LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by scania

Though I live in DTLA, there are some streets I don’t frequent as much as others. We decided to go to Cara Cara and I was amazed with how much new retail had opened on Broadway within the past year. It was extremely vibrant from the Apple Store all the way down to Cara Cara. And the quality of retail blew me away. I live here and had no idea so many businesses had opened within the past year. This was around 7:30pm. It was awesome. So many people walking and having a good time.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by homebucket

That's citywatch's specialty.

TY! I try, I really do. Again, TY! Next up: a dtla themed post about how to code.

hey, excuse me for not favoring posts that are short opinions or brief quips....like what millions of ppl love doing on youtube, facebook, twitter, instagram. I don't know if ppl in flyover country even bother reading things like that. Yet other ppl keep posting short comments, so someone must think it's worth it.

Too bad there's so little going on in dt that ppl don't bother to post about stories like this. then again, maybe sspers in 'flyover country' don't really give a flying squat about dtla.



commercialsearch.com

https://2130violet.com

October 07, 2022
A joint venture between Lowe and Related Fund Management (RFM) announced today that it has completed construction of a 113,000-square-foot, nine-story office building located in the vibrant Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

[craigs]

From LA Reddit:

[dktshb]

our skyline looks at its most robust from this angle.

[scania]

Originally Posted by dktshb

our skyline looks at its most robust from this angle.

Yes…keep in mind we have had the most development of residential than any other city in the past 5 years, but you have some low income people always talking about there is no development in DTLA. They don’t realize that they only expose their low income and social status. Lol

[Easy]

Onni appears to have the materials on-site to assemble the base for the tower crane for 1000 Hill. The space for the crane appears to be excavated or pretty close. No actual crane materials on-site yet that I saw but maybe soon.

[citywatch]

I've only zipped through portions of this vid, but seeing dtla...particularly old dt...analyzed by out of towners...one of them with a southern twang....using the google map mobile is interesting.

https://youtu.be/MlylAK1IC38

If dt's economy were very strong over 60 or 70 yrs ago, a lot of the bldgs being scrutinized probably would have been torn down & replaced with new devlpt. Then today's dtla wouldn't have as much old time history. It instead would be blander, less complicated, more like the downtowns of a lot of sun belt cities. However, I know that dt san diego has its gaslight dist, but it pings more of an old town Pasadena look, which is more of a smaller town quality. So there is a silver lining to businesses & investors losing interest in dtla starting around the 1950s, if not even earlier.

[Ldm1995]

Amazing showing yesterday in downtown for CicLAvia, tens of thousands of people on bikes, roller skating, skateboarding, and walking through the streets. Restaurants, bars, and shows all seemed busy. Hopefully this brought tons of people into downtown who don't normally come down here and see what a cool neighborhood it is with lots of potential. Additionally, hopefully it shows city hall just how much the people love open streets. We need this more often!

[scania]

Originally Posted by Ldm1995

Amazing showing yesterday in downtown for CicLAvia, tens of thousands of people on bikes, roller skating, skateboarding, and walking through the streets. Restaurants, bars, and shows all seemed busy. Hopefully this brought tons of people into downtown who don't normally come down here and see what a cool neighborhood it is with lots of potential. Additionally, hopefully it shows city hall just how much the people love open streets. We need this more often!

Agreed!!!

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by dktshb

our skyline looks at its most robust from this angle.

I think the view from due south is the most flattering. The southwest view from kenneth hahn is the most picturesque, but it hides the true size and density of the skyline, and especially the lowrise prewar core.


Los Angeles by Chris Valle, on Flickr


source

[citywatch]

AC hotel is listed as opening in november, but I don't know how owners of new devlpt are handling issues of supply & labor shortages....seems like the ground floor of this proj has moved slower than I thought it would. If the oceanwide proj to its north can be finally finished...& its led screens aren't value engineered...the row of large displays will help enliven a stretch of Fig that was fairly dark or downbeat not too many yrs ago.


• Video Link

Many cities throughout the world have similar led screens, although their sizes & numbers vary. As a part of active gathering spots, they're flashier in nyc's times sq or toronto's yonge sq....or in some cities of Asia, such as tokyo's ginza. London's piccadily sq has a large screen, although I wonder if they'd fit a city with the attitude of a SF, portland or seattle?

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by dktshb

our skyline looks at its most robust from this angle.

Originally Posted by craigs

From LA Reddit:

Originally Posted by badrunner

I think the view from due south is the most flattering. The southwest view from kenneth hahn is the most picturesque, but it hides the true size and density of the skyline, and especially the lowrise prewar core.


Los Angeles by Chris Valle, on Flickr

I always felt like the city looks like an older industrial east coast city coming in from the east side, but the other view looks more modern and very west coast IMO. Still both are nice views.

[citywatch]

my assumption several yrs ago that when a hood is too sketchy, it won't be very competitive is being partly upended with the arts district. I once worked in the SE section of dt & would drive by the classic coca cola bldg on Central ave everyday. Parts of that section of dt are even grittier today (lots of graffiti) than when I was there. Although what's now known as south pk...another part of dt I worked around in the past...has at least been cleaned up with new devlpt.

la.urbanize.city

Skanska USA Commercial Development is moving forward with plans for a downtown Los Angeles office project that appear ambitious in a troubled market that has shown no sign of rebounding.

The U.S.-based arm of the giant Swedish construction and development firm began the entitlement process to build a 15-story, 290,900-square-foot office and retail building in downtown L.A.'s Arts District at 1811 Sacramento St., according to city documents and a statement from the developer. The project would result in the redevelopment of a pair of industrial buildings Skanska bought in 2020 for $18.9 million, according to CoStar data.

Seven direct office leases larger than 50,000 square feet have been signed in the past year in the downtown L.A. market, according to CoStar data. That's slightly better than the six signed in pre-pandemic 2019, but off the 12 leases of more than 50,000 square feet signed in 2018.

The downtown office market's vacancy rate also rose to 17.7% from 17.2% year over year, according to CoStar data. That said, annual asking rates remain firm at $38.94 per square foot.

Warehouse-to-office conversions have been popular in the Arts District and have attracted big-name companies including architecture firm HOK, streaming music company Spotify and record label Warner Music Group. Still, the Arts District isn't immune to the market's broader challenges. Last month, PayPal Honey, an online coupon firm, marketed for sublease its roughly 131,000-square-foot headquarters at 963 E. Fourth St. in the Arts District.

Clare De Briere, executive vice president for Skanska USA Commercial Development’s Los Angeles market, told CoStar News in an email that the company believes work is best done in person and that high-quality office spaces will stay in demand.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

I always felt like the city looks like an older industrial east coast city coming in from the east side, but the other view looks more modern and very west coast IMO. Still both are nice views.

Agreed. From the east, especially from the Arts District, the skyline looks most robust, but the view from the south with the mountains in the backdrop is the classic beauty shot.

[Niftybox]

A bunch of 40-50 story towers is what LA needs for the skyline to become more balanced and robust looking against those massive towers, don't need any supertalls really. I can't even think of a good spot for a supertall that would improve the skyline in its current configuration, can you? The city just needs a large quantity of skyscrapers that will stand out at a distance from many angles but don't necessarily stick out too much. The good news is there are a handful of them in the pipeline. The skyline also needs a taper off from Bunker Hill, that cliff is quite jarring and the freeway side of the skyline needs more depth.

[Blesha13]

Originally Posted by Niftybox

A bunch of 40-50 story towers is what LA needs for the skyline to become more balanced and robust looking against those massive towers, don't need any supertalls really. I can't even think of a good spot for a supertall that would improve the skyline in its current configuration, can you? The city just needs a large quantity of skyscrapers that will stand out at a distance from many angles but don't necessarily stick out too much. The good news is there are a handful of them in the pipeline. The skyline also needs a taper off from Bunker Hill, that cliff is quite jarring and the freeway side of the skyline needs more depth.

Northwest corner of 6th and Hope.

[badrunner]

^ that lot is too small for a supertall.

[Blesha13]

Originally Posted by badrunner

^ that lot is too small for a supertall.

True, but it could be turned into a pencil tower. There are also plenty of parking lots near Hill and Broadway that could go for pencil towers.

[citywatch]

Changing jaywalking laws in a place like dtla is overdue. This & extending the closing time of clubs & bars past 2 am....which CA state govt keeps refusing to do....will make various ppl in dtla feel less put upon. Or ppl who get jaywalking tickets, which come with a big fine, for weak reasons & businesses that have to close for the night when customers are still around. Although studies for changing jaywalking laws were affected by tickets being given to mainly lower income ppl, I've long read that cops in dtla actually wait to nab jaywalkers who look better dressed or more affluent....as a way to raise revenue.

https://youtu.be/X5icADJ3M-c

^ The downside, however, is that the streets & sidewalks of dt may seem increasingly more & more wild west to ppl who'll exploit a more easygoing environment. But jaywalking tickets in dtla...handed out by cops as a way to bring in money....have long irritated me.

[craigs]

Urbanize LA has an article on a nice infill project, 744 S Mariposa Avenue in Koreatown, and this photo caught my attention for spotlighting LA's dense, traditionally urban core: