LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[Mojeda101]

As of right now is it for sure that the Wilshire Tower, the Marriot, and the Courthouse will begin this year?

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

Great news! The original facade of Clifton's Cafeteria was unveiled today:

I wonder if they invited any of the original owners of the cafeteria to today's ceremony? They should have, if only to do this to them...



...for allowing the front to be covered up in the first place, & then sealing up most of its windows with those fugly concrete blocks. What got into the owners to do such a stoopid thing? what were they thinking back then???!!

If we all got forced into a time machine & were sent back to the early 1960s, & knew exactly how things would turn out in LA for decades into the future----& couldn't do anything to change things-----I'd think we'd all wanna do this...



right now cliftons looks pretty worn out. I didn't think so many or any of its windows had been sealed up....it will take more work to clean up than I originally assumed would be the case. but better late than never.

Originally Posted by Trojan

What's the story behind the beautiful St. Vincent's building across the street? Who owns it? Is it ever going to be beautified?

that used to be bullock's downtown, originally one of the largest flagship dept stores in the country. not as large as macys in nyc, but certainly larger than the typical dept store in the burbs.

if you ever go through archives of the LA Times from over 30 yrs ago, you'll find advertisements in its pgs that were exclusively for that one store alone. I read bullocks once even promoted having special window displays during xmas, which is a tradition that still exists in cities like nyc. another example of how many $$$ LA has lost over the past 50 yrs, while cities like NYC, chicago or SF held onto alot more of their original economic vigor.

when I think of this, & then know some ppl happily claim that slumlordized broadway of today & over the past 30 yrs reflects an authentic, real culture, I wanna cue the circus music:

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

As of right now is it for sure that the Wilshire Tower, the Marriot, and the Courthouse will begin this year?

Nothing is ever for sure. But it is very, very likely.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I wonder if they invited any of the original owners of the cafeteria to today's ceremony? They should have, if only to do this to them...



...for allowing the front to be covered up in the first place, & then sealing up most of its windows with those fugly concrete blocks. What got into the owners to do such a stoopid thing? what were they thinking back then???!!

It's not really their fault. Historic buildings to them in the sixties are sort of what PoMo buildings are to us in the 2010s. They were outdated. They were even a little ugly. Every architectural style goes through this process. Think about mid-century modernism. There was a period where no one liked it, and now everyone wants to live in a mid-century house. It's simply the nature of architecture.

[alki]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I wonder if they invited any of the original owners of the cafeteria to today's ceremony? They should have, if only to do this to them...



...for allowing the front to be covered up in the first place, & then sealing up most of its windows with those fugly concrete blocks. What got into the owners to do such a stoopid thing? what were they thinking back then???!!

It probably was a requirement by the city for earthquake purposes.

[alki]

Originally Posted by 213

The Park Plaza hosts events and film shoots but is in transition otherwise. The tower floors have been gutted -- clearly there's a plan afoot -- and the views up there are terrific.

The neighborhood poses challenges, but the building's proximity to downtown, MacArthur Park and Wilshire Blvd. is an inherent strength. Will be interesting to see what happens...



you-are-here.com

Its such a hot building. What's MacArthur Park like now?

When I was in LA, it was a place to buy drugs while the streets around were filled with mostly Central American and Mexican shops.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

It's not really their fault.

yes...my bad. but not cuz I excuse the poor design choices they made in the 1960s, but cuz of technical issues they had to confront in the 1980s, possibly due in part to the Whittier earthquake in 1987?

Originally Posted by alki

It probably was a requirement by the city for earthquake purposes.

You're correct. If you didn't read the LA Times article as I just did, then I give you kudos for figuring it out on your own....

But there were a few murmurs from a crowd of roughly 200 spectators as work crews lifted a huge tarp and revealed that many of the building's original windows were filled in with ugly concrete blocks.

Not to worry, said Meieran, who acquired the downtown cafeteria in 2010 from the Clinton family for $3.6 million.

As soon as seismic upgrades are completed, the concrete blocks — installed for earthquake safety in 1988 — will be removed. Glass panes will replace the blocks and natural light will again flood into the cafeteria's famous redwood forest-themed dining room, he said.

for some reason, this photo of the front of the bldg makes it seem less tattered & not as much of a tough case of an upcoming extreme makeover...



latimes.com

[LosAngelesBeauty]

In case any of you missed the unveiling of Clifton's Cafeteria today, I caught it all on video:

http://brighamyen.com/2012/02/08/clifton...dways-come-back-in-downtown-los-angeles/

[213]

Originally Posted by alki

Its such a hot building. What's MacArthur Park like now?

When I was in LA, it was a place to buy drugs while the streets around were filled with mostly Central American and Mexican shops.

The park has improved somewhat but is still a trouble spot. Westlake remains densely immigrant Latino, but shall likely see some investment/renewal along the Wilshire corridor in coming years.

A part of me would love to see the area revitalized, another part likes being able to immerse in a foreign culture not two miles away.

[all of the trash]

clifton's is gonna look bomb ass. I hope they change the main signage on it too, which I'm confident they will. It's so fugly (citywatch voice)

[colemonkee]

Brigham, is that you in the LA Times' picture on the center left, holding up your camera?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Brigham, is that you in the LA Times' picture on the center left, holding up your camera?

Haha yes, I actually didnt notice that until you pointed it out lol

[JRinSoCal]

So what is the completion date for Clifton's renovation? What exactly is in the upper floors? Will there be any lofts?

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

As of right now is it for sure that the Wilshire Tower, the Marriot, and the Courthouse will begin this year?

Welcome to the forum, Mojeda101. While none of those towers are guaranteed to start this year, the Marriott is the likeliest candidate, as they've stated that financing is more or less in place. I would look for that to start sometime in the first half of the year.

The current Wilshire Grand is scheduled for demolition in the second half of this year, and could take several months. So don't count on construction starting on the new hotel tower until sometime next year.

As for the Courthouse, that's anyone's guess. It still has to be redesigned, so I think we're pretty far off from an actual construction start on that one.

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

It's not really their fault. Historic buildings to them in the sixties are sort of what PoMo buildings are to us in the 2010s. They were outdated. They were even a little ugly. Every architectural style goes through this process. Think about mid-century modernism. There was a period where no one liked it, and now everyone wants to live in a mid-century house. It's simply the nature of architecture.

I think the "out of fashion" style of architecture, for the moment, is very much still Brutalism. And very true regarding MCM; the style has its fans, and many examples are now eligible for historic preservation, seeing how a good portion of it was built 50+ years ago (typically, the bare minimum for consideration for preservation status). All the FLW, Mies, Corbusier, Niemeyer, Saarinen stuff, etc, is very much loved and celebrated. And things like the UN building, Seagram building, Marina City building, TWA terminal, DWP building, houses in Silverlake and Palm Springs, etc, resonate well with the general public.

On the other hand, Brutalism is still seen as obsolete, pedestrian-unfriendly, concrete-heavy, generally not a periof of architecture worth romanticizing or saving. Even on SSP, many feel Brutalism shouldn't be preserved, or that it doesn't belong in our cities. Typically negative qualities. PoMo was built right up to about 10 years ago, so I don't think it is "outdated" just yet. Here is a good read on the topic.

Originally Posted by alki

Its such a hot building. What's MacArthur Park like now?

When I was in LA, it was a place to buy drugs while the streets around were filled with mostly Central American and Mexican shops.

Still very Central American and Oaxacan, and poor. It still has significant quality of life issues (moreso than other, poor, ungentrified Latino neighborhoods) and suffers from a lack of investment or enforcement of basic city codes. However, among my friends, and on online urbanity/real estate circles, awareness of the nabe is on the rise, and many are realizing just how much the nabe has to offer. A central location (sandwiched between Koreatown, Silverlake/Echo Park, and DTLA), two subline lines, most dense neighborhood after Koreatown, and a robust, relatively intact stock of 1910s-1930s architecture. It is only a matter of time until a slick, trendy coffee shop or restaurant opens there; something that will serve as a catalyst and attract outsiders to the nabe. If a few cool new places opened up, and the city got off its ass and starting enforcing housing and street vending regulations, there would be no stopping the area.

[Illithid Dude]

So, for some more good news, that new complex in the arts district formerly known as Barns Lofts is sold out. Or Phase 1 is, at least. It is worth noting that it has been on the market for a very short amount of time. I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of new proposals for the Arts District soon.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Welcome to the forum, Mojeda101. While none of those towers are guaranteed to start this year, the Marriott is the likeliest candidate, as they've stated that financing is more or less in place. I would look for that to start sometime in the first half of the year.

The current Wilshire Grand is scheduled for demolition in the second half of this year, and could take several months. So don't count on construction starting on the new hotel tower until sometime next year.

As for the Courthouse, that's anyone's guess. It still has to be redesigned, so I think we're pretty far off from an actual construction start on that one.

Ah, thank you for clearing that up for me. I'm really looking forward to driving through downtown going to work and seeing a new tower go up day after day. I loved it during the LA Live construction, seeing progress everytime I went to work and back.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

I think the "out of fashion" style of architecture, for the moment, is very much still Brutalism. And very true regarding MCM; the style has its fans, and many examples are now eligible for historic preservation, seeing how a good portion of it was built 50+ years ago (typically, the bare minimum for consideration for preservation status). All the FLW, Mies, Corbusier, Niemeyer, Saarinen stuff, etc, is very much loved and celebrated. And things like the UN building, Seagram building, Marina City building, TWA terminal, DWP building, houses in Silverlake and Palm Springs, etc, resonate well with the general public.

On the other hand, Brutalism is still seen as obsolete, pedestrian-unfriendly, concrete-heavy, generally not a periof of architecture worth romanticizing or saving. Even on SSP, many feel Brutalism shouldn't be preserved, or that it doesn't belong in our cities. Typically negative qualities. PoMo was built right up to about 10 years ago, so I don't think it is "outdated" just yet. Here is a good read on the topic.


Still very Central American and Oaxacan, and poor. It still has significant quality of life issues (moreso than other, poor, ungentrified Latino neighborhoods) and suffers from a lack of investment or enforcement of basic city codes. However, among my friends, and on online urbanity/real estate circles, awareness of the nabe is on the rise, and many are realizing just how much the nabe has to offer. A central location (sandwiched between Koreatown, Silverlake/Echo Park, and DTLA), two subline lines, most dense neighborhood after Koreatown, and a robust, relatively intact stock of 1910s-1930s architecture. It is only a matter of time until a slick, trendy coffee shop or restaurant opens there; something that will serve as a catalyst and attract outsiders to the nabe. If a few cool new places opened up, and the city got off its ass and starting enforcing housing and street vending regulations, there would be no stopping the area.

Westlake: Very accurate summary. A couple of more points. Buildings like the Town House and others on or near LaFayette and MacArthur Parks have great style to them. I can easily see these becoming Korean, hipster or mainstream middle-class in the near future. Vermont (where a new highrise is going up and is full of Korean investment) is only a few blocks from LaFayette Park. There are surprising numbers of streets with nice buildings around Vermont over to Commonwealth.

Similarly, City West is likely to expand from the east.

Not to say that this won't be a long process. But the fact of the area being so rundown (excepting the pre-1950 classic buildings) is a factor that helps in some ways.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So, for some more good news, that new complex in the arts district formerly known as Barns Lofts is sold out. Or Phase 1 is, at least. It is worth noting that it has been on the market for a very short amount of time. I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of new proposals for the Arts District soon.

Super news. There is definitely critical mass there.

[alki]

Originally Posted by 213

The park has improved somewhat but is still a trouble spot. Westlake remains densely immigrant Latino, but shall likely see some investment/renewal along the Wilshire corridor in coming years.

A part of me would love to see the area revitalized, another part likes being able to immerse in a foreign culture not two miles away.

For me, MacArthur Park is one the most attractive parks in LA.......one set in a very urban/dense area. It bothered me that there was so much drug trafficking and crime in the park. I am not sure how you clean it up.