LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

tbh this might be gehry's ugliest building yet

EDIT: From the LA Times Article:

"The delay helped improve the project, Himmel insisted. Five years ago, there was a “disconnect” between what Gehry wanted to build and what Related could pay for, he said. “The budget wasn’t in line.”

Since then, Gehry has found ways to reconcile his vision with costs, Himmel said, and the prolonged burst of downtown development including housing, hotel and entertainment projects has attracted upscale restaurateurs and retailers who can afford to pay top rents. “All that translates to higher revenues” for Related, Himmel said, “which allows us to build a better project.”

For his part, Gehry said he can now “live within the constraints” of Related’s budget and believes the Grand will stand out from other big mixed-use developments downtown."

Basically proof that this was value engineered to death and we are getting the worst iteration.

Improvement over the "tinker toy" parking structure. As you correctly pointed out to me when I suggested a "neo art deco" tower for Angel's Landing, costs matter. Gehry is merely conforming to what is financially possible. I think the project will be a B+. An A+ would be better, but would be unaffordable. I like the attempt to open the project up to street life. Solid B+, maybe A- if it helps street life and activity which it should. Bunker Hill might even give south Fig. area competition for the center of activity in DTLA if it all comes together with the Gehry project.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by bhunsberger

I honestly think the Grand Ave Project would look a lot better if they kept the different shapes but made both sections the same amount of stories. The top part is sort of.. odd looking. The extra stories on the right side looks like an afterthought. Cut it off or even it out between the two, it would look soooo much better.

In my opinion multi-building projects are usually more interesting when the buildings are of different height. Symmetrical "mirror image" buildings are somewhat boring. ARCO plaza for example should have built one of the towers 65 stories, and the other maybe 40-45. But that was 1969 and symmetry was more valued. So, all in all the Gehry project is quite good in my humble opinion. Not perfect, but good. The taller tower should be closer to 50 stories, but that is a quibble. Hopefully the area will be lively and have some street life.

[surfnspy]

I think people get a significant architectural achievement, building height, and building which is good urban design mixed up.

Some buildings are great architecture (few tho!)
Some buildings are tall
Some buildings are great urban design.

I've just read Jane Jacobs' Death/Life Cities and have a clearer way to look at all of this. By her yardstick, projects that connect to and activate the street are ideal ways to create life and activity in the urban setting. It's far more complex than this, but basically that's the idea.

By this yardstick, I am hopeful for the project. But it's just one project on the entire cultural corridor that has anything to offer the pedestrian and has the potential to activate the street (at least on one side.) I am not sure a single building project can make up for many decades of poor urban planning.

[hughfb3]

Grand Avenue... when it comes... will be a huge success, which is probably why Related has waited so long. They know what they are doing and have tons of experience in making highly successful and highly sought after developments in NYC, Miami, and even here in CA

[ocman]

Originally Posted by hughfb3

Grand Avenue... when it comes... will be a huge success, which is probably why Related has waited so long.

Yeah, I don’t think that was the reason.

[ocman]

30,000 units expected for DTLA in just the next 3 years. Insane. Unfortunately and problematically, almost all are marketed at the higher end.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-of-apartments

[biggerhigherfaster]

Originally Posted by ocman

30,000 units expected for DTLA in just the next 3 years. Insane. Unfortunately and problematically, almost all are marketed at the higher end.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-of-apartments

Those higher end units will sell at a discount and cause the next "tier" of units to also lower their prices. There will be a trickle-down effect that on net, will reduce rents across the spectrum of income/rent levels.

The trickle-down won't be perfectly linear and will vary by building to building and may take time to materialize, but it'll happen.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by ocman

30,000 units expected for DTLA in just the next 3 years. Insane. Unfortunately and problematically, almost all are marketed at the higher end.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-of-apartments

On a per square foot basis, an apartment or condo tower filled with micro-units might actually be more profitable. Apartment rents don't go up linearly with square footage. For example a nice 500 sq. ft might rent for $1500 a month, while a 1000 sq. footer might rent for $2200. Smaller units are often more profitable & you can squeeze more in a building. It must be zoning laws & NIMBYs that restrict micro-unit towers. The first developers to put up micro unit towers will do quite well. Hopefully the need to provide parking spaces in these buildings can be cut back, if they are near transit. Raises costs. In Tokyo they even have buildings filled with tiny pod-like hotel "rooms" barely bigger than a bathroom. Beats being homeless. The loss of cheap SRO (single room occupancy) units has ballooned homelessness. New and possibly subsidized micro unit housing can fill this need.

[citywatch]

this thread focuses a lot on the hardware of dt....the size, design, height, parking density, ped friendliness, sidewalk size, ground floor stores of the hood. But it's the software....the ppl & the way they interact with the hood....& the number of such ppl living in or visiting dt....who make all the difference in the world.

it wasn't too long ago when a vid like this wouldn't have been possible. the places they visit either didn't exist or were in such bad shape they had lost most of their appeal. A young couple originally from europe wouldn't have had much reason to drop by dtla, much less to say they love it & would like moving there.

cut to the chase at 6:12 when the vid maker talks about her impression of dt. There are also some shots of the new apt bldgs rising south of the metro 415 apt bldg...formerly the subway terminal bldg.

such ppl probably don't care too much or at all if the park fifth proj isn't as great....& tall.....as it originally was planned to be. they may be not too different from all the thousands of ppl who have enabled gh palmer to do quite well with his faux tuscan apt projs throughout dt. Or his slightly altered version of the same thing recently opened or soon to open on broadway.

dtla finally is moving closer & closer to what LA should have long had from the beginning. in some ways, dt is better today than it has ever been in the city's history. As the mangers of the new nomad hotel say, it's still not quite all there....but it's getting closer to that mark.


• Video Link

[LA21st]

That' woman's pose looks like strange as hell . I was glad it looked better when I played the video.

[JerellO]

Wow... there are a lot of people downtown :O I’m gonna be in LA this weekend so I can’t wait to experience it again. Last time I visited was during LA Pride last year in June.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by JerellO

Wow... there are a lot of people downtown :O I’m gonna be in LA this weekend so I can’t wait to experience it again. Last time I visited was during LA Pride last year in June.

Make sure you attend 'Night On Broadway ' this Saturday evening in DTLA. Great festival where you can tour most of the old theaters. Broadway will be closed for automobiles. Live music, food and fun, and it's free.

[LA21st]

I've been to Night on Broadway. It's fun.

[Calicool]

Anyone know what's going on N Beaudry Ave next to the 110 fwy thru downtown? Bulldozers have taken out a huge parking structure across the fwy from the Palmer apartment building.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by Calicool

Anyone know what's going on N Beaudry Ave next to the 110 fwy thru downtown? Bulldozers have taken out a huge parking structure across the fwy from the Palmer apartment building.

DT development map has your answer.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...MS9ZWmlfONI&ll

[Blesha13]

Originally Posted by Calicool

Anyone know what's going on N Beaudry Ave next to the 110 fwy thru downtown? Bulldozers have taken out a huge parking structure across the fwy from the Palmer apartment building.

I saw bulldozers on site and trees were coming down last week. I believe it's one of those faux-Italian apartments by Palmer that will rise there.

[hughfb3]

Originally Posted by Calicool

Anyone know what's going on N Beaudry Ave next to the 110 fwy thru downtown? Bulldozers have taken out a huge parking structure across the fwy from the Palmer apartment building.

It’s the largest Palmer Medici/Orsini we’ve EVER SEEN!!!

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by hughfb3

It’s the largest Palmer Medici/Orsini we’ve EVER SEEN!!!

I drove by that location just a few days ago & could see a bulldozer sitting on one side of the property. It originally was a large data center for the bank of america.

Palmer is the only devlpr who has shown a willingness to buy up marginal land in dt....next to unpleasant fwys.....& add new housing, so I give him credit for that. but I don't know why he insists on all his many apt projs always looking like clones of one another?



la.curbed.com



la.curbed.com

Despite being sued, Geoff Palmer plans next freeway high-rise
Developer plans to demolish an office building to build 1,500-unit tower

February 25, 2016

The seemingly unstoppable Geoffrey Palmer is planning another large residential complex near the 110 Freeway at the edge of Downtown Los Angeles, despite the fact that the City of Los Angeles is suing him for negligence because of the massive fire at his last one.

The new seven-story project, dubbed Ferrante, is planned for a 9.6-acre site at 1000 West Temple Street, Urbanize reports. The planned project includes 1,500 residential units, 30,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and parking for up to 2,606 vehicles. The site is bounded by Temple, Beaudry Avenue, Mignonette Street and the Harbor Freeway.

A ten-story office building and a four-story parking structure that are currently on the site would be demolished under Palmer’s plan

as for bank of america, another property in dtla....on 7th St at Olive....that was once controlled by that same company has finally been restored & returned to use by new owners.

I've looked at pics of Nomad hotel's New York location & compared them with their new LA location.....


new york....


businessinsider.com


LA....


nomad


new york....


curbed.ny.com

LA.....


la.curbed.com



the same team did the hotels in both locations, but I think the one they worked on in dtla turned out friendlier & nicer.

[Blesha13]

I know this is random and most of you guys wouldn't care, but I stumbled upon a pic on 1200 Fig's OxBlue live cam on 01/01/2018 at 12:02am. I'm curious about what NYE event went on at LA Live? I'm sure Grand Park had their on, but I wasn't aware of LA Live hosting a NYE event which might included fireworks as well and would love to attend next year if they ever host it again or if I ever get the chance to go.

[Blesha13]

Sorry about the pic. I didn't know it was going to come up this big and I have no knowledge in editing it to make it smaller.