expo blvd with its large median that for yrs & yrs & yrs was nothing but the remnants of abandoned train tracks. I know the part in front of usc was finally cleaned up & landscaped several yrs ago, before being replaced about 2 yrs ago by work on the new expo line. But til work on that finally was underway, the median farther west had remained nothing but a big gap with a few straggly trees & plenty of weeds & litter.

that median finally is becoming useful again.....


maps.google.com

google's cam appears to have driven by as testing was going on along the expo line system...


maps.google.com

^ the natural history museum is shown to the right & is another part of the hood that finally is getting a long overdue makeover! I also streetviewed by the old swim stadium next to the coliseum & that too has finally gotten a long needed facelift within the past few yrs.

As I used google's cam to look at the rest of expo blvd farther west, to where the 1st phase of the expo line will end near culver city, I couldn't help but get excited & think "FINALLY!!!" A street that no longer is haunted by an old abandoned train median, & whose replacement will allow ppl to use transit from hoods several miles west of dt right into dt itself.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Citywatch should be happy about this

most certainly!!

special should be reserved for the slumlords & absentee owners of many of the bldgs along broadway.

I've noticed ppl through the yrs slamming devlprs of new projs for not doing certain things really well, for using stucco instead of stone, or for including too many parking stalls, or not including stores on the 1st floor. But I've heard almost no one reserve special scorn for the ppl who've controlled property on broadway & allowed it to rot for yrs & yrs. THOSE ppl----slumlords & everyone they leech off of---deserve to be taken out & tied to a whipping post!

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the broad museum has a webcam page, so it's at least one new devlpt that ppl can keep track of over the next 20 or so months.....



Webcam page

Maybe i'm just seeing things, but from the looks of it, they're already in the process of setting up the construction crane (it's orange).

So, for me, the only question now is... should I move this to "Under Construction"?

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Maybe i'm just seeing things, but from the looks of it, they're already in the process of setting up the construction crane (it's orange).

So, for me, the only question now is... should I move this to "Under Construction"?

Nice catch! Due to the height, I was going to assume that they were going to use one of those little cranes, but I guess not.

Yeah, I guess it is under construction

[pesto]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the broad museum has a webcam page, so it's at least one new devlpt that ppl can keep track of over the next 20 or so months.....



Webcam page

Walked by there last Sunday and it is really going to look great when done. Lots of beautiful buildings along that strip. I noticed there was a nicely decorated outdoor cafe at the residential tower just across 2nd St. along Grand. However, I was disappointed to see that it was a Subway with outdoor seating; maybe they could rename it "Le Subway Fusion Bistro". And of course the erector set parking structure across from the Disney...

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by pesto

Walked by there last Sunday and it is really going to look great when done. Lots of beautiful buildings along that strip. I noticed there was a nicely decorated outdoor cafe at the residential tower just across 2nd St. along Grand. However, I was disappointed to see that it was a Subway with outdoor seating; maybe they could rename it "Le Subway Fusion Bistro". And of course the erector set parking structure across from the Disney...

Soooo much potential in that area. i wish they would add a landscaped median by capping those openings between 2nd and 4th street. Once the Broad and the Grand are built, that area is going to be gorgeous.

Also, as i was walking from 5th and flower to Pershing square yesterday, it really struck me how important park 5th was to that area. it would have completed 5th street from flower all the way down to Los Angeles street and would have tied all those districts together. That is one project that i really with the city would jump in and "incentivize" because it could drastically accelerate the rate of gentrification and improvement.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Maybe i'm just seeing things, but from the looks of it, they're already in the process of setting up the construction crane (it's orange).

So, for me, the only question now is... should I move this to "Under Construction"?

This thing has been under construction for a while.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Soooo much potential in that area. i wish they would add a landscaped median by capping those openings between 2nd and 4th street. Once the Broad and the Grand are built, that area is going to be gorgeous.

Also, as i was walking from 5th and flower to Pershing square yesterday, it really struck me how important park 5th was to that area. it would have completed 5th street from flower all the way down to Los Angeles street and would have tied all those districts together. That is one project that i really with the city would jump in and "incentivize" because it could drastically accelerate the rate of gentrification and improvement.

If I can remember correctly, I believe that one of the aspects of the Grand Ave. plan was re-landscaping the street to make it more pedestrian friendly, adding trees and whatnont.

And I stand by my believe that Park Fifth was the most important project for downtown, and subsequently was the biggest loss of the recession. Every day I wish it was built, but it sadly really never had a chance.

[DtlaCuriousity]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the broad museum has a webcam page, so it's at least one new devlpt that ppl can keep track of over the next 20 or so months.....



Webcam page

Awesome! I love the date feature. Being able to track it's progress from start to finish!

[colemonkee]

Some sad news, but not entirely a surprise to people who live in the immediate area, but Harlem Place Cafe - previously Lost Souls - has called it quits. Tom Gilmore says he is talking to some tenants about a potential wine bar in the space.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/restaurants/news/article_8a53ec3a-cf62-11e0-96fd-001cc4c002e0.html

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Some sad news, but not entirely a surprise to people who live in the immediate area, but Harlem Place Cafe - previously Lost Souls - has called it quits. Tom Gilmore says he is talking to some tenants about a potential wine bar in the space.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/restaurants/news/article_8a53ec3a-cf62-11e0-96fd-001cc4c002e0.html

PISS!

That was my favorite cafe downtown. Such an awesome vibe. Good music and pretty good food. But business was slow (probably due to it's location). Sad sad.

[bobcat]

Plans for another hotel in South Park
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/article_bbc8da44-d036-11e0-acb5-001cc4c03286.html

Los Angeles Downtown News has learned that an Orange County developer is in the early stage of planning a Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites. It would rise at 1500 S. Figueroa St., across from the Convention Center, on what is currently a surface parking lot.

Property owner Broadway Chinatown, LLC. has tentatively partnered with T2 Development, a division of the Tarsadia Hotel Group, to develop a mid-rise project with up to 375 rooms. Fraydoon Bral, a partner in Broadway Chinatown, LLC., said the company's partnership with T2 is preliminary. The two firms do not currently have a contract.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by bobcat

Plans for another hotel in South Park
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/article_bbc8da44-d036-11e0-acb5-001cc4c03286.html

As long as it is mildly tall and attractive, I won't care too much. However, these super-budget hotels are, as a rule, NEVER ATTRACTIVE. Mixed feelings on this one.

[dachacon]

^^
Not all buildings can be Architectural Gems, and super budget Hotels and Motels are a crucial part of attracting normal people to conventions, along with the infrastructure needed. not everyone can stay at the Ritz or afford all the fancy upscale clubs and bars in the area. now some budget bars and restaurants are needed now to be more attractive to everyone.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by dachacon

^^
Not all buildings can be Architectural Gems, and super budget Hotels and Motels are a crucial part of attracting normal people to conventions, along with the infrastructure needed. not everyone can stay at the Ritz or afford all the fancy upscale clubs and bars in the area. now some budget bars and restaurants are needed now to be more attractive to everyone.

As long as we're not getting 2 story motels with large parking lots.

I think a good example of nice boutique hotels are the O Hotel and Ritz Miler both on Flower between 8th and 9th. No direct parking structure, though the visitors are allowed use of the next door parking structure at reduced rates, the entrance opens up to the street and you can see cabs coming in/out. Now that's some nice urban hotels. Or a Hotel Figueroa style will do. Just do more huge parking lots. We have plenty of parking already.......

[bobcat]

Gosh, you folks make it sound like they're planning to build a Motel 6. Homewood Suites are hardly "super budget" hotels--I once stayed in the one in downtown Chicago for over $250/night! And even some Hampton Inns are more than passable hotels.

Anyway this plot of land isn't zoned for high density development so don't expect another Wilshire Grand.