LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by citywatch

Wood Partners Announces Plans to Build an All-Glass Luxury High Rise Multifamily Project in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/06/12 -- Plans for a luxury, glass high-rise apartment project in downtown Los Angeles -- shelved during the 2008 economic downturn -- are on the front burner again as high demand and low construction costs make multifamily housing attractive to investors and developers.

Wood Partners, the nation's leading builder of multifamily housing, expects to break ground on the 22-story, 290-unit project in the South Park district at 801 S. Hope St. in September, with leasing to start in the summer of 2014.

"Downtown LA is seeing significant investment activity," said Brian Hansen, Wood Partners' director of development for Southern California. "That's why our timing on Hope Street is perfect. Because we started in 2007 and now have full construction drawings, we'll be among the first projects out of the gate, and one of the first post-recession high-rises located in downtown."

The .7 acre yet-to-be named complex was purchased by Wood Partners back in 2008. The project will be modeled after Glass House Dallas, the developer's popular 375-unit luxury apartment community in Texas, and its 393-unit high-rise condo project, Glass House Denver.

The one-and two-bedroom units will consist of floor-to-ceiling glass, and will incorporate the most popular floor plans of Wood Partners' many existing high rise multifamily residential communities across the country.

The Hope Street high-rise will offer an impressive amenity package, and each unit will include an expansive balcony and high-end interior finishes.

Also included is an approximate 10,000 square foot elevated pool deck with thoughtfully designed clubroom with retractable glass walls that lead out to the oversized pool, outdoor social/dining area, spa, fire pit and garden retreat. Additionally, a roof top deck overlooking the Staples Center and LA Live to the southwest and the high rise buildings of the Central Business District to the north will provide additional outdoor gathering/event option for residents.

Parking will be on six levels, two of them underground, with 5,000 square feet of retail space on the street level.

Less units than both the Dallas and Denver glass houses? C'mon man.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Angelina breaks ground in August
8th and Hope in Septemner
Embassy hotel is under construction
9th and Olive (33 story) breaks ground in August.

Angelina?

Found a good render of the iHope.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Angelina?

I think it's referring to 8th and Grand.

[Easy]

With Avant/1340 S. Fig, 1111 Wilshire, 8th/Grand, 8th/Hope, One Santa Fe, Avalon, and maybe others all possibly being under simultaneous construction in the next 6 months or so, downtown could soon be at its all time peak in terms of new home construction. Around 2,500 units (?) total and if you include Lorenzo it's 3,500 units. I wonder if LA Central could be close as well?

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Less units than both the Dallas and Denver glass houses? C'mon man.

The one in Denver is two towers, and Dallas is a bit more lenient with their zoning changes - plus the lot size is probably a lot larger, considering it's in Uptown. In LA, I'm sure this has everything to do with what's entitled already on the property. 290 units is nothing to sneeze at. Unless your allergies are acting up.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by Easy

With Avant/1340 S. Fig, 1111 Wilshire, 8th/Grand, 8th/Hope, One Santa Fe, Avalon, and maybe others all possibly being under simultaneous construction in the next 6 months or so, downtown could soon be at its all time peak in terms of new home construction. Around 2,500 units (?) total and if you include Lorenzo it's 3,500 units. I wonder if LA Central could be close as well?

It'll take a little more development. I think that once Farmers Field, Convention Center, and Francisco street finally begin, that is what will jumpstart LA Central, hell maybe even Park Tower.

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by Easy

With Avant/1340 S. Fig, 1111 Wilshire, 8th/Grand, 8th/Hope, One Santa Fe, Avalon, and maybe others all possibly being under simultaneous construction in the next 6 months or so, downtown could soon be at its all time peak in terms of new home construction. Around 2,500 units (?) total and if you include Lorenzo it's 3,500 units. I wonder if LA Central could be close as well?

There's also the 32-story tower on 9th and Olive that claims they'll break ground in August. I wouldn't hold my breath on LA Central anytime soon. That scale of a project requires financing or deep pockets that is a way's off.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

There's also the 32-story tower on 9th and Olive that claims they'll break ground in August. I wouldn't hold my breath on LA Central anytime soon. That scale of a project requires financing or deep pockets that is a way's off.

I forgot about that one. They oddly claimed to have financing to break ground, but wouldn't discuss anything after that.

But I don't necessarily see that as a big negative. I don't think that out of town developers are ready for those types of questions from the Downtown News and usually are more forthcoming as time goes by.

[Illithid Dude]

I could see L.A. Central breaking ground in phases. For example, it's common knowledge that DTLA needs more hotel rooms. As L.A. Central is two 50ish story towers, one being condos, the other being a hotel, I could see the forces at play building the hotel tower and leaving the condo tower to be built at a later date.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I could see L.A. Central breaking ground in phases. For example, it's common knowledge that DTLA needs more hotel rooms. As L.A. Central is two 50ish story towers, one being condos, the other being a hotel, I could see the forces at play building the hotel tower and leaving the condo tower to be built at a later date.

Nothing wrong with that. As long as some retail is incorporated into that first phase. LA Live could definitely use it.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by pesto

Your argument justifies strip malls. When enough people feel that way, you will get them. I suspect that even you must have some standards?

pesto, not sure why you think my comment about some ppl being bothered more by a new proj not being taller, or not winning a pritzker prize, or not being oriented to transit, or being too friendly to parking cars, or something like that, instead of all the dozens & dozens & dozens & dozens of pieces of land in the hood that need to be filled in & cleaned up makes you think I therefore wouldn't mind strip malls. or that I would excuse their existence if they replaced a deadzone. however, I will give you some leeway if you are in dt on a frequent basis....& certainly live there....& see it, warts & all, as closely as I did 2 wks ago.

If anything, I think ppl who are fully aware of all the weak points of the hood therefore appreciate the improvements to an even greater degree. I know I do.

By contrast, some of the ppl who quickly become debbie downers cuz they judge some new devlpt as not being 1,000% to their liking really puzzle me. But mainly cuz they also, at the same time, don't seem to spend much or any time pointing out how parts of the hood still are & .

Some of those ppl get so caught up with the notion that new devlpt in dt has to be exactly a certain way, that they become victims of this....

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

instead of feeling like this....

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Its gonna be fun times.

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

In other news....

Kitchen Table has opened up on the OBD.

you're mentioning that made me so curious that I did some web surfing to find out the latest on that proj.....I kind of overlooked it or didn't realize it was going to open around now.

this looks very cozy....


la.eater.com


la.eater.com


la.eater.com

^ and just think how that area around Main St not all that many yrs ago was abandoned, dirty & very

such changes truly deserve another:

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

And ziggy, yes, 5,000 sq. ft. of retail does seem pretty small to me.

I'm not sure about a wish that new devlpt have lots of new store space when dt still has plenty of existing....and sometime quite old....underutilized or poorly utilized---or even vacant----areas set aside for retail. But mainly cuz for a new store to make a go of it is very tough when it will require lots of customers walking through the front door on any given day. And that's tough to guarantee when there still are too many areas in dt that don't have enough foot traffic per hour, per day.

If the new apt bldg were on 7th st or on Fig instead of on the south side of 8th, west of hope st, then I could understand a preference that the bldg's first floor have more space for a business. But that location across the street from the southside of macy's plaza isn't exactly a big river of pedestrians.

I'll mention again that I recall the upper east side of manhattan, which has a huge number of apts, doesn't have much or any stores on the ground floors of many, if not most of, the endless number of apt bldgs in that part of nyc.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by citywatch

you're mentioning that made me so curious that I did some web surfing to find out the latest on that proj.....I kind of overlooked it or didn't realize it was going to open around now.

this looks very cozy....


la.eater.com


la.eater.com


la.eater.com

^ and just think how that area around Main St not all that many yrs ago was abandoned, dirty & very

such changes truly deserve another:

OMG thats so cute!! It looks like something you would see in a gay district... at least to me it does... or little italy or something... I LOVE IT!!

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesDreamin

OMG thats so cute!!

i'm getting such a kick out of it....out of the transformation of an area that once was an urban disaster....that I feel compelled to dig up any other pic I could of the new restaurant, just to post it here. this shows another angle of the rooftop dining area....


urbanspoon.com

as you say there's something cute about this type of businesses, the way it's customized & unique to dt.

I have the same reaction to the new restaurant on Main St that I had when another rooftop restaurant opened a few blocks to the west. that would be the Perch, across from Pershing Sq...


hooplablog.com


onemorebiteblog.blogspot.com

• Video Link

^ things like this really are remarkable, when you consider how the hood not all that long ago was pretty much vacant even by early evening hrs. when the searchlights that can be seen behind the background of the singer were non existent, cuz LA Live still was only an idea on paper...& that part of dt still was one big gap. no staples, no ritz carlton, no nokia theater, no nothing. And anything east of olive, much less Hill st, where the Perch restaurant is located, was like a huge black hole in its own right.

these changes really do deserve a.......

[LA/OCman]

Funny you should post these pictures on Main Street, Citywatch. Last night I went to happy hour at Perch...which was packed and vibrant...and had dinner at Baco Mercat next door to the Kitchen Table. The downstairs at the Kitchen Table is open with sidewalk dining. I love the signage of the place. BTW, Baco Mercat had an hour wait for 3 people and the food was affordable and amazing. I had been there a couple of times before. I have to admit that I do feel old going to these places. The demographic is quite young...which goes to show you that the future of Downtown is bright.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

Funny you should post these pictures on Main Street, Citywatch. Last night I went to happy hour at Perch...which was packed and vibrant...and had dinner at Baco Mercat next door to the Kitchen Table. The downstairs at the Kitchen Table is open with sidewalk dining. I love the signage of the place. BTW, Baco Mercat had an hour wait for 3 people and the food was affordable and amazing. I had been there a couple of times before. I have to admit that I do feel old going to these places. The demographic is quite young...which goes to show you that the future of Downtown is bright.

All very cool. Looks like my plate is filling up for my next visit to DT.

These kinds of places help drive visitors to come once, and more importantly, to come back again. If they are common enough, hotels and conventions will follow.

[colemonkee]

^ Baco Mercat is one of my favorite restaurants in town, not just downtown. It helps that one of my friends is a sous chef there. Still, Josef Centano is a great chef, and I'm eager to try his new Mexican place opening up in the old Urban Noodle spot. Speaking of which, anyone heard an update on Urban Noodle? I know the owners were trying to find a new space downtown. I hope they do. I liked that place as well.

While we're on the subject of restaurants and retail spaces, here's some retail news from the Los Angeles Downtown News. I, for one, can't wait to shop at Marney's Co-Op.


Image Source: Los Angeles Downtown News

Target to Open Oct. 14
The long awaited Target is set to open Oct. 14 along with the renamed Figat7th shopping center.
(No writer credited)
July 6, 2012

The long wait for Downtown’s first Target will soon be over. Officials with Brookfield Properties, the owner of the shopping center at Seventh and Figueroa streets, last week said that the 104,000-square-foot Target will open Oct. 14.

That will also be the day when Brookfield celebrates the opening of the renamed Figat7th shopping complex, which is in the midst of a $40 million renovation.

The mall’s other anchor tenant, the sporting goods giant Sport Chalet, which signed a lease to occupy a 26,800-square-foot space in the lower courtyard level of the plaza, will open in May 2013.

The project will include a new food court, Taste Figat7th. The 25,000-square-foot dining area will ultimately have about 18 restaurants, among them outposts of Silver Lake gourmet coffee house La Mill Coffee and Hollywood’s Loteria Grill. The project is being designed by Gensler.

Support the Los Angeles Downtown News, people! Donate here.

[colemonkee]

And more potentially good news from the Los Angeles Downtown News. Hopefully this means the FIDM Tower will move forward soon.

After Perry-Huizar Clash, Sign Battle Quietly Ends
by Ryan Vaillancourt, Staff Writer
Thursday, July 5, 2012

Two weeks ago, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry was digging in for a political battle in order to see that a project she had supported for years would get approved before city redistricting took effect.

The battle ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The project — a set of special signage rights for four South Park properties, including a proposed 21-story tower at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising — was approved by the City Council on a 10-0 vote on June 27. The result came days after 14th District Councilman José Huizar had secured support to keep the proposal in the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, delaying final consideration until he could learn more about the planned sign district.

Read the rest of the article here.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

After Perry-Huizar Clash, Sign Battle Quietly Ends
by Ryan Vaillancourt, Staff Writer
Thursday, July 5, 2012

Two weeks ago, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry was digging in for a political battle in order to see that a project she had supported for years would get approved before city redistricting took effect.

The battle ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The project — a set of special signage rights for four South Park properties, including a proposed 21-story tower at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising — was approved by the City Council on a 10-0 vote on June 27. The result came days after 14th District Councilman José Huizar had secured support to keep the proposal in the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, delaying final consideration until he could learn more about the planned sign district.

Read the rest of the article here.

What are the other three projects? That's what interests me the most.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

What are the other three projects? That's what interests me the most.

I could only find a total of three:

The approval is the next-to-last step for the district, which would regulate signage on Astani's Concerto project, Hanover's 717 Olympic and a proposed FIDM tower.

http://blogdowntown.com/2009/02/4058-planning-committee-approves-9th--figueroa