LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by Gram3000

I predict DTLA will see 1 of its best boom cycles since previous decades happening between 2013-15! There will be a day when we won't even blink twice when new 50+ story proposals are announced, pretty much the way we act now with 20+ story ones. We are just now hitting the tip of the tip of the iceberg!!

The only way I see that happening is if all the current proposals are realized. Now I don't mean LA Central and Metropolis, but maybe 9th and Olive, and the 40 story tower on 6th and Main. Projects that have a real chance of happening within a couple years. The one thing that will be the game changer to Los Angeles is AEG. We need to hope that whoever buys them out goes forward with Farmers Field. Farmers Field would ultimately trigger a dozen hotels to join the cityscape. Now THAT is a boom. With Wilshire Grand, and possibly The Grand going forward, we will indeed see a boom. South Park will ultimately become a shadow of it's former self, and with the Regional Connector, more people will be within the downtown area. The Streetcar would generate tourism, and Los Angeles will basically have given itself a facelift! Who knows what happens, but when it comes to development, it usually is a domino effect that will attract more projects. South Park has already caught a lot of eyes. Los Angeles in 2020 will make the Los Angeles of 2012 look like absolute garbage, I know for sure

[blackcat23]

Happy New Year, everyone!

Took a few pictures yesterday. After they finished another concrete pour on the double Marriott, they've started working on the decking for the fifth floor above ground on the side facing away from Francisco street. I believe this is the level where the pool will be.



I also took a walk further down Figueroa, accompanied by a homeless man who yelled obscenities at me, and had a look at work on Avant.





The most noticeable progress is on the building on the Flower Street side, although I didn't get a picture over there. It will stick out like a sore thumb once complete, since the entire stretch of Flower between Venice and Pico is in sad shape currently. Hopefully Avant adds some foot traffic and spurs additional development.

[Easy]

Thanks for the update. Sorry that you had to deal with an unbalanced homeless guy. I had noticed that Avant was growing when I went by on the train the other day. It's finally more than just a hole.

It will stand out for awhile, but the area between South Park and USC will eventually fill in with USC development expanding North and downtown expanding South. I'm not sure what the status is, but there was supposedly a Hampton Inn or some other hotel that was interested in the property adjacent to Avant just south. We haven't heard anymore about that for a year or more. The gap from there to the Lorenzo is only four blocks or so and with both areas improving along with the Expo line I have to figure that the area between will develop sooner rather than later. Especially given USC's plans. I expect that we'll see more housing, hotels, and business.

[Illithid Dude]

One of my friends who was staunchly against DT just texted me saying how I was right, and that downtown is incredibly beautiful. I probably shouldn't feel as happy about that as I do, but whatever.

[blackcat23]

Don't want to get people's hopes up, but I noticed that the entrances for the 9th and Olive parking lot were closed off today. Maybe Onni has finally gotten their ducks in a row with the financing/permits and can get to work.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

I also took a walk further down Figueroa, accompanied by a homeless man who yelled obscenities at me, and had a look at work on Avant.

The most noticeable progress is on the building on the Flower Street side, although I didn't get a picture over there. It will stick out like a sore thumb once complete, since the entire stretch of Flower between Venice and Pico is in sad shape currently.

you pretty much are the first forumer to have taken a photo of that proj!

Progress on it seems slower than what's going on at the much larger apt towers at wilshire & La brea, which I believe broke ground even after avant did. although maybe I'm wrong....time is going by so quickly.

I went by avant several months ago & there still wasn't anything visible above ground level yet. Then I went by a few months after that, & it still was easy to pass by & not think any type of new devlpt was occurring there. I'd thought that by late december, the proj finally would be easily noticeable to the casual visitor.

the "sad shape" you describe really can't be understood by ppl unless they're actually right there, directly in the hood....standing & looking at such locations. That's why I wonder if the ppl who complain about a new proj not being taller, or not having a super wonderful design, ever drop by dtla.

the funny thing about the 9th & Olive apt proj is that the parking lot where it will be built on isn't all that .......at least as parking lots go. It does have a landscaped perimeter, & there are large trees sort of camouflaging both sides of the corner. of course, I'm still relieved that some new life is going to rise there. But when it comes to 2 of the 3 other corners at 9th & Olive.....& if I had to choose one of them as top priority.....they're in even more desperate need of being filled in.

as for the aggressive homeless person, such ills of urban life won't seem as to casual visitors if the hood they're in at least is nicer & cleaner....& more complete. another reason why improvement & new devlpt need to be fast tracked.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the "sad shape" you describe really can't be understood by ppl unless they're actually right there, directly in the hood....standing & looking at such locations. That's why I wonder if the ppl who complain about a new proj not being taller, or not having a super wonderful design, ever drop by dtla.

I was really only referring to the block of Flower Street in between Venice and Pico, not the neighborhood at large.

As Illithid Dude's friend recently noticed, downtown in general is looking pretty good. For evidence, here is a gratuitous picture I took from the steps outside Library Tower.

[Valyrian Steel]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

One of my friends who was staunchly against DT just texted me saying how I was right, and that downtown is incredibly beautiful. I probably shouldn't feel as happy about that as I do, but whatever.

I think many of those people who constantly leave nasty comments about DTLA on Curbed would feel the same as your friend if they just took the time to check it out.

[Chef Boyardee]

Originally Posted by Pink Floyd

I think many of those people who constantly leave nasty comments about DTLA on Curbed would feel the same as your friend if they just took the time to check it out.

Isn't that just the general stance of curbed commenters on everything?

[BrandonJXN]

Chinatown Gateway is now known as Jia Apartments.

From BrighamYen.com


http://brighamyen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DSC06137.jpg


http://brighamyen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DSC06150.jpg

Currently under construction and formerly known as the “Chinatown Gateway” (a name derived from its location adjacent to the double dragon gateway on Broadway and Cesar Chavez), the new name for Chinatown’s first market-rate housing complex is now called “Jia Apartments,” which means “home” in Chinese. The 280-unit mixed-use development, being developed by Equity Residential and designed by Downtown LA-based Thomas Cox Architects (TCA), topped out earlier this week at six floors with a projected opening date later this year.

When completed, the Jia Apartments will set an auspicious new direction for Chinatown, which has not seen the kind of redevelopment activity experienced elsewhere in Downtown LA. However, with 17,000 square feet of retail space (mostly along Broadway) and hundreds of new residents (in studios, one, and two-bedroom units), Jia could play a major role injecting life back into Chinatown even after dark when the many souvenir shops close down. I would like to see Chinatown follow the same successful path as Little Tokyo — now active day and night with interesting shops and restaurants — by attracting new investments, especially if you consider the amount of potential Chinese and Chinese American businesses from the San Gabriel Valley that could “come back” and transform Chinatown with activity 24-7. Perhaps we could eventually see a 99 Ranch Market return to Chinatown one day?

And up until now, the twin golden dragons that guard the archway to LA’s Chinatown (erected in 2001) seemed sadly incomplete as only one side of the gateway actually had a building next to it (the 16-story Cathay Manor senior housing tower). Now with Jia Apartments rising across the street on a site that used to be a desolate asphalt surface parking lot, the gateway itself also feels much more complete and adds toward Chinatown’s urban maturity.

It will be exciting to find out over the next few months what new businesses will be coming into Jia’s retail spaces. Rumor has it that Starbucks is looking to take the corner space along Cesar Chavez, which had already been designated for a cafe in the building’s renderings.

http://brighamyen.com/2013/01/02/jia-apartments-chinatown-la-new-market-rate-housing-tops-out/

[WonderlandPark]

Get ready for another downtown crane, base is installed at 8th and Hope.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

Get ready for another downtown crane, base is installed at 8th and Hope.

Wow. I just was there 10 min ago, took a photo and walked home to The Skyline and was about to post this photo right now. We just passed each other!

[WonderlandPark]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Wow. I just was there 10 min ago, took a photo and walked home to The Skyline and was about to post this photo right now. We just passed each other!

This was about an hour ago, shot from the car as I passed, real nice day out downtown today.

[Muji]

I was downtown for a bit today and noticed that the Star Apartments at 6th and Maple seem to be topped out. They're pretty visible down to Spring Street, and add just a tidbit of visual density to the area.

[IMBY]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

The parking garage at 220 S. Spring St. is getting a paint job similar to the one next door to the Los Angeles Theater Company a few blocks down. I actually like the splash of color this brings to the neighborhood. I just wish it weren't on a parking garage.


(Image by me)

Isn't it remarkable how something so simple and inexpensive as paint can transform a building, no matter how ugly the building is!!! It's like an unattractive woman putting on the right make up! So many ugly parking ramps, just crying out for some color!

I've long been an advocate of taking some older boxy glass clad 60's style building and give it a new lease on life by merely changing the glass panels, using multi-colored glass. Know of any building where this has been done?

I've done my studies on chromotherapy, and how, in some cases, color can have healing qualities!

[colemonkee]

^ There are plenty of examples of that, but not a ton of them in LA. The most prominent one in LA would probably be the Transamerica Tower downtown - now called AT&T Center now, I believe - that underwent a facade update a few years back, with pretty significant changes to the crown. There's a smaller building on Figueroa undergoing a facade update as we speak, which is a great update and should activate the block a bit better than before.

[colemonkee]

Ava Little Tokyo

I walk by this site most Saturdays or Sundays, and rarely see them working on Saturday. Today was a welcome exception. There wasn't a ton of activity, but both sites were active. This is a shot of Phase 1, which is the northern-most plot on the corner of 2nd and Los Angeles, looking south from 2nd St. You can see the beginnings of foundation work going on here, so this appears to be as far down as they will dig, maybe 12-15 ft. There was a small amount of heavy equipment movement on the Phase two plot immediately south.


Image credit: Me and my iPhone

[blackcat23]

Grand Avenue Rental Tower



Spring Street Park





Took a look inside the pit for 8th and Hope



Wilshire Grand Demolition Progress



More scaffolding has gone up on the Francisco/Wilshire corner, with tarps covering the upper floors.

[Dale]

Isn't the hotel operator supposed to be announced this month ?

[Valyrian Steel]

Thanks for the update, blackcat!