LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0 - Page 255

Steve2726 · #**5081** Posted **Jun 5, 2008, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowntownCharlieBrown

Steve2726, thanks for posting that website. Glad to see so many of their projects are in LA. Most of them I had never heard mentioned. The one in N. Hollywood is so LA (cars and movies). I don't even see how the City National project would even be possible, but it was really different. I envision cars on the freeway slowing down just to try to figure out what they were looking at.

No problem. They are doing some pretty cool stuff! The Brockman looks amazing!

LAMetroGuy · #**5082** Posted **Jun 5, 2008, 4:56 PM**

Wow, maybe those who did the Pan American should take note on how it should be done, amazing! Thanks for posting Westsidelife!

JDRCRASH · #**5083** Posted **Jun 5, 2008, 5:04 PM**

There was a fire in Downtown LA this morning in the Garment District:

Blaze Engulfs Warehouse In Downtown L.A.

4 Metro Bus Lines Diverted

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Nearly 150 firefighters Thursday morning knocked down a blaze that engulfed a two-story commercial building in the garment district of downtown Los Angeles.

Firefighters poured water onto the blaze from street-level and from above as flames and black smoke shot into the morning sky, barely a half-mile east of the Staples Center.

Authorities report no one was hurt in the fire, which broke out shortly before 5 a.m. (in a building on South Los Angeles Street near East Olympic Boulevard). Within an hour, firefighters had made significant progress knocking down the flames.

No one was living in the building. Fire Chief Douglas Barry said crews kept the blaze from spreading to nearby structures.

The building's first-floor housed most retail clothing business firms.

Rick Jager of Metro said four bus lines -- lines 33, 10, 92 and 55 -- that normally run along Main Street between Eighth Street and Olympic Boulevard would instead run along Broadway between Eighth Street and Olympic Boulevard while the firefighting cleanup effort was being conducted.

BrandonJXN · #**5084** Posted **Jun 5, 2008, 9:17 PM**

Boo...

From Angelenic

Quote:

It seems no construction project is immune to the wrath of tough market conditions. Global powerhouse Shin Young company, developer of the Residences @ Bixel, has moved the soon-to-start project back to the drawing boards.

A source from design firm SLAB Architects informs angelenic that the 17-story residential tower — proposed for the vacant lot at 1110 Ingraham Street in City West — is being adapted to match demand in Downtown’s shifting housing market.

“The project has been through a complete change. It will become an apartment and will be scaled down,” states the architect close to the project.

Even though site preparation began in November when a blighted retail structure on the corner of 7th and Bixel was demolished, actual construction will not take place this summer as anticipated.

“It will take a quite while to redesign and get the entitlement and so on. I don’t think the owner wants to disclose more at this point. It seems that the owner itself didn’t make a clear decision yet,” our source continues.

With that, we file this one under “check back in a couple years.”

San Marino Guy · #**5085** Posted **Jun 5, 2008, 11:31 PM**

Man, second developer to make a giant hole in teh ground and then completely stop. At least Medallion restarted within a week and didn't downsize. This one's already pretty small considering the are it's in. This developer better not chicken out!

WonderlandPark · #**5086** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 1:05 AM**

I still don't know how people think Park 5th is going to start anytime in the next few years. I hope Residences @ Bixel doesn't turn into another Orsini/Medici cheap tacky blight-on-the-city type apartment complex.

colemonkee · #**5087** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 4:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by San Marino Guy

At least Medallion restarted within a week and didn't downsize.

Medallion was significantly downsized last year or possibly the year before, due at the time to rising construction costs. The original proposal was for two 10-story buildings.

jlrobe · #**5088** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 5:09 AM**

The brockman sorta reminds me of the architecture of Flat Iron District in Manhattan. Very nice!!! Now, if only 7 grand stepped it up and notch and matched the famous flat iron lounge!

k3d · #**5089** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 7:23 AM**

The red neon I mentioned is on the Union Bank building.

Filming Downtown

717 Ninth and Concerto

Hanover with lights

Ritz-Carlton / Marriot

DowntownCharlieBrown · #**5090** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 8:08 AM**

From angelenic.com

new parking garage bringing retail to 8th and hope
by Eric Spamer on June 5, 2008

http://www.angelenic.com/new-parking-garage-bringing-retail-to-8th-and-hope/#comments

One of the two empty lots on 8th and Hope adjacent to the Market Lofts is now undergoing construction, confirmed today by several construction workers on site.

Demolition work on the east wall of the 830 Flower Street building has begun, and three port-a-potties on location suggest that hard work is to commence soon (or just too many stops at the Coffee Bean next door).

According to CIM Group, the lot will transform into a seven-story parking garage holding 75-100 parking spots for public use and 602 parking stalls for occupants of Market Lofts, Gas Company Lofts, and future residents of planned towers on surrounding blocks.

The most exciting aspect of the project is the 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of retail space that will be built on Hope Street and the 18,000 square feet to be added on Flower Street. Who knows what will be arriving, but the addition of that much retail will surely change the block for the better. The scheduled completion of the parking structure is not until October 2, 2009, so one can only imagine when the new tenants would open.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**5091** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 8:22 AM**

^ Yeah, I mentioned that several weeks ago. I spoke to CIM about this and they told me that if no one bought the land from them to finish iHope, they would just convert the land into a parking structure with retail at the bottom.

Hopefully the structure will be built to handle any additional tower above it in the future IF Downtown LA can ever have the kind of feverish attraction of buyers again.

Who knows, with gas prices going up and up and up (partially because of Peak Oil), then more and more people will be moving in closer to the city. I'm already seeing that quite a bit from a lot of people looking to move downtown because they work here and don't want to deal with the traffic or high gas prices.

DowntownCharlieBrown · #**5092** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 8:44 AM**

Anybody else go to the Last Remaining Seats Thursday night at the Million Dollar Theater put on by the conservancy? It was a great chance to get inside one the old great theaters on Broadway. I know they have done a lot of work, and the place looks incredible. Still some work needed to rid the theater of some left over water damage. By the way, it was sold-out.

photo credit: alicebag.com

colemonkee · #**5093** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowntownCharlieBrown

three port-a-potties on location suggest that hard work is to commence soon (or just too many stops at the Coffee Bean next door).

Like I've always said, whenever a port-o-potty shows up on the site of a planned building, you gotta assume some shit's about to go down...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowntownCharlieBrown

According to CIM Group, the lot will transform into a seven-story parking garage holding 75-100 parking spots for public use and 602 parking stalls for occupants of Market Lofts, Gas Company Lofts, and future residents of planned towers on surrounding blocks.

LAB, I think this answers your question. 602 should handle some, but not all of the parking load for the tower planned for 8th and Hope.

LongBeachUrbanist · #**5094** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowntownCharlieBrown

Anybody else go to the Last Remaining Seats Thursday night at the Million Dollar Theater put on by the conservancy? It was a great chance to get inside one the old great theaters on Broadway. I know they have done a lot of work, and the place looks incredible. Still some work needed to rid the theater of some left over water damage. By the way, it was sold-out.

photo credit: alicebag.com

I went. It was the first time I had seen that theater in maybe 14 years. (That was when I attended a lecture by Andre Duany, proponent of the New Urbanism. A formative lecture for me, which got me interested in the pragmatics of building great cities.)

The 90-year-old theater is gorgeous, although it could still use some work, particular on the ceilings and in the basement bathroom.

Last Remaining Seats is a great way to check out these older theaters. At this point the series is so popular, they ought to expand it into a two month series.

JDRCRASH · #**5095** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 6:36 PM**

How are you guys able to "contact", or "speak with" the developers, and others involved with these projects?

I mean, its not like you can simply call their offices and expect to hear from them soon after concerning a specific project.

JDRCRASH · #**5096** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 6:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

Who knows, with gas prices going up and up and up (partially because of Peak Oil), then more and more people will be moving in closer to the city. I'm already seeing that quite a bit from a lot of people looking to move downtown because they work here and don't want to deal with the traffic or high gas prices.

Thats what i'm thinking; but it isn't going to be easy, thats for sure. This is why affordable housing must be implemented into most projects in Downtown. You could get a nice loft for $500,000, but it could be as small as 1,500 square ft.

logandankr · #**5097** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 7:38 PM**

What's the steel going up just to the left of the hotel in this photo? That's not part of the hotel, is it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3d

Ritz-Carlton / Marriot

fridayinla · #**5098** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 7:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logandankr

What's the steel going up just to the left of the hotel in this photo? That's not part of the hotel, is it?

That's the hotel's ballroom facilities and cinema complex.

Check this out:

http://www.angelenic.com/la-live-phase-iii-progress-on-ballrooms-cinemas-marriott-details/

erickg47 · #**5099** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 9:31 PM**

Thats what i'm thinking; but it isn't going to be easy, thats for sure. This is why affordable housing must be implemented into most projects in Downtown. You could get a nice loft for $500,000, but it could be as small as 1,500 square ft.[/QUOTE]

The problem is not the size and the price of these lofts but the hefty HOA fees that comg along with these lofts. I have a lot of clients who are interested in d.t.l.a. but are shunned because the with price of HOA fees. Its not a good investment to purchase a home for 500,000.00 and pay an extra 400-600 a month for HOA fees. It makes it harder to qualify for a loan and harder to rent out in the future for investment purposes.

I myself would love to live in d.t.l.a but unless they do something about the high cost of HOA fee's there is no way this would become a reality.

LAMetroGuy · #**5100** Posted **Jun 6, 2008, 9:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Thats what i'm thinking; but it isn't going to be easy, thats for sure. This is why affordable housing must be implemented into most projects in Downtown. You could get a nice loft for $500,000, but it could be as small as 1,500 square ft.

1500 sq feet is not small at all!