LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[pesto]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

The way AEG has been so aggressive and successful at pushing it's plans, I'm kinda surprised they don't have more ambitious plans to purchase up more parcels to try to bring a baseball stadium DT in addition to Farmer's and the rest of LA Live. There's absolutely no reason to leave Angel Stadium - its great. But moving to a picturesque stadium DT that has amazing views of the skyline would actually do a ton for the team's image and marketability.

I feel the same. The LA Angels were originally in LA, as was the minor league team of the same name. And baseball (unlike football) is very appropriate to urban locations.

But in an area of, say, 1500 sq. miles it also seems odd to push all the stadiums into a tiny area. Spreading them out makes for much better access from different regions.

NY, for example, has pro stadiums in NJ, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Long Island. Only one arena is in Manhattan, and that's not in either of the true downtowns (Wall St. and Midtown).

btw, Anaheim is committing one of the same sins that NJ did: insisting on a local name, when the name of the local big city (NY, LA) is worth much more. The result is a move to Brooklyn, which is another name with worldwide cache.

[RST500]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

OK, i updated page 1. I didn't include Avenue of Angels because it's not all owned by one single entity, so i don't think really one single project; whereas the 42-acre Union Station area redevelopment is owned by the MTA and is being designed as one mega project.

What exactly is the Union Station Projecr Replacing. To the West of Union Station is Olvera Street, to the South is the 101 and the Planed Freeway Cap Park and than to the East is the County Jail.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I was looking at the Historic Core a little bit ago, on Google Maps, as I was curious to see it again with all the new proposals in mind. What really holds the area back, to me, is the dingy streetscape. I've seen the proposals for the Broadway streetscape design, and they look fantastic. I think that if this streetscape design was extended to Spring and Main, then the whole area would become nearly perfect. What I'm worried about is that Spring and Main are being neglected for Broadway. Specifically, all the monetary incentive that Huizar is giving businesses to move to Broadway. Shouldn't he be doing this for all of the historic core? After all, both Spring and Main, in addition to Broadway, are his district.

Hasn't LA been focusing on Broadway over last decade? Somehow Spring/Main came from "nowhere" to become the Old Bank District because of interested property owners in the possible revamp of Broadway? Spring/Main still have more economic vitality than Broadway and it will continue so. My concern is moreso Hill and Olive need to tie into the Financial District much smoother. Walk between 7th/Broadway to 7th/Olive...how does that walk feel?

[bobcat]

Civc Park fountain testing. Much nicer than I expected!

• Video Link

[BrandonJXN]

We all know that the park won't truly be a park until the county buildings are torn down but this makes me a bit excited. The Arthur Will Fountain is quite beautiful and to be honest, it's going to be quite a view from the plaza at the Music Center towards City Hall.

[colemonkee]

This will make for some really great nighttime photo ops.

[JRinSoCal]

Quite amazing. When is this park scheduled for completion again?

[Mojeda101]

I believe in the summer. Would be great to lay in the shade in the heat. Rather than go to the beach, take a stroll in Civic Park.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

We all know that the park won't truly be a park until the county buildings are torn down but this makes me a bit excited.

EXACTLY! COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

Those county buildings destroy the urban connection along First Street and Temple Street.

The park is INTENDED to connect the area, but will fail to do so on a larger scale because of the county buildings restricting pedestrian cross-flow.

Very bitter sweet for me.

[OneMetropolis]

That fountain is cool its like a slice of Las Vegas in LA, all it needs is a casino and a brothel.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

We all know that the park won't truly be a park until the county buildings are torn down but this makes me a bit excited. The Arthur Will Fountain is quite beautiful and to be honest, it's going to be quite a view from the plaza at the Music Center towards City Hall.

first thing that popped into my mind when i saw this video. my guess is the dual-fountain/city hall photo will become another one of the iconic views of DTLA.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I was looking at the Historic Core a little bit ago, on Google Maps, as I was curious to see it again with all the new proposals in mind. What really holds the area back, to me, is the dingy streetscape. I've seen the proposals for the Broadway streetscape design, and they look fantastic. I think that if this streetscape design was extended to Spring and Main, then the whole area would become nearly perfect. What I'm worried about is that Spring and Main are being neglected for Broadway. Specifically, all the monetary incentive that Huizar is giving businesses to move to Broadway. Shouldn't he be doing this for all of the historic core? After all, both Spring and Main, in addition to Broadway, are his district.

took me about four lines until i realized that this wasnt a citywatch post.

anyway, focusing on broadway just seems to make the most sense. its both the street with the most potential and its also the street thats clearly farthest away from that potential. the theaters are the ones that are really being neglected. besides, spring and main (home of the pesco at baco mercat, one of the all time great restaurant menu items) have been doing a great job revitalizing themselves on their own. the activity on those streets gets better and better. compare that to broadway, which is still, well, broadway

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by pesto

I feel the same. The LA Angels were originally in LA, as was the minor league team of the same name. And baseball (unlike football) is very appropriate to urban locations.

But in an area of, say, 1500 sq. miles it also seems odd to push all the stadiums into a tiny area. Spreading them out makes for much better access from different regions.

NY, for example, has pro stadiums in NJ, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Long Island. Only one arena is in Manhattan, and that's not in either of the true downtowns (Wall St. and Midtown).

btw, Anaheim is committing one of the same sins that NJ did: insisting on a local name, when the name of the local big city (NY, LA) is worth much more. The result is a move to Brooklyn, which is another name with worldwide cache.

like you said, urban ballparks look great. colorado made me and i agree with you that baseball parks are the ones that make the most sense in DT locations. for that reason, i don't think that it'd be overkill to relocate the Angels there. our metro is so decentralized that i don't think we could ever get to a point where we've put too much in our DT. i wouldnt mind finding a way to relocate a few other cultural attractions to DT as well.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

took me about four lines until i realized that this wasnt a citywatch post.

anyway, focusing on broadway just seems to make the most sense. its both the street with the most potential and its also the street thats clearly farthest away from that potential. the theaters are the ones that are really being neglected. besides, spring and main (home of the pesco at baco mercat, one of the all time great restaurant menu items) have been doing a great job revitalizing themselves on their own. the activity on those streets gets better and better. compare that to broadway, which is still, well, broadway

I know, I know, pulling a City Watch with my talking of Google Maps. Hey, at least I'm not posting pictures, right?

It's strange though, one of my biggest niggles concerning downtown is the ficus trees. I hate ficus trees. They are big, ugly, drop berries everywhere, overly-shady, and destroy sidewalks. The BBB Streetscape would remove ficus trees. Yay! Also, I think that instead of trying to force Broadway to be a destination steet by diverting activity from Spring/Main, Huizar should just devote equal attention to both. After all, at the rate DT is going, Broadway would be gentrified with or without city help. Also, I just feel like it will be strange to have one amazing complete street surrounded by normal run-down streets. In DT Seattle, for example, all the streets downtown have a great, modern streatscape design. Same goes for (on a more local level) Santa Monica and even Beverly Hills. Downtown shouldn't be forced into being a linear place. One of the best parts of downtown is that is is three-dimensionally urban. Because of this, the streetscape shouldn't be linear, but should be three-dimensional as to fit downtown as best as possible.

[alki]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

They'll do the occasional story of a restaurant or business opening, but rarely do they do the kind of comprehensive stories about the broader revitalization like an out of town paper would do. They are, after all, right in the middle of it, so it's not really "news" to them.

That's too bad.......they should be screaming it from the roof tops......this has been decades in the making.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I was looking at the Historic Core a little bit ago, on Google Maps, as I was curious to see it again with all the new proposals in mind. What really holds the area back, to me, is the dingy streetscape. I've seen the proposals for the Broadway streetscape design, and they look fantastic. I think that if this streetscape design was extended to Spring and Main, then the whole area would become nearly perfect. What I'm worried about is that Spring and Main are being neglected for Broadway. Specifically, all the monetary incentive that Huizar is giving businesses to move to Broadway. Shouldn't he be doing this for all of the historic core? After all, both Spring and Main, in addition to Broadway, are his district.

I guess I don't think DTLA has to lose all its grit to prove that its made it. As nice as Third St and Old Pas are, there is a little bit of a suburban feel to them.......a little to sanitized.

All I would ask is to get rid of the 'lollipop' trees. The ubiquitous Fica.......is too big for the narrow sidewalks on Spring....and so they turn the trees into 'lollipops' in an effort to get them to 'fit' on the street. Trees are not just there to be pretty.......they are meant to provide shade. Ficas have only a so so canopy for providing shade to begin with and when they are sculptured, they provide none.

Better to having nothing on the street than lollipop trees IMO.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I know, I know, pulling a City Watch with my talking of Google Maps. Hey, at least I'm not posting pictures, right?

It's strange though, one of my biggest niggles concerning downtown is the ficus trees. I hate ficus trees. They are big, ugly, drop berries everywhere, overly-shady, and destroy sidewalks. The BBB Streetscape would remove ficus trees. Yay! Also, I think that instead of trying to force Broadway to be a destination steet by diverting activity from Spring/Main, Huizar should just devote equal attention to both. After all, at the rate DT is going, Broadway would be gentrified with or without city help. Also, I just feel like it will be strange to have one amazing complete street surrounded by normal run-down streets. In DT Seattle, for example, all the streets downtown have a great, modern streatscape design. Same goes for (on a more local level) Santa Monica and even Beverly Hills. Downtown shouldn't be forced into being a linear place. One of the best parts of downtown is that is is three-dimensionally urban. Because of this, the streetscape shouldn't be linear, but should be three-dimensional as to fit downtown as best as possible.

definitely agree, but I do feel as though Downtown is heading in the right direction with the streetscape plans that were adopted a couple years ago (and implemented around the south group / la live projects and when a new project is developed), as well as with MYFigueroa. My only gripe is that its taking way way to long. If the city invested in cleaning up the streetscape, it would dramatically improve the feel and look of the city and draw new retail and investors.

[ChelseaFC]

Slightly OT, but Eli Broad seems to be interested in purchasing the LA Times. Wonder if he would try to build a new headquarters somewhere in downtown...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-broad-20120503,0,5169013.story

[pesto]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

EXACTLY! COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

Those county buildings destroy the urban connection along First Street and Temple Street.

The park is INTENDED to connect the area, but will fail to do so on a larger scale because of the county buildings restricting pedestrian cross-flow.

Very bitter sweet for me.

Amen. It should be a no-brainer to remove the County Buildings and resdesign the space for attractive mid-rises, easy pedestrian flow and comfortable outdoor gathering spaces. Just a little bit of class architecture or streetscape could make this another DT draw and link to Little Tokyo, etc.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by ChelseaFC

Slightly OT, but Eli Broad seems to be interested in purchasing the LA Times. Wonder if he would try to build a new headquarters somewhere in downtown...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-broad-20120503,0,5169013.story

Thanks for the post. This is more good news. I doubt that there would be much new hiring (newspapers are always near bankruptcy) but getting new blood and new ideas into an already very good newspaper can't help but increase LA's prestige. And it has the potential to become a media conglomerate, with the right investors. The Westside media boys should be paying attention.