LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[caligrad]

The LAST thing LA needs to be doing is building dense supportive housing for the homeless like this in the middle of the city. It doesn't work. Look at the giant housing blocks on the east coast or the projects here in south central. The area around them become development dead zones, property values tank and crime skyrockets. The city throws their hands up and say "well we tried, vote for us anyway"

This is what needs to happen to fix the homeless problem in California. The state needs to build processing centers just outside of LA, San Diego and the Bay Area. Build them on the outskirts of Barstow, Lancaster, Fresno, Stockton, Modesto, Calexico and El Centro. Have each facility hold 5k-10k people. Make it illegal to sleep on the streets, make it law to force them to these facilities, start filtering people to see what's everyone's individual issue, Mental/Health/financial. Staff them with mental health officials, health care officials and case managers for struggling families.

Reintegrate people who are mentally and physically able back into the cities with jobs and housing support with routine follow ups by case managers. Those who are mentally ill/ drug addicted, start revamping long term mental health facilities to handle more people. End the homeless tourism as other states ship them here like an endless conveyor belt, start sending them back to their home states and etc.

We've spent over 20 billion since covid on the homeless problem with literally no results. This solution could clean up the cities with one swoop and at a fraction of the cost. But doesn't seem like State/City officials are interested in actually fixing the problem. (Not to mention, this lessons the chance of fraud since currently money is being thrown randomly and freely at shady "non profits" ).

[caligrad]

double post*

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

This haa been my thought on what to do as well. It's logical, moves the addicts and mentally ill away from temptation and their routine and actually gives them a chance to recover and as noted, much much much cheaper. I would go a step further and allow the missions and non profits to run these shelters if they agree to sell their existing properties in skid row

[caligrad]

^^^ I've thought of that as well. The only way to clean up Skid Row is to essentially give the Missions and nonprofits down there somewhere else to go. Having them so concentrated in that small area is just nonsense at this point. This plan should have been implemented over a decade ago. But no politician wants to be panned as the bad guy or the one to say the quiet thing out loud when in reality, we're ALL thinking it.

For reference, Disney Worlds all-star resort (google map an ariel view of it) has roughly 6 thousand rooms, rooms that in reality could temporarily house 4 people each. It cost them 400 million (1999 money) to build the complex (which has 3 dining halls and 3 resource centers). Just 2 of these complexes here would cost a billion or 2, could be constructed quickly, and hold 24 thousand people.... That sounds a lot better than 20 billion and no results.

[citywatch]

From 2 yrs ago....I'd trust this devlpr to keep things on the up & up over other groups. As for the new $165 million weingardt center for the homeless, not sure if its owner will be able to prevent it from becoming a vertical slum.

• Video Link

Plans to build an office tower overlooking the Los Angeles River in the city’s downtown Arts District have been canceled in the face of vast office vacancies in the trendy neighborhood. New York real estate developer Tishman Speyer pulled the plug on a 10-story office and retail building on Bay Street near Santa Fe Avenue.

Real estate brokerage CBRE said the Arts District was more than 50% vacant in the first quarter of this year, well above the overall vacancy of nearly 30% in downtown’s central business district — which is also considered high.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by caligrad

^^^ I've thought of that as well. The only way to clean up Skid Row is to essentially give the Missions and nonprofits down there somewhere else to go. Having them so concentrated in that small area is just nonsense at this point. This plan should have been implemented over a decade ago. But no politician wants to be panned as the bad guy or the one to say the quiet thing out loud when in reality, we're ALL thinking it.

For reference, Disney Worlds all-star resorts (google map an ariel view of it) has roughly 6 thousand rooms, rooms that in reality could temporarily house 4 people each. It cost them 400 million (1999 money) to build the complex (which has 3 dining halls and 3 resource centers). Just 2 of these complexes here would cost a billion or 2, could be constructed quickly, and hold 24 thousand people.... That sounds a lot better than 20 billion and no results.

Great comparison. Our leaders suck man

[citywatch]

A brief view of the Onni apt tower proj at Olympic & Hill St...but didn't realize the neighboring Mayan theater is still in fairly good shape...or not too different from the reactivated clifton's cafeteria. dtla wouldn't have as much to build upon without old landmarks like the mayan. Didn't know it was being rented out by groups that depend on visitors from what I think of as mainly the burbs.

https://youtu.be/DtQFsOSAiZc?si=wg7waKGAx3d-X_hJ

[plinko]

A couple more shots of Onni from a distance (BMO Stadium) from Saturday night...


IMG_0411 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr


IMG_0412 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Bonus: the new pavilion for the space shuttle...

IMG_0405 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

[plinko]

IMG_0421 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

[colemonkee]

The Onni tower is making more of an impact from the south than I thought! It's shorter than their other tower on Olive, but due to proximity and being further south along Olive, it reads as just as tall.

[scania]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

The Onni tower is making more of an impact from the south than I thought! It's shorter than their other tower on Olive, but due to proximity and being further south along Olive, it reads as just as tall.

Keep in mind, it’s not complete yet. I believe it’ll be taller when complete.

[craigs]

The Olympic + Hill tower is prominent driving northbound on the 5 through Commerce. I just drove through there today and *boom* it's right there before you know it.

[craigs]

Those who bemoaned the closure of the Ace Hotel as a harbinger of the death of downtown Los Angeles can now praise the reopening of the property as a Stile Hotel as the harbinger of the rejuvenation of downtown Los Angeles!

Shuttered Ace Hotel reopens as Stile Downtown Los Angeles

With 182 guest rooms and a historic theater on the ground floor

June 14, 2024
Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles



Six months after shutting its doors, the former Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles is back under a new name.

AJU Continuum, the company which owns the historic property at 929 S. Broadway, announced a partnership with Kasa Living to manage the property, which is now known as Stile Downtown Los Angeles. The property retains 182 guest rooms, as well as 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a rooftop splash pool. The 1,600-seat theater on the building's ground floor, previously known as the Theatre at the Ace Hotel, also remains as under the name "The United Theater on Broadway."

"Partnering with Kasa has introduced us to a modern, efficient approach to hotel management, seamlessly integrating with our lifestyle accommodations brand, STILE," said AJU Continuum chief executive officer Jaisun Ihm in a news release. "Kasa's proven expertise in implementing modern hospitality practices has resulted in measurable improvements to our operations and profitability. Kasa has refined traditional hotel management, enhancing profitability while delivering the perfect balance of efficiency, guest experience, and brand DNA."
. . . .

[scania]

Originally Posted by craigs

Those who bemoaned the closure of the Ace Hotel as a harbinger of the death of downtown Los Angeles can now praise the reopening of the property as a Stile Hotel as the harbinger of the rejuvenation of downtown Los Angeles!

This is cool to hear. It looked as if it was open a month or so ago.

[SoCalKid]

Good to see the building back up and running, but to be clear this is a downgrade. This is Kasa Living - their whole business plan is to cut costs by reducing or eliminating onsite staff (like the front desk) to create more of an Airbnb-like experience with a better customer interface using their app and tech platform. This will be similar in operations to Level Furnished Living apartments now rather than a normal hotel.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Good to see the building back up and running, but to be clear this is a downgrade. This is Kasa Living - their whole business plan is to cut costs by reducing or eliminating onsite staff (like the front desk) to create more of an Airbnb-like experience with a better customer interface using their app and tech platform. This will be similar in operations to Level Furnished Living apartments now rather than a normal hotel.

We knew when the Ace closed that this 'downgraded' business model was going to be its successor, and it doesn't really matter in the end. As long as the new hotel brings people downtown to eat, drink, see a show, etc. then it's all good.

[scania]

Originally Posted by craigs

We knew when the Ace closed that this 'downgraded' business model was going to be its successor, and it doesn't really matter in the end. As long as the new hotel brings people downtown to eat, drink, see a show, etc. then it's all good.

Yes...and to clear...more and more people like this concept. It's like people would rather see an apartment without the leasing agent breathing down their neck.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by scania

Yes...and to clear...more and more people like this concept. It's like people would rather see an apartment without the leasing agent breathing down their neck.

Everything is moving online and through apps even in more traditional hotels. I just spent a week in two hotels (Hilton San Diego Bayfront and Hyatt's Mission Pacific in Oceanside) and I didn't interact even once with the front desk at either property.

[headcheckjj]

Olympic + Hill on the afternoon of June 15.

Judging by the crane, this still has several more floors to go.

Anyone know how many more?

[Zapatan]

Yea, a couple more floors plus the crown. I wonder what kind of lighting it will have.