[JDRCRASH]

I've never seen this before, looks like something out of Dubai.

Lets keep an eye out for this project for updates in the future.

[colemonkee]

This is a really interesting proposal. This is a great location for a tower like this.
This might be a great location from a skyline perspective, but it's one of the worst locations in the city from a pedestrian perspective, and would be a horrible, horrible location for a hotel. The south end of the property sits at the mouth of the 3rd Street tunnel, the west and north end of the property are not only a one-way ramp for Flower street, but have a grade change of about 85 ft. Both of these sides face horrible pedestrian experiences. The only side that is at all pedestrian friendly is the Hope Street side (the east), but that faces the back of the Wells Fargo center, which is horribly pedestrian unfriendly. The Hope Street side of the new building would most likely be marred by the car entrances for the hotel and the office uses, since those entrances could not go on the south, west or north sides due to accessibility constraints.

Might as well put the tower in the middle of a circular freeway onramp. Anyone who thinks this is real - meaning thinks a large office tenant would relocate there or a hotel would be willing to lease this space - hasn't walked around the site. This is most likely a study or a vision.

On a happy note, I saw lights on the third floor of the Pan American building last night. So either move-ins have started, or someone was throwing a rather small, unpermitted rave.

[WonderlandPark]

This thing strikes me as some sort of student project or something. Just don't buy this at all. Fugly towers, too. The other tower makes no sense, rip out that newish tower at the Biltmore? Join the tops of the Arco twins? WTF?

[danparker276]

I think the One Lucus and the corner that has the sold sign on it (The whole block was bought by someone). Said they would put a skyscraper on 1 lucus and the rest would be 5-8 stories of mixed use/retail... I'm just going off my memory.

[fridayinla]

I think the One Lucus and the corner that has the sold sign on it (The whole block was bought by someone). Said they would put a skyscraper on 1 lucus and the rest would be 5-8 stories of mixed use/retail... I'm just going off my memory.

I hope so! You live in City West so you realize that block is priority #1 for development in our neighborhood. Remembering Lucas One in the Downtown News months ago, it was only a 7 story mixed-use condo project. I was under the impression the block would be developed in piecemeal. Either way, projects on this block will finally help fill some long empty retail spaces along this stretch of 7th.

[ThreeHundred]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL144/5090918/10396790/267783907.jpg

Mercifully, those crappy 10 dollar a night motels are going to be destroyed. And does anyone have a rendering of One Lucas?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

from the Hollywood Reporter...

Real estate: Developing downtown for residential use

By Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

July 13, 2007
The most-filmed location in Los Angeles this year wasn't the dramatic Pacific coastline or the bustling boardwalk in Venice -- or even the mansions of Beverly Hills. Instead, it was the burgeoning landscape of downtown, an area that, much to the joy of its developers, no longer resembles something out of 1980's "Mad Max."

In fact, it's quite the opposite. Billions of dollars and nearly a decade of improvements later, Los Angeles is finally getting a cityscape that will allow it to compete with the country's most elite, pedestrian-friendly urban centers. "We have the most-filmed corner in the world, which is Fourth and Main (Streets)," developer Tom Gilmore of Gilmore Associates says, "because after all this time, we can look like we're anywhere in the world. In (Sony's) 'Spider-Man 3,' we even pass for New York."

If Gilmore sounds like a proud parent, he's got reason to be: As one of the original developers who threw himself into downtown's adaptive reuse movement, he found himself the subject of scorn in 1999 when he converted the 1906 San Fernando Building into 230 residential units. But aided by an adaptive reuse bill meant to promote such projects and encouraged by the construction of the Staples Center in 1999 and the Walt Disney Music Hall in 2003, Gilmore continued to invest in the area. Today, he owns much of the neighborhood, including the Regent Theatre and Saint Vibiana's Cathedral, built in 1876 and currently being reimagined as a performance, residential and retail space.

Another original builder, Linear City partner Len Hill, also struggled when he began adapting the 1924 Toy Factory building into lofts that would become one of downtown's signature residences and an epicenter of the denim industry. "When I bought the Toy Factory, everyone thought I was crazy. We were told there was too much housing, and we would oversaturate the building market," he remembers. Hill persevered, borrowed $7 million from banks when private investors turned him down, and within 30 days of its completion in 2004, had sold every unit in the building.

As Gilmore says, describing the journey he and his colleagues have made over the last decade, "Now, I'm a visionary. But the difference between being an ass and a visionary is a dollar sign. I'm as stupid as I was then, but now I have money."

The loft owners who bought downtown's first residences are feeling equally flush. Apartments in the Toy Factory, which boasts a rooftop pool and a lower-level garden, originally sold for about $300 a square foot, or $300,000 for a 1,000-square-foot loft. Now, the same apartment sells for $510,000. In another Linear City building, the new Biscuit Co. Lofts conversion, prices run closer to $530 a square foot, while one of the penthouses, which has several thousand feet of private outdoor space, is on the market for $4.8 million.

Far from being oversaturated, the market in downtown continues to grow, aided by its unique ability to offer dual work-live spaces and by an influx of new inhabitants to the city. Gilmore's properties alone have been at 100% occupancy for the last four years. As Hill says, "There were 40,000 new residents in L.A. city last year and only 10,000 housing units built. And that makes a continued demand for housing."

Developers are responding en masse: According to Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, "Since the beginning of 1999, when the boom started, we have built 8,200 new units, and we currently have anothzer 8,100 under construction. Additionally, there are another 1,700 with permits and still another 5,800 in the pipeline."

So, who's moving in? Pro Listing Realty Group's Reuben Pacheco, who specializes in the downtown market, cites a recent study that determined residents have a median income of a little less than $100,000, with 80%% possessing college degrees. According to John Given, senior vp development at the CIM Group, which is involved in the development of nine downtown residences including the Flower Street and Gas Company Lofts as well as a new building on Ninth and Hope, the age of the population runs the gamut. "It's younger households entering the market," he says, "but it's also empty nesters scaling down. It's heavily driven by baby boomers who are in their active-adult stage."

Schatz says that downtown also is beginning to draw nuclear families with small children, "Although we're wondering whether or not we can ultimately keep them," she admits. "But that's a question for another day."

What does downtown's population have in common? A desire to ditch their cars. "There's a growing appreciation for living in dense, mixed-use environments," Given says. "The movement is about people fundamentally enjoying urban housing and having places they can walk to. They're looking for places where a critical mass of people creates a way of living that includes convenience and amenities."

In the past, that meant that downtown's residents had to sacrifice a quality of outdoor living in favor of a cement sidewalk, but no longer: Developers are now focusing as intently on their plans for public spaces as they are on the schematics for the lofts themselves. While there's no direct financial benefit in the form of city funding, developers are embracing the idea that the more green they can offer people, the better for everyone. When it came to outdoor planning, Schatz says, "We simply asked developers to think about how a building related to the street, and we said to them, 'You have a hand in building your projects so they can either help downtown or hurt it.'"

Needless to say, developers, who have millions of dollars at stake, are choosing the former. "We really believe in what we call emerging neighborhoods," says Kate Bartolo, senior vp development at the Kor Group, whose myriad downtown projects include a $52 million conversion of Pegasus apartments on Flower Street; the vintage Eastern Columbia building, Los Angeles' finest example of the art deco era's zigzag modern style; and the Barker Block, a group of seven 100-year-old buildings that are being converted into a loft community. "But," she continues, "it's also a social responsibility. When you come into an area like downtown, you're not trying to recreate a neighborhood as much as you're trying to fit within it. You need to bring in service, retail and amenities. You want people to come out of their homes and into the street to mix because that's what makes a neighborhood: pedestrian activity."

The majority of downtown's residential buildings have outdoor pools with sweeping vistas; at the new 1100 Wilshire, the tallest residence in the area (and home to contestants on the NBC summer reality series "Age of Love"), the pool area also has private cabanas and a barbecue pit. At the Medallion, which will break ground later this year, the plans for the block-long building include multiple outdoor spaces intended to draw residents out of their apartments. "I'm really excited about the public gathering spaces, which in L.A. are generally parking lots," muses architect Andrew Cox, a partner with Milofsky Michali & Cox, the firm behind the project. The Medallion will include a two-level plaza and a grass roof about the size of Venice's Piazza San Marco. "We're definitely encouraging socializing," Cox says.

That's good news to Cedd Moses, a nightclub and restaurant developer and owner and president of the company 213 Ventures. "I'm the person doing the nightlife downtown," he says. "The people moving downtown are entrepreneurial, with a lot moving from New York and San Francisco, and they go out to socialize."

In the last six years, Moses has bought and renovated Golden Gopher, which first opened in 1905 and is the only Los Angeles bar licensed to sell liquor to go, as well as the Broadway Bar next to the Orpheum Theatre, Pete's Cafe & Bar and 7 Grand, which has the largest selection of whiskey on the West Coast. Moses also has plans for several more restaurants and bars, including Doheny, a private club that will open later this year. The club, which will offer a smoking patio, high-end cocktails and concierge service, will cost $3,000 a year for individuals and $10,000 a year for corporations; 10% of the dues will be funneled back into charities that support downtown.

The area's coffers are already well-lined thanks to property taxes that Schatz estimates provide downtown with $70 million every five years. Two-thirds of that, she says, is earmarked for funding a private patrol that works as "the eyes and ears" of the police and for paying cleanup crews. "You can't attract investors to a place that is perceived as unsafe or unclean," she explains. The remaining third of the budget is dedicated to encouraging economic development.

Not that all is perfect in downtown, which even the developers readily admit. "Right now, we've got probably eight or nine good clubs and 10 or 20 good restaurants," says Gilmore, who is partnering with Moses on several projects. "But we're the second-largest city in America, so we should have a lot more than that."

Adds Pacheco: "Shops aren't going in fast enough at all. There's going to be a branch of Ralph's opening at the end of the year, but that will be the only food market downtown where you can park and shop for your gourmet foods as well as groceries."

Those missing links might change dramatically as early as this fall, when ground is broken on the Grand Avenue project, a $2 billion development designed by Frank Gehry. According to Nelson Rising, chairman of the Grand Avenue Committee Inc., a nonprofit organization that is overseeing the project, the first phase is a 50-story building that will house a Mandarin Oriental hotel as well as 250 condo units and 250,000 square feet of retail space. The plans for the project also include a 16-acre park that will stretch from City Hall to the Music Center.

Far from making competing developers nervous, the prospect of the increased foot traffic and amenities that the Grand Avenue project will offer bolsters their confidence. As Hill, a former producer, says, "When I was in the movie business, when someone picked up a movie, my heart broke a bit because that meant there was one less for me. That's not true in development. You want a neighborhood of successful projects."

And unlike in many cities, developers say the success of downtown is beneficial to all its residents, past and future. "This isn't gentrification like in Chicago or New York," Hill says. "We're not moving out the poor people and putting in the rich. We're taking derelict warehouses and unused spaces and bringing them back to life. It's a net win for L.A."

Adds Schatz: "With the projects that are done or will be done by 2007, we have created 57,000 full-time jobs. We have created $28.5 million in city tax revenue, and that doesn't even include the shops."

With downtown finally coming into its own, developers acknowledge that not long from now, their work will be done. "We'll probably do another $200 million-$300 million of development over the next five years," Gilmore says of his company, "and then, well, then I'll get a street named after me and call it a day."

In the meantime, the growth continues, with resounding applause from the city. "It's the most fabulous thing that L.A. has ever seen," Schatz says. "Sure, we have some great things here, but you can't define a city by a beach, two theme parks and the Hollywood sign. Think about Manhattan, Paris and London," she says. "That's what we're creating.

[Patrick]

http://www.landaupartnership.com/Works/website%20large%20images/0000-fluggelmanntower-L.jpg

The Flugelmann Tower
Los Angles, California


Oh hell no. They better not build this thing, Eww! But they're not, look below.

It looks like dog shit with a spire. And what's that big thing next to Gas Company?

Its an addition to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. This project is PROBABLY dead or outdated. The Biltmore hotel did add an office addition, but this was back in 1987, exactly when the The Gas Company Tower and US Bank Tower where on the boards, as they where one construction project, Library Square. That could have been the 3rd Tower. Another thing you'll notice is that theres no Disney Hall on the left.

This proposal could have been as old as 1985.

I looked up the site, and I found some more (I'm guessing )1980's proposals. Some of them real cool!

55 Floor Biltmore Millennium Tower (Today the Biltmore Office Addition), check out the Park5th site.
http://www.landaupartnership.com/Works/website%20large%20images/0000-biltmore%20addition-L.jpg

Heres another render, the Park5th site, wow! Those are some tall towers! I kinda like them!
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4629/00000001ek4.jpg

Aparantly, the CityNational Bank Towers where supposed to be joined, wow.
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9612/000000001vw9.jpg

[petescafe]

Good Morning campers.

At 6:30 in the morning this woke me up.

No more strip club ads.:no:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/TheGhostlyGreatDunn/DSC_0423web.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/TheGhostlyGreatDunn/DSC_0425web.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/TheGhostlyGreatDunn/DSC_0426web.jpg

[colemonkee]

^ There goes the neighborhood.

[citywatch]

At the Medallion, which will break ground later this year
No more strip club ads
I don't know why so many of these projs end up being a test of patience. First off, the devlpr did not breakground 2 sundays ago as stated in the DT News, but started work a few days later. And then that activity involved not much more than the removal of a small square of asphalt, with almost none of the parking lot closed off.

Now almost 2 wks later, the big billboard is being removed. But is that just the sign going away & not the whole structure itself?! IOW, will a new billboard for dandruff shampoo or denture cream be slotted up there soon? Unfortunately, maybe it will be if the Hollywood reporter article is correct about the Medallion not being underway until later this yr.

:shrug: :gaah:

[k3d]

Today, there was a large crane putting up something at the Concerto site.

You can see it in Camera 2 on the L A Live webcam.

[Steve2726]

Today, there was a large crane putting up something at the Concerto site.

You can see it in Camera 2 on the L A Live webcam.

I believe that crane is being used to remove a crane from the L.A. Live site- one of the cranes for the building on the right in camera 1 is gone.

[k3d]

I believe that crane is being used to remove a crane from the L.A. Live site- one of the cranes for the building on the right in camera 1 is gone.

From my view at Sky, there was a large crane working that was parked on flower / 9th that looked like it was extended over the Concerto site. I forgot to drive by on my way to work so I will have to see what it was doing tonight. I'm not talking about the new cranes on Figeuroa helping at LA Live though it was the same kind of crane. The one at Concerto seems to be busy so it's not in every capture at the webcam/camera 2. If you check again you should see it there right in front of Sky to the left of Hanover.

[ThreeHundred]

http://clarkconstruction.oxblue.com/lalive/

What's that truck with the red boom on Camera 2?

[citywatch]

For those ppl, inc forumers, who want to know when new towers, other than the ones for condos or apts, will start going up in the hood, here's a part of the answer:


Office vacancies in Los Angeles County continued to shrink during the second quarter as white-collar businesses expanded at a slow, steady rate, according to data released Wednesday. The county's overall vacancy rate was 9.2% in the second quarter, down from 11% a year earlier. Average asking rents rose 14% to $2.53 per square foot per month.

Historically, it has been common for developers to start putting up new buildings when vacancy falls below 10%, but construction costs have climbed a great deal in recent years. Although rents are rising, they are not high enough in most parts of Southern California to justify the cost of new buildings, Vargas said.

Westside landlords are so far holding to their new higher rent demands, Sullivan said, but they may be forced to blink if large tenants start to leave the area in favor of cheaper districts such as the South Bay, Wilshire Center and downtown Los Angeles.

Downtown L.A., the second-largest office market after the Westside, saw a modest improvement for landlords as vacancy fell from 16.3% a year earlier to 15.5% and rents climbed from $2.41 per square foot to $2.65.

Sampling of vacancy rates, rents in second quarter

L.A. Central
Business District
15.5% $2.65

:gaah:

Inland Empire
8.8 2.04

L.A.'s Westside
6.9 3.53

Long Beach
6.7 2.06

Burbank-Glendale-
Pasadena
5.7 3.03

North L.A. County
5.3 2.39

L.A. County overall
9.2 2.53

[Steve2726]

From my view at Sky, there was a large crane working that was parked on flower / 9th that looked like it was extended over the Concerto site. I forgot to drive by on my way to work so I will have to see what it was doing tonight. I'm not talking about the new cranes on Figeuroa helping at LA Live though it was the same kind of crane. The one at Concerto seems to be busy so it's not in every capture at the webcam/camera 2. If you check again you should see it there right in front of Sky to the left of Hanover.

My mistake, I see it now behind the hotel Fig.

[colemonkee]

Now almost 2 wks later, the big billboard is being removed. But is that just the sign going away & not the whole structure itself?! IOW, will a new billboard for dandruff shampoo or denture cream be slotted up there soon?
I actually did some research on billboards a few months ago. According to City code, any billboard outside of a few outdoor advertising zones around Staples Center and Hollywood, is technically against code as it stands. Effectively this makes it so that no new billboards can be put up or altered within City limits. Since the structure of this billboard has been altered, it has to come down. This info comes from the LA Real Estate divisions of both Clear Channel and CBS Outdoor, the two biggies in the outdoor ad business.

[ThreeHundred]

http://www.costar.com/imageviewer/GetImage.aspx?webimage=zaya_younan2.jpg
Zaya Younan wants to build the world's tallest building — in Los Angeles, Houston or Chicago.

Towering ambition



July 26, 2007
Chicago Sun-Times
BY DAVID ROEDER - droeder@suntimes.com

Zaya Younan is not crazy. Since starting a real estate business in 2002, he has become one of the largest office landlords in Texas, and accumulated property worth about $1.5 billion, claiming strong and steady returns for investors.

Now he wants to build the world's tallest building. He wants it in Chicago, Los Angeles or Houston. He wants it for the glory of the United States of America, and to take advantage of long-term trends that he said will lead to more vertical living in major cities.


full article: http://www.suntimes.com/business/484603,CST-FIN-younan26.article

[LAMetroGuy]

I hope chicago or Houston gets it, in order for a building to be the tallest, it would have to be REALLY tall (more than twice as tall as library tower) and that would look like an atrocity within our skyline.

[Derek]

It will never happen in any U.S. city.

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

^I agree with you, LAMetroGuy.

Chicago or Houston... you interested?

[ThreeHundred]

Chicago and Houston are the only feasible choices. And obviously NYC. LA doesn't need and shouldn't get a WTB.

[filmguy]

Just wondering why the big apartment complex (Gateway?) at the subway tunnel site isn't included on your Page One rundown of buildings under contruction.

[fridayinla]

From my view at Sky, there was a large crane working that was parked on flower / 9th that looked like it was extended over the Concerto site. I forgot to drive by on my way to work so I will have to see what it was doing tonight. I'm not talking about the new cranes on Figeuroa helping at LA Live though it was the same kind of crane. The one at Concerto seems to be busy so it's not in every capture at the webcam/camera 2. If you check again you should see it there right in front of Sky to the left of Hanover.

According to blogdowntown, the crane you're talking is erecting the construction crane for Concerto: http://www.blogdowntown.com/blog/2785
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1376/908105360_a5c9dd65af.jpg

[colemonkee]

Just wondering why the big apartment complex (Gateway?) at the subway tunnel site isn't included on your Page One rundown of buildings under contruction.
No reason, really. If you have a render - a source for that render - I'll update the first page. Welcome to the forum, btw.

[JDRCRASH]

Chicago already has THE ILLINOIS, Houston has THE EARTH PLAZA, so why can't Los Angeles get it? We do deserve it, because we experienced the fastest growth in the past 150 years, especially during the Gold Rush and early 1900's. That growth is even faster than Chicago!

[Sodha]

We can't keep protecting the US Bank as our Crown Jewel. Yes, it's fantastic, but let's keep the activity and construction going! Chicago did not stop at the Hancock Tower, or even the Sears Tower. It's not like they tell developers "oh, you cannot build higher than Sears Tower, that would be atrocious". US Bank will only be an impediment then, and not an asset of the skyline. But, I don't forsee it happen w/ our ridiculous parking requirements. Hopefully that changes next week when new downtown zoning is discussed at the City Council.

[citywatch]

It's NOT parking requirements, ppl! It's something called Economics 101 that prevents the likelihood of supertalls in LA, esp DT, at least before our attention spans have gone elsewhere.

Things are schizoid, in that while there may be enough demand to support more highrise office bldgs several miles to the west of DT, problems with zoning codes &, more importantly, lots of NIMBYism would prevent that. Besides, the thought of a super tall tower somewhere between Beverly Hills & SaMo don't excite me as much or grab my attention.

OTOH, while current codes & a lack of a lot of NIMBYism would make putting up a big bldg easier in DT, there just hasn't been enough demand there to justify that type of devlpt. The hood has been stuck with a mid to high double digit amt of unused space for yrs, & yrs, & yrs.

:brickwall:

So to repeat:

Historically, it has been common for developers to start putting up new buildings when vacancy falls below 10%, but construction costs have climbed a great deal in recent years. Although rents are rising, they are not high enough in most parts of Southern California to justify the cost of new buildings, Vargas said.

Sampling of vacancy rates, rents in second quarter

L.A. Central
Business District
15.5% $2.65

Inland Empire
8.8 2.04

L.A.'s Westside
6.9 3.53

Long Beach
6.7 2.06

Burbank-Glendale-
Pasadena
5.7 3.03

North L.A. County
5.3 2.39

L.A. County overall
9.2 2.53

[ThreeHundred]

Chicago already has THE ILLINOIS, Houston has THE EARTH PLAZA, so why can't Los Angeles get it? We do deserve it, because we experienced the fastest growth in the past 150 years, especially during the Gold Rush and early 1900's. That growth is even faster than Chicago!

Chicago DOESN'T have The Illinois. And Earth Plaza isn't even a real building. It's a building designed by a forumer named vpauzuolis. He also designed that Mansion of Angels building in LA. The tallest building proposed in Houston was the 1,400 foot tall Bank of the Southwest. It was cancelled..sorta. It shrank, moved to Philadelphia, and renamed 2 Liberity Plaza.

If and when LA will build a 1,000 foot building, most likely, it'll be somewhere in the Westside. As I said, LA doesn't need and shouldn't get the WTB.

[bjornson]

If and when LA will build a 1,000 foot building

Hmmm, this doesn't seem correct.

[LA420]

Cole shouldn't the Market lofts/Ralphs be moved to the completed section? :uhh:

[ThreeHundred]

Hmmm, this doesn't seem correct.

Gramatical error due to the vodka running marathons in my body.

:tup:

[DTLA]

The reason this proposed tower will never get built in LA is the shear size it would have 2 be. This guy said he wanted this tower to be at least 500ft taller than its competition. Well, the competition right now is the Al Burj at 3,900ft. Unless this guy works out a deal with the devil, there is no way he can put a 4,400ft tower in LA. If he had suggested this a couple years ago,where the competition was taipei 101, it would have been possible. Very unlikely, but possible. But now that there are so many massive new projects in the works, there's no way that this will happen any time soon. It probably won't happen at all, but if it does it won't be in LA

[weatherguru18]

It's kinda mixed feelings here in Houston. I personally don't want it. It would make a mochery of our skyline. We have one of the most impressive skylines in the U.S. and the fourth most dense. Our tallest building in Houston is the JP Morgan Chase building which stands at 1,002 ft. tall. (75 stories). This building was orginally supposed to be 80 floors. However Hobby Airport, the cities second largest airport behind IAH (Bush-Intercontinental), sits just to the southeast of downtown Houston. The FAA suggested that the extra 5 floors would pose a hazard to approaching air traffic. This alone would keep this supertall out of Houston.

Some things we have going for us:

Big population: 2.2 million in the city/ 5.6 million in the metro (4th largest city in the U.S.) A recent study says that by 2030, Houston will have 10.5 million people.

No zoning laws. We have grocery stores sitting in subdivisions. Industry parks mixed in with commercial. Sounds bad, but it works. We have skyscrapers in neighborhoods. So he could build this anywhere.

We don't have very many natural hazards. We do have hurricanes, but seismic activity would pose a much greater threat.

I personally don't want this tower because:

1: It would be a magnent for terrorists. It screams attention.
2: It would be almost 3X as tall as our cities tallest building. It would make a mochery of our skyline. Though we have very tall buildings, they'd look like low rises against this.
a. our 3 tallest buildings are JP Morgan 75 stories (1,002ft), Wells Fargo Plaza 72 stories (992ft.) and Williams Tower 64 stories (901ft.)

If you do the math, our skyline would look like it had a massive erection. It would look cartoonish and totally out of place.

IMO, Chicago can have this one. For those in LA who want this, good luck.

[fridayinla]

^Wow.... 3,900 ft tall. My first thought was one MILE is 5,280 ft. That's Coruscant talk people!

[DJM19]

I wouldnt mind it in LA...

The only real set back for LA's chances is the extra cost of building so tall in an Earthquake zone...but when you are building that tall, its probably going to use the same measures anywhere.

[RAlossi]

That's Coruscant talk people!

Nerd! Though I guess I am as well since I know what you're talking about. . .:cool:

[colemonkee]

Cole shouldn't the Market lofts/Ralphs be moved to the completed section? :uhh:
Yes, but I'm waiting to get a good "completed" photo of it, preferably from the same angle as the render, from 9th and Hope. I'll try to snag a photo of it later this weekend.

[Sol_Invictus]

The U.S. Bank Tower is about 1000 feet to the roof. Here's a quick pic I made with a spire 3x that size in the other thread with related news. Even if it had a nice design; it'd still be immensely out of place in L.A.

http://mysite.verizon.net/auried/Pictures/Big-LA.jpg

[hughfb3]

^Wow.... 3,900 ft tall. My first thought was one MILE is 5,280 ft. That's Coruscant talk people!

...and the empire stikes back:haha:

^^^But jeeez that's huge... might look good on wilshire at La Brea or Rossmore, btw downtown and century city... much like Atlanta's skyline, where its tallest is between its downtown and midtown skylines

[colemonkee]

I don't know why you guys are even talking about a 3,000+ ft. building in downtown. In order to get anything above 2,000 ft., the FAA has to approve a variance. With LAX's flight paths near downtown, there's no way they'll ever allow anything above 2,000 ft.

[Echo Park]

six 500 ft towers>>>>>>>>>>>one 3,000 ft tower

[colemonkee]

^ Exactly.

[ThreeHundred]

six 500 ft towers>>>>>>>>>>>one 3,000 ft tower

I agree.

[Sol_Invictus]

six 500 ft towers>>>>>>>>>>>one 3,000 ft tower

Agree as well. Though four 750 ft towers would be much more prominent.

[fridayinla]

I don't know why you guys are even talking about a 3,000+ ft. building in downtown. In order to get anything above 2,000 ft., the FAA has to approve a variance. With LAX's flight paths near downtown, there's no way they'll ever allow anything above 2,000 ft.

Not to mention the paranoia of terrorist attacks.

[JDRCRASH]

Well it appears that the FAA is going to approve the Crown Las Vegas, so why can't they do it here?
Whats funny is that people keep criticizing L.A. as unworthy for the tallest building.
And yet.... they say that any other city(with lower demand, might I add)is?
Who the @#&%$ do they think they are?

Remember, just because this city is "earthquake country", doesn't mean that we can't build something pretty tall.
Look at Tokyo, they get more natural disasters than any other major city in the world, yet they get omega-proposals all the time......literally.
Even though that city's greater area pop. is a little under 2/3 larger than Los Angeles', we should have decent size buildings.

One problem with big developments is, lazy people protest about traffic resulting from the project.
I say to them, "Hello?! Thats what Public Transportation is for, morons!"
That costs money, but pretty soon we're going to need to build adequate alternative transportation, or we'll never be able to support the traffic flow of giant projects.

Also, many people today are so naive and gullible, that they don't realize that it WAS NOT any easier to build subways in New York City in the early 1900's than it is now anywhere in the world.
To illustrate:
Just because a candy bar costed only 5 Cents then, doesn't mean 5 Cents was easy to get.
People still had to work to get every one of those cents to buy it.

[ThreeHundred]

Which one of Tokyo's 'mega proposals' were built?

[WonderlandPark]

The best example of a super-tall getting built in a heavy quake zone is Taipei 101.

Japan has been pretty conservative with their built cities, still nothing over 1000 ft (except the Tokyo Tower, a communications tower).

[ladowntowner]

From the current issue of the LA Downtown News:

Report Says Downtown Housing Still Hot

News Brief

While the national housing market is expected to tumble well into 2008, the Downtown Los Angeles market is faring considerably better, according to a second quarter update by CB Richard Ellis. The recently released study found the average condominium sale price was $635,005, an increase of 1.8% over the prior quarter. By comparison, the average price for a home in L.A. County during the same period was $535,000, down 1.8% from the previous quarter. The number of resale condo transactions also saw an uptick, with 84 of the 141 listed properties sold.

Construction of new condos averaged just over 80 units per month during the second quarter, a nearly 100% increase from the previous quarter. Still, there are only 199 new units available for sale and immediate occupancy. The report found that there was a total of 108 units of both resale and new construction sold per month, up from only 57 transactions per month in the prior quarter. "Increasing demand for condominium housing in Downtown L.A. is beginning to positively affect average prices paid per square foot," said the report. "Downtown L.A.'s recorded condominium sales increased nearly 3% - from $532 per square foot in the first quarter to $547 per square foot in the most recent quarter."

The rental market is also producing at record levels, with occupancy up to 92.9% in Downtown. Another 1,000 units are expected to open in the next six months, with rental rate increases continuing well ahead of inflation.

The report also found that office vacancy is decreasing, and is now at 13.65%; with no new supply, demand and rents are expected to rise as much as 17% over 2006 by the end of the year. In addition, the hotel sector made a strong showing, with 29 conventions booked at the L.A. Convention Center from 2008 through 2013, more than LA Inc. has ever booked since its inception.

page 2, 7/30/2007

[ThreeHundred]

Wow..29 conventions? That's totally awesome.

Totally awesome..I sound like a bloody ninja turtle.

[edkao]

Wow..29 conventions? That's totally awesome.

Totally awesome..I sound like a bloody ninja turtle.

But that is 29 conventions over a 5 year period. And that is a new record!?!?

We need more bookings...

[DJM19]

I think thats 28 each year.

[fridayinla]

^Agreed, that's only 5.8 conventions per year, which is very weak.

[DJM19]

I dont see how that can be cuz I know the auto show is there every year and there is a new video-game show to replace E3 that will be there each year for awhile, and I know I always hear about other shows going on there.

[edluva]

Agree as well. Though four 750 ft towers would be much more prominent.

there is no sensible reason for building a 3000ft tower anywhere in california. And a 3000ft tower would probably have the square footage of 10 or 15 750ft towers. imagine that.

[DJM19]

3000 feet isn't sensible ANYWHERE.

[ladowntowner]

I suspect that the point was that it was 29 conventions booked during some set period of time, such as during the last quarter or whatever, that will occur between 2008 and 2013.

[edluva]

not sensible anywhere, i guess is true, but places like hong kong or tokyo are much much more fitting candidates for this scale of development. LA? c'mon, may as well be dubai. ;) the fact that it's being talked about is a joke.

[citywatch]

If anyone thinks serious talk about a super highrise being built in LA, esp DT, is reasonable, they're setting themselves up for some major disappointment. You might just as well debate how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or what you're going to do with your winnings from the lotto when its reached the $500 million mark.

At least don't take the idea of a big new highrise being built locally as too realistic til you see a few headlines like these:

Big Corporation Plans to Relocate Its Headquarters to LA
Fortune 500 Company Moving to LA; Needs Space for 2,000 Employees
Employer of 1,500 Workers Wants to Shift Headquarters from Century City and New York City to Downtown LA

In the meantime, ferchrissakes, it's enough of a battle just getting a new govt proj, which has been in the works for yrs & yrs, off the ground....


Downtown Booms, Civic Center Fizzles

As a state building is razed, stalled plans for a courthouse there symbolize the stagnation in the area around City Hall.

By Cara Mia DiMassa, Times Staff Writer
July 28, 2007

The building has been reduced almost to rubble now. But for years, the former Junipero Serra state office building sat vacant and moribund at 1st and Broadway, a symbol of the more derelict aspects of downtown. The once-bustling building was abandoned a decade ago, amid fears that it was seismically unsound, and had become a favorite destination for squatters, taking on the ripe stench of urine and garbage.

But for the last few months the 369,000-square-foot structure has been hidden behind a heavy green shroud, as workers have systematically demolished it floor-by-floor. The property, slated to become a federal courthouse, is within a hub of construction activity downtown. To the west, the $2-billion Grand Avenue project will break ground this year. To the east, the new Los Angeles Police Department headquarters are taking shape on an old Caltrans site.

But unlike those projects, which seem to be on a fast track to completion, the courthouse has become for civic planners a bit of a cautionary tale about need colliding with fiscal realities. It also underscores the fact that while downtown is in the midst of a development surge, the Civic Center remains a work in progress.

The area has been the focus of a spate of civic plans over the last few decades, most of which failed to materialize in any real way. Even now, government officials seem unsure about what to do with the patchwork quilt of buildings that surround City Hall. In some quarters, officials have discussed elaborate land swaps among the different municipalities, so that, for example, future buildings can be located closer to their civic brethren. (The site of the planned federal courthouse, for example, is blocks away from two other federal courthouses. And the police headquarters will be separated from other LAPD buildings in the city center.)

In addition, Los Angeles County officials have been considering what to do with their Hall of Administration and Stanley Mosk Courthouse, which have seismic and asbestos problems. The design process for the 16-acre park that is part of the Grand Avenue project includes scenarios in which those buildings would be razed, their footprints integrated into the park and some of the offices moved to an office tower in the final phase of the project.

Robert Harris, professor emeritus of architecture at USC, said care needs to be placed on the design of the new Civic Center buildings. He worries about the bunker quality of more recent government buildings. Designed in an era of terrorism fear, most have one entrance, few ground-level amenities and little truly public space. "A part of what's missing is a really wonderful urban space — so that as one comes to that center, one feels the quality, the dignity, the accessibility for government services," he said, "so that it's not just a convenience but symbolically democratic."

Thus a lot is riding on the proposed court building. Originally, plans called for the largest federal courthouse in the nation — "a shining example of sustainable design innovation" that would blend "environmentally progressive public spaces with traditional symbols of American courthouse design," according to the website of the project's architect, Perkins and Will.

Between 2000 and 2005, the federal government allocated about $399 million for construction of the 1.3-million-square-foot structure on land it bought from the state. But with downtown booming, construction costs skyrocketing and an expensive war being fought overseas, the federal government has found that it can't afford to start construction. And so, although demolition continues, it's going to be a while before construction cranes arrive.

Gene Gibson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. General Services Administration, said the courthouse's construction budget is under review, "since market projections for construction are causing concern on the adequacy of the budget." Neither Gibson nor representatives of Perkins and Will would comment on how the design of the courthouse would change, given the fiscal realities. One source familiar with the process said officials would eliminate an entire floor and possibly an interior atrium.

But design changes will take the courthouse project only so far. Officials will probably have to go back to Congress for further allocations to complete the process. Gibson said the GSA is now looking at 2009 for awarding the construction contract. Until then, the site will most likely sit vacant. :gaah:

There are several reasons why the Civic Center finds itself at a crossroads. Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents most of downtown, sees the broad spread of government office buildings across downtown as partly a function of a time when there was surplus office space in the area. Under those circumstances, government agencies leased space outside the Civic Center. Size matters in terms of how fast a government entity can get a project going, Perry said. The city and LAPD, she said, because they are relatively smaller, can be "more reactive and move quicker" than the federal or county governments.

The public-private Grand Avenue project of cultural, retail, residential and business use — whose preliminary civic-park designs are expected to be unveiled later this year — could change that. Planners, who include noted architects and urbanists Brenda Levin and Mark Rios, have been assessing how to best build a park stretching from the Music Center to City Hall, with features for a wide range of Angelenos.

Harris, the architecture professor, said more rides on that than any other downtown civic process. "To reorganize where everybody goes is a 50-year project," he said. "But making beautiful open space is already underway…. We can move forward."

[citywatch]

Another reason why wishful thinking about projs that probably are nothing but pipe dreams (1500 to 2000 ft tall bldgs?!) doesn't make sense is that there's enough on the drawing boards right now that to be arguing about even more is getting kind of greedy.

For instance, it's enough of a crapshoot predicting that the parkfifth proj actually will be underway sometime over the next 8 months. The devlpr said they'd break ground 1st qtr of 2008, which is 8 months from today. The clock is ticking, & this pic from Tanster shows that the gap where the parkfifth towers are supposed to rise is so wide it puts the Grand Canyon to shame---it also shows the new leasing banner on the converted title guarantee bldg:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g280/Joey313_photos/DSC00909.jpg

[LAMetroGuy]

The Notice of preparation of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report to the 9th and Flower Mixed use Development Project EIR has been posted. Inside, there are some new renderings of 8th & Hope Tower and existing renderings of the Park Tower. It looks like these two towers will be built as one project by CIM.

I added the wording showing tower height and floors.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Park5th.jpg

Rendering showing Park Tower and 8th & Hope tower... not sure what some of the blue massing towers are?? I know the one directly West of the Market Lofts is 717 Ninth, but right next to that tower is another tower that I'm not familiar with. The blue massing towers to the North East of this rendering???
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Park5th_Page_035_Image_0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Park5th_Page_036_Image_0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Park5th_Page_045_Image_0001.jpg

[citywatch]

^ LAMG comes through again!

As for what those blue towers represent, one of them is, yes, Meurelo's condo tower, the other one right next to it must be Astani's Concerto tower. They're obviously only rough estimates of what the actual bldgs will look like. As for the blue mass to the right? That's got to be Astani's proj planned for the big deadzone parking lot south of the Brockman & Mandell bldgs.

This type of proposal is one more reason why wondering & arguing about supertalls in the hood doesn't make sense to me when there are enough projs within the realm of the feasible that already are under serious consideration. And regardless of a proj's height or design, nothing better than when its groundbreaking causes another deadzone to get the heave ho.

[k3d]

The Notice of preparation of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report to the 9th and Flower Mixed use Development Project EIR has been posted. Inside, there are some new renderings of 8th & Hope Tower and existing renderings of the Park Tower. It looks like these two towers will be built as one project by CIM.

I added the wording showing tower height and floors.

Rendering showing Park Tower and 8th & Hope tower... not sure what some of the blue massing towers are?? I know the one directly West of the Market Lofts is 717 Ninth, but right next to that tower is another tower that I'm not familiar with. The blue massing towers to the North East of this rendering???


The blue massing on the right looks like 8th & Grand, not sure about the ones on the left. What about the report make it "look like" they will be built as one project?

[WonderlandPark]

I had my first opportunity in months to take a bit of time on a nice sunny day with the camera and walk around downtown. Hot off the memory card:

First the jib arm installation on the crane tower at Concerto, they are probably just finishing it as I post this. The crane lifting the arm was huge in itself.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1215/931158372_2eb051526b.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/931158532_38999c8663_o.jpg

Crane o' Rama, Concerto & Hanover

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/931158402_e1e9ca2d45_o.jpg

The South Group blocks are stunning. They really have the look and feel of the Pearl in Portland, for, well, obvious reasons. Just something about the materials and proportions that make it feel so Portland, and the people sitting outside at Starbucks and all of that. This one is a real nice block.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1317/931158434_fe2b1f1d26_o.jpg

Lota of units empty at Luma:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1174/931158414_e69dd0d50e.jpg?v=0

Market Lofts looking great, shoulda gone taller, but still a nice building:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1386/931158646_b487cbb3e7_o.jpg


And an OT "bonus" Americana at Brand in Glendale

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1288/931167392_932670f428_o.jpg

[Easy]

The blue massing on the right looks like 8th & Grand, not sure about the ones on the left. What about the report make it "look like" they will be built as one project?

You got the harder one. The other two are 717 Ninth and Concerto which are already under construction.

[Easy]

Thanks for the update WP.

I assume that the empty units in Luma will be filling up. From what I gather in some of the other threads lots of move-in dates are in August.

[WonderlandPark]

Thanks for the update WP.

I assume that the empty units in Luma will be filling up. From what I gather in some of the other threads lots of move-in dates are in August.

The other side of Luma looks more occupied, I assume that those units are the later move in dates, as the building is pretty much sold out.

[Easy]

I suspect that the point was that it was 29 conventions booked during some set period of time, such as during the last quarter or whatever, that will occur between 2008 and 2013.

I don't know. I'm tempted to take it as written given that LA Inc. was only formed a few years ago. For them to book 29 conventions total would definitely be more than whatever their previous record would have been given that we've had single digit numbers of conventions lately.

[Westsidelife]

But that is 29 conventions over a 5 year period. And that is a new record!?!?

We need more bookings...

LA Inc. lags in the number of conventions it books yearly primarily because of the shortage of hotel rooms in the area. One of the main goals of LA Live is to boost activity at the Convention Center with the Ritz/Marriott. And speaking of the Convention Center, are there still plans to expand the Convention Center and open a new hall on that vacant lot directly north?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

But that is 29 conventions over a 5 year period. And that is a new record!?!?

We need more bookings...

im pretty sure its 29 new conventions booked that quarter.

[k3d]

Market Lofts looking great, shoulda gone taller, but still a nice building:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1386/931158646_b487cbb3e7_o.jpg


^This one might make a good one for the completed projects section.

Here is the completed crane at Concerto.
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8360/img1133stx0.jpg

[WonderlandPark]

If a mod wants to use the Market photo for the completed section, go ahead and put it in there.

It was cool watching them put up the crane, surprised they didn't start lower and then use a self erecting crane from there. That portable crane has to be one of the biggest I have ever seen. The company delivering it was called Mr. Crane.

[fridayinla]

WonderlandPark, we must have been stepping on each other's toes today. We took a few of the exact same shots this afternoon of Market Lofts and Concerto. :cool: I'll add to what you've already posted:

717 Ninth
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1118/934089128_163191e5cc_b.jpg

Evo
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1199/934090442_3189ba910d_b.jpg

[fridayinla]

my Koreatown photo update from today (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=2978128&postcount=353)

I visited the GLO leasing center today and viewed a couple of the 1 bedroom units there. Here's what I found out:

-Phase I (southern-most building off Wilshire) is already leasing with at least 30 units of 210 total to be occupied by the end of the month.

-Phase II (building on Wilshire) will be ready for occupancy by October 1st.

-Starbucks (which will be located in Phase II on the corner of Bixel on Wilshire) will receive their keys on Wed, with opening expected by October 1st.

-Other retail tenants currently under negotiations include a drycleaners and restaurant

-All units come with stainless steel appliances, and the finishes are decent but not incredible. Some units have carpet and others have polished concrete floors

-Common areas and hallways are very nice. The fitness center is 2-levels and fairly large. Phase II will include the pool, hot tub and a roof-top deck.

-An enclosed pedestrian bridge will connect Phases I & II

GLO Kitchen
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1204/934361356_ca7a50ec7c_b.jpg

GLO Bathroom
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1060/933515223_b65329ae6c_b.jpg

Polished Concrete Floor
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1295/934366276_e5282e8c57_b.jpg

Phase I Common Area
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/934362486_5125f40ba9_b.jpg

Looking over to Phase II's pool deck - you can see where the pedestrian bridge will connect just to the left of center
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/934364270_ea430e247f_b.jpg

According to the leasing agents at GLO, the project's developer Holland Partners is planning to move its headquarters to downtown Los Angeles from Vancouver, Washington. The 40-story tower they have planned at 1111 Wilshire (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2007/07/16/news/news02.txt) (Wilshire & Bixel) is expected to begin construction next year. Apparently, a historic brick building adjacent to the site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/751032025/in/set-72157600378713172/) will be renovated and integrated into the development as low income housing.

[Easy]

I can see from Fridayinla's update that since last weekend the sidewalk has been removed from in front of 717 Ninth, but they've placed a concrete barrier so that people can walk on the street. I kind of figured that they would do this since the sidewalk on the other side of the street is closed completely for Concerto.

Glo looks pretty good and glad to hear about Holland Partners moving to LA. That pretty much guarantees that they at least expect to build the tower so we can all look forward to this one happening.

[ladowntowner]

I'm sorry, I know I've said it before, but... I just can't get past the unfortunate and ghastly exterior color scheme at Glo - Ack! :yuck:

It's even got me uncharacteristically using words like "ghastly". That's pretty bad.

[ThreeHundred]

You didn't hear? Baby poop green is the new 'it' color.

[petescafe]

You didn't hear? Baby poop green is the new 'it' color.

That made me giggle.:D

[colemonkee]

Great photo updates WonderlandPark and friday! I updated the first page with the following:

- moved Market Lofts to completed (using WonderlandPark's great shot)
- updated the render and height of iHope (8th and Hope)
- updated the heights of 717 Flower & Park Tower

[colemonkee]

A quick Little Tokyo update...

San Pedro Apartments (Block 8)

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/9126/sanpedro20070728gw7.jpg


Mura

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4048/mura200707282au8.jpg

The southern half looks like it's getting close to completion, at least from the outside. I hope they start moving people in sometime this year.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9317/mura200707281uh5.jpg


Artisan on 2nd
Meh.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5263/artison20070728ik0.jpg

[fridayinla]

^Thanks for the LT update, Colemonkee! I've been too lazy to make it over there myself. :D

Mura and Artisan are decent projects. I'm more excited about the residents and foot traffic they'll bring to the neighborhood than the completed projects themselves. Block 8 on the other hand, bring it on!!!

[JDRCRASH]

Wouldn't adding more 250 sq ft units to high-rises make it easier for developers to build more high-rises that can pay for themselves more?

[colemonkee]

^ Only if there's demand for said 250 sq. ft. units.

[citywatch]

Are you talking about the huge lot directly across from the Orsini II development going east down Cesar Chavez?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1279/558885677_29ee072b14_b.jpg

That's the site for Orsini phase 3. BBQ King, a junky auto shop and lots of graffiti will soon be history.


Speaking of which, I found this photo at angelenic.com (I'm not sure if that's SSPer Ralossi's blog?):

http://www.angelenic.com/images/2007-0728dtla%20010.jpg

Green construction fencing has begun to surround the site of the future Orsini III apartments. The apartments, by G. H. Palmer Associates, are to rise on the northeastern corner of Figueroa Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, directly across Cesar Chavez from the Orsini II and catty-corner to the first Orsini apartment complex — and, yes, they will look exactly the same as every other Palmer apartment in Downtown



And the lack of any photo updates of the Medallion site at 4th & Main makes me suspect we're looking at another devlpr who's going to make everyone jump through hoops before he let's on when his proj will be under active construction. Sort of another version of "Concerto: The Guessing Game!" :shrug:

[WonderlandPark]

Oh, gawd, more Orsini? Someone please stop this developer, or at least introduce him to a decent architect.

[hughfb3]

Has anyone else been by the fig central site? I went by there yesterday and saw concrete torn up in a few spaces, much like where Medallion is with cars still parked on certain areas. So I ask the parking attendant why the site is torn up, he simply said "they are supposed to start construction next week." I don't know who "they" are and what "construction" he is talking about... could this mean Fig central...? Nah...

[fridayinla]

[/b]
Speaking of which, I found this photo at angelenic.com (I'm not sure if that's SSPer Ralossi's blog?):


Angelenic is RAlossi's blog.

I'm surprised and glad to see how quickly Palmer is moving on Orsini phase 3. I'm not a fan of his projects (and I may catch some flak for this), but I think the scale of the Orsini developments along both sides Cesar Chavez will create a real identity for a neighberhood that needs one (considering the junky mess it is now). And maybe he'll actually be able to land some retail tenants.

Speaking of Palmer's retail, I noticed the Medici's retail space along 7th Street in City West is now repped by that super-star broker Derrick Moore from CB. Looks like they're finally getting serious now things are starting to come together in the neighborhood.

[fridayinla]

Has anyone else been by the fig central site? I went by there yesterday and saw concrete torn up in a few spaces, much like where Medallion is with cars still parked on certain areas. So I ask the parking attendant why the site is torn up, he simply said "they are supposed to start construction next week." I don't know who "they" are and what "construction" he is talking about... but could this mean Fig central...?

Has Figueroa Central been approved? Wait, didn't they just request a height increase for the project? I'll believe it when I see it.

[citywatch]

Angelenic is RAlossi's blog.Good to know that. I'm still waiting for the photo update he mentioned a few days ago.


I'm surprised and glad to see how quickly Palmer is moving on Orsini phase 3. I'm not a fan of his projects (and I may catch some flak for this), but I think the scale of the Orsini developments along both sides Cesar Chavez will create a real identity for this neighberhood (considering the junky mess it is now).
What gets to me is when ppl, at the same time, never complain or nitpick about the things that really stink up the hood. If Orsini III isn't great, look at what it's replacing. And if that proj represents bad taste, or weird, vegasy faux euro styling, then the devlpr----like it or not----is merely catering to the preferences of a lot of ppl moving to the hood, because Palmer's bldgs have leased up faster than a lot of the other ones.

By contrast, I really like the design of the Packard lofts bldg in South Pk, or the idea of the converted old Federal Reserve bldg on Olympic, but those apt bldgs still have pretty large vacancies months after they were completed.

BTW, I recall someone at SSP saying I always complained about things?!! :cool:

But, ok, here's a complaint I do have, at least when it comes to talk about a bldg that's painted a really bad color of green: The Promenade West condo bldg on the NE corner of Fig & 2nd Sts, which dates back to the 1980s. The ppl on that bldg's HOA chose to redo their bldg with an ugly green paint job a few yrs ago. They've gotta be vision impaired.

[Sodha]

Whats the address of Fig Central?

[Echo Park]

I agree with the Orsini apologists. Palmer's buildings while fake and sterile, are at least on the periphery of the CBD and downtown core and not within it. I've noticed the buildings have a certain "weight" to them and have quite the presence in their neighborhoods. Is there any retail at Orsini? I thought there wasn't any at Medici but apparently there is. Anyway, I find a building like the Artisan (which belongs on a suburban tract in Cerritos not on DTLA's 2nd st) far more offensive than the Orsini.

[LongBeachUrbanist]

And the lack of any photo updates of the Medallion site at 4th & Main makes me suspect we're looking at another devlpr who's going to make everyone jump through hoops before he let's on when his proj will be under active construction. Sort of another version of "Concerto: The Guessing Game!" :shrug:

Do you really think that's the reason the developer is not discussing his project's delays? Just to make us bloggers/forumers "jump through hoops"?

I'm sure the developer is at least as anxious to move forward as we are. He actually has money at stake. Most of us, I think, have literally nothing at stake other than our curiosity and our civic pride.

As for the "lack of any photo updates": people on the forums post photos when they get a chance (which BTW I greatly appreciate). But people do also have lives and interests other than keeping the forum updated.

[k3d]

Do you really think that's the reason the developer is not discussing his project's delays? Just to make us bloggers/forumers "jump through hoops"?

I'm sure the developer is at least as anxious to move forward as we are. He actually has money at stake. Most of us, I think, have literally nothing at stake other than our curiosity and our civic pride.

As for the "lack of any photo updates": people on the forums post photos when they get a chance (which BTW I greatly appreciate). But people do also have lives and interests other than keeping the forum updated.

Owning and living in downtown, I myself think that with the state of the current housing market that I have alot at stake that depends on every project downtown.

I specifically sold a home in Valencia to "hide" from the real estate bubble burst and so far my estimates show that I made the right move. Values have increased for our model unit while housing on our old street in Valencia have decreased considerably.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Re: Medallion


The ugly billboard has been completely removed as of a few days ago from the parking lot.

[colemonkee]

^ "Ugly" is in the mind of the beholder. ;) Whether or not it was tasteful, well, that's an easier argument...

[JDRCRASH]

So is Medallion cancelled?

[fridayinla]

So is Medallion cancelled?

No way. As far as I'm concerned it's already broken ground. It's moving forward, just slowwwwlyyyy.

[LongBeachUrbanist]

Owning and living in downtown, I myself think that with the state of the current housing market that I have alot at stake that depends on every project downtown.

Of course you do: I didn't mean to imply you don't. My only point was to emphasize that Mr. Farkhondepour has a direct financial interest is in his project's success. I seriously doubt he is delaying his project for some trivial reason (such as to tease citywatch).

So is Medallion cancelled?

No. Although I can see how you'd get that impression from citywatch's moaning.