LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i was just on olympic and grand and there was a drilling machine seemingly doing soil testing on the huge parking lot. maybe some due diligence being done by potential new buyers??

[colemonkee]

^ Very interesting. This is the defunct City Place towers (or whatever the name was for those neo-classical residential towers) development, no?

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

^ Very interesting. This is the defunct City Place towers (or whatever the name was for those neo-classical residential towers) development, no?

Yep, the City House and Olympic.

Anyone know if there's been any activity on the Wilshire Grand? As I recall, demo was supposed to begin last month.

[JDRCRASH]

Interesting indeed, LASF. thanks for posting that.

Originally Posted by citywatch

I do admit to still feeling very about the park fifth proj.

Biggest project that fell victim to the downturn, in my opinion, only ahead of City House/Olympic.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by Pink Floyd

Yep, the City House and Olympic.

Anyone know if there's been any activity on the Wilshire Grand? As I recall, demo was supposed to begin last month.

All I heard was that demo was slated for Summer, when was it said it was on June?

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

All I heard was that demo was slated for Summer, when was it said it was on June?

http://m.ladowntownnews.com/news/six-pro...ddfb39a-2ce9-11e1-805f-0019bb2963f4.html

Before Wilshire Grand hotel owner Korean Air and its development partner Thomas Properties Group break ground on a $1.1 billion, two-tower project, they first must get rid of the 896-room, 1952 hotel on the site. The demolition work on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets is slated to begin in June and continue through February 2013. This year might also be when Downtown learns if they'll dynamite the structure, or make plans to take it down another way. The first portion of the replacement project, a 45-story hotel and condominium skyscraper, is slated to open in late 2015.

Take that with a grain of salt though, since that article came before they announced they were foregoing the 2nd smaller tower. I drove past it on the freeway last Saturday, but didn't get a very good look. Didn't seem to be any obvious signs of demolition at a passing glance, though.

[Valyrian Steel]

from the more recent article :

As the entities look to formalize the changes, Martin said the timeline remains largely unaffected. The hotel will be dismantled floor-by-floor, starting at the top, beginning in June, he said (the process will not involve dynamite or wrecking balls). Construction on the new tower would still start next spring and the building would open in 2016, he said. The project would also maintain a small residential component, though the number of units is uncertain, Martin said.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/major...89af2ce-6e30-11e1-a5d1-0019bb2963f4.html

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Didn't seem to be any obvious signs of demolition at a passing glance, though.

I'm going to the grand park opening, so I'll pass by while i'm in town to see for any visual changes. They could have started for all we know.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

only ahead of City House/Olympic.

City House and The Olympic were super ugles, IMO. I'd say second most important project to go bye-bye during the downturn would be L.A. Central. That project would have really tied South Park together, and it had a Whole Foods, which would have been fantastic for the community.

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

I'm going to the grand park opening, so I'll pass by while i'm in town to see for any visual changes. They could have started for all we know.

My guess is that most of the demolition right now is internal-stripping the inside of walls, HVAC, etc.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

City House and The Olympic were super ugles, IMO. I'd say second most important project to go bye-bye during the downturn would be L.A. Central. That project would have really tied South Park together, and it had a Whole Foods, which would have been fantastic for the community.

Agreed on City House/Olympic. The only thing special about them was their height. They would have looked completely out of place in Downtown LA.

I wasn't under the impression that LA Central was a dead development. Thought it was in limbo due to financing. That gigantic lot needs to be something though; LA Live needs some retail.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

City House and The Olympic were super ugles, IMO. I'd say second most important project to go bye-bye during the downturn would be L.A. Central. That project would have really tied South Park together, and it had a Whole Foods, which would have been fantastic for the community.




My guess is that most of the demolition right now is internal-stripping the inside of walls, HVAC, etc.

Wow. City House, Olympic, LA Central. It sounds like the zombies are up and looking for blood. Hope a few can find some.

[Muji]

The Parish, the new English gastropub at 9th/Main/Spring, is opening tonight. If all goes well, the restaurant's hype and credentials will draw a healthy crowd to a still pretty dead area. A few weeks ago I walked with a friend back to her car on this block of Main, which was eerily deserted.

As an extra plus, they've also renovated their 2-story building to look a lot less kitschy than it used to.

Photos: Eater LA

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Agreed on City House/Olympic. The only thing special about them was their height. They would have looked completely out of place in Downtown LA.

Why? Cause the the rest of Downtown is too "modern"? Well, except the Historic District, at least.

Seriously, though, no skyline is perfect. NONE. Why should LA be restricted to building certain types of architecture while the rest of the world (NYC, London, etc. etc.) is free to build whatever they want?

[JDRCRASH]

FigOly, atop the Luxe Hotel, opened to the public today:

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/07/cu...a_oinkster_on_vine_jeangeorges_in_la.php

And,

Looks like the Marriot's steel framework is finally sprouting:

http://marriott2lalive.com/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=4576

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Why? Cause the the rest of Downtown is too "modern"? Well, except the Historic District, at least.

Seriously, though, no skyline is perfect. NONE. Why should LA be restricted to building certain types of architecture while the rest of the world (NYC, London, etc. etc.) is free to build whatever they want?

Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating a singular motif for downtown, or even for one architectural style over another. I just didn't find the renders for those buildings particularly attractive. Especially for a location that would have made them extremely prominent in the downtown skyline.

In all honesty though, I probably wouldn't complain if they were built. It would be nice to see something get done.

[Valyrian Steel]

I think they would become landmarks of LA if they were built given their height, and architectural style. Unfortunately, the stupid helipad rule wouldn't allow those types of spires at the top.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

i was just on olympic and grand and there was a drilling machine seemingly doing soil testing on the huge parking lot. maybe some due diligence being done by potential new buyers??

I heard thru the grapevine that LA Crash Mansion will be demolished...

[colemonkee]

^ Eeeeenteresting. Did this grapevine also mention what the plans for that space might be afterward?

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by BrighamYen

I heard thru the grapevine that LA Crash Mansion will be demolished...

Wow. I wonder if we're gonna here anything pretty soon here.

[Quixote]

Agreed about City House and Olympic sticking out like a sore thumb. What's bothersome is not the neoclassical design but rather the uttter disregard for context.

Beaux-Arts-inspired infill (no higher than 12-13 stories) in the Historic Core would be more palatable.