LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[losangelesnative]

BLOC secures final phase construction loan https://www.bisnow.com/los-angeles/news/mixed-use/the-bloc-secures-225m-loan-for-final-phase-58420

[cesar90]

• Video Link



• Video Link



• Video Link

[blackcat23]

Flythrough tour of Little Tokyo's Budokan

[bobbyv]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Flythrough tour of Little Tokyo's Budokan

https://goo.gl/maps/QnYk85bdDf12
It's unfortunate they're tearing down this building for such a generic cheap looking building.

[Jun]

Originally Posted by bobbyv

https://goo.gl/maps/QnYk85bdDf12
It's unfortunate they're tearing down this building for such a generic cheap looking building.

Meh, its a rundown eyesore. At least this will provide recreational and community benefits to the area.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by bobbyv

https://goo.gl/maps/QnYk85bdDf12
It's unfortunate they're tearing down this building for such a generic cheap looking building.

They're tearing it down? Isn't it depicted in the rendering at the extreme left?

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

They're tearing it down? Isn't it depicted in the rendering at the extreme left?

They aren't tearing it down. The Google Maps image in my article is incorrect. Will fix it later.

[King Kill 'em]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

They aren't tearing it down. The Google Maps image in my article is incorrect. Will fix it later.

what about the two story building? that's not in the render. I'd like to see it go

[NativeOrange]

Those old buildings we call eyesores need to be saved and reused, IMO. Not every old structure needs to be an architectural masterpiece to contribute character to a neighborhood. In a perfect world, I would love to see every nondescript, post-war building get demolished and all parking lots get taken up before we even think of tearing down older structures.

I did a survey of over 300 buildings (<100k sq ft) within the downtown freeway loop and found well over half to be built between 1890 and 1930. Many of these buildings have been painted over for years and look ugly as hell right now, but many still have interesting little details and brick facades under the paint and grime.

Obviously in this free market economy, my "perfect world" will never come to fruition, but I think it's a terrible idea to just tear down an old building for something new and sterile and never lament the loss due to the current state of said historic buildings.

[citywatch]

G.H. Palmer Associates Unveils Phase II of The DaVinci Apartments

G.H. Palmer Associates recently announced the opening of Phase II of The DaVinci Apartments, a world-class luxury apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles.

The DaVinci features 526 downtown Los Angeles apartments in two phases. Phase II consists of 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail at 909 West Temple Street, the very edge of Bunker Hill, along with 1,000 new parking spaces. Phase I opened the first quarter of 2015 and is currently maintaining 98% occupancy, whereas Phase II, which was destroyed by what was deemed the “DaVinci Fire” on Dec. 8, 2015, is scheduled to open April 1, 2016, and is pre-leasing.

Bunker Hill’s high office vacancy streak continued in the first quarter of 2016. The area saw 20.9 percent of its space sit vacant, well above the 17.5 percent average for Downtown Los Angeles, according to a new report by Transwestern. However, the rate slightly improved from the fourth quarter of 2015, when it was reported at 22.5 percent.

[LA/OCman]

BNKR in the Blackstone building at 9th and Broadway looks like it could open soon. I really do hope that a strong retail showing will postpone the departure of Acne across the street. As more residents move to South Broadway, retailers will prosper.

http://la.racked.com/2016/4/8/11393832/bnkr-downtown-los-angeles-opens-april

[Easy]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

BNKR in the Blackstone building at 9th and Broadway looks like it could open soon. I really do hope that a strong retail showing will postpone the departure of Acne across the street. As more residents move to South Broadway, retailers will prosper.

http://la.racked.com/2016/4/8/11393832/bnkr-downtown-los-angeles-opens-april

South Broadway is coming on strong but it's early so businesses are bound to open and close as the right mix is found.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by NativeOrange

Those old buildings we call eyesores need to be saved and reused, IMO. Not every old structure needs to be an architectural masterpiece to contribute character to a neighborhood. In a perfect world, I would love to see every nondescript, post-war building get demolished and all parking lots get taken up before we even think of tearing down older structures.

I did a survey of over 300 buildings (<100k sq ft) within the downtown freeway loop and found well over half to be built between 1890 and 1930. Many of these buildings have been painted over for years and look ugly as hell right now, but many still have interesting little details and brick facades under the paint and grime.

Obviously in this free market economy, my "perfect world" will never come to fruition, but I think it's a terrible idea to just tear down an old building for something new and sterile and never lament the loss due to the current state of said historic buildings.

Hear! Hear! I couldn't agree more. There are many charming smaller structures within downtown that you describe. Unfortunately they have been bastardized by previous owners but hopefully this was done without too much historic damage. I think that when they exist side by side with newer developments they give the area tremendous character. Otherwise Southpark would be nothing more than a sterile "newer" area of downtown. I find it funny that there is all this bellyaching about a "quaint" somewhat grubby building with lots of potential (okay the small two storeyed building next to it can go) while we have the ever so tastefully designed and elegant "TCA design" across the street. Now there is a true eyesore. Incidentally NativeOrange, I would be interested in seeing your survey. Would you consider sharing it with the forum. I love history, I love architecture, and I have a love for downtown. It might make an interesting walking tour for me.

[Wilcal]

G.H. Palmer Associates Unveils Phase II of The DaVinci Apartments

G.H. Palmer Associates recently announced the opening of Phase II of The DaVinci Apartments, a world-class luxury apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles.

The DaVinci features 526 downtown Los Angeles apartments in two phases. Phase II consists of 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail at 909 West Temple Street, the very edge of Bunker Hill, along with 1,000 new parking spaces. Phase I opened the first quarter of 2015 and is currently maintaining 98% occupancy, whereas Phase II, which was destroyed by what was deemed the “DaVinci Fire” on Dec. 8, 2015, is scheduled to open April 1, 2016, and is pre-leasing.



[QUOTE=citywatch;7401405]





I salute this developer's success in building and occupying his apartments. It's truly great for downtown. But it's just that they are so dammed ugly. I find it odd that he can spend the money on amenities and architectural details (e.g. cement urns, statuary, pathways, landscaping and so on) yet he doesn't spend money on a good architect. Maybe that's not a financial priority for him. Either that or he has fucking rotten taste.

[Mojeda101]

Looks like there was a massive concrete pour last night at Oceanwide, and as of 2 hours ago it has still been going on for the entire evening. The core of the 49 story tower is taking shape too. Photos soon.

[Eightball]

Plans to make a Union Station a lively destination http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-union-station-20160409-story.html

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

while we have the ever so tastefully designed and elegant "TCA design" across the street. Now there is a true eyesore.

Originally Posted by Wilcal

I find it odd that he can spend the money on amenities and architectural details (e.g. cement urns, statuary, pathways, landscaping and so on) yet he doesn't spend money on a good architect. Maybe that's not a financial priority for him. Either that or he has fucking rotten taste.

I recall all the yrs I'd go down los angeles street between 2nd & 3rd....well before the existence of the admittedly tacky looking ava apt bldgs....& see the old gritty bldgs like the one a forumer mistakenly assumed was going to be torn down for the little tokyo gym proj....& think no one in their right mind would want to stick around there for more than a short while.

New devlpt like the bldg designed by tca will never be reviewed in glowing terms by many ppl....certainly the experts at the AIA....but I have a hunch far more ppl now can be around areas like LA St in little tokyo between 2nd & 3rd & no longer immediately feel the need to say....get me the hell outta here!!! That will be even truer when new devlpt like the budokan is built & opened.

as for apt projs like the da vinci....even more so since even though it's squeezed in between noisy, smoggy fwys but still appears to have been well accepted by tenants, & knowing how palmer's projs are very kitschy & ridiculous clones of one another....& also knowing that my POV may run counter to other ppl's, & visa versa, this line comes to mind....






Most ppl are like this writer from britain. They're gonna be more aware of the dilapidation or overly empty streets in dtla....or things that make them think of the bronx.....than things like new devlpt that doesn't totally suit their tastes. His reactions or observations pretty much mimic many of my own.

The heart of Los Angeles feels like somewhere else entirely

There’s a certain kind of Englishman who falls hard for Los Angeles. Men such as Graham Nash, who swapped the Hollies and rainy Manchester for Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Laurel Canyon. The LA of beaches, semi-rural hills and freeways can work wonders on an English heart. But the city has another side — a place most Angelenos never venture. Downtown.

The old heart of the city is a vision of how LA might have turned out. It has skyscrapers, art deco buildings and even an underground railway. It feels like Chicago, except that even on a Saturday afternoon, many streets are deserted. Some of those gorgeous pre-war buildings are dilapidated or boarded up. The shops sell cheap jewellery and Mexican food. There’s destitution on every corner.

It’s a similar story underground. The LA metro has the intimidating feel of the New York subway, yet it was built between 1990 and 2000. My wife’s family were incredulous when we said we would use it. They didn’t even know there was a stop near their house.

Fans of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? will remember that LA once had the most extensive public transport system in the world. It was dismantled to be replaced with freeways in the 1950s and Downtown began to decline. Despite countless regeneration initiatives, parts of it now look like photos of the Bronx from the 1980s. Yet finally things seem to be changing. Old buildings are being renovated. We stayed in the new Ace Hotel at the corner of Broadway and 9th Street, in the old United Artists building. It’s a cathedral of art deco with a 1,600-seater Gothic movie palace inside. From our room we could see the turquoise Eastern Columbia building with its famous clock tower.

Downtown isn’t just a youngster’s playground, though: there’s the Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall and the recently opened Broad (pronounced ‘Brode’) Contemporary Art Museum. Parts have the feel of Upper East Side in New York. Those with money can stay at the historic Biltmore Hotel and eat at the Pacific Dining Car, which opened in 1921 and still serves the best steaks in LA. The jewel of Downtown is the Bradbury Building, built in the 1890s in a French Colonial-meets-Italianate style. Its spectacular interior features in the end of Blade Runner.

Opposite, old and new LA come together in Grand Central Market, which has been in continuous use since 1917. We feasted on $2 pork offal tacos while a stall next door sold artisan wine at $30 a bottle. At the moment Downtown is like that: an odd mix of old grandeur, working-class Latinos, trendy newcomers and the occasional tourist. This is about to change. In the teeth of much local opposition, a metro line to affluent Santa Monica opens later this year. Beverly Hills will be connected in the 2020s.

The day my mother-in-law gets the metro downtown is the day the revival will have really begun.

[NativeOrange]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

Hear! Hear! I couldn't agree more. There are many charming smaller structures within downtown that you describe. Unfortunately they have been bastardized by previous owners but hopefully this was done without too much historic damage. I think that when they exist side by side with newer developments they give the area tremendous character. Otherwise Southpark would be nothing more than a sterile "newer" area of downtown. I find it funny that there is all this bellyaching about a "quaint" somewhat grubby building with lots of potential (okay the small two storeyed building next to it can go) while we have the ever so tastefully designed and elegant "TCA design" across the street. Now there is a true eyesore. Incidentally NativeOrange, I would be interested in seeing your survey. Would you consider sharing it with the forum. I love history, I love architecture, and I have a love for downtown. It might make an interesting walking tour for me.

I would love to share it with the board, but I must admit that while I used factual data, it is primitive in in the sense that it mostly includes street view pics, addresses and the years each structure was built. It's not in the proper format right now but I could definitely find a way to compile it all better and possibly share a link on here.

Once I have some time I will look into it.

[ninjaz]

Just came back from Colori Kitchen last night and I didn't realize how much 8th street is changing. The new tower (olive and 8th), commercial exchange, and the renovation of the May company building (and possibly Garfield building) will make this Completely different. I can't remember if something was going to happen to the building on 8th and hill. I think it was a nightclub before.

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by ninjaz

Just came back from Colori Kitchen last night and I didn't realize how much 8th street is changing. The new tower (olive and 8th), commercial exchange, and the renovation of the May company building (and possibly Garfield building) will make this Completely different. I can't remember if something was going to happen to the building on 8th and hill. I think it was a nightclub before.

The Shake Shack is going in where the nightclub was at 8th and Hill.