LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[Easy]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Have they ever looked at continuing the Red or Purple line down 7th all the way to the Arts District? They could add stops along the way at Broadway, San Pedro, Central/Alameda, and Mateo or something along those lines.

No they haven't, but they do have plans to extend it south from Union Station to about 6th. LA has committed funds for that, so that could happen within the next few years. There's also the planned West Santa Ana Branch line that will have a stop near 8th/Alameda, but that's at least a decade out. More likely two decades.

In the shorter term, the station at Little Tokyo won't be super convenient for most of the Arts District, but being able to go straight there from the heart of downtown instead of backtracking from Union Station will be a huge improvement.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by plinko

I was down in Long Beach yesterday and shot these while sitting in traffic on the 110. The Beaudry is really occupying a nice spot in the skyline...

220428 LOS ANGELES 067 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

^ That pic says it all....it's why I think dtla....LA....has sometimes given the impression of punching below its weight class. No major city has as much of what's poking up on the right side of that photo as LA does. Look at 9th St
right after the fwy offramp, around the Salvation army bldg and a DWP station to its south. That's a major entry point to dtla & it should be in way better shape.

I notice the site where the old state govt bldg across from LA city hall used to be still hasn't been turned into a park. Before the land was cleared out, its concrete underground area housed trash, rats, the homeless....for decades. It's still not been worked on. What's going on? why the delays?

LA's managers & caretakers...in govt & elsewhere....when it comes to the city have a long history of taking a who cares?!! attitude. That's the issue with LA, not a lack of super talls, the creation of fwys or too many parking podiums.


https://la.curbed.com/2017/5/22/1567...ehrer-redesign




Because of the internet, cities throughout the US & world can be easily visited with a click of the mouse....Youtube has a lot of vids of ppl driving or walking through every major city in existence. So dtla can be compared with other places way more easily today than over 10 yrs ago. That this classic bldg not all that long ago was vacant & falling apart, and that other bldgs in dtla (the Tower theater) were decrepit...as parts of broadway or spring still are.....is another example of dt needing way more TLC through the decades.


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DTLA hasn't been at a disadvantage for over 80 yrs because of fwys or lack of highrises or not enough better architecture....but because over 70 yrs ago it wasn't built to a higher standard. If dtla had followed an urban version of burban hoods like these, it through the decades would have been pulling more of its fair share of the LA area's weight.


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[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Easy

No they haven't, but they do have plans to extend it south from Union Station to about 6th. LA has committed funds for that, so that could happen within the next few years. There's also the planned West Santa Ana Branch line that will have a stop near 8th/Alameda, but that's at least a decade out. More likely two decades.

In the shorter term, the station at Little Tokyo won't be super convenient for most of the Arts District, but being able to go straight there from the heart of downtown instead of backtracking from Union Station will be a huge improvement.

6th street would be fine. 4th street is kind of the heart of the neighborhood, and the new developments south of 7th st would still be in walking distance of a 6th st station.

I see that station boosting the area like how Morgan St boosted the west Loop.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by LA21st

6th street would be fine. 4th street is kind of the heart of the neighborhood, and the new developments south of 7th st would still be in walking distance of a 6th st station.

I see that station boosting the area like how Morgan St boosted the west Loop.

I agree 100% and would add that with all that's planned that 6th could very well be the heart in just a few years.

At some point with a station at 6th/LA River (B and D lines), a station at 7th/Alameda (WSAB and not at 8th like I said earlier), and another station adjacent to Little Tokyo station (WSAB line plus existing A and E lines), the Arts District will be well connected by transit and will feel very much part of DTLA. It already does for most, just not for me.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Easy

No they haven't, but they do have plans to extend it south from Union Station to about 6th. LA has committed funds for that, so that could happen within the next few years. There's also the planned West Santa Ana Branch line that will have a stop near 8th/Alameda, but that's at least a decade out. More likely two decades.

In the shorter term, the station at Little Tokyo won't be super convenient for most of the Arts District, but being able to go straight there from the heart of downtown instead of backtracking from Union Station will be a huge improvement.

Yeah I have seen the plans to extend from Union Station. Just curious if they ever explored adding a spur down 7th St since that would essentially cut through downtown as a crosstown route, whereas an extension from Union Station would be more of a looped line. A line down 7th would be more direct for people coming from South Park or Ktown. But I suppose that would be very similar to Alternative 2 of the West Santa Ana Branch you mentioned. In a perfect world both projects would be in place for ultimate connectivity.

[DTLAdweller]

Looks like NoMad is opening under a different flag:


https://careers-sagehospitality.icim...un1offset=-420

[Easy]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Yeah I have seen the plans to extend from Union Station. Just curious if they ever explored adding a spur down 7th St since that would essentially cut through downtown as a crosstown route, whereas an extension from Union Station would be more of a looped line. A line down 7th would be more direct for people coming from South Park or Ktown. But I suppose that would be very similar to Alternative 2 of the West Santa Ana Branch you mentioned. In a perfect world both projects would be in place for ultimate connectivity.

To my knowledge metro has never explored a spur down 7th. I would have to believe that it would be far down on a list of priorities as it would travel through an industrial wasteland and connect two areas that have relatively little transit demand to be connected.

Metro already selected union station as the terminus for the WSAB, likely with a stop in Little Tokyo. But it's a couple decades out unless they find money somewhere.

[JDRCRASH]

I just hope they don’t just dead end it at Union Station. I mean if they’re not planning on extending it to Glendale/Burbank/NOHO, then at least send it SOMEWHERE..

Maybe run at-grade on Alameda between the 110 and Cesar Chavez (which should be closed to auto traffic for pedestrians anyway, imo) with platforms in front of the station, and then connect with the Gold (or Blue) Line for a couple stations before breaking off onto Cypress/Eagle Rock Blvd?

[ernart92]

Did some walking around today; it was a very pleasant day and there was a good amount of people walking around enjoying the breeze.

The more The Beaudry gets closer to finishing, the more I am happy about it. Such a great addition.






8th & Fig - creeping up

[ernart92]

Onni's Olympic & Hill - will be very fun to watch this giant extend the skyline towards the Southeast.

[citywatch]

^ one less surface parking lot in dtla is a big relief...now wanting to see the tower itself rise ASAP. Waiting for the parking lot at the NW corner of Hill & 2nd to go adios...for the Colburn's concert hall...& the parking lots at the NE corner of 4th & Hill to do the same thing too.

The huge parking lots surrounding the Hotel Figueroa & where the olympia proj is supposed to rise also need to go adios ASAP.

[citywatch]

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^ A portion of that shows a bit of the Grand Ave proj across from Disney Hall...whether it's tall enough, well designed enough, or has walls with the wrong color or not, those issues get lost in the maze when it's competing with most of the hoods filmed by this person:


https://www.youtube.com/c/JSOCAL1/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0


dtla has had an excess of commercial space for over 30 yrs...in that same time, office space in the western hoods of LA have managed to fill up. Demand for office space makes highrise devlpt more lucrative. So a lot of the business class ppl in LA being happier to the west instead of further east around dtla has been a disadvantage.

Architect Frank Gehry worked in dtla when he & his parents first moved to LA from Toronto in the 1950s...but I recall his saying around 15 yrs ago that things like the Music Ctr should been built further west, closer to hoods like his home area of Santa monica. I believe his office is around culver city or the playa vista area. So the weakness of dt from the beginning has been a major problem going back to the early yrs of LA.

However, the office bldg going up right now in the gritty arts district is an interesting exception to the rule.

All in all, DT in 2022 is pulling more of its share of LA's weight today than in the past. But it continues to need to up its game faster & higher. Not only are surrounding parts of LA way more competitive today than in the past, but so are cities throughout the US & world too. Everyone in today's globe is upping their game.

In any city, anywhere...even towns with super talls & great architecture...this is the type of decline that ruins the vibe of a place.


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For public transit in LA, the number of ppl walking about in Union station or the red-blue-gold line ones should be the rule, not the exception:


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[Illithid Dude]

I still think The Beaudry is a disappointment. However, 8th and Fig is exceeding my expectations. The curtain wall looks great.

[citywatch]

The Grand Ave proj isn't complete, but the way it will look at night when ppl are in its bldgs is hinted at here. Not much ppl activity on the sidewalks because ppl in LA end up living in their cars & on fwys. That's the way it will always be...I noticed the sleek newer areas of sunbelt cities like dt miami are fairly quiet at night too.

The dance students at the colburn school, whose studio currently looks out over Grand Ave will eventually move to the new bldg facing Hill St. Grand is a better street to have a view of than Hill St is, where the studios will look out over mainly the federal court house built a few yrs ago.

The fact a lot of this part of Bunker hill was gaps galore not all that long ago...particularly the infamous tinker toy parking garage....is both a matter of what's going on today not arriving a second too soon & also LA finally meeting basic standards.


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[bhunsberger]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I still think The Beaudry is a disappointment. However, 8th and Fig is exceeding my expectations. The curtain wall looks great.

Really? What about it is a disappointment to you?

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by citywatch

The Grand Ave proj isn't complete, but the way it will look at night when ppl are in its bldgs is hinted at here. Not much ppl activity on the sidewalks because ppl in LA end up living in their cars & on fwys. That's the way it will always be...I noticed the sleek newer areas of sunbelt cities like dt miami are fairly quiet at night too.

The dance students at the colburn school, whose studio currently looks out over Grand Ave will eventually move to the new bldg facing Hill St. Grand is a better street to have a view of than Hill St is, where the studios will look out over mainly the federal court house built a few yrs ago.

The fact a lot of this part of Bunker hill was gaps galore not all that long ago...particularly the infamous tinker toy parking garage....is both a matter of what's going on today not arriving a second too soon & also LA finally meeting basic standards.


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That area is dependent on shows, concerts and the museums being open. This area typically is quieter than most other parts of downtown when none of the aforementioned are happening. That will change a bit when Grand Avenue opens as well as the regional connector.

[citywatch]

^ This vid of the convention ctr & LA Live area yesterday made me think of that. Towards the end of it you can see families filing into the area, probably to attend a show at the Microsoft theater.

This is another section of dt that was a major gap not all that long ago. I recall when the Lakers held their championship celebration across from Staples when LA Live was still a huge parking lot.

The new hotel south of the Circa apt bldgs is nearing completion...I assume its large message screens will be switched on in the next several wks. And, as always, the Oceanwide proj really does need to be taken care of.


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Bit by bit, dtla is moving closer to where it should have always been over 30 yrs ago.

I also appreciate the many vids of dt, other hoods in LA & other cities throughout the US & world posted to the internet because they help give me a better sense of what's going on & where dtla should be or needs to be.

Regardless of what other places...in LA or throughout the country & world....are like or not like, I've long wanted dtla to move to the next level. It has taken decades to get there, but it's getting there.

[craigs]

The downtown skyline taken this morning, featuring the Beaudry, from Los Angeles Reddit:

[scania]

Some of these complaints are hilarious. To be so critical says so much about you. Have a drink, enjoy life, etc. I should invite a few to join me at SoHo House and maybe there won’t be so much negativity in your future posts. Lol

[citywatch]

I notice urbanizela.com has posted photos of the Grand Ave proj. When disney hall opened in 2003, little did I know that it would take almost 20 yrs before the parking lot across from it would be filled in. So a big relief that one more piece of the puzzle has been slotted in.


https://la.urbanize.city/post/urbani...s-inside-grand



la.urbanize.city