LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[alki]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

If people can get past their personal distaste for Edluva and actually examine what he's saying, they might find he's 100% spot on.

Thank you. I agree with you.........a lot of what he says IS spot on.

My suggestion......its time to stop getting so defensive whenever someone criticizes DTLA. And its too easy to call someone a troll and change the subject. Constructive criticism can lead to positive change.

IMO DTLA has come far enough so that its not necessary to shut down whenever its flaws are singled out. I was DTLA's biggest defender when few cared about it...........and even then, I knew it had a lot of shortcomings. Those shortcomings still exist and should not be ignored.

[alki]

Originally Posted by brudy

I'm saying that it isn't a fair comparison. They are at two different places along the rehab spectrum. IMO, a fairer comparison would be Williamsburg in the 90s or SOHO in the 80s. Urban neighborhood with good bones that is all crapped up but on the upswing. And that people need to have realistic expectations of the current state of downtown. That's all.

Brudy, they have been trying to bring DTLA back since at least the 1970s. Most of the major hi rises are from the 1970s and 1980s........so the comparison to South Beach is not that out of whack. Its just that South Beach took off whereas DTLA floundered for decades........and made little forward progress. It was only by the aught years that things started to move.

And there is one huge white elephant in the room that most posters on this forum pretty much ignore except for City Watch and some others........DTLA as an employment center sucks the big one. It has considerable vacant office space and only small firms moving in. That has to change for DT to become the dynamic urban center most people seem to want.

[alki]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

It's actually more remarkable than we give it credit for. Of course there always going to be people like James who are underwhelmed by downtown. More often than not though, most people who I encounter are generally impressed with downtown. Long-time Angelenos who've seen it at its worst, friends from out of town, friends from overseas, strangers from NYC - I've seen it all. Considering that no one would be caught dead here a decade ago, it's pretty impressive what's happened here

I think its more remarkable for people who have seen it evolve over the past ten years rather than people seeing it for the first time. I encouraged some friends from here to make sure they went to DTLA on their trip last fall. They came back not particularly jazzed. They could see it was improving but they weren't overly impressed. So I am not surprised by James' reaction.......and that's okay. The most important takeaway is that DTLA is evolving and getting better.

[jamesinclair]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

It's actually more remarkable than we give it credit for. Of course there always going to be people like James who are underwhelmed by downtown. More often than not though, most people who I encounter are generally impressed with downtown. Long-time Angelenos who've seen it at its worst, friends from out of town, friends from overseas, strangers from NYC - I've seen it all. Considering that no one would be caught dead here a decade ago, it's pretty impressive what's happened here

I was underwhelmed because this thread set my expectations too high....it happens simply because people obviously only take and post pictures of major changes, and not everything else around it. No one is posting "hey guys, check out Los Angeles Ave...no changes here!"

On the other hand, my dad who had bad expectations, because he was last in downtown LA in the 80s was very impressed.

My last time in LA was maybe two years ago, I did a lot of walking, mostly along the north edge of downtown (from Union station down to grand central market), but I knew very little of the area. I also observed at the time so many of the streets were absolutely empty. My biggest memory from that trip was how the beautiful hall of justice was boarded up and dead... That looked really sad. Im glad theyre fixing it up.

So yeah, everyones impressions will be different based on what theyve experienced of downtown LA, or what the media/friends/family have led them to believe.

I do think my more technical observations (street widths, signal timing) are universal and have nothing to do with previous experience or expectations. If the pedestrian signal timing is too short, that is universally true - and an easy fix!

I also would like to add that I was worried about the lack of patronage at the businesses I saw because I don't want to see them fail.

One last thing, don't think I mentioned it before - the complete and utter lack of car horns honking, even when buses and trucks completely blocked the intersection was MAGNIFICENT. Seriously, screw Manhattan. Honking should come with the death penalty....ok, life in prison.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by jamesinclair

Smog is still an issue.

What many visitors (and locals, for that matter) think to be smog, is actually marine layer--particularly this time of year. Also, you visited when the Castaic fire was going on. In fact it was just knocked down today (Thursday).

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by alki

My suggestion......its time to stop getting so defensive whenever someone criticizes DTLA. And its too easy to call someone a troll and change the subject. Constructive criticism can lead to positive change.

I appreciate what you're saying, but I think you're misreading him. I've yet to see him constructively criticize anything. Its always provocative and antagonistic. Constructive is "Downtown has too much X. What we really need is Y". Antagonistic is "Downtown sucks. You have no taste for liking it." There's a big difference.

You don't have to look back too far through his comment history to see what he's all about:

"so when are you guys going to come to the fact that los angeles just generally sucks a lot at being a city? one disappointment after another, in prime areas of a supposed megacity. what opportunities are left to do things right? dumb people make dumb cities"

"bingo that is the spirit of la. everyone and everything, including institutions, are more image-conscious and self-serving (aka "douchey")."

"you don't get the kind of civic pride and sense of personal responsibility you'll find of residents and institutions of the east coast or sf."

"It's a testament to the poor state of architecture in this city that I cannot name a single major project that I am impressed with."

"No wonder Los Angeles keeps churning out trash for architecture. Angelenos are idiots when it comes to design (among other things).They just don't get it."

"I'm always right. I'd love to see LVDarch come and defend this bland eyesore with his bullsh1t sophistic architalk. Will you la forumers ever grow a critical eye for aesthetics?"

"A huge waste of potential. LA is never going to be great. Just large."

"LA is such a lowbrow city it's comical. You can be working class, and classy (see chicago). LA is working class, and tacky. that's our heritage if we have one. we're destined to be a second rate city for the world to frown upon. it's in our DNA. everything from crass hollywood commercialism to garden variety soccer-mom urbanism ensures this city remains lame as hell for the forseeable future. LA just doesn't get it."

"lame looking crowd as well. typical la."

Sorry but that is not constructive in any way.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by alki

Brudy, they have been trying to bring DTLA back since at least the 1970s. Most of the major hi rises are from the 1970s and 1980s........so the comparison to South Beach is not that out of whack. Its just that South Beach took off whereas DTLA floundered for decades........and made little forward progress. It was only by the aught years that things started to move.

And there is one huge white elephant in the room that most posters on this forum pretty much ignore except for City Watch and some others........DTLA as an employment center sucks the big one. It has considerable vacant office space and only small firms moving in. That has to change for DT to become the dynamic urban center most people seem to want.

The entire city of Los Angeles has a pretty lousy office vacancy rate.

http://www.transwestern.net/Market-Resea...3%20Los%20Angeles%20Office%20Outlook.pdf

Downtown LA: 18.2%
Mid Wilshire: 21.5%
West LA: 16.4%
San Fernando Valley: 17.2%
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena: 19.9%
South Bay: 22.6%

LA County average: 18.7%

Downtown LA's office vacancy rate is actually better than the average for the region at large.

[ConstructDTLA]

In huge 7th Street news:

CVS is building out in the long-vacant corner spot at the Van Nuys building (7th & Spring). Supposedly going to have a larger than usual grocery area to it.

State Theater just posted a notice to the public about converting to a big nightclub/bar(s) with DJ's and such. This doesn't make much sense to me since its owned by Delijani who hasn't shown any (actual) interest in turning his theaters around. And because that awful church (redundant) just extended their lease through 2017.

Pictures to follow soon.

[blackcat23]

Originally Posted by HunterK

In huge 7th Street news:

CVS is building out in the long-vacant corner spot at the Van Nuys building (7th & Spring). Supposedly going to have a larger than usual grocery area to it.

State Theater just posted a notice to the public about converting to a big nightclub/bar(s) with DJ's and such. This doesn't make much sense to me since its owned by Delijani who hasn't shown any (actual) interest in turning his theaters around. And because that awful church (redundant) just extended their lease through 2017.

Pictures to follow soon.

Good news about CVS.

The Delijanis have actually done EIRs for the revamps of all of the theaters they own (State, Palace, Tower, Los Angeles). They released them for public review earlier this month.

Not sure what will happen, but it does look like they're trying to move the projects forward.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by alki

Brudy, they have been trying to bring DTLA back since at least the 1970s. Most of the major hi rises are from the 1970s and 1980s........so the comparison to South Beach is not that out of whack. Its just that South Beach took off whereas DTLA floundered for decades........and made little forward progress. It was only by the aught years that things started to move.

And there is one huge white elephant in the room that most posters on this forum pretty much ignore except for City Watch and some others........DTLA as an employment center sucks the big one. It has considerable vacant office space and only small firms moving in. That has to change for DT to become the dynamic urban center most people seem to want.

Yes, but it was the law that allowed the conversions to take place in 1999 that really kicked downtown off. If nobody can live here, what's the point? And financial districts are pretty much the same everywhere - relatively boring.

[RuFFy]

Originally Posted by brudy

Yes, but it was the law that allowed the conversions to take place in 1999 that really kicked downtown off. If nobody can live here, what's the point? And financial districts are pretty much the same everywhere - relatively boring.

Downtown LA really isn't a financial capital so it's not hard to see why there are such high vacancy rates. The region in general isn't known for finance and if anything it's pretty clear creativity is the business of LA. We'd be in much better shape if we continued to build on that and revamp corporate offices as creative space.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by HunterK

In huge 7th Street news:

CVS is building out in the long-vacant corner spot at the Van Nuys building (7th & Spring). Supposedly going to have a larger than usual grocery area to it.

State Theater just posted a notice to the public about converting to a big nightclub/bar(s) with DJ's and such. This doesn't make much sense to me since its owned by Delijani who hasn't shown any (actual) interest in turning his theaters around. And because that awful church (redundant) just extended their lease through 2017.

Pictures to follow soon.

Van Nuys building. (State Theater is the red brick building far right)


Notice on the State Theater (open large to read text).

[brudy]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

Downtown LA really isn't a financial capital so it's not hard to see why there are such high vacancy rates. The region in general isn't known for finance and if anything it's pretty clear creativity is the business of LA. We'd be in much better shape if we continued to build on that and revamp corporate offices as creative space.

Yeah, I totally agree. That type of office space isn't as desirable right now so they need to sort it out.

[laphilman]

Much work is being done on the interior at the Broad Museum, I live next door at the Grand Tower, and I can see a lot of work on the interior. Also, yes the roof is now fully poured and the metal structures are being placed, then insulation it appears. It is on target for Spring 2014.
Phil

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

The entire city of Los Angeles has a pretty lousy office vacancy rate.

http://www.transwestern.net/Market-Resea...3%20Los%20Angeles%20Office%20Outlook.pdf

Downtown LA: 18.2%
Mid Wilshire: 21.5%
West LA: 16.4%
San Fernando Valley: 17.2%
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena: 19.9%
South Bay: 22.6%

LA County average: 18.7%

Downtown LA's office vacancy rate is actually better than the average for the region at large.

It's true. I believe Santa Monica is the only area with a stable office vacancy rate of about 10%.

[LAofAnaheim]

I think the Regional Connector will change the perception and ease of working in downtown LA. With that connector, trains will be coming through downtown from East, Southwest, Northeast and South so employees will have much easier access into the downtown core. More of them will be interested in working in downtown, thus companies who want good talent will start opening up offices where employees want to be. Hopefully their CEO's will get some pent houses in downtown, which will furthur drive more corporations to be HQ'd in downtown.

Downtown LA will never be the financial center as San Francisco, but we are the Entertainment Capital of the World and centralizing some production offices in the downtown core (while keeping the studious in other districts or suburbs) would be a great perception for downtown.

By the way, did anybody notice that pwc (the #1 largest accounting firm) put up their logo on the crystal square (i.e. the green lighted building at night...not Eastern Columbia) over the last week? Looks nice to see more companies with logos on top of buildings.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

I think the Regional Connector will change the perception and ease of working in downtown LA. With that connector, trains will be coming through downtown from East, Southwest, Northeast and South so employees will have much easier access into the downtown core. More of them will be interested in working in downtown, thus companies who want good talent will start opening up offices where employees want to be. Hopefully their CEO's will get some pent houses in downtown, which will furthur drive more corporations to be HQ'd in downtown.

Downtown LA will never be the financial center as San Francisco, but we are the Entertainment Capital of the World and centralizing some production offices in the downtown core (while keeping the studious in other districts or suburbs) would be a great perception for downtown.

By the way, did anybody notice that pwc (the #1 largest accounting firm) put up their logo on the crystal square (i.e. the green lighted building at night...not Eastern Columbia) over the last week? Looks nice to see more companies with logos on top of buildings.

You're talking about the 801 Tower.


http://files2.structurae.de/files/photos/1/091493/000007.jpg

I've been inside this tower. Very very beautiful building.

[blackcat23]

^That building will get China Trust Bank's signage, I believe.

LAofAnaheim is referring to Figueroa at Wilshire.

[LiveandDieinLA]

hello people. I have followed the forum for some years now but just recently joined.
I was wondering about Onni's 888 S. Olive street tower. I am aware that it is to be a 32 stories, but when passing by the other day, the crane seems to be 20 stories or so high. Does anyone know the reason for this?

[RuFFy]

One thing to consider is that resources are more scarce for millenials than gen x'ers or boomers. Millenials are also more likely to embrace urban living and public transit. Millenials are also more likely to join a creative workforce. In so many ways DT should really look at converting its corporate fortress image.