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Illithid Dude
Oct 31, 2014, 5:36 PM
he's baaaaaaaack!

LAsam
Oct 31, 2014, 5:53 PM
Like a phoenix from the ashes.

bighomey3000
Oct 31, 2014, 7:42 PM
Guys, ignore the trolls please.

brudy
Oct 31, 2014, 7:53 PM
Guys, ignore the trolls please.

Points of view that you do not like are not trolls.

edluva
Oct 31, 2014, 8:11 PM
yes, i've committed to being less inflammatory. but don't think it means i won't be every bit as opinionated as before ;)

and thanks to those of you who voiced appreciation for my "role" in this forum. even if grudgingly. know that it is ultimately out of a perverse but nonetheless genuine wish for a better LA

Jaycruz
Oct 31, 2014, 9:02 PM
Oh good lord. Before you guys turn this thread into the Edulva show. Great to see another point of view back on the threads, welcome back, looking forward to our first disagreement ! HAHA.

NOW

Back to some actual development news !

Was down in Long Beach today, The crane for those tower projects I read about on here was fully functional today, that project is moving really quickly, I remember it being a parking lot literally a month ago. Those towers will fill a big gap in that cities skyline.

I saw some guys in a business suits and surveyors I believe at an old Chinese buffet place and what looked like a closed down bar or club on Alamitos and Broadway. overheard one of the guys in suits saying "these must go". Hopefully that means something else will be replacing them soon because they look so warn and dilapidated. Great things coming for long beach soon too I'm assuming.

Kingofthehill
Nov 1, 2014, 7:18 AM
he's baaaaaaaack!

Flavius Josephus
Nov 1, 2014, 10:58 PM
As if Century City were not on a roll already with 10000 Santa Monica Blvd and the Westfield tower, I've been seeing workers and equipment at the following site for the last couple of weeks... Looks like they've updated their website as well... anyone have some insider info on this?

http://www.centurycitycenter.com/project



I very much doubt they'd be building anything right now. Nothing on LADBS, and the Council File (http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=14-1130) for the appeal filed by local NIMBYs and adjoining landowners (who don't want the competition) indicates that the final council hearing has been delayed until mid-December, probably pending additional negotiations over the community benefits payments--at least one NIMBY group has already withdrawn its opposition in return for $250k additional funding for traffic studies. And the adjoining landowners have hired serious law firms (including, oddly, some that more usually represent developers), so expect this to get litigated too. But I think this one will get done eventually.

SimonLA
Nov 2, 2014, 4:57 PM
You're exactly right; this is work on an adjacent heating/cooling plant. But we may hear something next month when final approval will be considered. The Beverly Hills NIMBYs have launched onto this tower as a central part of their fight against the subway (some insane claim that Metro wants the station here because they're in cahoots with the developer). The fact that the NIMBYs already lost in court bodes well that work will begin on this tower, not to mention its amazing location and proximity to a subway station (directly under it).

blackcat23
Nov 3, 2014, 4:19 PM
I know it's not anyone's favorite, but here's some Playa Vista stuff:

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/an-overhead-perspective-on-playa-vista.html

Runway (420 apt, 35,000 sq. ft. office, 220,000 sq. ft. retail) and other condo/apartment projects (1000+ units)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1A3nF3T45Y/VFVViDsM1gI/AAAAAAAAEio/cpZi-ihQ1zo/s1000/DSC03552.JPG

New IMAX Corp. West Coast headquarters (3 stories, 66,000 sq. ft. office). Crane is for the Fountainview at Gonda, a 199-unit senior housing complex. A smaller affordable senior building is under construction next door.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jaqkJCy2ZIQ/VFVXRXJoAUI/AAAAAAAAEi8/V-Q4kP0B_qk/s1000/DSC03559.JPG

703-unit market rate apartments, by the Irvine Company.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjLgLu1jDH4/VFVXl-GvHCI/AAAAAAAAEjE/gN76U-yb1y4/s1000/DSC03594.JPG

Flavius Josephus
Nov 3, 2014, 4:57 PM
It'll be interesting to see if future Playa Vista proposals include greater residential density. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Metro's next ballot measure proposes a Lincoln line and extending the proposed Sepulveda Pass corridor down Sepulveda to LAX, so this area (or parts of it, at any rate) may even become transit-accessible some time in the next few decades.

202_Cyclist
Nov 3, 2014, 6:28 PM
Blackcat23-- thank you for posting these photos. Southern California is vey scenic after the fall/winter rains.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 4, 2014, 2:37 AM
Looks like the LACMA redevelopment project is about to get a hefty chunk of change from the Board of Supervisors: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-lacma-20141104-story.html http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/89345.pdf

I do think, though, that the County could get more bang for its buck if it did a little bit of mixed use as part of the rebuild--I imagine some condos or offices within the museum complex would be worth a fortune.

ChelseaFC
Nov 4, 2014, 2:48 AM
Blackcat23-- thank you for posting these photos. Southern California is vey scenic after the fall/winter rains.

It's always scenic...it's just that most of the time you can't SEE it! :haha:

blackcat23
Nov 4, 2014, 4:03 AM
It'll be interesting to see if future Playa Vista proposals include greater residential density. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Metro's next ballot measure proposes a Lincoln line and extending the proposed Sepulveda Pass corridor down Sepulveda to LAX, so this area (or parts of it, at any rate) may even become transit-accessible some time in the next few decades.

I'd love to see a Green Line extension up Lincoln Boulevard, but I think other parts of the county would cry foul if the next ballot initiative were to propose two north-south lines on the Westside. There's more political momentum for rail through the Sepulveda Pass and extending the Purple Line to Santa Monica, anyway.


http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/details-emerge-for-hollywoods-academy.html

Out in Hollywood, some more info on Kilroy Realty's new project on Vine Street, now dubbed "Academy Square." 23-story tower with either 250 apartments or 200 apartments/100 hotel rooms. Three four-story buildings, with 280,000 sq. ft. of office, retail and restaurant space. Possibly a 40,000 sq. ft. market on Vine Street.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in Q4 2015 and finish by Q1 2018.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVYiZCyEwKg/VFgK868JnjI/AAAAAAAAEkE/Lgr86EqYbkM/s1000/kilroyacademy.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yG4-Iqp4FSQ/VFgpU5r0-GI/AAAAAAAAEkY/CHVs1qCto5I/s1000/academy.PNG

Flavius Josephus
Nov 4, 2014, 1:26 PM
I'd love to see a Green Line extension up Lincoln Boulevard, but I think other parts of the county would cry foul if the next ballot initiative were to propose two north-south lines on the Westside. There's more political momentum for rail through the Sepulveda Pass and extending the Purple Line to Santa Monica, anyway.


http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/details-emerge-for-hollywoods-academy.html

Out in Hollywood, some more info on Kilroy Realty's new project on Vine Street, now dubbed "Academy Square." 23-story tower with either 250 apartments or 200 apartments/100 hotel rooms. Three four-story buildings, with 280,000 sq. ft. of office, retail and restaurant space. Possibly a 40,000 sq. ft. market on Vine Street.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in Q4 2015 and finish by Q1 2018.


Not bad, although I think we're seeing the effects of the NIMBYs here, with the plans only calling for the FAR allowed under the 1988 HCP. And once they get the EIR done, it'll probably still draw challenges anyway.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 4, 2014, 1:49 PM
From LADCP's fortnightly filings report, looks like a fairly busy week:

- 60 unit small lot subdivision at 4000 E Chevy Chase Dr in Atwater Village
- At 117 S Boyle in Boyle Heights, a 4 story mixed use affordable housing development
- 7 story mixed user (169 units) at 904 N La Brea in Hollywood
- In the Arts District, a 122 unit mixed user at 1800 E 7th
- Also in the Arts District, a warehouse conversion to office, retail, and restaurants at 2060 E 7th
- Downtown, looks like there's some applications being filed for a new hotel at the Commercial Exchange Building at 416 W 8th; the building was bought by the Sydell group a few month ago
- Grand Central Market (317 S Broadway) filed for a master conditional use permit to allow alcohol sales.
- 432 S Olive, which I think is Park Fifth, filed its revised plans (660 apts)
- A small apt building at 1540 S St Andrews Pl in Harvard Heights - just 16 units, but always good to see some investment in a neighborhood that doesn't get enough of it.
- In K-town, 30 apts at 715 S Mariposa, 26 at 738 S Normandie, and 91 at 1011 S Serrano
- In Van Nuys, an 86 unit building at 7346 N Woodman

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/CNCRpts/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=301

brudy
Nov 4, 2014, 2:48 PM
From LADCP's fortnightly filings report, looks like a fairly busy week:

- 60 unit small lot subdivision at 4000 E Chevy Chase Dr in Atwater Village
- At 117 S Boyle in Boyle Heights, a 4 story mixed use affordable housing development
- 7 story mixed user (169 units) at 904 N La Brea in Hollywood
- In the Arts District, a 122 unit mixed user at 1800 E 7th
- Also in the Arts District, a warehouse conversion to office, retail, and restaurants at 2060 E 7th
- Downtown, looks like there's some applications being filed for a new hotel at the Commercial Exchange Building at 416 W 8th; the building was bought by the Sydell group a few month ago
- Grand Central Market (317 S Broadway) filed for a master conditional use permit to allow alcohol sales.
- 432 S Olive, which I think is Park Fifth, filed its revised plans (660 apts)
- A small apt building at 1540 S St Andrews Pl in Harvard Heights - just 16 units, but always good to see some investment in a neighborhood that doesn't get enough of it.
- In K-town, 30 apts at 715 S Mariposa, 26 at 738 S Normandie, and 91 at 1011 S Serrano
- In Van Nuys, an 86 unit building at 7346 N Woodman

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/CNCRpts/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=301

That 1800 E 7th St mixed user is at the edge of the known world (and currently a parking lot). Pretty interesting as it starts to pull the AD west of Mateo. I wonder if these are market rate? Also, the building across the street from this list is being rehabbed as you can see in our new updated street view imagery.
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u412/wildstar99/non-records/7thst_zps9f9d8d2e.jpg

Flavius Josephus
Nov 4, 2014, 5:17 PM
That 1800 E 7th St mixed user is at the edge of the known world (and currently a parking lot). Pretty interesting as it starts to pull the AD west of Mateo. I wonder if these are market rate? Also, the building across the street from this list is being rehabbed as you can see in our new updated street view imagery.


And it pulls the AD south as well. In fact, according to ZIMAS, the projects on the south side of 7th are technically DLANC rather than Historic Cultural NC (although, as with everything downtown east of Alameda, Central City North Community Plan rather than Central City), so whether it's AD at all is probably debatable. The DowntownLA.com maps dub it the "Central Industrial District," which is confusing because it's not part of the Industrial District as defined by LADID.

AndrewK
Nov 4, 2014, 8:36 PM
That 1800 E 7th St mixed user is at the edge of the known world (and currently a parking lot). Pretty interesting as it starts to pull the AD west of Mateo.

West of Mateo... on 7th st. The block of Industrial west of Mateo is the heart of the Arts District (the South Arts District that is).

brudy
Nov 4, 2014, 9:21 PM
West of Mateo... on 7th st. The block of Industrial west of Mateo is the heart of the Arts District (the South Arts District that is).

Yeah, I guess I should say Mill St. There's a ton of stuff on Industrial between mateo and mill, but on 7th it's almost a total wasteland west of there.

kelbeen
Nov 5, 2014, 3:39 PM
11.04: 10000 SM
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15526212200_27c44813d8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pDZTXN)
I'm always amazed at how fast these buildings rise, once they start going up. (https://flic.kr/p/pDZTXN) by Eesomest (https://www.flickr.com/people/36838463@N03/), on Flickr

blackcat23
Nov 5, 2014, 4:54 PM
^^^10000 SaMo should start moving a lot faster, now that the crane is in place.

In less skyline changing news, this is a conceptual design for the affordable housing complex in Boyle Heights, mentioned yesterday:

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/mariachi-plaza-getting-affordable-mixed.html

The project is named the Santa Cecilia Apartments, and is being developed by McCormack Baron Salazar. They've previously collaborated with Metro on the MacArthur Park TOD.

It's a four-story building, designed by DE Architects, with 79 affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments above 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-759j8mjlggs/VFkphlM9CQI/AAAAAAAAEl4/tlDucuhogVk/s600/santa.PNG

Mariachi Plaza is wonderful public space, though a little rough around the edges. It's nice to see the vacant lots filling in to create a more cohesive neighborhood.

LAsam
Nov 5, 2014, 6:53 PM
11.04: 10000 SM
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15526212200_27c44813d8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pDZTXN)
I'm always amazed at how fast these buildings rise, once they start going up. (https://flic.kr/p/pDZTXN) by Eesomest (https://www.flickr.com/people/36838463@N03/), on Flickr

Thanks for the update! It will be exciting to see Century City get its first new tower since The Century. I wonder if the construction of this residential tower means that The Century was considered a success from a financial point of view.

ocman
Nov 6, 2014, 7:00 AM
Today is a great day for art in Los Angeles for two huge announcements.

LACMA is announcing "the largest gift of art...in it's history". In other words, OF ALL TIME. This is pretty big news if it's more significant than the amazing Lazarof collection given to LACMA back in 2007. And like the Lazarof collection, this new donation is mainly modern art.

It'll include Manet, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Bonnard, and Picasso. It should be very interesting to see how far it'll take LACMA's modern art collection, considering the Lazaroff collection was considered one of the most transformative donations. Donations of this magnitude happen so rarely nowadays for any museum so LA is very lucky. I think it probably says a lot about the city's rise in importance concerning private art collection, if the donor is local. That makes me really curious to know who the donor could be and how far this collection will catapult LACMA's reputation for modern art.


Also, the Getty finally bought art! Every new painting helps to detract from all that Rococo shit JP Getty collected. The museum just won the bid for the $65 million Manet at Christie's auction today, but at almost twice what it was predicted.

http://blogs.artinfo.com/lacmonfire/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/arts/design/a-manet-portrait-fuels-high-prices-on-a-competitive-night-for-christies.html

ocman
Nov 6, 2014, 7:05 AM
oh, and to tie this in to development, today the county also approved $125 million for the Zumthor LACMA project. The project costs $600 million.

IMBY
Nov 6, 2014, 8:14 AM
slightly off topic, but for those of you able to vote santa monica, please vote pam oconnor, frank gruber, and mike feinstein for the 3 council seats being contested. they are much better informed and less anti-development than the rest of the candidates (with added caveat to feinstein but there is probably no better third candidate). oconnor and gruber have been staunch bike and transit advocates, not only for santa monica but for the region as a whole, with oconnor heavily involved in regional transit planning, and gruber being as close to a SSP councilmember as you can find. he's written extensively on urbanism and demonstrates the ability to distinguish between good (ped/bike/transit) and bad (auto-oriented) density. something even most "progressive" angelenos fail to appreciate.

feinstein wants to pass height-restriction ordinances and he's still the most moderate of the remainders (that's how backwards we are in samo)

Most news out of Santa Monica is better than looking over the Comics section of the newspaper!:D

Less anti-development than the rest of the candidates! Let me guess! If someone proposes a 12 story building, as opposed to chopping it down to 7 stories, they'd only chop off 2 stories?

blackcat23
Nov 6, 2014, 2:22 PM
More East LA TODs:

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/metro-planning-new-developments-in.html

Four new developments planned on Metro-owned land in Boyle Heights. Three properties are near Gold Line Stations at 1st/Boyle and 1st/Soto, another is a few blocks north at Cesar E. Chavez/Soto.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N5ayu3ljwNM/VFsghBNMfWI/AAAAAAAAEp4/Fh1xf-gGVvU/s800/mariachi1.PNG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JRr2jU-zdfs/VFsShcTeUOI/AAAAAAAAEo8/6BJDBym-PKA/s800/soto1.PNG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9ikIcWWX3c/VFsW9IBMO8I/AAAAAAAAEpU/aD72DuA3tP0/s800/soto2.PNG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-alpb_5NA6SM/VFsc3c8HCUI/AAAAAAAAEps/CHarsWKVuAw/s800/chavez.PNG

Flavius Josephus
Nov 6, 2014, 8:33 PM
Bad news for the Millennium: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hollywood-fault-map-20141106-story.html#page=1 http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/SHMP/download/quad/HOLLYWOOD/maps/Hollywood_EZRIM/Hollywood_EZRIM.pdf

Key areas affected: Most of Franklin and Los Feliz Blvds (not exactly a surprise there--those streets feel like they're near a fault); some parts of the north side of Hollywood near Vine. Most of the parcels actually on Hollywood are fine, but the state has the fault roughly following the line of parking lots between Cahuenga and Carlos. I think we can expect all of them to remain parking lots for the foreseeable future, then, since it would be very difficult to build anything much that would allow for the 50 foot setbacks on either side of the fault. The location changed a bit since the previous map, but is still on the Millennium site. Probably possible to do one of the towers as-is, but the other one is probably unbuildable without a significant redesign.

brudy
Nov 6, 2014, 11:30 PM
Today is a great day for art in Los Angeles for two huge announcements.

Also, the Getty finally bought art! Every new painting helps to detract from all that Rococo shit JP Getty collected. The museum just won the bid for the $65 million Manet at Christie's auction today, but at almost twice what it was predicted.

http://blogs.artinfo.com/lacmonfire/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/arts/design/a-manet-portrait-fuels-high-prices-on-a-competitive-night-for-christies.html

Couldn't agree more!

Flavius Josephus
Nov 6, 2014, 11:36 PM
oh, and to tie this in to development, today the county also approved $125 million for the Zumthor LACMA project. The project costs $600 million.

They're actually related - one of the conditions of Jerry Perenchio's gift was that LACMA proceed with its rebuild.

Now, if LACMA could just persuade the Marciano brothers to donate their art and the private museum they've bought... http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/05/first_look_at_the_ktown_masonic_temples_private_museum_plans.php


On another note, HUD Secretary Castro is coming to town to speak at a real estate conference. I wonder if he'll be announcing any new policy initiatives while he's in town. http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/11/03/6486491/hud-secretary-julian-castro-to.html?sp=/100/773/385/

edluva
Nov 7, 2014, 3:10 AM
Less anti-development than the rest of the candidates! Let me guess! If someone proposes a 12 story building, as opposed to chopping it down to 7 stories, they'd only chop off 2 stories?


yes unfortunately that's become the norm for SM politics. this formerly progressive city has become overrun by NIMBYist tenants who control 70% of the electorate.
the result: any candidate who wants a viable way into city government has to cater to the Santa Monica for Renters Rights political party, which holds a virtual monopoly on civic governance. and SMRR's stance is virtually total anti-growth, regardless of quality of said growth.

I'm losing hope in Santa Monica's ability to build on the relative progress it's made over the past decades. as much as i sympathize with renters, santa monica's is a lesson on "regulating on behalf of public interest" gone awry, and it's turned me squarely against self-serving rent control and affordable housing policies across the board.

you simply cannot regulate the poor into a wealthy high-cost region such as the westside. this is especially true in LA, where the ostensible goal is always "reducing congestion by bringing the poor closer to their jobs". this is an unattainable goal, because where a person works, and how a person commutes is subject to a multitude of factors beyond any housing agency's control. but i can tell you that the most direct, guarantee-able result of short-sighted affordable housing and rent control policies is even more out of control housing prices as the cost of subsidizing affordable housing and artificially set below-market rental is passed onto the free-market just like how the cost of accommodating car parking is passed on to consumers.

in los angeles, congestion, auto-centric urban design, NIMBYism, bland urbanism, and housing shortages have the same common fundamental solution: mass transit. nothing else will solve these problems. any talk of how "progress" is being made with our surface-lot and density "problems" lacks substance if transit isn't the root cause of such infill. with los angeles, no transit=no progress.

StethJeff
Nov 7, 2014, 3:41 AM
oh, and to tie this in to development, today the county also approved $125 million for the Zumthor LACMA project. The project costs $600 million.

There was a good opinion piece in the LAT the other day arguing for the $125M county money. Couldn't agree more. Now with this new collection coming in, I'd hope that it's a lock that we'll see the Zumthor Tar (one of my favorite LA projects) and the collection. Very good news for LA.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 7, 2014, 4:09 AM
yes unfortunately that's become the norm for SM politics. this formerly progressive city has become overrun by NIMBYist tenants who control 70% of the electorate.
the result: any candidate who wants a viable way into city government has to cater to the Santa Monica for Renters Rights political party, which holds a virtual monopoly on civic governance. and SMRR's stance is virtually total anti-growth, regardless of quality of said growth.

I'm losing hope in Santa Monica's ability to build on the relative progress it's made over the past decades. as much as i sympathize with renters, santa monica's is a lesson on "regulating on behalf of public interest" gone awry, and it's turned me squarely against self-serving rent control and affordable housing policies across the board.

you simply cannot regulate the poor into a wealthy high-cost region such as the westside. this is especially true in LA, where the ostensible goal is always "reducing congestion by bringing the poor closer to their jobs". this is an unattainable goal, because where a person works, and how a person commutes is subject to a multitude of factors beyond any housing agency's control. but i can tell you that the most direct, guarantee-able result of short-sighted affordable housing and rent control policies is even more out of control housing prices as the cost of subsidizing affordable housing and artificially set below-market rental is passed onto the free-market just like how the cost of accommodating car parking is passed on to consumers.

in los angeles, congestion, auto-centric urban design, NIMBYism, bland urbanism, and housing shortages have the same common fundamental solution: mass transit. nothing else will solve these problems. any talk of how "progress" is being made with our surface-lot and density "problems" lacks substance if transit isn't the root cause of such infill. with los angeles, no transit=no progress.

SMRR is now pretty much anti- even affordable housing. They've come pretty close to turning even on their founder, Denny Zane, who currently leads the MoveLA pro-transit lobby. Santa Monica is pretty close to being LA's hukou city - good if you already live there, but if you don't, they'll make it impossible for you to move there.

I think in time, with Expo and eventually more lines, the current closed-doors attitude will diminish somewhat. The question is how much damage they'll do in the meantime. The nutty Residocracy folks have been mumbling about an initiative to require all new development go to a popular vote. If they're ever that explicit about banning new housing, they'll probably get sued for violating state planning and fair housing law, but the situation definitely isn't good.

Now, I think this election was worse than most--with no competitive state or federal races, the key things driving turnout were the Supervisorial race, SD-26, and the airport ballot measures. None of those are really going to fire up the sorts of young voters who are feeling the effects of SM's exclusionary policies.

IMBY
Nov 7, 2014, 6:36 AM
I'm guessing any Dade County/Miami developer shares my laughter anytime they read development news out of Santa Monica, or any of the other anti-development beach communities of Southern California!

They go to bed at night, shaking their heads in disbelief!:shrug:

Illithid Dude
Nov 7, 2014, 10:38 AM
Yo, I'm a little out of the L.A. Country political loop. What happened that was so bad in SaMo?

Flavius Josephus
Nov 7, 2014, 1:09 PM
Yo, I'm a little out of the L.A. Country political loop. What happened that was so bad in SaMo?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as it could be - Pam O'Connor still got reelected. But they voted down an affordable housing tax. Commentary from SaMo Next here: http://www.santamonicanext.org/2014/11/dear-santa-monica/

blackcat23
Nov 7, 2014, 3:06 PM
Santa Monica's politics have devolved into a complete clusterf***; uninformed NIMBYism masquerading under the guise of populism. Not sure how a bunch of self-identified progressives can reconcile those values with their advocacy for exclusionary housing policy. I suppose being surgically attached to your car will do that to you.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/second-mixed-user-headed-to-la.html

As Flavius mentioned in his summary of the bi-weekly City Planning filings, there's a 169-unit/37,000 sq. ft. retail development planned at the northeast corner of La Brea and Willoughby Avenues. 14 units reserved for very-low income families.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3N3i3ym5aHk/VFmlcDcSshI/AAAAAAAAEmo/TPMnunBFDi0/s900/900labrea.PNG

Also worth noting that this is the former site of the Mole-Richardson building, which was unexpectedly demolished over the summer, to the chagrin of many preservationists.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SERs3diUNmQ/VFp4wqF6KCI/AAAAAAAAEm4/00VUS1vh83c/s1600/molerichardson.jpg

colemonkee
Nov 7, 2014, 3:25 PM
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! That building was awesome! And I used to go to the Mole-Richardson store in college to get supplies.

brudy
Nov 7, 2014, 3:58 PM
Actually, it wasn't as bad as it could be - Pam O'Connor still got reelected. But they voted down an affordable housing tax. Commentary from SaMo Next here: http://www.santamonicanext.org/2014/11/dear-santa-monica/

That piece is really sad in so many ways - the hysteria around traffic, fear of the expo line, fear of non-rich people, weird political bedfellows, old crusty get-off-my-wealthy-lawners...

edluva
Nov 7, 2014, 6:43 PM
SMRR is now pretty much anti- even affordable housing. They've come pretty close to turning even on their founder, Denny Zane, who currently leads the MoveLA pro-transit lobby. Santa Monica is pretty close to being LA's hukou city - good if you already live there, but if you don't, they'll make it impossible for you to move there.

I think in time, with Expo and eventually more lines, the current closed-doors attitude will diminish somewhat. The question is how much damage they'll do in the meantime. The nutty Residocracy folks have been mumbling about an initiative to require all new development go to a popular vote. If they're ever that explicit about banning new housing, they'll probably get sued for violating state planning and fair housing law, but the situation definitely isn't good.

Now, I think this election was worse than most--with no competitive state or federal races, the key things driving turnout were the Supervisorial race, SD-26, and the airport ballot measures. None of those are really going to fire up the sorts of young voters who are feeling the effects of SM's exclusionary policies.

through residiocracy, santa monica has gotten as close to implementing ballot-box permitting as i've seen, by petitioning to bring the already city council-approved bergamot area plan back to a nov 4 referendum for defeat. the specter of defeat alone was enough for council members to rescind approval of the plan. this after 7 years of public hearing and revision. i too personally think even the latest version of bergamot could have been better designed, but this draconian coopting of representative authority elected to do what voters put them there to do in the first place says much more than the fate of bergamot alone.

the ultimate problem cited by NIMBYists in SM and all throughout LA is the same: congestion as it pertains the ability for NIMBYists themselves to drive wherever and whenever they please, in spite of whatever improvements to mass transit are being made. (though modest indeed). SMs problems are a microcosm of LAs where this is concerned. the birthright to drive and park is a regional problem that is borne of cultural inertia, and the vast majority of angelenos are guilty of it. this attitude isn't changing with enough breadth or speed to allow politics, and then, policy to exact tangible change on the ground.

along with hollywood's recent major defeats to NIMBYists, i take the victories of himmelrich and mckeown as a big sign of regression for LAs urban potential. SMs election was a litmus test of how a more urban LA neighborhood blessed with far more natural advantages and economic resources than the rest of the region would respond to the renewed interest in urbanism sweeping the nation. these results don't bode well for LA as a whole.

politically speaking, bringing widespread quality urbanism to LA s akin to pulling the rug from under one's feet. these elections, particularly the apathy of younger voters who would change the ass backward way things have been done prove to me that the current generation of angelenos are still not mature enough or ready for the kind of change needed to make LA a great city.

SimonLA
Nov 7, 2014, 6:53 PM
Rough week with the election, but at least it ends on a good note. Purple Line extension groundbreaking! Decades in the making...
http://thesource.metro.net/2014/11/07/long-wait-is-over-groundbreaking-ceremony-today-for-subway-extension-under-wilshire-boulevard/

edluva
Nov 7, 2014, 7:04 PM
That piece is really sad in so many ways - the hysteria around traffic, fear of the expo line, fear of non-rich people, weird political bedfellows, old crusty get-off-my-wealthy-lawners...

thing is, SMRR is a party not of wealthy homeowners who fear the poor, but rather of renters who through their 70% stake in SM housing and politics, have been able to preserve their first-mover's advantage by artificially locking in below-market rents and limiting the ability of simple economics to provide the market rate housing for those willing to pay the exorbitant prices that they themselves are partly to blame for. they are able to do this by crying traffic whenever a housing project is proposed.

they rail at the quality of proposals, the net additional car-trip estimates of proposals, the "disproportionate" share of commercial sq footage in proposals relative to housing, and against housing projects that are too big. as flavius stated earlier, SM renters are an implacable lot of NIMBYs where development is concerned.

the expo line hasn't been as hot button a topic to santa monicans as we've seen for other NIMBY LA hoods, though. its the relative lack of license that the future expo line has granted SM for denser construction near future stations that's surprising.

edluva
Nov 7, 2014, 7:28 PM
Yo, I'm a little out of the L.A. Country political loop. What happened that was so bad in SaMo?

NIMBY politics is even more entrenched. city council now firmly in the grasp of anti-development interest.

caligrad
Nov 7, 2014, 9:59 PM
Santa Monica's politics have devolved into a complete clusterf***; uninformed NIMBYism masquerading under the guise of populism. Not sure how a bunch of self-identified progressives can reconcile those values with their advocacy for exclusionary housing policy. I suppose being surgically attached to your car will do that to you.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/second-mixed-user-headed-to-la.html

As Flavius mentioned in his summary of the bi-weekly City Planning filings, there's a 169-unit/37,000 sq. ft. retail development planned at the northeast corner of La Brea and Willoughby Avenues. 14 units reserved for very-low income families.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3N3i3ym5aHk/VFmlcDcSshI/AAAAAAAAEmo/TPMnunBFDi0/s900/900labrea.PNG

Also worth noting that this is the former site of the Mole-Richardson building, which was unexpectedly demolished over the summer, to the chagrin of many preservationists.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SERs3diUNmQ/VFp4wqF6KCI/AAAAAAAAEm4/00VUS1vh83c/s1600/molerichardson.jpg


Its a shame that building got demolished. If it were more publicized, that would have been a building I wouldn't mind have saving and i'm not one to jump on preserving every building like some forumers are. But. This one could have been saved, roof cut out, and a nice retro building built on top.

caligrad
Nov 7, 2014, 10:15 PM
I'm guessing any Dade County/Miami developer shares my laughter anytime they read development news out of Santa Monica, or any of the other anti-development beach communities of Southern California!

They go to bed at night, shaking their heads in disbelief!:shrug:

Eh..... Miami reminds me of a Chinese City sitting on American territory..... build build build. And most of the buildings sit empty for years as shells and end up being sold off and turned into apartments or what not. There was a story about that on the news recently. That's one thing i would HATE to see in LA, anywhere in LA for that matter. we already experienced that in the early 90's. Don't need to repeat it.

Yes Most of So Cal beach cities are Anti development, anti high-rise. But what many people fail to realize, even those who live here, is that most people don't want our beach cities built up like city centers, I can understand wanting density to the max in santa monica but its not necessary. I would HATE to see Redondo beach, manhattan beach, Hermosa beach and other build up with high rises and many people would feel the same.

The beach is our retreat from the city. Why build it up to look like one? Its just that most of the beach cities aren't that big to begin with.... with the exception of Long Beach which is currently building a new tallest and two 20 story towers in the works. I say yeah the beach cities are dense but could be denser but making some of them city centers isn't a good idea. Not to mention the topography of some of our beach cities are not as flat and easy to build on like Miami.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 8, 2014, 4:00 AM
LADCP just released their new draft of the Mobility Element of the General Plan, along with other related documents. http://la2b.org/2014/11/06/updated-mobility-plan-released-for-city-planning-commission/. I really like it - good emphasis on livability and multimodality, safety/Vision Zero, repeated mentions of the importance of TOD in land use policy, and even a "wish list" of regional transit projects (including extending the Crenshaw Line north to near the Hollywood Bowl, presumably via WeHo and access to the South Bay via the Harbor Subdivision, and more service in places like Century City and Warner Center).

Of course, all this will probably drive the NIMBYs crazy, so expect lawsuits. And whether the policies identified will actually be carried into practice may be another matter.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 9, 2014, 2:26 AM
Looks like some movement on the Ports O'Call Redevelopment, via the Council. http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=14-1330

blackcat23
Nov 10, 2014, 2:22 PM
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/whoa-koreatown-high-rise-project-revived.html

UDR, Inc. has revived a pre-recession 18-story development at 3033 Wilshire Boulevard, two blocks east of Wilshire/Vermont Station. The building would contain 190 apartments, 5,500 square feet of ground-level retail, and 302 parking spaces in a four-level podium. The project is being designed by Steinberg Architects, and completion is anticipated in February 2016.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_RDwNqAxFw/VGAbJ2CpPgI/AAAAAAAAEqs/4xwxe7xWmiQ/s1600/3033%2BWilshire%2BBlvd.jpg

This was formerly the Circa on Wilshire project, which was to be developed by Williams & Dame and designed by Ankrom Moisan.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJvwtvPbqWo/VGAztLYI4bI/AAAAAAAAErU/8hOb14AWlmc/s1600/ankrommoisan.jpg

colemonkee
Nov 10, 2014, 3:37 PM
^ Design leaves a lot to be desired, but the scale and density are right on.

SimonLA
Nov 10, 2014, 4:19 PM
Any news about the Hollywood Target lawsuit... or the Spaghetti Factory tower? Anxious to see those pick up. (If anyone has links to those lawsuits on the state website it would be appreciated.)

BrandonJXN
Nov 10, 2014, 5:37 PM
^ Design leaves a lot to be desired, but the scale and density are right on.

I quite like this new building. More interesting architecturally than Circa.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 10, 2014, 6:40 PM
Any news about the Hollywood Target lawsuit... or the Spaghetti Factory tower? Anxious to see those pick up. (If anyone has links to those lawsuits on the state website it would be appreciated.)

Here's what I have:

- Il Villagio Toscano: City has filed for review at CA Supreme Court after Court of Appeal summarily denied City's writ of mandate petition. Couldn't find any rulings freely available online, and the case still displays as pending in the LA Superior Court case search. I suspect this may be a dispute over a preliminary issue, like discovery or what constitutes the administrative record.
- Target: Nothing from Court of Appeal, which won't be taking any action for a few months pending brief filings. Supreme Court delayed decision on the petition for review on denial of a stay until 12/11.
- HCPU: NIMBYs' briefs due at the start of December. Court calender suggests it expects to have reached a decision by March.
- Sunset/Gordon: Appeal just filed. Expect it take at least 6 months to make its way through the appellate court. Unclear what the effect on tenants was - the Superior Court docket sheet indicates that their motion to intervene was denied (presumably as untimely), but it's possible that the court clarified the judgment to reduce impacts to them - the text of the final judgment isn't available.

We'll probably see next year what the courts ultimately decide. Meanwhile, some positive signs from the legislature - Speaker Atkins has called for more exemptions for infill, although we'll see whether that translates into any actual legislation.

Eightball
Nov 10, 2014, 7:13 PM
I quite like this new building. More interesting architecturally than Circa.
Agreed. Glad to see these high teens to mid 20s towers go up all over the area (ie this neighborhood, Hollywood, DT LB, etc).

DenseCityPlease
Nov 10, 2014, 8:39 PM
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/whoa-koreatown-high-rise-project-revived.html

UDR, Inc. has revived a pre-recession 18-story development at 3033 Wilshire Boulevard, two blocks east of Wilshire/Vermont Station. The building would contain 190 apartments, 5,500 square feet of ground-level retail, and 302 parking spaces in a four-level podium. The project is being designed by Steinberg Architects, and completion is anticipated in February 2016.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_RDwNqAxFw/VGAbJ2CpPgI/AAAAAAAAEqs/4xwxe7xWmiQ/s1600/3033%2BWilshire%2BBlvd.jpg

This was formerly the Circa on Wilshire project, which was to be developed by Williams & Dame and designed by Ankrom Moisan.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJvwtvPbqWo/VGAztLYI4bI/AAAAAAAAErU/8hOb14AWlmc/s1600/ankrommoisan.jpg

A February 2016 completion date is EXTREMELY ambitious for a project of that size that is only just now pulling permits. I wonder how they figure that schedule...

Seems like mid-to-late 2016 is more realistic, and even that would be a pretty impressive pace. But maybe they know something we don't.

blackcat23
Nov 10, 2014, 8:49 PM
UDR started the application processes over the summer, and looks to be very close to receiving a permit to start foundation work. A February 2016 completion date is optimistic, but not impossible. Especially since they don't need to excavate underground parking levels.

DenseCityPlease
Nov 10, 2014, 9:01 PM
Good point. The shallow excavation will definitely speed things along. If they mobilize and start digging by the end of the month it could just be in the cards.

In any case it's thrilling that K-town officially seems to be in play. I've long been fond of this part of the city, and it's probably one of the five most urban and walkable neighborhoods we have. Plus, it's the nexus of the county's only two heavy rail lines!

Flavius Josephus
Nov 11, 2014, 3:33 AM
Industrial megadevelopment down south. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/11/texas_company_wants_to_create_californias_biggest_oil_refinery_in_the_south_bay.php#more. Needless to say, the odds of this one passing environmental muster are not good.

Meanwhile, up in the Valley: http://sfvbj.com/news/2014/nov/10/more-housing-planned-panavision-site/

Eightball
Nov 11, 2014, 5:20 PM
Anyone know what this is? It's also located at Washington and National in Culver City, but catacorner to the station (across the street from The Platform).

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7536/15146961523_e3e6fefd83_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5u8X2)Washington and National in Culver City 11/10 (https://flic.kr/p/p5u8X2) by thaeisahtbizall (https://www.flickr.com/people/73028294@N00/), on Flickr

blackcat23
Nov 11, 2014, 5:25 PM
That's Access Culver City, a mixed-use development from Greystar Real Estate Partners. Five-story building with 115 apartments and ground-floor retail.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uku29kWIa7k/UtGk8FB9k_I/AAAAAAAAB2Y/iUJYCPNJJ6o/s900/access1.jpg

Eightball
Nov 11, 2014, 5:25 PM
Awesome, thanks

brudy
Nov 11, 2014, 6:08 PM
Interesting reuse of the old Tower Records building on Sunset - Gibson (the guitar manufacturer) is taking over the building and will use it to show their stuff and host live performances. Pretty cool and a good way of keeping music going on Sunset.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tower-records-gibson-20141111-story.html

bzcat
Nov 11, 2014, 7:17 PM
Anyone know what this is? It's also located at Washington and National in Culver City, but catacorner to the station (across the street from The Platform).



It's called Access Culver City.

See map of all three projects: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zWatSEgndWgY.k2jQ31iMJQOc

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Lv-8wp_sC7g/UxgXszzTNwI/AAAAAAAAO8w/xxlqwyoCsOY/w1065-h797-no/EXPO+TOD+copy.jpg

Edit: didn't see blackcat already answered your question... but I have pretty maps :)

edluva
Nov 12, 2014, 7:04 AM
if anybody has been around for any moment of time you'd easily see why this article by sam hall kaplan echoes my own sentiments about why los angeles consistently puts up shallow, gimmicky architecture and urban design, where in other cities the same perfectly good money is spent with much better taste.

some of you might find it interesting. kaplan mentions a lack of more enlightened critical voices of influence in LA, the same urban intellectual voices which in other cities, serve the vital purpose of holding those in power (politicians, developers, and others with the ability to shape the aesthetic and functional realm of our city) accountable for better urban design.

kaplan also mentions la's love of "caricatures", referencing our obsession with the vain, architectural iconography of structures like disney hall or the proposed LACMA blob, an obsession which comes at the expense of the more considered process of designing thoughtful public spaces. of seeing architecture as a "social art" as he puts it. i personally take his criticism of gehry, mahtzan, and the LACMA "blob" as a broader commentary on the state of starchitecture nowadays, but his point about LA's being particularly afflicted with this tendency for shallow vanity and cynical design is noted.

i found this article especially insightful because it essentially criticizes LA for being a rather philistine city, using aesthetics as a proxy for a dysfunctional political and economic environment. something i've not been shy of doing myself.

i would love to know what role he thinks NIMBYism plays in this dynamic because he failed to bring it up.

http://www.planningreport.com/2014/11/07/why-la-looks-way-it-does-no-steward-built-environment
Why LA Looks the Way It Does, with No Steward of the Built Environment
November 7, 2014

Sam Hall Kaplan
"Critics and pundits—concerned both about the image of the city and the inattention of city planners whose bosses prioritize expediting projects over contextual planning—unfortunately focus on how things 'look' rather than how they work."
Los Angeles is unquestionably in one of its capricious growth spurts. To witness this, one has only to try to traverse Downtown—one of several grid-locked LA centers—in a car; or, please cautiously, on a bicycle; or contemplatively, as I have, slowly on foot.

When wandering Downtown, I’ve found it more crowded, more interesting, more alive day and night than just a decade ago. It’s apparently a place now where the younger generations want to be and be seen. Still, Downtown remains frankly fractured and, for many blocks, tawdry.

After years of anxiety over spurring growth generating jobs, taxes, and not incidentally, political contributions, there has been a flurry of comments bluntly raising the question of why Downtown looks the way it does.

The resulting denouement of critics and pundits—concerned both about the image of the city and the inattention of city planners whose bosses prioritize expediting projects over contextual planning—unfortunately focus on how things “look” rather than how they work. Once again, the pandering politicians, presumptuous academics, and undiscerning journalists ignore the users to pursue their often-elitist agendas. They’re failing, as a result, as stewards of the built environment on behalf of the public. With no real arbiters with standing, it is lawyers, facilitators, and former government officials that are free to tweak the design of proposed projects to the pleasure and profit of their developer clients—remaining deaf to pledges of public transparency.

The increasing interest in Downtown Los Angeles by the local legion of real estate developers, foreign investors, and their courtiers and contrarians, as well as the local American Institute of Architects, has prompted a welcome, analogous interest in architecture with a capital “A.” However, it is design as a noun, not a verb, that is generating the comments. Many of those who profess design sensibilities are, in my view, people who have ignored architecture as a social art: space serving places where people live, work, and play.

Take, for instance, Downtown’s Arts District. Cited in particular as a welcomed harbinger of what’s to come is One Santa Fe, touting 483 housing units, and a smattering of commercial and community space. The project was designed by Michael Maltzan in his now-signature practical minimalist neo-modernist style, satisfying both the cost-conscious developers and critics in search of something—anything—new. Anchored like a titanic bleached cargo container ship, and yet to be finished and fully rented, it is encouraging similar, dense projects. These include a strained 472-apartment project a block away on East Third. LA loves caricatures.

Other designs are being dusted off to the muted cheers of city and private plotters and planners, but also to the concern of long-term denizens who worry about rampant gentrification, the conflicted loved-and-feared city idiom.

If built as projected, they will unquestionably add to the density and dollar delights long sought by the powers-that-be for Downtown and preached at the endless academic symposiums. But I fear they will not necessarily generate the urbanity that distinguishes aspiring world cities.

Contrary to the common view of critics, pundits, and design professionals enthralled by high-rises and the skyline, it’s been my observation as an urban designer and mobility maven that most people experience a city at the street level. That aspect of design unfortunately remains an afterthought.

Instead, architects and developers blatantly pursue the self-interest of careers—the desire to somehow get a piece of the action and get on the infamous “A lists” of LA, dominated by the entertainment industry. Perhaps they feel it is a way to indeed make architecture more entertaining, as Frank Gehry and his mimics have attempted with success.

Several buildings of architectural note crafted by world-renown architects have risen and are rising Downtown, such as the striking Disney Concert Hall that often serves as a set piece for advertising the city or select products parked on its vacant staircase. It is a singular sculpture, but how it works as architecture is another matter.

Beyond serving as a photo op and a backdrop for the selfies of straggling tourists, the grand Grand Avenue array of institutional icons do little to energize their settings. No welcoming, open lobbies taking advantage of the city’s benign climate, no sidewalk café, no shaded sitting areas, no real places to congregate, creating a rare and needed sense of place. (A possible exception might be the Broad Museum with it's adjacent park plaza.)

The import of celebrity architects to the outlander LA have tended to generate vain attempts to fashion iconic structures, such as the current black blob proposal by a Pritzker-prize winner from a Swiss wilderness championed by yet another publicity-hungry, vain museum director for a billion-dollar remake of the Los Angeles Museum of Art. The design trashes their landmark setting and history while emptying local cultural coffers.

If the architectural aficionados criticize Downtown, they usually cite the fauxtalian Tuscan fortresses fashioned by developer Geoff Palmer. But excoriate the exterior design as you will, the sitting of the complexes adjacent to central city offices and their interior of several thousand apartments are embraced by the residents, according to the usually hyper-critical Marc Haefele in a forthcoming article in Los Angeles Magazine. It makes one pause and raise the question: For whom do we design our cities?

The well-meaning Urban Land Institute, the Central City Association, and the cloistered academic agglomerations bearing the name of their guilty benefactors are in a perpetual and personally profitable search for the key to the city. Still, after their statements, studies, and slideshows, no challenging vision of Downtown Los Angeles has emerged. Part to blame is the city’s cult of amiability. People really don’t want to criticize, especially someone of influence. We tend to be a city of smiling glad-handers—while a city like New York, from my experience, thrives on critical commentary. Its streets are paved with hard-boiled eggs. In LA, it is fragile eggshells.

The media also have the potential to generate and promote a specter of an engaging, evolving, thriving Downtown. I mourn the Downtown News, LA Weekly, and in particular, my alma mater—the sadly fading LA Times. It coincidentally could better serve itself and its shrinking, skulking readers by providing a sharper, more critical focus on the shaping and misshaping of the city. I am not suggesting expanding the lame, trivial “hot properties” column or the egregious, wordy, safe split spreads—such as one recently focused on the design and construction of a questionable skylight in a tourist hotel with little comment on how the megaproject interacts with the street and sidewalk. Pure inside, undiscerning baseball.

If a finger must be pointed to the guilty for the architectural confusion and drift of Los Angeles, it is a trio of self-inflated amalgamates, who in turn are influenced by the city’s dubious Mandarins, the true stewards of LA’s built environment. They are the lawyers, the facilitators, and former government officials who, deaf to the public pledges of transparency, tweak the design of proposed projects to the pleasure and profit of their developer clients. Taking a back seat usually are the mayor’s and local councilpersons’ inexperienced, acquiescent staff members.

blackcat23
Nov 12, 2014, 2:24 PM
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/miracle-mile-apartment-complex-re.html

Color renderings of the proposed LOHA-designed apartment complex just south of the Dominguez-Wilshire Building. Four stories, 43 apartments, 246 parking spaces. It's basically an underground parking garage capped with apartments.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJMD8NulTLs/VFqcpZ40o-I/AAAAAAAAEnI/nIb2awMzJg4/s900/loha.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_DgnHZAVo0/VFqj_iEHq6I/AAAAAAAAEnY/IMMPuw93nhY/s900/loha1.jpg

LosAngelesSportsFan
Nov 12, 2014, 5:03 PM
Looks real nice honestly

Flavius Josephus
Nov 12, 2014, 9:29 PM
if anybody has been around for any moment of time you'd easily see why this article by sam hall kaplan echoes my own sentiments about why los angeles consistently puts up shallow, gimmicky architecture and urban design, where in other cities the same perfectly good money is spent with much better taste.

some of you might find it interesting. kaplan mentions a lack of more enlightened critical voices of influence in LA, the same urban intellectual voices which in other cities, serve the vital purpose of holding those in power (politicians, developers, and others with the ability to shape the aesthetic and functional realm of our city) accountable for better urban design.

kaplan also mentions la's love of "caricatures", referencing our obsession with the vain, architectural iconography of structures like disney hall or the proposed LACMA blob, an obsession which comes at the expense of the more considered process of designing thoughtful public spaces. of seeing architecture as a "social art" as he puts it. i personally take his criticism of gehry, mahtzan, and the LACMA "blob" as a broader commentary on the state of starchitecture nowadays, but his point about LA's being particularly afflicted with this tendency for shallow vanity and cynical design is noted.

i found this article especially insightful because it essentially criticizes LA for being a rather philistine city, using aesthetics as a proxy for a dysfunctional political and economic environment. something i've not been shy of doing myself.

i would love to know what role he thinks NIMBYism plays in this dynamic because he failed to bring it up.

http://www.planningreport.com/2014/11/07/why-la-looks-way-it-does-no-steward-built-environment

Meh. I think he's basically a slow-growther. Building or rehabbing tens of thousands of units downtown has done wonders for the streetlife, even without a bunch of bureaucrats imposing their subjective taste on others. For the most part, letting the market do its work is the best way--after all, most East Coast cities grew up in an era where there was basically no zoning aside from common law nuisance principles. Organic urban growth is best.

Also, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that the worst offenders by a mile in constructing single-use buildings in a sea of parking are government agencies.

LosAngelesBeauty
Nov 12, 2014, 10:47 PM
Delete

Flavius Josephus
Nov 13, 2014, 2:45 AM
Valley office development in the pipeline: http://www.globest.com/news/12_986/losangeles/acquisitions_dispositions/44-Acre-Business-Campus-Trades-Hands-352446.html

LDVArch
Nov 13, 2014, 4:05 AM
if anybody has been around for any moment of time you'd easily see why this article by sam hall kaplan echoes my own sentiments about why los angeles consistently puts up shallow, gimmicky architecture and urban design, where in other cities the same perfectly good money is spent with much better taste.

[...] kaplan also mentions la's love of "caricatures", referencing our obsession with the vain, architectural iconography of structures like disney hall or the proposed LACMA blob, an obsession which comes at the expense of the more considered process of designing thoughtful public spaces. of seeing architecture as a "social art" as he puts it.

i found this article especially insightful because it essentially criticizes LA for being a rather philistine city, using aesthetics as a proxy for a dysfunctional political and economic environment. something i've not been shy of doing myself.
[/url]

Meh. This happens in other cities too. (This is not what makes LA different.)

See NYC and One World Trade Center, the Calatrava "albatross," and MOMA's many attempts to reinvent itself.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 13, 2014, 2:39 PM
Environmental docs just released:
- Broadway@4th (400 S Broadway, Downtown) - 34 story, 450 units, plus ground floor retail and 450 parking spaces. Believe it's a Shomof. http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2013-3187-1.pdf http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2013-3187-2.pdf
- Otis Student Housing, etc. (9025 S Lincoln, Westchester) - 124 dorm rooms http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2014-2608.pdf
- 31 unit mixed user in NoHo (11430 W Hatteras) http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2014-2530.pdf
- Fixes for various silly conditions the City put on projects a while back, including banning shared parking spaces at a student housing development near USC (http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2014-1545.pdf) and banning any use except developing film in a now-vacant building in Hollywood (http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/mnd/ENV-2014-3584.pdf)
- Big retail center in Commerce http://www.ceqanet.ca.gov/DocDescription.asp?DocPK=686490

AndrewK
Nov 14, 2014, 12:20 AM
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/miracle-mile-apartment-complex-re.html

Color renderings of the proposed LOHA-designed apartment complex just south of the Dominguez-Wilshire Building. Four stories, 43 apartments, 246 parking spaces. It's basically an underground parking garage capped with apartments.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJMD8NulTLs/VFqcpZ40o-I/AAAAAAAAEnI/nIb2awMzJg4/s900/loha.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_DgnHZAVo0/VFqj_iEHq6I/AAAAAAAAEnY/IMMPuw93nhY/s900/loha1.jpg
Seems kinda silly that they are putting all that effort into building multiple levels of underground parking, and still maintaining so much surface level parking in place of more residential.

SimonLA
Nov 14, 2014, 1:19 AM
Seems kinda silly that they are putting all that effort into building multiple levels of underground parking, and still maintaining so much surface level parking in place of more residential.

Right near the La Brea subway station, no less.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 14, 2014, 2:02 AM
Right near the La Brea subway station, no less.

Maybe an odd-shaped parcel? Possible that the surface parking is owned by someone else.

elcoronel
Nov 14, 2014, 7:13 AM
Maybe an odd-shaped parcel? Possible that the surface parking is owned by someone else.

Yeah, the last photo in blackcat's blogpost shows the parcel being limited to the area that will be undergoing construction, not the surface parking area.

Steve2726
Nov 14, 2014, 4:22 PM
Regarding the Waldorf project at the Beverly Hilton, it's a little hard to see over the fence but it looks like they are digging and have shoring equipment working on site.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 14, 2014, 4:39 PM
LA Weekly, continuing its recent trend of being the alt-weekly of millionaire boomer homeowners, profiles everyone's favorite NIMBY lawyer. http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/11/13/how-a-ragtag-coalition-stops-skyscrapers-in-hollywood?elq=f3625165c92741208c469e79baeb8706&elqCampaignId=10012.

DistrictDirt
Nov 14, 2014, 5:27 PM
LA Weekly, continuing its recent trend of being the alt-weekly of millionaire boomer homeowners, profiles everyone's favorite NIMBY lawyer. http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/11/13/how-a-ragtag-coalition-stops-skyscrapers-in-hollywood?elq=f3625165c92741208c469e79baeb8706&elqCampaignId=10012.

Crazy that an alt weekly paper can get it so wrong. The LA Weekly is definitely cut from a different cloth than the Village Voice, the Washington City Paper, The Stranger, etc.

In terms of Hollywood development getting stymied by Silverstein and his ilk- its frustrating as hell, but it makes me feel a little better to know that Hollywood's loss is DTLA's gain. The more that the NIMBY neighborhoods of LA push development away, the more it will coalesce around development friendly neighborhoods like downtown. The housing has to go somewhere.

SimonLA
Nov 14, 2014, 7:40 PM
While two of West Hollywood's most egregious stripmalls were torn down last year--the Movietown site and the Tasty Donuts plaza--the plots are showing almost no action in terms of rebar or construction. I'm trying to find out what's the deal, but if anyone knows it would be helpful. The Walgreens mixed-use site (former Tasty Donuts) has a Lorcan O'Herlihy sign up, but I don't see anything on LOHA's site.

Harper83
Nov 14, 2014, 10:23 PM
While two of West Hollywood's most egregious stripmalls were torn down last year--the Movietown site and the Tasty Donuts plaza--the plots are showing almost no action in terms of rebar or construction. I'm trying to find out what's the deal, but if anyone knows it would be helpful. The Walgreens mixed-use site (former Tasty Donuts) has a Lorcan O'Herlihy sign up, but I don't see anything on LOHA's site.

Movietown plaza has seen a ton of activity in a short period of time. It was only a few weeks ago that the strip mall stood still there, and now it is a massive pit for the below grade parking garage. There are a ton of workers on site every day, but I doubt anything will happen above ground before next year considering the site's massive size.

SMB 20 is still on LOHA's website (http://loharchitects.com/work/smb20), but unlike Movietown Plaza the site has been inactive since demolition.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 18, 2014, 3:06 AM
Update on Hollywood Target - Supreme Court denied Target's petition for review of the Court of Appeal's order denying a stay pending appeal. http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/supreme/actions/SL111214.PDF. The project will therefore remain enjoined pending the Court of Appeal's resolution of the appeal.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 18, 2014, 6:04 PM
LADCP case filing report is out. Highlights:

- Chatsworth: 58 townhome condos at 22001 W Nordhoff
- Marina Del Rey (LA City part): 5 story mixed user with 134 resi units and 15k sq ft office at 4210 S Del Rey
- As mentioned by Blackcat on the Central City forum, a 24 story, 320 unit project at 737 S Spring downtown.
- In Little Tokyo, a 66 unit, 6 story mixed user at 118 S Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka St (!!!)
- In the Arts District, a 234 unit live/work mixed user at 527 S Colyton
- Over in Hollywood, a 65 unit apt building at 1769 N Sycamore
- Also in Hollywood, a 6 story, 159 key hotel at 1921 N Wilcox
- In Mid-City, an 8-lot tentative tract map (which probably indicates a small-lot subdivision) at 1815 S Redondo
- 46 unit apt building at 1111 W Cumpston in NoHo.
- A 6-lot subdivision at 7945 N Coldwater Canyon in Sun Valley
- 6 story, 170 unit mixed user at 6912 N Reseda in Reseda
- 49 unit mixed user at 18840 W Sherman Way, also in Reseda
- The trend of Silver Lake Small Lot Subdivisions continues at 1628 N Micheltorena with four more.
- Small Lot Subdivisions seem to be gaining popularity in the Valley too, with 5 at 14918 W Martha in Van Nuys
- 99 SFRs in Westchester at 12700 Millennium.
- Office-to-Hotel adaptive reuse near LAX at 9800 S Sepulveda; 178 rooms.
- Little 12 unit apt development at 662 S Kelton in Westwood
- In K-town, 20 condos at 3950 W Ingraham
- 46 unit condo development at 625 S Barrington in Brentwood. Believe it replaces an aging apt complex.

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/CNCRpts/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=302

bzcat
Nov 19, 2014, 10:32 PM
LADCP case filing report is out. Highlights:

- 99 SFRs in Westchester at 12700 Millennium.



That's the next batch of homes in Phase 2 of Playa Vista, not actually in Westchester.

blackcat23
Nov 19, 2014, 11:18 PM
New renderings of Martin Expo Town Center, located just north of Bundy Station.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-renderings-revealed-for-martin-expo.html


11-story/160-foot office building, 200,000 sq. ft. creative office, 14,000 sq. ft. ground-floor retail, 10,000 sq. ft. Martin Cadillac showroom
12-story/130-foot residential tower, 197 condominiums, 22,600 sq. ft. ground-floor retail
7-story condominium building, 255 units, 17,400 sq. ft. retail


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fw43FG-BLyc/VGz6iur3RjI/AAAAAAAAEzc/cTiCdRE4D_0/s1000/expo4.PNG

LosAngelesSportsFan
Nov 20, 2014, 2:24 AM
Excellent news for the Hollywood office submarket. Viacom to consolidate all their operations to Columbia Square from Santa Monica and Burbank.

180,000 sq ft, 12 year lease

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-columbia-square-viacom-20141120-story.html

e campus that was once the legendary Hollywood headquarters for CBS will become home to a new generation of popular broadcasters.

Cable television networks MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Spike TV will consolidate in a new building at Columbia Square, a $420-million office, residential and retail complex under construction at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street.

The networks' owner, Viacom Inc., agreed to rent 180,000 square feet of space, Los Angeles developer Kilroy Realty Corp. said.

Illithid Dude
Nov 20, 2014, 2:46 AM
New renderings of Martin Expo Town Center, located just north of Bundy Station.

http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-renderings-revealed-for-martin-expo.html


11-story/160-foot office building, 200,000 sq. ft. creative office, 14,000 sq. ft. ground-floor retail, 10,000 sq. ft. Martin Cadillac showroom
12-story/130-foot residential tower, 197 condominiums, 22,600 sq. ft. ground-floor retail
7-story condominium building, 255 units, 17,400 sq. ft. retail


fuck supergraphics. hope the city doesn't allow them on the final project.

blackcat23
Nov 20, 2014, 6:15 AM
Excellent news for the Hollywood office submarket. Viacom to consolidate all their operations to Columbia Square from Santa Monica and Burbank.

180,000 sq ft, 12 year lease

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-columbia-square-viacom-20141120-story.html

e campus that was once the legendary Hollywood headquarters for CBS will become home to a new generation of popular broadcasters.

Cable television networks MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Spike TV will consolidate in a new building at Columbia Square, a $420-million office, residential and retail complex under construction at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street.

The networks' owner, Viacom Inc., agreed to rent 180,000 square feet of space, Los Angeles developer Kilroy Realty Corp. said.

Excellent news. I'm sure the Hudson Pacific Properties and J.H. Snyder projects are hoping for similar luck in the coming years.

Flavius Josephus
Nov 20, 2014, 4:00 PM
Looks like the Hollywood Jack in the Box's days are numbered. $13.8m, slated for hotel (eventually). http://www.globest.com/news/12_992/losangeles/development/Hollywood-Site-Plucked-for-Hotel-Project-352722.html?ET=globest:e44885:845234a:&st=email&s=&cmp=gst:California_AM_20141119:editorial

Eightball
Nov 20, 2014, 4:20 PM
^^^ interesting that the article states its the highest price ever paid for a development site in the Hollywood submarket.

colemonkee
Nov 20, 2014, 4:32 PM
The article says that the Jack in the Box renewed their lease for 5 years, so we'll have plenty of time to get Spicy Sriracha Burgers and Jumbo Jacks. Full disclosure - Jack in the Box was my client for over 12 years, so I know far more about their business than I care to admit. ;) :eat:

Flavius Josephus
Nov 20, 2014, 9:08 PM
Courtesy of the SoRo Neighborhood Council agendas, looks like there's a lot of discussion of LAX transit going on, including pressure for studies on extending the Green Line into the Westside (presumably along Lincoln?) and South Bay (along the Harbor Subdivision), among other things. Also a dubious proposal on sidewalk repair and the usual NIMBY stuff on the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance and short-term rentals. http://www.soronc.org/files/committees/Board/2014/112014_SORONC_board_motions_1.pdf

metrocity567
Nov 20, 2014, 10:37 PM
LADCP case filing report is out. Highlights:

- Chatsworth: 58 townhome condos at 22001 W Nordhoff
- 46 unit apt building at 1111 W Cumpston in NoHo.
- A 6-lot subdivision at 7945 N Coldwater Canyon in Sun Valley
- 6 story, 170 unit mixed user at 6912 N Reseda in Reseda
- 49 unit mixed user at 18840 W Sherman Way, also in Reseda
- Small Lot Subdivisions seem to be gaining popularity in the Valley too, with 5 at 14918 W Martha in Van Nuys

At least there's more future urban development in in my hometown, the San Fernando Valley along with the upcoming light rail line on Van Nuys Blvd. I'll be expecting that in the future soon. :)

LADCP case filing report is out. Highlights:

- In Little Tokyo, a 66 unit, 6 story mixed user at 118 S Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka St (!!!)


Also, more urban development in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. That's great!! :tup:

blackcat23
Nov 21, 2014, 5:35 AM
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/shiny-new-renderings-for-3033-wilshire.html

A couple new renderings for 3033 Wilshire Boulevard (18 stories/201' tall, 190 apartments, 5,500 sq. ft. retail). Designed by Steinberg Architects, being developed by UDR, Inc.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4YQ7EVxGyww/VG6wyd9MB4I/AAAAAAAAE0o/iPvHLI9Ywqk/s1600/3033wilshire2.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vEWmigVYp0E/VG6whUW4O1I/AAAAAAAAE0k/Eba5HiUCfXI/s1600/3033wilshire.jpg

Muji
Nov 21, 2014, 7:39 AM
The 3033 Wilshire nothing too exciting, but it should fit in well with its neighbors, so I hope it gets off the ground as soon as possible. It's a little sad right now how quickly the pedestrian activity dies off on Wilshire east of Vermont Avenue.

blackcat23
Nov 22, 2014, 10:56 PM
The 3033 Wilshire nothing too exciting, but it should fit in well with its neighbors, so I hope it gets off the ground as soon as possible. It's a little sad right now how quickly the pedestrian activity dies off on Wilshire east of Vermont Avenue.

Speaking of which, heavy equipment and materials are already at the project site:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQxkKT8ZHGo/VHER4vE3jRI/AAAAAAAAE1Y/7YcQBhUc1jU/s1000/DSC03733.JPG
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/shiny-new-renderings-for-3033-wilshire.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aht2kOQdbMI/VHESIgKDlTI/AAAAAAAAE1g/Co4lHx9-3H0/s1000/DSC03743.JPG
http://buildinglosangeles.blogspot.com/2014/11/shiny-new-renderings-for-3033-wilshire.html

Muji
Nov 22, 2014, 11:18 PM
Hah, you beat me to it! I noticed the exact same thing when I walked by yesterday afternoon.

Quixote
Nov 23, 2014, 4:55 AM
Perfect scale for Wilshire IMO.

Busy Bee
Nov 23, 2014, 4:55 AM
fuck supergraphics. hope the city doesn't allow them on the final project.

What? You mean the sign saying "offices"? What's the problem here?

Illithid Dude
Nov 23, 2014, 5:17 AM
What? You mean the sign saying "offices"? What's the problem here?

i mean the big billboard on the side of the building

Kingofthehill
Nov 23, 2014, 11:06 AM
Yeah, that should be a good fit for that part of Wilshire. I just hope the parking deck cladding doesn't turn out to be a mess, as seen at Wilshire/Vermont, or the Watermarke in Downtown.