LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[Valyrian Steel]

Anyone catch this?

'Parklets’ and Foosball Coming to Spring Street

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - A nearly one-acre park is under construction on Spring Street, but before it’s done, the Historic Core corridor may have two other new parks. Two really small parks, that is.

The City Council today approved a plan to move forward with building four so-called parklets — mini public seating areas that take over parking spaces —including two on the 600 block of South Spring Street.

The project is an outgrowth of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Complete Streets Working Group. Plans call for one parklet at 615 S. Spring St., in front of Golden Eagle Dry Cleaning and Syrup Desserts, that will include planters and bench seating.

The second parklet, at 639 S. Spring St. in front of L.A. Café, would hold a foosball table and two stationary bicycles in addition to seating. Both spaces will be built on top of wooden platforms that will extend from the sidewalk into the parking spaces. Work is slated to begin in September and be complete in time for the CicLAvia on Oct. 7, said DLANC board member Valerie Watson.

[colemonkee]

^ Aaaaaaand cue the "but the filming revenue!" people.

In other (sort of) positive news, some good leasing activity downtown. I'm a little disappointed that this is essentially an office use taking up a prime retail location, but maybe they'll have a cool showroom or window display. This is for the ground floor retail space in the 6-story mid-rise along Flower Street. From the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Honda Car Designer Heading Downtown
By JACQUELYN RYAN
Friday, August 24, 2012

Honda R&D Americas Inc. is moving one of its design studios to downtown Los Angeles, only steps from L.A. Live and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The company, a unit of America Honda Motor Co. Inc., signed a five-year deal last week for about 6,500-square-feet on the ground floor of 901 S. Flower St., a funky postmodern structure known as the Apex building. Terms of the deal with ST Residential, a subsidiary of Starwood Capital Group of Chicago, were not disclosed. Monthly rates at the building are about $4.50 a square foot, according to CoStar Group Inc.

The studio, known as the Honda Advanced Design Studio, had been at 39 N. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena, in the same amount of space, since 2006. But Honda wanted to move, in part to be near the bustling scene and Convention Center, site of the annual L.A. Auto Show.

[JDRCRASH]

EDIT: Page 1 updated.

Originally Posted by colemonkee

I'm really excited about the Korean Air Wilshire Grand project now. Reading the archpaper article, it's pretty clear that they're working with LAFD to re-write the fire code to allow alternatives to the helipad requirements. So we may have to wait a bit longer as they work that out, but not only could we get our first true pitched roof skyscraper (and hopefully more beyond that), but we might also get a new tallest.

And hopefully it marks the beginning of a movement towards a helipad ordinance-free, spire-friendly, skyline.

[BrandonJXN]

Why does everyone have such a hard on for spires? Oh I get it...

I actually like LA's flat topped skyline.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

EDIT: Page 1 updated.

Thanks for staying on top of this topic. Many, maybe most, of the Page 1 city compilations are no longer being updated.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Why does everyone have such a hard on for spires? Oh I get it...

I actually like LA's flat topped skyline.

Me too. But some change might be interesting.

I also don't buy that they count for "tallest building".

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Anyone see this????.... BEAUTIFUL!!! Los Angeles truly is a magical city... i fuckin love it!

https://vimeo.com/deerdog/nightfall

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Just took a nice walk from First street, through the park and down grand. Gotta say i really like the park and there were lots of people around, just enjoying the grass and plenty of kids in the fountain. Tourists were all over the place taking pics of the park, disney hall, MOCA etc. However, there is still something missing. If we had retail and more residential on and around bunker hill, it would be a totally different vibe. The new projects and the downtown connector will make a huge difference. Its almost there.

Also, the red / purple and gold lines were packed today. We didnt see saturday crowds like this even a couple years ago. the times are changing.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

However, there is still something missing.

That to me would definitely be the fact the tinker toy parking garage still is the only thing across from disney hill. And not just that but the fact that 3 solid large blocks along 1st St, to the west where Grand Ave is located, all the way eastward to where the new federal courthouse has long been supposed to go up remain either vacant or parking lots. To ignore huge gaps like those in trying to understand why the hood doesn't work, & hasn't worked....& assume the problem is more complicated than that...makes me think of someone saying: "and other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?!"

[Mojeda101]

Took a trip to Downtown to see how the Courtyard was looking and it's looking good. Passed by 9th and Olive with a bit of disappointment to not see anything but ah well. Passed Wilshire Grand to still see nothing different.

Courtyard Marriott status as of August 25th, 2012.
(Sorry for the horrible quality. Iphone's can only take great photos. They're horrible in the night.)













Downtown was looking alive tonight. So many people walking around, I loved it. Although this also increases the number of drunks. Witnessed two crashes in the downtown area and a ton of couples where one or the other is holding on to the other and talking obviously drunk. Ah well, that's LA!

[bobcat]

There's no online link, but next week's LABJ has a story about the impending sale of the car wash on Fig across from LA Live to developers looking to build a hotel. The story is mentioned first on LABJ's audio preview for the issue.

http://www.cbjonline.com/a2labj/podcasts/LABJ_082712.mp3

[pesto]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Just took a nice walk from First street, through the park and down grand. Gotta say i really like the park and there were lots of people around, just enjoying the grass and plenty of kids in the fountain. Tourists were all over the place taking pics of the park, disney hall, MOCA etc. However, there is still something missing. If we had retail and more residential on and around bunker hill, it would be a totally different vibe. The new projects and the downtown connector will make a huge difference. Its almost there.

Also, the red / purple and gold lines were packed today. We didnt see saturday crowds like this even a couple years ago. the times are changing.

This is where I am at as well. The park is OK; an improvement, if not exactly a game changer. But there is still no strong reason to go to that area (I will call the park a "small reason").

Residential and retail would do it; but they themselves are driven by demand to live or shop in the area. People with money living there will come mostly from the are being perceived as safe, clean, good schools, employment opportunities, etc. Tourism would also help and will increase over time if the rest of DT is made attractive and interesting.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by citywatch

That to me would definitely be the fact the tinker toy parking garage still is the only thing across from disney hill. And not just that but the fact that 3 solid large blocks along 1st St, to the west where Grand Ave is located, all the way eastward to where the new federal courthouse has long been supposed to go up remain either vacant or parking lots. To ignore huge gaps like those in trying to understand why the hood doesn't work, & hasn't worked....& assume the problem is more complicated than that...makes me think of someone saying: "and other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?!"

Clearly true. In theory, the Grand Project would have put some highrise hotels and condos there with retail to support them and a plaza for tourists to gather in and scope out the Disney, Broad and skyline generally. A well conceived theory for the area.

Now, with the possibility that the court house is not needed, another huge area is available for residential or commercial development. Huge potential in this overall area but only if the city takes advantage of it. Unfortunately, I don't see any of the right moves happening and I expect Dodger Stadium to be developed well before the city, county, state and feds start actually working together.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Umm, no. LOL. The reason is that their beautiful to look and marvel at. Don't you think it seems much more than coincidence that some of the most famous and beautiful skyscrapers in the world aren't flat?

It's subjective. There are some great flat-topped skyscrapers out there, and some great pointed ones. The real benefit to getting rid of the helipad ordinance is that architects now have a choice on how to cap their high rises.

[alki]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

The Blue Line has the second highest ridership of any light rail line in the county, so I don't think anyone can argue that ridership is the problem. I think Pesto is pointing out that there still hasn't been much in the way of economic development in the areas adjacent to the line, which is true. But that has to do with a lot of factors completely independent of the utility of the blue line as a transportation option.

Thanks. I misunderstood. My apologies Pesto.

Unfortunately, South Central needs more than light rail to get economic development going.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

not because of people choosing to live the suburban lifestyle and that choice driving investment away from the inner city and to the suburbs where demand existed.

then why did certain other cities also experience that same burbanization....the same desire of its ppl to move out to a quiet hood with tract housing....but not, at the same time, see it result in the total decline of its center?

Only other thing I'll say about your post is you at least got my gender correct. TY. As for your sarcasm, let's just say I'll never forget you one day posting a love letter to one of the most notorious trolls in SSP....whose name shall go unmentioned, but who often writes the most snippy anti LA type of posts imaginable (or the very definition of troll baiting)....so you're the last person I'd trust in how someone should be described & judged.

getting back to the topic of dtla, this vid was shot late last yr & does show parts of bunker hill & other newer sections of dt that give off a certain lack of buzz cuz of how overly quiet the sidewalks & other areas are. I can recall many times being in dt & finding that quietness unsettling....esp after battling crowded fwys all around the hood....& wondering if LA really does have a large population. Or all the ppl hiding in offices, apts, stores, cars? So I'll be the last to say that a lack of bustling pedestrian activity doesn't make the hood seem . But, still, I also recall being in dt several wks ago & the thing that ultimately stood out to me was not just so much that the sidewalks weren't packed with ppl, as much as going by the Clark hotel on Hill St & noticing it still was as rundown as ever before. Things like THAT are usually the clincher for me.


• Video Link

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by citywatch

getting back to the topic of dtla, this vid was shot late last yr & does show parts of bunker hill & other newer sections of dt that give off a certain lack of buzz cuz of how overly quiet the sidewalks & other areas are. I can recall many times being in dt & finding that quietness unsettling....esp after battling crowded fwys all around the hood....& wondering if LA really does have a large population. Or all the ppl hiding in offices, apts, stores, cars? So I'll be the last to say that a lack of bustling pedestrian activity doesn't make the hood seem . But, still, I also recall being in dt several wks ago & the thing that ultimately stood out to me was not just so much that the sidewalks weren't packed with ppl, as much as going by the Clark hotel on Hill St & noticing it still was as rundown as ever before. Things like THAT are usually the clincher for me.


• Video Link

A video shot on Christmas eve isn't a strong indicator of what pedestrian activity is like in Downtown LA on a daily basis.

Downtown isn't really a retail hub at this point (though that is starting to change), and I wouldn't expect to see tons of people around doing last minute shopping. Especially not in the areas shown in the video (i.e. the financial district, where a lot of people probably have the day off from work). Hopefully the improved Fig/7th shopping center is a success, and leads to more retail in the surrounding area (fingers crossed for Metropolis and LA Central).

Projects take time to come to fruition. I think you're too focused on the negatives and imperfections, instead of looking at how much this place has improved in the past 10 years. Sure, a lot of the buildings are the same, but the environment itself has transformed for the better.

So don't be because that's and instead be

Did I do that right?

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by citywatch

your use of smilies is perfect! however, the hood does seem to be surprisingly quiet not just around xmas, but on many other occasions throughout the yr too. When I was there not long ago, the sidewalks looked similar to the way they do in the vid, while the beachfront area around Samo was packed with lots of ppl. That's just the nature of LA & a dt that still is recovering from yrs & yrs of neglect.

Considering it's still summer, I would hope the beaches would be packed. I'm not realistically expecting crowds in Downtown to rival the beach crowd in June-August.

But I am in Downtown LA two or three times per week, and can attest to the amount of pedestrian activity that's going on there. Like in any city, there are parts that aren't very crowded. The financial district and the Civic center are examples; but given the hilly terrain and lack of retail in the those areas, that's not surprising.

Take a walk through the historic core, and there's always people. Little Tokyo? A lot of pedestrian activity, especially compared to what it was like just five years ago. The area surrounding the 7th/Metro station has a constant flood of pedestrian traffic. LA Live bustles with activity when events are going on, and should improve on off days as the surrounding surface lots are developed.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by citywatch

your use of smilies is perfect! however, the hood does seem to be surprisingly quiet not just around xmas, but on many other occasions throughout the yr too. When I was there not long ago, the sidewalks looked similar to the way they do in the vid, while the beachfront area around Samo was packed with lots of ppl. That's just the nature of LA & a dt that still is recovering from yrs & yrs of neglect.

I went downtown yesterday and spent a great deal of time soaking up the city. Spring Street was it's usual crowded hipster self full of dogs and skinny jeans, Broadway was packed as usual, a lot of tourists and their ugly fanny packs (I swear LA is the easiest city in the world to play 'Spot the Tourist'), Botega Louis was packed and even Towne had a nice size crowd. I don't know where you live but since you don't live anywhere near DTLA, I don't think you should say anything unless you are actually there.

[OneMetropolis]

Originally Posted by citywatch

then why did certain other cities also experience that same burbanization....the same desire of its ppl to move out to a quiet hood with tract housing....but not, at the same time, see it result in the total decline of its center?

Only other thing I'll say about your post is you at least got my gender correct. TY. As for your sarcasm, let's just say I'll never forget you one day posting a love letter to one of the most notorious trolls in SSP....whose name shall go unmentioned, but who often writes the most snippy anti LA type of posts imaginable (or the very definition of troll baiting)....so you're the last person I'd trust in how someone should be described & judged.

getting back to the topic of dtla, this vid was shot late last yr & does show parts of bunker hill & other newer sections of dt that give off a certain lack of buzz cuz of how overly quiet the sidewalks & other areas are. I can recall many times being in dt & finding that quietness unsettling....esp after battling crowded fwys all around the hood....& wondering if LA really does have a large population. Or all the ppl hiding in offices, apts, stores, cars? So I'll be the last to say that a lack of bustling pedestrian activity doesn't make the hood seem . But, still, I also recall being in dt several wks ago & the thing that ultimately stood out to me was not just so much that the sidewalks weren't packed with ppl, as much as going by the Clark hotel on Hill St & noticing it still was as rundown as ever before. Things like THAT are usually the clincher for me.


• Video Link

Downtown LA looks really healthy on that video honestly.