LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 3.0 - Page 47

citywatch · #**921** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 7:42 PM**

^ thanks for the pics!

And when you say "diverse" group of ppl, Ralph's probably will sigh with relief if in upcoming months (& yrs) that includes a lot of the families with many kids living several miles around DT.

BTW, a few yrs ago I remember going regularly to a Bristol Farms mkt in Newport Bch, which is in the middle of a lots of housing full of ppl with $$$, & always being surprised at how quiet, even empty, it was.

Easy · #**922** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citywatch

^ thanks for the pics!

And when you say "diverse" group of ppl, Ralph's probably will sigh with relief if in upcoming months (& yrs) that includes a lot of the families with many kids living several miles around DT.

They're not expecting very many families to hear them talk...hopefully they are wrong and will be surprised as you say. I think that they will be surprised right away. There are lots of families just south of south park that will shop there. It may be a little on the expensive side so they may not shop there all the time, but they'll be there just the same. I imagine that they sent those same mailers to all of the zip codes around the store.

Easy · #**923** Posted **Jul 20, 2007, 8:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sodha

^ Well, I hope y'all know more than the MTA who say this will delay funding for Exposition Line from downtown to Culver City ($314 million) and Eastside extension ($43 million). Refer here: http://www.mta.net/news_info/press/metro_133.htm

Well I definitely don't know more than the MTA, but they say some stuff like this from time to time. Remember when they insisted that if they didn't get the full fare increase that rail projects would be delayed, bus and rail service would be cut, etc.? Then immediately after they didn't get the full increase they announced that the rail projects were back on schedule and even expanded with a study of the purple line extension and that bus service was expanded.

The budget for the upcoming year for Expo is about $167 million. I guess we'll see fairly soon how much of an effect this cut will have.

petescafe · #**924** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 5:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citywatch

This is a photo I came across at centralcitye.blogspot.com, taken yesterday, which just happened to catch a glimpse of the Medallion's site. It's odd that the northern half of the parking lot, along 3rd St, has no cars on it, while the southern half, where the 1st phase is supposed to be located, still is full of vehicles. Only a small patch of land cleared out by bulldozers a few days ago shows any sign of change. And none of the fugly billboards have been taken down.

Here are two photos I took on Wednesday.

The Third St side of the parking lot was receiving new parking stall paint lines.
The Fourth st side has seen all the dirt and asphalt removed, as well as some of parking stall lines. It looks like the east side is getting ready to take over the parking duties as the west gets ready for a more permanent change.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**925** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 9:35 AM**

As you guys can imagine, the people were ready to knock the doors down, they were so eager to get in! It was a wonderful feeling shopping in this new grocery store with all these people around you that were all smiling and making the biggest deal out of this (which they should!). It was this feeling of comraderie. Downtown LA has truly, finally arrived!

Here are some pics I took today:

RAlossi · #**926** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 3:14 PM**

That question was easy.

Easy · #**927** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 3:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAlossi

That question was easy.

Not for me. I'd guess the Bradbury, but they could mean that building on Olvera Street, or it could be something else.

ladowntowner · #**928** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 4:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easy

Not for me. I'd guess the Bradbury, but they could mean that building on Olvera Street, or it could be something else.

I think the Bradbury is generally regarded to be the correct answer.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**929** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 7:38 PM**

That building on Olvera Street is the Avila Adobe which is residential, but I'm not sure if the question means TODAY, which would put the building in the category as a Museum. Even then, it's not exactly commercial (or is it?).

colemonkee · #**930** Posted **Jul 21, 2007, 10:54 PM**

Today was a nice day for a stroll with the camera. Lots of work going on.

Evo
Working on 16, so 7 floors left.

Herald Examiner
The old press building is almost gone.

LA Live
The new Figueroa corridor starting to take shape.

Nokia Theater getting closer to completion. According to their schedule, we only have three more months til it opens.

ESPN Building looking across Chick Hearn Ct. from Staples Center.

Looking across Nokia Plaza, there appears to be a large body of water. Lake Nokia, perhaps?

Club Nokia building from Olympic. They've completed the first floor of the western half of the buiding, so this will look like the renders. Fireproofing has already started on the eastern half.

Unfortunately I couldn't get any shots of the Ritz Tower. The only vantage points were teaming with construction crews and heavy machinery, and it really wasn't safe.

Hanover Tower

Work has started on the "fin".

Concerto
They poured the foundation for the crane. That's about all the progress I could see.

717 Flower
Starting to frame the first floor.

To give an idea of scale.

Mandel Lofts
Mandel Lofts gets a shiny new sign and some chandeliers at the entrance. There are also "For Lease" signs up on the building. Hopefully they get people moving in soon.

Finally, does anyone know what's up with this project? I found this project board on the east side of Olive, halfway between Olympic and 11th. I thought this was supposed to go in the surface lot at the corner of Olympic and Olive? The board calls for a March 2008 completion, which ain't gonna happen.

fridayinla · #**931** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 12:13 AM**

^Thanks for the photos, Colemonkee. I was completely uninspired to go out with my camera this weekend, glad you picked up the slack.

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Looking across Nokia Plaza, there appears to be a large body of water. Lake Nokia, perhaps?

BrandonJXN · #**932** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 12:25 AM**

The Los Angeles Beckhams play in about 5 minutes.

fridayinla · #**933** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Finally, does anyone know what's up with this project? I found this project board on the east side of Olive, halfway between Olympic and 11th. I thought this was supposed to go in the surface lot at the corner of Olympic and Olive? The board calls for a March 2008 completion, which ain't gonna happen.

I don't know anything about the status of the YWCA campus project, but Cartifact shows the site for the project as the basically the entire block bound by Olympic, Olive, 11th and Hill. So that would be the correct side.

WonderlandPark · #**934** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 1:31 AM**

Almost went downtown, was headed in, and then the 101 stopped just coming over the hill, got off and said screw it. Glad colemonkey got shots today

RAlossi · #**935** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 1:48 AM**

You guys should've joined the forum meet! We had a great time and even got a mini-tour of the Alexandria Hotel's Palm Court. That was awesome.

I'll be uploading and posting some of the photos from the other end of Downtown today. Should be seeing some Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, Historic Core (Spring St.), Broadway, Grand Avenue...

colemonkee · #**936** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 2:09 AM**

Honestly, I was too hung over earlier to do anything else.

I stopped by the new Ralph's store and was really impressed. The best thing about that store (other than the fact that I now don't have to drive to Glendale or Hollywood to get real pecorino romano cheese) is that it totally energizes that block. I've been doing these photo updates for over two years, and I've never run into more than one or two pedestrians on a Saturday or Sunday on that block.

Today that whole area - from 8th to Olympic - was literally teeming with people. And they all had Ralph's bags in their hands or their little urban shopping carts. It took me a good 3-4 minutes to get the shot of 717 Flower from across the street without any pedestrians in the foreground blocking the view. That's a great problem to have.

The store itself is nice inside and was very crowded at 2:00pm on a Saturday. And the people in there were very diverse, which shows that this won't be even close to a loft-dweller-only store. It was pretty evident that there's been a pent up need for a grocery store downtown for some time.

They had a jazz band playing in the cafe area, which I find to be a bit cheesy - c'mon, it's a grocery store, not a new club - but people were eating it up.

RAlossi · #**937** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 2:34 AM**

Today was the grand opening (yesterday was the soft opening), so that explains the jazz band. I was there today and got the same impression -- the diversity of the people. This store will serve as a destination for many people in the surrounding areas (a couple mile radius) for quality items in the future.

And it's not even close to being as cruisey as the Studio City Ralphs! Hehe.

The "olive bar" is a little over-the-top with over ten olive choices, but I like the "Asian bar" and cheese bar. Headed over there right now to see what I can pick up for dinner.

WonderlandPark · #**938** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 2:41 AM**

Studio City Ralphs is cruisy?

RAlossi · #**939** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 4:16 AM**

The one on Vineland/Ventura is, but I don't know about Coldwater. Not to get off topic or anything, though...

WonderlandPark · #**940** Posted **Jul 22, 2007, 4:24 AM**

cruisy spots of the Valley, that isn't off topic, is it?????