LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[ConstructDTLA]

It looks to me like 8th & Olive is topped out:

Olive from Olympic by Hunter, on Flickr

801 S Olive by Hunter, on Flickr

801 S Olive by Hunter, on Flickr

820 S Olive by Hunter, on Flickr

820 S Olive by Hunter, on Flickr

801 S Olive & WIlshire Grand by Hunter, on Flickr

Oceanwide Plaza by Hunter, on Flickr

5th & Olive / Downtown Skyline by Hunter, on Flickr

City West by Hunter, on Flickr

Downtown LA Skyline by Hunter, on Flickr

Wilshire Grand by Hunter, on Flickr

[black_crow]

Originally Posted by ConstructDTLA

Whoa, the evidence is overwhelming^

Wait until you guys see the evidence I'm bringing to the table:

JW Marriott for sure still happening, its still listed on JW Marriotts website!
http://news.marriott.com/p/jw-marriott/

8th & Grand moving forward with original, nicer plans according to Sonny Astani! I assume theyll tear down Whole Foods and build this in its place:
http://astanienterprises.com/8thgrand/

Too much fun

BTW I like how you edited both previous posts to correct your ignorance of Stationers and AEG towers being cancelled. In my post above I mentioned 2 had secretly cancelled, give it some time until you see it in publication. Theres a reason I haven't updated my chart - it only reflects public information.

Like I said you have zero evidence for 5-OH & Lizard Hotel and you are the most of the time wrong even when we speak about simple numbers like daily Downtown commuters.

Like I wrote.. I contacted the portfolio management anyway.

Bring some evidence for 5-OH & Lizard Hotel or we will book it as wild guess.

[King Kill 'em]

Onni needs to hurry it up with that excavation. They're taking forever to do it.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by King Kill 'em

Onni needs to hurry it up with that excavation. They're taking forever to do it.

Beggars cant be choosers. Be thankful we got the building at all. They can take as long as they need, although i'm more interested in the news that the other Onni project is supposedly imminent. The tenants for the parking lot were supposed to be clearing out of there a day ago but they were still there yesterday. Any update since then?(Besides you Hunter, I know you took that one pic of the cars still on the lot, lol)

[RuFFy]

Originally Posted by ConstructDTLA

It's going to happen just after the 101 Freeway Cap, just before the Broadway sidewalk widening, not too long after the Pershing Square redo, and a while before DTLA's air is clean and filled with rainbows. The Fantasy Project Timeline Project is really something I should draw out.

I know the sarcasm in this post but if we wanted rainbows and unicorns in downtown LA I'd say we already have them. If you were on this thread 10 years ago I don't think we would have imagined how much DTLA has matured and grown. Citywatch was still not even posting google street view pics of power lines and it would be a while before her infamous visit with her friend or even before anybody would figure out she's not a man. Anything could happen, and I mean anything. Also, I may have agreed that there were signs of a stalling economy and while it's always uncertain I don't believe the general feel of pessimism is as strong as when the first posts of a stalling economy were made. Who knows though.

[BrandonJXN]

It's weird how a lot of people forget how DTLA was like as recent as 2005. Most of us here remember the mysterious Zen tower. Or when Elleven was virtually the start of the first boom.

Or when the Ritz was a Hilton and it looked like this:

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2005-08/18865397.jpg

So if the sky is falling today and the end is nigh when it comes to construction in DTLA (which is abnormal thinking if you are a fan of urbanism), at least we got a supertall out of it.

[caldor120la]

Thanks Eightball your post of Jul 1/16 from LA Business Journal interesting retail possibilities for Broadway 3 pages again at http://www.labusinessjournal.com/new...stage/?page1& Merritt Bldg. mentioned many retailers also, had to read a few times expected many comments on this article.

[hughfb3]

Originally Posted by RuFFy

I know the sarcasm in this post but if we wanted rainbows and unicorns in downtown LA I'd say we already have them. If you were on this thread 10 years ago I don't think we would have imagined how much DTLA has matured and grown. Citywatch was still not even posting google street view pics of power lines and it would be a while before her infamous visit with her friend or even before anybody would figure out she's not a man. Anything could happen, and I mean anything. Also, I may have agreed that there were signs of a stalling economy and while it's always uncertain I don't believe the general feel of pessimism is as strong as when the first posts of a stalling economy were made. Who knows though.

Right!!! I would also agree that downtown today is the unicorns and rainbows of 10 years ago. Pretty much every project that we were on here talking about is under construction and has ended up being bigger and better than anything we could have imagined in 2005; with the exception of a few. Who has been on here long enough to remember City House and The Olympic?? . Hopefully 5-OH/Park fifth is cancelled until the next cycle so we can get a better project. My feeling is that the convention center will begin construction around the time of the next downturn and when it's complete and refreshed and bigger, the next boom will be upon us or, it may allow continuous hotel construction through the downturn into the next boom. .

Went to the bloc yesterday. There is one small restaurant and bar open in the courtyard. Also, grand central market being open now until 10p is huge. They have new ambient lighting now that it's not a daytime only spot. Also, Metropolis condo tower 1's crane is off, exterior is basically complete with the exception of the parking garage covering and the core roof covering. Also, the U.S.Bank tower now has a continuous flow of people going down the slide which can be seen from ground level. I wish they would properly light this building's setbacks. It's so striking to have mediocre lighting. OUE has let me down with this building's renovation. I was hoping for much more in the lighting department... Especially from an Asian firm where they DO lighting on their high rises.

[Wilcal]

Deleted

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by black_crow

Like I said you have zero evidence for 5-OH & Lizard Hotel and you are the most of the time wrong even when we speak about simple numbers like daily Downtown commuters.

Like I wrote.. I contacted the portfolio management anyway.

Bring some evidence for 5-OH & Lizard Hotel or we will book it as wild guess.

Black Crow you are German in origin, yes? What is the German word for someone who takes an inordinate pleasure in others' misfortune--oh yes, "Schadenfreude." My sense is that Mr. Kerhart is getting a little too much pleasure from engaging with you. Be aware of the fact that he likes the attention, and craves the audience. Make of it what you will.

[cesar90]

• Video Link

[WestCoastSupertall]

Everyone needs to calm down a bit. For all intents and purposes, downtown is only 17 years old, since the adaptive re-use ordinance in 1999. Look at all the progress since then. We are missing about 50 years of residential development. It's only getting better from here

[colemonkee]

Great shots, Hunter & Cesar! Hunter, the skyline shot is especially great. Cesar, your shot down Flower reminds me how much the Oceanside project will continue that canyon shot down Flower, as all three towers are aligned to the east side of that lot. The Onni project at 12th and Pico should also help in that regard. Now if we could only get a tower proposed and built at the surface lot across the street where the former Robinson's department store once stood...

[Just-In-Cali]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

Black Crow you are German in origin, yes? What is the German word for someone who takes an inordinate pleasure in others' misfortune--oh yes, "Schadenfreude." My sense is that Mr. Kerhart is getting a little too much pleasure from engaging with you. Be aware of the fact that he likes the attention, and craves the audience. Make of it what you will.

Thank You! Our dear Hunter is the Kanye West of the forum. There is talent there...then he has to speak and ruin it...

[Illithid Dude]

The irony is, for all the bitching we do about "shit boxes", they seem to have better pedestrian interactions than any of the high rises. Walking around South Park, the only places that don't feel actively hostile to pedestrians is where there has been a dense build up of seven story wood frames, which actually seem to be designed for people. The storefronts are smaller scale, with shading and ground-level architectural detailing. This is opposed to say, anything on Figueroa, which is incredibly wide, and the surrounding high rise development overbearing and oppressive. Honestly, I think the biggest issue downtown is how wide the streets are in South Park. I helped out with a fashion event at LA Live, and had to walk to the 7-11 on Olive to get Red Bulls. The experience was honestly horrible, with streets literally as wide as freeways and no shade. The high rises built seemed to have commercial space almost as an afterthought, with Apex not even having retail. From looking at the plans, it doesn't seem like LA Central or Circa are going to change anything. Sure, these towers look good from a distance, and help fill out our skyline, but when walking around they serve only to take up space, and do nothing to actually enhance the pedestrian atmosphere. And frankly, why should they? We talk about Chinese companies "saving" downtown, but they don't really care about downtown, just about providing investment opportunities for clients in China who may never even come to the US. The buildings are totally insular as well. A huge mall in LA Central (and I mean huge - the plans are ridiculous) and a huge mall in Metropolis. Every store that goes in these malls is going to be a store that doesn't face the street. What would you rather have? A thriving downtown street lined with high end stores, or a building that you drive in to that is filled with high end stores that just so happens to be downtown. Honestly, my whole experience downtown was very disheartening. The issue isn't just filling up downtown, but how downtown is filled up. To be frank, I'd almost go as far as to say that South Park is a lost cause, and is actually harmful to the vitality of the rest of downtown. Hopefully the historic core isn't relentlessly commercialized in the same way - which it looks like it won't be thank god.

[Wally West]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

The irony is, for all the bitching we do about "shit boxes", they seem to have better pedestrian interactions than any of the high rises. Walking around South Park, the only places that don't feel actively hostile to pedestrians is where there has been a dense build up of seven story wood frames, which actually seem to be designed for people. The storefronts are smaller scale, with shading and ground-level architectural detailing. This is opposed to say, anything on Figueroa, which is incredibly wide, and the surrounding high rise development overbearing and oppressive. Honestly, I think the biggest issue downtown is how wide the streets are in South Park. I helped out with a fashion event at LA Live, and had to walk to the 7-11 on Olive to get Red Bulls. The experience was honestly horrible, with streets literally as wide as freeways and no shade. The high rises built seemed to have commercial space almost as an afterthought, with Apex not even having retail. From looking at the plans, it doesn't seem like LA Central or Circa are going to change anything. Sure, these towers look good from a distance, and help fill out our skyline, but when walking around they serve only to take up space, and do nothing to actually enhance the pedestrian atmosphere. And frankly, why should they? We talk about Chinese companies "saving" downtown, but they don't really care about downtown, just about providing investment opportunities for clients in China who may never even come to the US. The buildings are totally insular as well. A huge mall in LA Central (and I mean huge - the plans are ridiculous) and a huge mall in Metropolis. Every store that goes in these malls is going to be a store that doesn't face the street. What would you rather have? A thriving downtown street lined with high end stores, or a building that you drive in to that is filled with high end stores that just so happens to be downtown. Honestly, my whole experience downtown was very disheartening. The issue isn't just filling up downtown, but how downtown is filled up. To be frank, I'd almost go as far as to say that South Park is a lost cause, and is actually harmful to the vitality of the rest of downtown. Hopefully the historic core isn't relentlessly commercialized in the same way - which it looks like it won't be thank god.

Thanks for providing some quality insight instead of being like other board members needlessly posting crap about another poster (who happens to provide some of the very best content on these boards).

I've always felt that the shitboxes may not provide the best aesthetics to LA but they do provide that desired street interaction that most of LA lacks. I just never had the balls to admit it because everyone blindly loves skyscrapers (I don't blame them because a growing skyline is neat) and wishes we can have skyscrapers all over town. It's quite tiring reading comments on Urbanize of "NEEDS TO BE 20 STORIES HIGHER" when we all know that developers are profit driven rather than community driven.

And yes, I'm actually concerned about the fact of there being too many malls in South Park. Not sure what can be done at this point.

[black_crow]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

Black Crow you are German in origin, yes? What is the German word for someone who takes an inordinate pleasure in others' misfortune--oh yes, "Schadenfreude." My sense is that Mr. Kerhart is getting a little too much pleasure from engaging with you. Be aware of the fact that he likes the attention, and craves the audience. Make of it what you will.

Yes, I am German in origin. I would say "Schadenfreude" is the word you are looking for and you are right, it's too much attention.

I went for a hike today. You can see the Expoline between Santa Monica and Downtown. It was still a bit foggy when I went.
I noticed that they have two or three wagons and some trains have a different color. They took a few trains from other lines until the new trains are ready.

Here are two pictures from today's hike.






edit..

Found one more for Downtown.

[Muji]

I have to agree with a lot of what you said, Illithid Dude. I can't get too excited either about LA Central or Circa for the same reasons. Figueroa and portions of Grand and Olive have been stupidly widened, but eventually it should be possible to make them less offensive to pedestrians. More street trees, bulbouts, and protected bike lanes would be helpful and at least some of them are in the works (if MyFigueroa ever begins construction). I think some of the smaller-scaled residential developments on Hope St and Grand Ave are pleasant streetscape-wise, but there definitely are not enough active ground floor uses here yet.

[Resident]

Circa and Metropolis's retail all face the street. Only Oceanside has store that face inside.

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by Wally West

It's quite tiring reading comments on Urbanize of "NEEDS TO BE 20 STORIES HIGHER" when we all know that developers are profit driven rather than community driven.

And who's stopping the developers from building taller?