LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

ya, anyone that thinks Nordstrom Rack is lower end is crazy. I love that place and welcome it with open arms.

and a hotel as well? fantastic. btw, which one is the May Co building on Broadway again?

[brudy]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

What is wrong with Nordstrom Rack? This is a huge step up for Broadway and should not be discounted (pun intended) as an insignificant achievement.

On a side note, making snide negative comments does not make this message board fun. A department store, a chain, or a 6 story building is all good news for downtown development; considering where we were 8 years ago when you couldn't find a decent place to eat dinner on a Sunday evening outside of Pantry, iHop or a Subway in downtown.

There's nothing wrong with criticism. Just because things are better now doesn't mean that how things are being done is the best or even correct way. Criticism is good (and even essential) for discourse and progress. When everybody falls in line and defaults to what is handed to them, or they can't handle some criticism, bad things ensue.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

ya, anyone that thinks Nordstrom Rack is lower end is crazy. I love that place and welcome it with open arms.

and a hotel as well? fantastic. btw, which one is the May Co building on Broadway again?

Here's an old shot:

[alki]

Originally Posted by HunterK

-Nordstrom Rack will be taking up the majority of the ground floor space of the old May Company building. A hotel will be above. This is worse news than Ross, since it will almost certainly commit Broadway to being the outlet street.

You're joking right? If this is true, its excellent news.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by alki

You're joking right? If this is true, its excellent news.

May Co is Broadways largest building & is the one most easily turned into a department store.

What it becomes will set the tone for what Broadway becomes.

Too often you guys welcome ANY development as good development. You're not considering that 5 or 10 years from now Broadway could easily be a street with beautiful architecture, but filled with stores that scream suburbia. How can some of you not grasp this?

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by HunterK

May Co is Broadways largest building & is the one most easily turned into a department store.

What it becomes will set the tone for what Broadway becomes.

Too often you guys welcome ANY development as good development. You're not considering that 5 or 10 years from now Broadway could easily be a street with beautiful architecture, but filled with stores that scream suburbia. How can some of you not grasp this?

So what's the issue here? That Nordstrom Rack is low end, or suburban? And if Nordstrom Rack is suburban, then wouldn't any department store be suburban? So why do you want a department store in this space so badly? I'm so confused...

And you still haven't told us your source for this news, or even if you have a source. For all we know, a Barneys could be moving in (which would be awesome, since Barneys is the last department store with any taste, but I digress).

[202_Cyclist]

This is all pretty ridiculous. There was a ground-breaking for a 40-story building this week in Century City and plans announced for a 30+ story building and another development with 600-700 units and people are complaining about a Nordstrom Rack?

[202_Cyclist]

It is similarly amusing to see the amount of time whining about a mid-range retail store compared with the 6-story parking garage (something that will actually impact the vibrancy and livability of downtown) for the 30+ floor residential building that was announced.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by brudy

Here's an old shot:

oh the broadway trade center on 8th and Broadway? fantastic!! ive been hearing the rumors for a while. This would be a perfect way to tie together that entire block of broadway between 9th and 8th

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by HunterK

May Co is Broadways largest building & is the one most easily turned into a department store.

What it becomes will set the tone for what Broadway becomes.

Too often you guys welcome ANY development as good development. You're not considering that 5 or 10 years from now Broadway could easily be a street with beautiful architecture, but filled with stores that scream suburbia. How can some of you not grasp this?

Downtown will be a mix of national and independent. Speaking personally, its not that I'm not grasping what you're pointing out, its just that I don't see it as a crisis. Manhattan is filled with national chains. And independent boutiques. There is plenty of room for both there. Its still the city that we judge all other cities by. DTLA will develop similarly. There's going to be a lot of chains. And there will also be a lot of shops that you can't find other places. I welcome both.

[alki]

Originally Posted by HunterK

May Co is Broadways largest building & is the one most easily turned into a department store.

What it becomes will set the tone for what Broadway becomes.

First of all, assuming this news is true, and I still have my doubts, Nordstrom's Rack will not fill up the entire bldg.......at best maybe take up a couple of floors. The truth is the May Company is a dinosaur.....at least for a dept store........ and very few if any dept stores would want to do a build out in such a bldg.

Secondly, if and when a dept store moves into DTLA, it probably will build a new bldg and follow an urban model like Target is doing in its DT stores......meaning they will not be full line stores. And frankly, I think the dept store business model may be a dying breed.......either that or soon every dept store will either be a Macy's or a Nordstrom's. Oh wait, I think that has already happened.

Finally, I don't think there will be one tone for Broadway. I suspect southern Broadway to 7th St will be high end......and Broadway from 7th to City Hall will be more middle to low. I always envisioned 7th St as fairly hi end and Spring St as artsy Melrose. Its that mix which will make DT exciting IMO.

[/QUOTE]Too often you guys welcome ANY development as good development. You're not considering that 5 or 10 years from now Broadway could easily be a street with beautiful architecture, but filled with stores that scream suburbia. How can some of you not grasp this? :shrug:[/QUOTE]


That's bull. I don't like everything that is announced.......but DTLA has been a desert for so long, its hard to fault anything that comes along just because its nice to see so much interest in the place. Eventually there will be a reckoning when the bad stuff can be weeded out but for now, DT is building a critical mass.......and that's good. And dude, there is nothing wrong with a Ross. However, I don't like a Ross that blares music on its sidewalks.

Having said that, I think you and I have a very different view of what DTLA should become. From your posts, it sounds like you want at least Santa Monica if not Beverly Hills. I am looking for an urban core that caters to all classes and has a definite mix of retail. In my mind, Rodeo Dr and 3rd Ave might as well be suburban malls. Nothing wrong with that but its not what turns me on when it comes to cities.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

ya, anyone that thinks Nordstrom Rack is lower end is crazy. I love that place and welcome it with open arms.

and a hotel as well? fantastic. btw, which one is the May Co building on Broadway again?

I'd say it's definitely on the lower end (more like Kohl's, TJMaxx, Marshall's, Ross, Target). That said, I have no problem with a Nordstrom Rack in that area.

I also don't see how they could possibly fill up the entire building.

[alki]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Downtown will be a mix of national and independent. Speaking personally, its not that I'm not grasping what you're pointing out, its just that I don't see it as a crisis. Manhattan is filled with national chains. And independent boutiques. There is plenty of room for both there. Its still the city that we judge all other cities by. DTLA will develop similarly. There's going to be a lot of chains. And there will also be a lot of shops that you can't find other places. I welcome both.

Well said.

Its the independent boutiques and shops that you can't find anywhere else that will make DT exciting and urbane, and it will be the established retail like Target or Macy's that will act as the glue to hold the whole thing together.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by HunterK

I always love your input because you are one of the few people who actually tells it straight-forward, and how it is. You're 100% correct on the Los Angeles street side. It's a shame that street is mostly lost (to at least our generation), so many great pieces of architecture..


On (southern) Broadway:
-Ace Hotel took down the scaffolding around the main part of the building, the structure is now dirtier than it was before they put the scaffolding up (I take before/after pics of everything).
-A small structure directly to the left of Ross is being worked on as we speak. It'll be several large apartments I hear..
-The beautiful & historic Tower Theater will likely be the first theater to kick off Broadways worst idea. A nightclub district.
-It looks like the shit tenants of Rialto have closed up shop. Should be any day that we see Urban Outfitters working away on the space.

-Nordstrom Rack will be taking up the majority of the ground floor space of the old May Company building. A hotel will be above. This is worse news than Ross, since it will almost certainly commit Broadway to being the outlet street.

Broadway isn't going to become a high end retail street or a thriving movie theater district any time soon. Furthermore, I think it's misguided to think that Broadway will become one thing. NR + Ross won't result in a street full of low end dept stores any more than a few theater renovations is gonna result in a "nightclub district." The street is already a diverse mixture of demographics, architecture, and offerings. At this point, any addition to that street and its surrounding environs that increases density, activates blighted theaters, brings in new retailers, etc is good in my book. As time goes on, things'll get upgraded.

Besides, NR sells 7's for $100. You can't beat that.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by ChelseaFC

I'd say it's definitely on the lower end (more like Kohl's, TJMaxx, Marshall's, Ross, Target). That said, I have no problem with a Nordstrom Rack in that area.

I also don't see how they could possibly fill up the entire building.

i would say its a step up from those stores.

either way, there is NO way on earth they would take even half of the ground floor. that space is so massive

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

i would say its a step up from those stores.

either way, there is NO way on earth they would take even half of the ground floor. that space is so massive

You're correct about it being a step up from those stores. What I said still stands.

Quoting myself:
-Nordstrom Rack will be taking up the majority of the ground floor space of the old May Company building. A hotel will be above. This is worse news than Ross, since it will almost certainly commit Broadway to being the outlet street.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So what's the issue here? That Nordstrom Rack is low end, or suburban? And if Nordstrom Rack is suburban, then wouldn't any department store be suburban? So why do you want a department store in this space so badly? I'm so confused...

And you still haven't told us your source for this news, or even if you have a source. For all we know, a Barneys could be moving in (which would be awesome, since Barneys is the last department store with any taste, but I digress).

I'm dying to know. Are you in fashion, retail, an I-banker, record producer, . . .???

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by HunterK

You're correct about it being a step up from those stores. What I said still stands.

Quoting myself:
-Nordstrom Rack will be taking up the majority of the ground floor space of the old May Company building. A hotel will be above. This is worse news than Ross, since it will almost certainly commit Broadway to being the outlet street.

I have my doubts but only time will tell.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

So what's the issue here? That Nordstrom Rack is low end, or suburban? And if Nordstrom Rack is suburban, then wouldn't any department store be suburban? So why do you want a department store in this space so badly? I'm so confused...

And you still haven't told us your source for this news, or even if you have a source. For all we know, a Barneys could be moving in (which would be awesome, since Barneys is the last department store with any taste, but I digress).

I don't care if a department store goes there or not, thought it makes most sense to be a department store.
Nordstrom Rack is considerably more suburban than Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth, etc, etc. Outlets are generally a suburban occurrence.
I agree with you that none of them have any taste these days.

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Downtown will be a mix of national and independent. Speaking personally, its not that I'm not grasping what you're pointing out, its just that I don't see it as a crisis. Manhattan is filled with national chains. And independent boutiques. There is plenty of room for both there. Its still the city that we judge all other cities by. DTLA will develop similarly. There's going to be a lot of chains. And there will also be a lot of shops that you can't find other places. I welcome both.

And how big is Manhattan again?

Downtown Los Angeles spans north - south from Temple to Pico (generously). That is 13 blocks. From east - west it spans from Figueroa to Main (with the exception of a couple small areas like LA Live). That is 8 blocks.

13 blocks x 8 blocks.

[blackcat23]

Hunter, what exactly do you want to happen here? I've never really understood your position.

You have to know that stores like Saks or Bloomingdales aren't going to be setting up shop on Broadway in the next 5-10 years.