[ocman]

The more I look at those pictures, the more I realize what a huge mistake Los Angeles is making. LA Live is so inward focusing. The placement of the movie theater on the other side of the hotel away from the rest of the entertainment doesn't make any sense to me.

Again, LA kisses the ass of the developer when it should have demanding more sensitive urban planning. Is it complicated to add a couple storefronts to those blank boring walls? The city gave them a load of money, and it didn't ask them to make the project more street sensitive?

[citywatch]

The placement of the movie theater on the other side of the hotel away from the rest of the entertainment doesn't make any sense to me. When I first saw diagrams indicating that layout, I hoped it was only tentative & that the architects or planners were juggling the pieces of the proj so that the Regal movie theaters eventually would be moved closer towards Fig & the rest of LA Live. Why that didn't occur, or why the devlpr thought that wouldn't be a good alternative, puzzles me. I hope the divide between the movie theaters & the other public areas doesn't even up being a case of Bad Planning 101.

[funhaus]

^ Seems like the ESPN production facility would have been better where the theatres are planned - and vice-versa.

[danparker276]

The ESPN building will have the ESPN zone /bar thing, it's not all a office buildings. I don't think the movie theaters are in a bad spot. There's only a block difference between that and metropolis, and the street between will be filled with retail shops, or whatever they will build. There's also another parking lot over there.

People will always walk to the movie theater, no need to have it at the enterance

[LAMetroGuy]

I agree, I think that the placement of the movie theaters is fine. It will force pedestrian activity from the corner of olympic and fig west to towards the theaters. that is a good thing because in the future they can go north towards metropolis or east towards la live, etc. it keeps pedestrians moving west of la live otherwise it would all concentrate to the east of the hotel and nokia theater.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

exactly. its not ust LA Live, rather its the whole area, with Metropolis, the planned hotel across from LA Live on Olympic, the Just Tires block that just got sold, the eventual replacement for the carwash, etc etc etc. its not jsut LA Live.

[colemonkee]

I'm probably gonna take some flak for this, but I actually like that carwash, despite the fact that the guy stole all of my change last time I got my car washed there. It has ground level retail on the Figueroa side, and the skaters and bmx'ers really like the little concrete embankment on the Olympic side.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

well, it would be cool....in Reseda! i just think its a waste of space. so much potential for that corner.

[danparker276]

They're just waiting for LA Live to open to cash in.

[funhaus]

The low height of the car wash leaves the south side of the Figueroa Hotel unobstructed, which I happen to like. That facade - subdivided into three parts - has yielded some of the most interesting advertising in all of downtown.

If that corner were to be developed fully, I would miss what it reveals more than the car wash itself (which I use as well).

http://www.olofsdotter.com/files/inspecting.jpg (http://www.olofsdotter.com/page.php?a=project&i=93)

[colemonkee]

I agree. I like the advertising on that blank wall, and it lends itself to the "Times Square effect" that the LA Live developers are trying to realize. Unless something tall and well-designed goes up there, I'd rather keep it as is.

I took a look at the webcam this morning and it appears that the first steel is going vertical on the second low-rise building (the one housing Club Nokia, Herbalife, etc.). If you look at camera one, you can see vertical columns rising along the sidewalk of Olympic, and several steel column lying on the ground that weren't there yesterday.

[colemonkee]

They're putting up steel like it's going out of style! I'll try to get pics this weekend. I'm thinking at the very least the entire first floor will be up by the weeknd.

[danparker276]

Now they have green tarp where the blue tarp used to be. Something is going on with the ban on blue tarp or something.

[fridayinla]

Watching the webcams, there is noticeable progress day to day on the steel construction, but do you think LA Live will meet it's Nov 2007 completion? We're almost to May, so Nov is only 7 months away. I'd be shocked to see them pull it off!

[danparker276]

I think they'll do it. The only part that needs to be completed is the theater. That's the first phase. They also need to get that parking lot open for basketball season which starts late oct.

[katfam]

I got this email from Ritz Carliton today. They are planning on having a registration event in 3/4 weeks where they will go over all the details of the project. They are asking for a hold deposit of $25,000 with move in's Spring of 2010....here is the email...

Thank you for your interest in The Ritz-Carlton Residences at LA Live. It was a pleasure to speak with you today and I look forward to being your personal resource for anything regarding this exciting new project. As I mentioned on the phone we are just now starting to reach out to our “early access” registrants and you are among this exclusive group. Below you will find a brief high level overview of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at LA
Live:

• 54 story Ritz-Carlton branded high rise featuring 224 Residences located
at LA Live, Los Angeles’ premiere sports and entertainment district.
• The Ritz-Carlton is a premiere luxury real estate brand. We have won
every prestigious service award and are in the business of creating priceless experiences and lifestyle standards.
• LA Live is the new, vibrant, world class sports and entertainment
district which will feature numerous venues such as the STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre, ESPN Broadcast Studios, GRAMMY Museum and much more.

• Expected Residential Amenities*:
o Residential concierge
o Private sky level residential lobby
o Exclusive residential boardroom
o Private residential lounge
o Multi-seat residential screening room
o Ritz-Carlton Spa
o Ritz-Carlton Hotel Services
o State-of-the-art fitness center
o Heated outdoor swimming pool
o Landscaped sky terrace
o World-class culinary restaurant within The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
o Valet Parking


Please feel free to contact me at the number or email listed below. I will communicate any new information to you as soon as I have it. I look forward to speaking with you soon. Have a great day!

[Steve2726]

There is some additonal info regarding the parking, cinemas, and convention center here:

http://services.pcl.com/projects/Active/5200194/index.aspx

But the podium and floors above grade don't quite make sense to me. Anyone able to explain?

http://services.pcl.com/media/files/Projects/52_SWRegion/5200194_1_300.JPG

Project Description

The Olympic West Parking Structure (1,000,000 SF) will accommodate 2,683 cars attending any event anywhere in or around the Staples Center or Los Angeles Convention Center, as well as anything else in the surrounding downtown area, primarily LA Live. The struture is being built 3 levels below grade plus 2 levels at and above grade. There will be a podium at grade for future construction of the Cinema & Convention Center.

[RAlossi]

Looking at the LA Live webcam, it seems like they're starting construction on the second level. Woohoo!

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

[Steve2726]

I did a close inspection of the shots from camera 1, and noticed that there is a bulldozer moving dirt in the open pit area on the right side of the dirt ramp. :eek: This looks to me like work is possibly starting on the hotel?! I looked at all the shots between 9am and 2pm and it is clearly moving around. In the 9:08a shot you can see the bucket about to drop into a dumptruck. Cramera 2 has a good shot taken at 10:33a as well.

[LAMetroGuy]

VGL to be first ever performance at Nokia Theatre, LA Live, in Los Angeles on October 19th.

Video Games Live today announced that in addition to being a part of "E For All" (E4) they will also be the first ever performance in the brand new LA Live development of Los Angeles directly across the street from the LA Convention Center and Staples Center.

Described as the "Times Square of the west coast," LA Live is a 4 million square foot $1.7 billion tourist-oriented “entertainment” hub. The plan features a 55-story convention center and hotel, 7,000-seat theater, ESPN broadcast facilities, Grammy museum, 14-screen movie theater and nearly a dozen restaurants and clubs. For more info on LA Live including concept art and 3-D renderings visit: www.aegworldwide.com.

"We've been keeping this a secret for a while but we have some really incredible news to share with you," said organisers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. "We will be the very first to perform at the 7,000 seat Nokia Theatre! This new development will be opening during the week of E4! It's quite an honor to be a part of launching such an amazing facility! We will be making announcements about some amazing special guests and performances at this show."

Tickets go on sale to the public on June 1st. For more info: www.ticketmaster.com.

[LAMetroGuy]

L.A. LIVE Welcomes New Cornerstone of Emerging Vibrant Downtown District With Hotel and Residences Groundbreaking Today; Major Financial Investors in Hotel and District Also Announce

LOS ANGELES, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- AEG, developers of L.A. LIVE, the world-class sports, entertainment and residential district being built in downtown Los Angeles, will break ground today on a 1,001-room hotel/224-room residence tower that will serve as the project's anchor, at a ceremony led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Also on hand to mark the start of construction of the 54-story, Class A high-rise will be Los Angeles City Council Members Jan Perry and Janice Hahn; Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabien Nunez; Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Marriott, International Inc., J. W. Marriott, Jr.; and President and CEO of AEG Timothy J. Leiweke. The hotel/condominium tower, which will total 2 million square feet on 2.5 acres of land, will contain The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, the JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton hotel. Scheduled for completion in early 2010, it will be the final building to commence construction on the extremely active, 27-acre L.A. LIVE site, which is adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

AEG BRINGS ON DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

Leiweke also is expected to announce that the prominent real estate investment management firm MacFarlane Partners has agreed to become substantial investors in the $900 million hotel/condominium tower. The agreement also calls for MacFarlane Partners, an experienced investor in urban development and redevelopment projects that manages more than $15 billion in real estate assets, to provide investment oversight and consultation on the continued development and implementation of the project's overall vision and business plan.

"Having MacFarlane Partners on board not only brings tremendous experience and expertise to this project, but more importantly, the confidence that they provide for us is invaluable," said Leiweke. "Victor MacFarlane, Greg Vilkin and their team are the experts at what they do and this partnership will help to make a good project great."

"Having invested in several properties in downtown Los Angeles over the past five years, we are a firm believer in downtown L.A. as a full-fledged, '18-hour city' with thriving residential, commercial and entertainment districts," said Victor B. MacFarlane, managing principal and chief executive officer of MacFarlane Partners. "L.A. LIVE promises to be one of the most exciting projects in which we've invested and it will certainly play a central role in downtown being a place for people to live, work and play."

FINANCIAL SERVICES LEADERS TO BECOME L.A. LIVE FOUNDING PARTNERS

During an early morning business leader's summit on the economic rejuvenation and investment outlook for downtown Los Angeles, Leiweke also will announce that Wachovia and AEG have entered into an agreement for the nation's fourth-largest bank holding company to become a "Founding Partner" of the entire L.A. LIVE development. The partnership calls for Wachovia to become the exclusive financial services partner of L.A. LIVE and to receive prominent branding, proprietary events, consumer promotion and client entertainment within the entire, 27-acre development.

"From the business, marketing and community perspective, Wachovia is truly the ideal organization we were hoping to bring in as a Founding Partner for L.A. LIVE," Leiweke added. "Since entering the marketplace less than six months ago, Wachovia has clearly invested in our state and community in the right ways on so many levels. While their understanding of what's important and how this city does business has been remarkable, what makes them such an outstanding company is their intelligent expansion on a business level and their total commitment to making a difference with their community initiatives."

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES AT L.A. LIVE CREATES A NEW LIVING ENVIRONMENT

The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, a lavish collection of distinctive dwellings starting on the 27th floor, will top the 54-story L.A. LIVE tower that is set to dramatically re-shape the city's world-famous downtown skyline. Designed by world-renowned California architecture firm Gensler, the modern skyscraper is being developed as an iconic home and hotel above the bright lights of Los Angeles.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE will offer world-class amenities and the legendary services of The Ritz-Carlton, the city's most breathtaking views from the Angeles Crest Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and an unmatched, prestigious address at the center of the all-new L.A. LIVE. A total of 224 residences currently are available for reservation.

"The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE are complemented with a world-class hotel property that answers a long-awaited need for Downtown L.A.'s millions of visitors," Leiweke said. "Nearly 50 percent of the residences have been reserved in just over a month, even before we've publicly marketed the project. The overwhelming interest proves the appetite for downtown living, especially for an exceptional residential retreat at the heart of L.A. LIVE."

THE RITZ-CARLTON AT L.A. LIVE AND JW MARRIOTT HOTEL AT L.A. LIVE

The Ritz-Carlton, a five-star luxury hotel property, will share the floors below The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE with the four-star JW Marriott Hotel. A spacious layout of ballrooms, meeting spaces, rooftop decks, swimming pools, resort facilities and 1,001 hotel rooms will be available at the central hotel property, which will provide a new lodging option for the more than 2.5 million convention attendees who visit downtown Los Angeles each year.

"The Ritz-Carlton is proud to serve as a hotel ambassador for L.A. LIVE, not only for its future residents, but for all future visitors and guests of downtown L.A.," said J. W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International. "The combination of an entertainment district of this scale with such a unique hotel and residential tower project is a proposition unmatched anywhere in the world, and we look forward to providing many with a new home -- and home away from home -- in the new downtown L.A."

Additionally, The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE will create more than 800 full- and part-time jobs in Los Angeles after completion.

"Each and every component of this project will equip downtown with the key facilities and resources to attract the best and most important events for our city," added Leiweke. "Most importantly, our investment and that of those in the surrounding residential district combined have brought Los Angeles a fully privatized, fully financed and fully entitled development. We're proud to have this anchor hotel set in the city for one and all to see that L.A. LIVE is truly alive."

The sales and preview center for The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE is scheduled to open this fall, along with the first phase of L.A. LIVE, which will include Nokia Theatre l.a. live, a 7,100-seat, live-performance theater that will host concerts, family & cultural shows, Broadway musicals, awards shows and special events; and Nokia Plaza, a 40,000-square-foot open-air plaza that will serve as the central meeting place of L.A. LIVE. The second phase, set to open in 2008, will include an array of restaurants, Club NOKIA l.a. live, a 2,400-seat standalone venue for music acts, bands and cultural shows; and ESPN's West Coast headquarters and broadcast facility. The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE are set to open during phase three in 2010. More information can be found online by clicking the L.A. LIVE icon at http://www.aegworldwide.com/.

ABOUT L.A. LIVE

AEG is currently overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a four-million-square-foot, $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center featuring NOKIA Theatre l.a. live, a 7,100-seat, live-performance theater; a 54-story, 1,001-room convention "headquarters" hotel (combining JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands and 224 luxury condominiums -- The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE), Club NOKIA l.a. live, a 2,200 capacity, live-music venue; a 14-screen Regal Cineplex; "broadcast" facilities for ESPN along with entertainment, restaurant and office space.

L.A. LIVE will also be the region's most in-demand and busiest hospitality location, featuring 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities; eight world-class restaurants, including the ESPN Zone, Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck, Celestino Drago and others; a 100,000-square-foot special events deck; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center; the celebrity-owned Conga Room; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza l.a. live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space.

ABOUT MACFARLANE PARTNERS

MacFarlane Partners is one of the leading real estate investment management firms in the United States, with $15 billion in assets under management. Founded in 1987, the firm offers an array of investment programs for its institutional capital partners that are derived from its core competencies in property development, smart growth/urban revitalization, and single-family home building.

Considered a pioneer of the urban investment concept among institutional real estate managers, MacFarlane Partners invests in real estate development, redevelopment and repositioning projects in urban and high-density suburban areas nationwide. Among the properties in which it has invested are 1100 Wilshire and Metropolitan Lofts in Los Angeles; Bay Street Emeryville and The Uptown Apartments in the San Francisco Bay Area; Half Street in Washington, D.C.; and The Shops at Columbus Circle, the retail component of the Time Warner Center in New York City.

The firm also invests in single-family residential land and housing developments in markets nationwide. To date, its investments have financed the development of 123,000 single-family homes and residential lots in 18 states with more than 100 different homebuilders.

MacFarlane Partners is headquartered in San Francisco, with regional offices in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and the greater New York metropolitan area. For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at http://www.macfarlanepartners.com/.

ABOUT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, THE RITZ-CARLTON, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The RITZ-CARLTON Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 143,000 employees at 2005 year-end. In fiscal year 2005, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $11.6 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at http://www.marriott.com/.

ABOUT AEG

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, Toyota Park, Toyota Sports Center, Anaheim Convention Center Arena, El Rey Theatre, Colosseum at Caesars Palace, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie and NOKIA Theatre Times Square; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL), four Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race; AEG LIVE, the organization's live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. Additionally, the company has begun fully developing London's 28-acre Millennium Dome which includes a 23,000-seat arena, the O2 and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use within the "Dome" and additional arenas; The O2 World on a 45-acre site in the heart of Berlin; Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California; Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; as well as Red Bull Park and a soccer stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. For more information, visit AEG today at http://www.aegworldwide.com/.

Contact: AEG MacFarlane Partners Michael Roth Julie Chase (213) 742-7155 (415) 433-0100 Marriott International Wachovia Roger Conner Angela English (301) 380-5605 (704) 383-0412

AEG
CONTACT: Michael Roth of AEG, +1-213-742-7155; or Julie Chase of
MacFarlane Partners, +1-415-433-0100; or Roger Conner of Marriott
International, +1-301-380-5605; or Angela English of Wachovia,
+1-704-383-0412

Web site: http://www.macfarlanepartners.com/
http://www.marriott.com/
http://www.aegworldwide.com/

[LAMetroGuy]

From bogdowntown:

It's official :banana:

http://viewfromaloft.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/01/_igp2923.jpg

[WonderlandPark]

^^^ Is there an official height on this thing yet? Lots of mention of 54 floors, but how tall?

[KarLarRec1]

Just pointing out the fact that that long press release included some new details about the restaurants/retail that will be at LA Live:

". . . eight world-class restaurants, including the ESPN Zone, Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck, Celestino Drago and others; a 100,000-square-foot special events deck; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center; the celebrity-owned Conga Room; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza l.a. live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space."

[logandankr]

Did we lose Lawry's for Flemings? I can live with that.

Just pointing out the fact that that long press release included some new details about the restaurants/retail that will be at LA Live:

". . . eight world-class restaurants, including the ESPN Zone, Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Katsuya, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, Rosa Mexicana and dining concepts developed by Wolfgang Puck, Celestino Drago and others; a 100,000-square-foot special events deck; the famous Lucky Strike Lanes bowling center; the celebrity-owned Conga Room; and the one-of-a-kind Grammy Museum saluting the history of music and the genre's best known awards show. All of the aforementioned facilities will be centered around NOKIA Plaza l.a. live, a 40,000-square-foot outdoor event space."

[KarLarRec1]

^ Me too.

Also, I hadn't heard of either Yard House or Rosa Mexicano.

Yard House -- chain/American [similar to Cheesecake, it seems]; http://yardhouse.com

Rosa Mexicano -- 7 locations on East coast/upscale-trendy Mexican; http://www.rosamexicano.info/

[luckyeight]

from UCLA February 2007......KB is no longer a partner


http://youtube.com/watch?v=OnLrg5jtJPE&mode=related&search=


:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Westsidelife]

For LAB...

He'll Be Back: Schwarzenegger Mulls Los Angeles Condo (Update1)

By Daniel Taub

June 1 (Bloomberg) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has found a new place to park his Hummer: in front of the soon-to-be-built Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles, where he said he plans to buy a condo.

Schwarzenegger, already a Los Angeles resident who never found a permanent residence in the state capital Sacramento, said he is considering buying a penthouse suite at the 224-unit Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live development.

``I right away committed to buying a condominium,'' Schwarzenegger said in a speech at a groundbreaking ceremony for the building today. ``That's a no-brainer.''

Schwarzenegger was looking at plans today for units in the residential-and-hotel project, which also includes J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels with 1,001 rooms and a 54-story Ritz- Carlton Residences, said Michael Roth, a spokesman for AEG, a unit of closely held Anschutz Co. that is developing the $2.5 billion L.A. Live project.

``He asked for a penthouse,'' Roth said.

An interest list is being formed for the penthouse residences, on floors 50 through 52 of the tower, according to a price sheet handed out at the groundbreaking ceremony. Prices have not been set yet for the penthouse units.

The lowest-priced condominiums in the tower start at $864,000. Residences with three bedrooms, a study and three and a half bathrooms, which are located on floors 42 through 49, range from $3.13 million to $4.61 million, according to the price sheet.

Brentwood Resident

Schwarzenegger already lives in Los Angeles' tony Brentwood neighborhood where actor John Travolta lives, and where former football star O.J. Simpson once lived.

Schwarzenegger commutes to Sacramento several times a week, mainly by private jet. Sabrina Demayo Lockhart, a spokeswoman for the governor, said she didn't immediately have more information on the governor's plans for the penthouse.

Completion of the condominiums and hotels is scheduled for early 2010. Schwarzenegger leaves office in January 2011.

The 4 million-square-foot L.A. Live project, being built on a 27-acre site near the Staples Center sports arena, also includes a 7,100-seat Nokia theater, a nightclub, broadcast studios for the ESPN sports television network, and more than a dozen restaurants.

The arena, along with Walt Disney Concert Hall and newly built condominiums and apartments, is part of a revival of downtown Los Angeles, which was dominated for decades by government and corporate offices and law and accounting firms and had few residents and little nightlife.

Investment Partner

AEG said today that closely held MacFarlane Partners, a San Francisco-based real estate investment company, will invest in the $900 million hotel-and-condominium component of L.A. Live, and that Wachovia Corp., the fourth-largest U.S. bank, bought sponsorship rights at the development.

AEG Chief Executive Officer Timothy J. Leiweke said that his company this morning secured financing from Credit Suisse Group for the hotel-and-condominium development. Credit Suisse's Column Financial unit will provide a 44-month, $650 million loan, with the balance of the construction costs coming from AEG and MacFarlane Partners, said Ted Fikre, AEG's general counsel.

MacFarlane Partners will have an equity stake of $100 million to $150 million in the hotel-and-condominium component, spokesman Doug Holm said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Taub in Los Angeles at dtaub@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: June 1, 2007 18:09 EDT


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=azwFwrlokFD8

[colemonkee]

^ Me too.

Also, I hadn't heard of either Yard House or Rosa Mexicano.

Yard House -- chain/American [similar to Cheesecake, it seems]; http://yardhouse.com

Rosa Mexicano -- 7 locations on East coast/upscale-trendy Mexican; http://www.rosamexicano.info/
I wouldn't compare Yard House to Cheesecake Factory. IMO the food is much better and the atmosphere feels more "grown up".

[tujunga]

The Hotel and condo won't open until early 2010 but the structures will reach their final height much earlier so we will enjoy a transformed DT skyline sooner rather than later. Any guesses on when the skeleton will be complete? A lighted incomplete high rise frame at its ultimate height has an awesome look at night too.

[Steve2726]

I wouldn't compare Yard House to Cheesecake Factory. IMO the food is much better and the atmosphere feels more "grown up".

I agree, it is more like a bar atmosphere than restaurant. They have dozens of beers on tap and people like to hang out at the bar. Check out the one in Long Beach if you are ever in the area, it is a good pick up spot.

[RAlossi]

There's also one in Pasadena, at the Paseo. Might be a bit closer.

[danparker276]

What happened to Camera 1 on the LA live construction cam? Hasn't had a new pic since May 30th. Nokia theater is ready in October then?

[Easy]

That camera's actually been down since May 20th. Was the camera at the Holiday Inn? Maybe they thought better of the free publicity they were giving to a competitor?

[LAMetroGuy]

Feature Story - June 2007
Los Angeles/Long Beach Market Report


Only in LA

Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live eyes October finish

By Greg Aragon

Los Angeles will soon have another glamorous venue for its annual parade of star-studded award shows. In October, the city will see the opening of the $100 million Nokia Theater at LA Live.

advertisement




"Only in LA could you build something like the Nokia Theater," says Kurt Schindler, a principal with Berkeley-based ELS Architecture and Urban Design, designers of the project. He says Los Angeles is "kind of the capital for motion pictures and television and sports award shows," and that Nokia was designed with shows such as the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars and ESPY's, in mind.

The 260,000-sq-ft theater is part of the larger LA Live project, a $1.7 billion development, covering 28 acres around Staples Center in downtown.

Developed by Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group, LA Live will be highlighted by the Nokia Theater, a 40,000-sq-ft outdoor plaza, an ESPN broadcast and restaurant facility, Regal Theaters, and Club NOKIA at L.A. Live.

The LA Live complex will also feature a 54-story, 1,000-room convention headquarters hotel, combining the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton brands, as well as 216 luxury condominiums at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton.

But when it comes time for red carpets and glitzy Hollywood-type award shows, it will be the 7,100-seat Nokia Theater under the spotlight.


Located beside Staples Center, the trapezoidal-shaped hall is designed unlike other theaters, says Jeff Zieba, ELS associate principal. "Normally a theater gets wider as it goes away from the stage, but this gets smaller."



He adds that the design of the five-level theater followed the shape of the rectangular piece of land they were given.

By using this design, the team was able to create a unique 4,000-seat orchestra level and the country's larges stage, says Schindler.

"One of the prime [project] drivers was that the orchestra-level have 4,000 seats," says Schindler. He adds that this allows nominees and their entourage to sit together in the orchestra section, so that if called they could all approach the stage together.

"Plus all of the TV cameras can be panning the orchestra at all times," he adds.

And when winners hit the stage, they will stand on a 180-ft-wide by 80-ft-deep slab of concrete, topped with a layer of plywood and Plyron. Schindler says the Nokia stage will be the largest in the country, surpassing the 66-ft- deep by 144-ft-wide stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Above the stage, 1,700 tons of structural steel is going in the roof to support a myriad of rigging, catwalks and cranes for quick set changes and lighting during live shows.

"Most of the difficulties [associated] with the stage is all of the rigging components," says Ryan McKenzie, project manager with Bethesda, Maryland-based Clark Construction Group, the project's general contractor.

"There are a lot of removable structures and an inordinate amount of structural steel above."

Construction on Nokia Theater broke ground in November of 2005 and work is scheduled for completion Oct. 12, at which time it the building will have consume 25,000 cu- yds of concrete and 8 million lbs of rebar.

[DJM19]

biggest stage? cool!

[StethJeff]

biggest stage? cool!

That was a detail that I too was unaware of. If you're gonna make an enormous stage, might as well make it the biggest in the country.

[RAlossi]

Camera No. 1 is back again...

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

[BrighamYen]

Biggest stage and will be the new home to pretty much all of the most prestigious award shows in the entertainment industry (Grammys, Emmys, VH1, etc.) besides the Oscars (which is also in LA obviously). Now all they need to do is either build a new studio in Downtown LA or Hollywood for Conan O'Brien to shoot out of when he replaces Jay Leno.

Imagine his show in the future being filmed in a location where announcers are actually proud to say the name instead of being in good ol' lil Burbank. :P

"...and now! live from HOLLYWOOD or Los Angeles (screen shot of either Hollywood Blvd. or Downtown LA), heeeeeeeeeeere's CO-NAN!"

[yeah215]

^^ The Nokia Theater looks almost done. That is very exciting.

[colemonkee]

Curbed LA (http://la.curbed.com) posted an link to an amazing set of pictures of LA Live taken by Scott Trimble. Here's a link (http://www.ststlocations.com/gallery/index.php?folder=/miscellaneous/lalive/) to his picture set. Some awesome stuff in there.

[SoCal]

its so good to look in that area and not see damn parking lots... looks more full and its not even built yet...

[fridayinla]

its so good to look in that area and not see damn parking lots... looks more full and its not even built yet...

Agreed. When I see old pics of downtown with all those surface lots, it reminds me of how aweful things used to be. Think we're we'll be in another 2-3 years!

[SoCal]

does anyone have an aerial view LA, Live ?? a recent one

[katfam]

Found a link to Nokia Theater.

http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/index.php


Has some nice info and pictures.

[jlrobe]

Here is the paraphrased description of LA live via http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/lalive.php

STAPLES CENTER
L.A. LIVE is anchored by STAPLES Center, the world's most successful arena.
In its relatively short history, STAPLES Center has also become the premier venue for musical performances, family entertainment, televised award shows and many major events in the region.

NOKIA Theatre l.a. live
The 235,00 square foot, 7,100-seat venue will host 125 music, family, dance and comedy acts, award shows, televised productions and short running Broadway theater events annually.

CLUB NOKIA
Club NOKIA will host 150 concerts annually - concerts that are currently booked in non-AEG controlled venues in Los Angeles through AEG's live music division, Goldenvoice.

NOKIA PLAZA
the 40,000 square foot open air plaza, capable of hosting special events, community gatherings, cultural festivals and live performances will be located in the very heart of L.A. LIVE. The plaza space has been designed with flexibility as well as state-of-the-art "plug-and-play" technology to accommodate broadcast events, large celebrations, festivals, outdoor concerts and other live programming. The ability to close 11th street/Chick Hearn Court during non-peak hours is another major amenity serving L.A. LIVE as it connects STAPLES Center and provides a pedestrian friendly campus as well as excellent logistics for red carpet arrivals for guests attending events taking place at any of the venues.

STUDIOS
A 110,000 square foot showcase studio will be home to SportsCenter and a number of live shows and original programming broadcast on ESPN and its affiliate networks including ABC Sports. An additional broadcasting center is planned to accommodate national and local entertainment coverage, sports, news and music broadcasts.

RESTAURANTS
L.A. LIVE will be open for lunch and dinner, offering outdoor dining to take advantage of Los Angeles' pleasing climate.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar will occupy approximately 7,250 square feet on the bustling corner of Olympic and Figueroa Boulevards. Just south is The Farm of Beverly Hills, a 7,000 square foot American restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and an array of fresh bakery items.

Los Angeles' legendary Conga Room will relocate from its mid-Wilshire location and occupy approximately 13,000 square feet of second floor space. Since it's opening in 1998, the Conga Room has become the premiere intimate performance venue for top name Latin, World & alternative music. Featuring live entertainment Thursday through Saturday nights, the nightclub will also host special events, a television broadcast with live, weekday Latin music programming and daily radio broadcasts. The new Conga Room is owned by a group of high profile celebrities and entertainment executives including Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez and Paul Rodriguez.

Los Angeles' nightlife guru, Sam Nazarian of SBE Entertainment (Hyde Lounge, Prey, Privilege and Area), brings his sushi and robata bar concept, Katsuya to L.A. LIVE. Designed by Phillipe Starke, the ultra-hip 7,600 square foot, ground floor space will be utilized as the main dining room and a cocktail lounge will share the area.

Long Beach-based Yard House offers a wide menu of American food, excellent service and over 100 different beers from around the world and will feature a large outdoor dining terrace.

New York-based Rosa Mexicano brings a fine dining concept of traditional and nouvelle Mexican food within a contemporary David Rockwell design. Known for their pomegranate margaritas, guacamole freshly prepared tableside, and indoor water wall,

Los Angeles' own culinary icon, Wolfgang Puck will bring an exciting new California cuisine concept of fresh seafood, salads and steaks concept to L.A. LIVE in a 7,500 square foot location. The space, centrally located on NOKIA Plaza, will also be used for private parties and special events.

Several quick service restaurants are planned for L.A. LIVE as well.

Bowling
Hollywood's own Lucky Strike will occupy approximately 24,000 feet on the second floor offering a café and bar, plus billiard tables, dart and private function rooms in addition to 18 state-of-the-art bowling lanes.

Cinemas and Premiere House
The West coast flagship for Regal Cinemas will be built at L.A. LIVE including a new 140,000 square feet of state-of-the-art cinema with 14 screens and 3,800 seats including an 800-seat house suitable for the industry's most glamorous movie premieres. With close proximity to the convention center and the headquarters hotel meeting and ballroom spaces, it is also expected that the theaters will be utilized during the day for corporate presentations and break out space.

Corporate Office Space
L.A. LIVE will become the 25,000 square foot executive headquarters for AEG
Herbalife will relocate its executive offices to 60,000 square feet at L.A. LIVE's Nokia Plaza.
Holme Roberts & Owen, an international law firm with offices in London, Munich, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado and Utah, will lease 25,000 square feet of office space within L.A. LIVE

Museum
The Recording Academy (NARAS) and AEG are together developing The GRAMMY Museum, the permanent home for the GRAMMY Awards. Slated to open in October 2008 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary year of the GRAMMY Awards, the one-of-a-kind museum experience will be the cornerstone of the exciting L.A. LIVE development and is expected to draw over 300,000 visitors annually.

The GRAMMY Museum will introduce artists of all musical genres, unveil the creative process, teach the art and science of recorded music, examine its rich history, demonstrate its evolution, and celebrate the pinnacle of the music industry's success - the annual GRAMMY awards telecast. Guests will experience music from a never before seen insider perspective that only The GRAMMY Museum, with the support of The Recording Academy, can deliver.

Located on four levels at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, the 33,400 square foot museum will bring guests through a unique, interactive journey and educational opportunity unlike any other. A rooftop event terrace for over 450 guests will host private functions and fundraising galas and will enjoy spectacular views of downtown.

The GRAMMY Museum will introduce artists of all musical genres, unveil the creative process, teach the art and science of recorded music, examine its rich history, demonstrate its evolution, and celebrate the pinnacle of the music industry's success, The GRAMMY Award telecast. Guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only The GRAMMY Museum, with the support of The Recording Academy, can deliver.

HOTELS
Designed by Gensler, the 1,001 guest room, 1,150,000 square foot Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotel soaring over 54 stories in the sky will serve as the focal point of the entire district and a venerable beacon for the South Park neighborhood. Operated as two separate entities under The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott brands, the hotel will serve both the convention, group meeting and tourist market on its competitively priced main floors, as well as offering five-star accommodations on its upper levels for headline performers, visiting sports teams and executives doing business at L.A. LIVE and downtown. Guests of the hotel will enjoy spectacular views of the Westside, South Bay, ocean and downtown skyline. The hotel will also include substantial meeting, ballroom and amenity space, planned in excess of 84,000 square feet including the largest ballroom in Southern California with capability of serving 3,000 seated guests. The tower will also include 224 luxury Ritz Residence condominiums on its uppermost floors, enjoying optimal views and amenities such as valet, concierge, maid and food services provided by The Ritz-Carlton.

Up to 400 additional guest rooms are planed as part of a second "boutique" hotel in a later phase of development.

The second phase will open in October of 2008 with the ESPN offices and studio, the ESPN zone, the restaurants, the Grammy museum, Club NOKIA, The Conga Room, Lucky Strike, the broadcast studio and the corporate office space.

The third phase will complete the project in late 2009 with the opening of the JW Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, ballrooms and Regal Cinemas.

PARKING
Approximately 3,500 new parking spaces will be added to the existing parking supply servicing STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The district-wide parking management strategy will involve shared parking among many demand generators and will build upon the successfully operating parking program at STAPLES Center to distribute peak parking demand throughout L.A. LIVE while providing ample close-in parking to serve tenant and customer needs. Employee parking will be located at remote facilities within a few block walk or shuttle ride.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
L.A LIVE is well served by public transportation systems including the MTA Blue Line Station at Pico and Flower Streets, the MTA Red Line Subway at 7th and Figueroa, the LA Dot Downtown DASH shuttle service and numerous MTA regional and local bus routes. L.A. LIVE is also centrally located within the regional freeway system with seven major interchanges on the nearby 110 and 10 freeways and on a grid of major arterial streets with excellent inbound traffic capacity during the high traffic volume peak periods. The district will feature wide sidewalks, rich landscaping and attractive hardscape features aimed at connecting various venues while also providing linkages to adjacent residential and commercial areas and public transit.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

wonderful summary. i love that fact that i can visualize where everything is going to be. Cant wait!!!

[jlrobe]

It seems that La live is catering to businesses, residents, event planners, tourists, and entertainment industry officials. It might not be the perfect URBAN masterpiece, but it seems to cover all basis and the hotel will at least shape our skyline. Some of the renderings look ugly, and it might not be street friendly along some streets but with wider sidewalks and some street facing businesses, it cant be all that bad.

Doing calculations, it seems that AEG's estimate of 13.5 million visitors per year after 5 years is a very realistic projection given the amount of facilties, programming, and diversity of development.

The real question is will the patronage spill over into downtown streets or will it be contained indoors as always??? I do not know the answer but AEG claims that LA live will interact with its neighborhood. If this is true, then LA live is perfect. The restos, the entertainment, even the theatres are good enough because the truly unique stuff is popping up all over downtown and urbanites and tourists can start at LA live then venture off to the more unique areas.

Can someone draw a map or something so we can see how this interaction and flow can happen? That is the only true missing piece to this otherwise well-balanced development.

Also, the drawings show a wide open plaza but the description claims that a wolfgang puck high concept resto is going to be dead center. How is that possible??? It is an interesting proposal.

Anyhow, these details are great and I think that AEG has more details it is waiting to disclose over time. I cant wait for hardcore advertising to heat up so all southern Californians get plugged in. most people I work with have NO IDEA what LA live is or that such a development is occuring.

[BrighamYen]

This will coincide with the first phase completion of LA Live, but it won't really affect each other. But I think it's interesting to see E3 changing trajectory a bit from being "out of control-wild" to something more focused on the actual video game contents. Looks like they'll be at the LA Convention Center in October.


-------------


E3 settles down to business
Games: The once flashy gaming expo will be toned down for industry leaders.
By Matt Slagle, AP Technology Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:07/09/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT

The video game industry's annual showcase is saying goodbye to scantily clad booth babes, extravagant multimillion dollar exhibits, blaring lights and pounding music. Celebrity appearances from the likes of Paris Hilton or Snoop Dogg are a thing of the past too.

This year's version of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, renamed the E3 Media and Business Summit, will be a toned-down affair as organizers hope to have a far less flashy discussion on new and upcoming video games.

The event, which starts Wednesday, looks to be more like a country club getaway, an invitation-only gathering complete with luxury beach-side hotels, sushi restaurants and meetings in private conference rooms.

To put it more diplomatically, "It's about the quality of connection for leaders of the industry," says Michael Gallagher, a former telecommunications policy adviser under the Bush administration who now heads up the Entertainment Software Association, the trade group that puts together the show.

After last year's expo, organizers decided it had become too big for its own good. With more than 60,000 people cramming into the Los Angeles Convention Center, there was a feeling that the needs of no one - be it the media, retailers or video game publishers - were being addressed particularly well.

"It had gotten out of control and needed to die," said Mike Wilson, chief executive of Austin, Texas-based game publisher Gamecock. "It was hot, techno was blasting everywhere, there was no place to sit and the microwave cheeseburgers were $8. It just wasn't pleasant."

Wilson's company wasn't invited to the new E3 that's being held in a handful of hotels along the beach in Santa Monica. He isn't the only one.

Only about 30 of the largest video game software and hardware companies are attending, down from the hundreds that packed the sprawling Los Angeles Convention Center in previous years. Also missing will be the army of small-time bloggers, zealous game fans and others who somehow managed to infiltrate the trade-only event.

As someone who was at the first E3 in 1995 and attended every one since, Dorothy Ferguson said she believes the new format will benefit the 3,000 or so people attending.

"It kind of got away from what was important, which is really the content," said Ferguson, a vice president of sales and marketing for NCSoft Inc. "At the end you felt like a pinball in a pinball machine. It was sensory overload and it was really difficult to hear anything."

This week's event, which runs through Friday, will focus on the industry's largest players, including No. 1 game-software maker Electronic Arts Inc. and console makers Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Corp.

In another twist, the ESA is hoping to appeal to the general gaming consumer later this fall. The "E for All 2007," an event which will be open to the public, is scheduled for October 18 to 21 at E3's former home, the Los Angeles Convention Center.

[Easy]

This will coincide with the first phase completion of LA Live, but it won't really affect each other. But I think it's interesting to see E3 changing trajectory a bit from being "out of control-wild" to something more focused on the actual video game contents. Looks like they'll be at the LA Convention Center in October.

This really sucks!

I read this to say that the LA Convention Center's biggest convention that had only recently committed to several years has been permanently cancelled. E3 is no more. They have moved to Santa Monica and are now much smaller. The event in October is only for ESA.

[LAMetroGuy]

LA Live’s Nokia Theatre Opening in the Fall; Downtown Becomes a Destination
With LA Live making substantial progress, Senior V.P. of Real Estate Ted Tanner explains AEG's vision for Downtown L.A.'s newest destination.

The construction of LA Live is making progress, as is immediately apparent to anyone who has driven along the 110 Freeway through Downtown L.A. in recent months. But even with buildings taking shape with more detail every passing day, the project’s biggest, most ambitious element only recently broke ground. In order to catch up with the ongoing details of the development shortly after the groundbreaking for the project’s 54-story Ritz-Carlton hotel, TPR was pleased to speak with AEG’s Senior V.P. of Real Estate and veteran of the Downtown development scene, Ted Tanner.
LA Live has been moving along nicely; construction is on schedule, and you recently broke ground on the 54-story, Ritz-Carlton hotel. What is the current status of the project, and when can we expect to see some of the promised elements of the development delivered?


The first component of the project, the 7,100-seat Nokia Theater located directly north of Staples and Chick Hearn Court, will open this October. At that time we will also open Nokia Plaza, a one-acre open space forming the main entry court for Nokia Theater, which when Chick Hearn Court is closed, is a key element of the pedestrian realm surrounding LA Live.

The second components are the buildings that are being steel-framed and skinned right now, including the ESPN building at 11th and Figueroa. It is a five-story building with about 130,000 square feet of gross building area. ESPN’s radio and TV broadcast studios and support space will occupy the top floors, and a two-level ESPN Zone will occupy the lower levels. The Zone is due to open September 2008 and the broadcast studios would come online in the first quarter of 2009.

The other big building that’s currently being steel-framed on the south side of Olympic between Figueroa and Georgia streets is our AEG Entertainment Building. It’s a 430,000-square-foot, five-level building. The ground floor consists of eight restaurants, six of which have signed leases; two are in final stages. Occupying the upper floors are a number of live entertainment venues: the eighteen-lane Lucky Strikes bowling club, the 60,000-square-foot Club Nokia, a live music venue with capacity for 2,300, and a 13,000-square-foot Conga Room. The Grammy Museum is a 32,000-square-foot facility that will be stacked on three levels above the corner of Olympic and Figueroa. A terrace will occupy the rooftop space above the museum. Approximately 165,000 square feet of office space that will occupy four levels on the western portion of the building and will house Herbalife, AEG HRO, ESPN Radio as its prime tenants.

The core and shell of this structure will be completed next April with all tenants moved in and fully occupied by the fall of 2008. That completes the three-building composition around Nokia Plaza by fall of 2008. On June 1, we broke ground on the 54-story Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences which includes JW Marriott Hotel of 878 rooms, a luxury Ritz-Carlton Hotel of 123 rooms and 224 luxury condominiums that will be branded as Ritz residences, offering all the amenities and services of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, such as room and maid services, concierge, valet, and more.


Given the housing data that’s been driving prices down nationally, have you been having any trouble marketing the residential units?


We have currently received 160 reservations—more than two thirds of the total number of units in the building. We limited the initial marketing effort to a limited group of friends and family, partners, tenants, suite owners, and premier seat holders at Staples Center, so we really haven’t begun our broad based public marketing campaign.

We expect to open our marketing center in September in the Petroleum Building at the corner of Flower and Olympic. We’re buoyed by the success we’ve had with our reservation program to date and we expect to have our white report soon, which will allow us to convert those reservations to contracts over the summer. I think the market is recognizing that this is a very unique project. It offers a lot of amenities, not only the extraordinary benefits of being a Ritz-Carlton-branded residence, which has established premium value around the country but also all the amenities of being right in the midst of LA Live. The plan is to have the hotels completed December of 2009, and begin closing units and moving people into their residences through the first and second quarters of 2010.


In an interview with TPR in 2000, Tim Leiweke said, “If we ever figure out how to link the central city and Exposition Park area, Downtown L.A. will be one of the great urban areas in the United States.” It’s been seven years since that interview, have you figured it out this linkage challenge?


We’re working on it. Together with a number of stakeholders, we have put together an exciting vision statement for what we’re calling a “Figueroa Corridor Improvement Effort,” to better connect communities and encourage high density residential infill, but also to provide amenities of a great boulevard such as improved landscaping, wide sidewalks, bikeways, areas for dog-walking, new parks and open space, as well as important land use changes. This private initiative is now being presented to CRA, MTA, City Planning, as well as the Council and Mayor’s Office.


The city, the Planning Department, and the CRA have, for years, favored project by project planning. Is this changing? Is LA Live integrated with the rest of Downtown? What ought the Planning Department do to assure that Downtown will be a livable, destination center?


Gail Goldberg has brought in a fresh perspective about the need for innovation and inclusiveness in the planning process and she has been very straightforward with her views about density and the creation of a livable and sustainable community. I believe she is aware of some of the good work that has been done to create a pedestrian-friendly urban realm in the South Park area. Good examples include what the South Group is doing with the area surrounding Luma, Elleven, and Evo, coupled with the hardscape and the landscape program that we are implementing which include expanding the width of sidewalks by setting back our private development an additional eight feet to create more pedestrian-oriented areas and outdoor seating areas to enliven the street edges.


LA Live faced and surmounted a number of challenges along the way to completion. Who are your partners, owners, and underwriters?


Regarding LA Live—which includes Nokia Theater, the ESPN building, the AEG Entertainment Building, and the parking garages both east and west of Georgia—we’ve been able to secure long-term financing based on the strength of our own commitments, the commitments of our district sponsors and founding partners like Nokia, Wachovia, Toyota and others as well as many tenants we have under binding leases. All of the development currently underway has guaranteed maximum price contracts locking in our costs and avoiding further risk of construction cost inflation, which has been the bane to all developers in Southern California recently. So on the LA Live development side, we’ve secured our future and have a very solid financing plan in place with Wachovia and Bank of America as co-leads.

With regard to the hotels and residences, the key was getting the reinvestment of the TOT approved by the city. We went through a couple of tough steps, losing Lew Wolff and his partners Apollo and Hilton as the hotel operator due to rising construction costs, and late last year KB Urban withdrew. Afterward, in order to get it done, we realized that we were going to have to step in and do it ourselves. We brought in a phenomenal equity partner in the McFarlane Group. We view them as solid partner in the development of the hotels and residences, and together we have secured all necessary financing in excess of $900 million with Credit Suisse First Boston as our lead bank. We’re on our way. We are, as we speak, locking up GMP contracts with 3 major contractors to spread the workload and risk.


Author and planning critic Joel Kotkin recently wrote that “The whole of LA Live is an absurdity for a city like L.A., which has a huge and unsubsidized entertainment industry. Stuff like ESPN Zone and other packaged entertainment is unnecessary for a city like L.A. If you’re bored in L.A., get another life.” What’s your reaction to Kotkin’s assessment?


Tim Leiweke has made a key point in the past, and I think he’s absolutely right, that so much of the entertainment, or content, that’s created here in Los Angeles is not part of a public awareness. His view was to make LA Live a “content campus,” where all the big live events occur in a more public place such as award shows, a rollout of a brand or new product, a community celebration, a Fashion Week or Electronic Expo. Those are events that bring people and products together. We have a great opportunity, with all the venues in LA Live, to create an extraordinary environment that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country: a true stage for the world’s great events. I think that’s what people and companies are responding to; that’s what creating the value, and that is what people want to be part of.


You’ve been an interviewee of TPR’s off and on for the 20+ years we’ve been publishing. What has your learning curve been like over two decades of place-making?


Pretty humbling and quite amazing. As you can imagine, beginning at the Produce Market with Mayor Bradley and then to Union Station with Catellus, it’s been fantastic to be a part of bringing great historic properties back to life. As a regular user of Union Station to shuttle to LAX or pick up family or friends, it has been particularly rewarding to see this icon reclaim its key role in our city life.

When I took this position at AEG with Tim, I had no idea that I’d be doing what I am now, traveling around the world working on the most exciting projects in our industry. I have the most amazing respect and regard for AEG’s vision, courage and commitment to go beyond where everybody else has been—to set the bar in entertainment worldwide.


What did you mean when you used the word “courage” to describe AEG?


In the case of our hotel/condo project, following 8 years working with many of the nation’s best developers and hotel chains, we decided to step up and take it on ourselves. This was the most challenging project I have ever been part of and I don’t think anything quite like it has been done anywhere before. We began with a large group hotel with major ballroom and meeting spaces, combined it with a 5 star luxury brand and then layered a huge number of serviced condos on top over 2M square feet, during a time period when construction costs were rising and the residential market was slowing—it was daunting.

But our ownership said, “We’ve got to do this and now is the time.” We were convinced that we could sell the units and get the hotels to a level of profitability, with the support of the TOT reinvestment to make it a worthwhile project. And I’m confident it will be.

Lastly, being able to take our ideas about making entertainment destinations to other places such as London, Berlin, possibly Shanghai, then adapt and reshape them to local customs and cultures, has been one of the most incredible and unexpected opportunities. AEG is a truly dynamic company willing to take significant risk to deliver the very best entertainment experiences to artists, our customers and partners.

[BrighamYen]

^ Thanks LAMG :)

Wow, looks like the bulk of the project will be done by around this time next year. The only part of the project that was not mentioned was the Regal Theatre section. I am assuming that part may be done around late 2008/early 2009?

I remember there was also mention of possibly adding another boutique hotel to the development further down the line. Perhaps that will take the land across Olympic Blvd. adjacent to the Chevron car wash.

Also, what do people here think about the Holiday Inn across Figueroa St.? I personally think it's becoming way too smallish for the area as LA Live becomes a super hot destination. I would be ENTHUSED to learn if any developer plans on demolishing it and building another high-rise hotel, possibly a W-Hotel would be nice!!!


Replace this:
http://www.losangeleshotel.org/common/imagegallery/HotelImage.aspx?hid=4229
From losangeleshotel.org


...with a hotel like this!
http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/whotel_downtown.png
From hotelchatter.com

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/59/223230393_3c59d80998_o.jpg
From octavo_dc


http://www.surfaceinteriors.com/images/projectImages/Whotelwavewall.jpg
From surfaceinteriors.com


http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/19/c9/52/view-9-of-the-w-hotel.jpg
From tripadvisor.com

[funhaus]

^ I'd rather see a W Hotel take the place of the parking lot _next_ to the Holiday Inn. That's an important corner that is underutilized currently. The Holiday Inn can then stay for the budget-conscious conventioneer.

[Echo Park]

That Holiday Inn needs to go. It's completely surrounded on all sides by parking lot asphalt :yuck: A slick hotel would indeed be nice there. In fact someone should buy up that property including the parking lot adjacent to the Holiday Inn and develop it. This district needs continuity all the way up to Hanover. Also bugging me in the immediate area are those one story warehouses or whatever those are that run along the blue line below-grade portal, the Frank Robinson building. But I suppose that's asking for too much at the moment.

[sopas ej]

I agree, that Holiday Inn needs to be blown up. However, I'm all for affordable lodging entering the downtown/convention center area scene too. Nothing like young tourists on a budget, foreign and domestic, to add to the mix. ;)

[ThreeHundred]

^ I'd rather see a W Hotel take the place of the parking lot _next_ to the Holiday Inn. That's an important corner that is underutilized currently. The Holiday Inn can then stay for the budget-conscious conventioneer.

I agree. Although that lot next to Liberty Grill (across the street from Met Lofts) would be a nice spot for a 35 story W Hotel.

Also, that area directly across the street from LA Live (near Hotel Figueroa) needs to be redeveloped. LA Live should creep north all the way to the TCW Building and Metropolis.

[LongBeachUrbanist]

I agree, that Holiday Inn needs to be blown up.

Be careful with language, these are public forums.

[sopas ej]

Be careful with language, these are public forums.

Oh yeah, that's right. 1st Amendment be damned online.

Take 2:

The Holiday Inn should be sold, vacated and then condemned. Then it should be legally demolished and the rubble cleared. I'd rather see a vacant lot or interim landscaped park in its place than the current eyesore that stands there.

[Echo Park]

I agree. Although that lot next to Liberty Grill (across the street from Met Lofts) would be a nice spot for a 35 story W Hotel.




Or ON the Liberty Grill. What were they thinking when they decided to build a one story restaurant on that lot right in the middle of downtown?

[danparker276]

Holiday Inn's 3rd story bar and outside area isn't that bad. It's a lot better than that car wash across the street.
There are plenty of other places to bulid 1st before the holiday inn gets torn down. It still has about 10-15 years left.

[Tanster]

What about the car wash that needs to go

[BrighamYen]

The Holiday Inn should be sold, vacated and then condemned. Then it should be legally demolished and the rubble cleared. I'd rather see a vacant lot or interim landscaped park in its place than the current eyesore that stands there.


That Holiday Inn needs to go. It's completely surrounded on all sides by parking lot asphalt A slick hotel would indeed be nice there. In fact someone should buy up that property including the parking lot adjacent to the Holiday Inn and develop it. This district needs continuity all the way up to Hanover. Also bugging me in the immediate area are those one story warehouses or whatever those are that run along the blue line below-grade portal, the Frank Robinson building. But I suppose that's asking for too much at the moment.

I completely agree with you two on that. The entire block should be demolished (possibly incorporating the Liberty Grill somehow?) and developed into a project similarly large like Fig Central. The Holiday Inn is on land too valuable to be just a hotel for "college students on a budget." It sits directly facing the new LA Live and would never be that cheap anyway. Instead of having an expensive Holiday Inn, you might as well have an appropriately priced W Hotel. It would give the area a boost in the hip-quotient. ESPN STUDIOS, GRAMMY MUSEUM, W HOTEL - all on the same intersection.

[logandankr]

The LA Live webcams have a new blue bubbly interface and a very cool timelapse feature. Look at those cranes whirl! :ahhh:

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

[fridayinla]

Nokia Snapshot

Slick Theater Gets Ready for Its Close-Up

by Kathryn Maese (LA Downtown News)

After years of talk about the planned L.A. Live sports and entertainment district, the first phase of the $2.5 billion undertaking is finally preparing for its close-up.

During a sneak peak last Thursday of the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre, developer Anschutz Entertainment Group called on comedian George Lopez to lead a tour of the high-tech venue. Lopez will host a New Year's Eve concert in the theater.

As the first performer to officially set foot on stage, Lopez was cheered by scores of construction workers as he urged them on to complete the high-tech space in time for the October opening featuring the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks.

At more than $100 million, the Nokia Theatre will feature the largest stage in Southern California, with about 125 events scheduled to unfold in the next year. The facility includes state-of-the-art acoustics and intimate sight lines with no seat further than 210 feet from the stage. Two 28-foot LED screens on either side of the room will display the performer.

With just over a month to go, nearly 700 construction workers are working around the clock to complete the project in time for the opening.

"It's a race to the finish," said Nokia General Manager Lee Zeidman.

[danparker276]

Anyone see how those light/led/advertising things are coming along, besides that last picture? They should be testing them soon.

[ziggy331]

Looking down Fig
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear199.jpg

ESPN Building
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear186.jpg

Nokia Plaza
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear214.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/ziggy331/LA/JuniorYear213.jpg

[Echo Park]

ah, sweet, sweet infill. fig is looking good.

thanks for the pics

[danparker276]

So are they going to have projector like screens on the side of those pillars and shine projectors on them? Anyone know how those are gonna work?

http://www.nokiatheatrela.com/images/gallery_01.jpg

[LAsam]

I doubt it would be practical to project images on surfaces such as those. They probably will use some kind of LCD display.

[danparker276]

Look like they're curved in the picture though. I doubt they'd have curved LCD panels, I don't even think they make those yet

[fridayinla]

Look like they're curved in the picture though. I doubt they'd have curved LCD panels, I don't even think they make those yet

Sure they do. Tokyo is full of them. However, I don't think those pylon/pillar images are LCD or projections. Judging from the rendering they look like backlit graphic panels that wrap around the structures. Kind of like advertising light boxes but on a much bigger scale.

[funhaus]

I'm pretty sure I've seen an undulating curvy LED wall in Seattle's Experience Music Project, and that was several years ago. I'm fairly sure if AEG wanted to do LED/LCD cylinders, they could make that happen - but I agree with Friday, I bet those are just backlit graphics that are manually changed out periodically. (though I'm hoping for LED)

[danparker276]

I ment LCD screens, maybe they do now, LEDs are different.
This is on their website about the plaza:
"as well as state-of-the-art "plug-and-play" technology to accommodate broadcast events'

[Easy]

I ment LCD screens, maybe they do now, LEDs are different.
This is on their website about the plaza:
"as well as state-of-the-art "plug-and-play" technology to accommodate broadcast events'

Isn't ESPN gonna have a large TV screen that will show sports? I thought that I read that a couple of years ago or maybe it was in that LA Live promotional video. That may be what that's referring to.

[latennisguy]

I ment LCD screens, maybe they do now, LEDs are different.
This is on their website about the plaza:
"as well as state-of-the-art "plug-and-play" technology to accommodate broadcast events'

Here are some images and information I found regarding L.A. Live's lighting effects (there may have been some changes to this) :


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/lalivelights4.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/lalivelights1.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/lalivelights2.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/lalivelights3.gif

[latennisguy]

here's another one:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/samceb/lalivelights5.gif

[funhaus]

I ment LCD screens, maybe they do now, LEDs are different.
This is on their website about the plaza:
"as well as state-of-the-art "plug-and-play" technology to accommodate broadcast events'

Oh, that's true.

I haven't seen anything but flat LCD applications. Whatever the technology, I hope those danged cylinders will animate (though doubtful, for all speculation so far).

[funhaus]

^ Looking at latennisguy's posted images, I suppose these will be printed banners with LED backlighting? The only thing I'm then uncertain about is the "broadcasting" function and how that is accomplished.

I would not have guessed water would be involved.

[danparker276]

Yeah, the banners wording doesn't sound good. Animation on those would have been great.

[ziggy331]

so I was at Staples Center tonight for the Justin Timberlake concert and I noticed that they are about ready to install that special hardscape on Chick Hearn Court. also, they are starting to light up the nokia theater... looks pretty good! There were even some dark blue lights you could see from Nokia Plaza actually inside the theater. Should be done soon! the first event there is in about 1 month. One more thing, the light pillars in nokia plaza were on tonight to light up the star plaza area of Staples Center. I dont think they will be used for animation.

[danparker276]

That's great, it seems like it will really open up. You can see they're working nonstop at night with the construction cam.
Clippers and Eagles the 18th.

I post on here a lot so I get a spam plug right? Actually it's a site I just made you can use for the Staples Center. ProgramPrint.com (http://www.programprint.com) it prints out a game program before you go to LA Live.

[latennisguy]

That's great, it seems like it will really open up. You can see they're working nonstop at night with the construction cam.
Clippers and Eagles the 18th.

I post on here a lot so I get a spam plug right? Actually it's a site I just made you can use for the Staples Center. ProgramPrint.com (http://www.programprint.com) it prints out a game program before you go to LA Live.

I like the pictures :haha: Print..Store...Bring...(should it say take?)

[Echo Park]

the crosswalk between Staples Center and the Nokia Plaza has been dug up and you can see the framework inside. Are they doing something special with this crosswalk? Is it gonna be lighted up?

[danparker276]

They better do something nice with it, cus people driving down there are going to be stuck in traffic for hours.

[bjornson]

the crosswalk between Staples Center and the Nokia Plaza has been dug up and you can see the framework inside. Are they doing something special with this crosswalk? Is it gonna be lighted up?

I believe from looking at the plans, it's going to have lights and jets (water?).

[Easy]

That's great, it seems like it will really open up. You can see they're working nonstop at night with the construction cam.
Clippers and Eagles the 18th.

I post on here a lot so I get a spam plug right? Actually it's a site I just made you can use for the Staples Center. ProgramPrint.com (http://www.programprint.com) it prints out a game program before you go to LA Live.

That's pretty cool! If you could get TicketMaster to hotlink to your site you'd be golden!

[Easy]

They better do something nice with it, cus people driving down there are going to be stuck in traffic for hours.

You might be right about that. I wonder if they'll get rid of that one SB lane on Fig in front of LA Live? And they have to make the signal for pedestrians crossing Olympic from the west side of Fig longer. There's barely enough time to get across the street and the cars turning left onto Olympic from NB Fig routinely come close to hitting pedestrians.

[danparker276]

That would be great if they had jets of water along the cross walks to stop cars when people are crossing. It would be like Moses parting the dead sea or that river, or whatever he did.

[RAlossi]

^ I'd love to see a car blocking the intersection, windows down, driver and passengers getting soaked! That's better than issuing citations!

[sopas ej]

That would be great if they had jets of water along the cross walks to stop cars when people are crossing. It would be like Moses parting the dead sea or that river, or whatever he did.

I think it was the Red Sea, but I could be wrong. I'm really not up on my Middle Eastern mythology.

[jlrobe]

Full story here http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2007/10/01/news/news03.txt

A $100 million plan to turn the Figueroa Corridor into a thriving link connecting Downtown Los Angeles and USC could gain traction if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs an assembly bill that has reached his desk...

"Connecting Downtown to the Exposition Park community is really important. If Figueroa becomes more of a transit corridor it will make it friendlier for pedestrians and encourage development to go south and spread investment into South L.A...

The ambitious plan would span four districts and three miles, from the Financial District at the Seventh Street Metro stop south through the Figueroa Corridor and down to USC and Exposition Park. Designed by Rios Clementi Hale Sudios, the "Figueroa Corridor: Connecting Communities" vision would create a pedestrian-oriented streetscape with parks, lush landscaping, patterned sidewalk paving, a bus line and the potential for transit-oriented housing developments...

The thoroughfare would be lined with a canopy of Washintonia palms interspersed with trees, shrubs and groundcover. While medians would be planted with trees and shrubs, sidewalks would sport a distinctive tri-colored rectangular pattern and pedestrian-level streetlights and traffic lamps. New developments would be required to have eight-foot setbacks to maintain the 15-foot-wide walkways. It would cost $36 million...

A centerpiece of the plan is the $23 million, 10-acre Bridge Park that would span the 110 Freeway between Figueroa, Flower and 23rd streets and Adams Boulevard. The majority of the green space is slated to occupy the northern half of the site, with a plaza off Flower Street. A transit center and plaza is planned for the southern half...

The plan builds around the Exposition Line, currently under construction, which in 2010 will connect Downtown to Culver City via Exposition Park. Planners would also enhance existing access to the HOV lane along Figueroa...

Traffic flow would be improved with a new synchronization system, Holter said. A proposed $6 million bus line similar to the DASH, but unique to the corridor, would round out the transit options. Likewise, there would be a bike lane along Figueroa and Flower streets and additional bike racks...

Development plans in the area could bring up to 8,000 new residential units and support a population of about 25,000 people, all within a 10-minute walk of public transportation. A community plan recently amended by the City Council allows up to three times more density in new projects, creating more than 9 million square feet of potential development...

"This funding is for the purpose of the Figueroa Corridor from USC to the edge of Downtown to create the great pedestrian and commuter passageway," Leiweke said. "We want to see a trolley, cycling, people going back and forth between hotels, businesses and anchors like the Convention Center, Coliseum and USC. This benefits anyone and everyone who lives, works and plays in Downtown L.A."...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must sign or veto the bill by Oct. 14.

[LongBeachUrbanist]

A centerpiece of the plan is the $23 million, 10-acre Bridge Park that would span the 110 Freeway between Figueroa, Flower and 23rd streets and Adams Boulevard. The majority of the green space is slated to occupy the northern half of the site, with a plaza off Flower Street. A transit center and plaza is planned for the southern half.

I read that on Saturday...man I hope that happens!

From the wording of the text, it sounds like they mean the park would extend all the way up to 23rd and Flower (as in my picture below). Is this right...or are they suggesting the park would only cover the freeway?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/1469774388_ae35afdf85_o.jpg

[Kerry Marsico]

Maybe this is old news, I don't know...but check this out! LA Live Camera on construction company's site: http://clarkconstruction.oxblue.com/lalive/

[colemonkee]

I read that on Saturday...man I hope that happens!

From the wording of the text, it sounds like they mean the park would extend all the way up to 23rd and Flower (as in my picture below). Is this right...or are they suggesting the park would only cover the freeway?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/1469774388_ae35afdf85_o.jpg
I don't think there's anything currently on that land, so I would hope the park would take up the whole "block". I think it's being used as a construction staging area for the Expo Line right now if I recall correctly.

[Easy]

No there are buildings on that land. Check out the satellite view.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=34.029091,-118.274496&spn=0.003832,0.007231&t=k&z=17&om=1

I do think that 10 acres would be the entire block. An acre is 200m by 200m. That block is longer than 200m, but also narrower. About 10 acres or so I'd say.

[LongBeachUrbanist]

Yeah, you're right. And also, there's a freeway onramp there that divides the rectangle up. That onramp would make it pretty difficult to create a park that connects to the east.

Oh well, I'll be happy with a new park there, no matter the size. This city needs more parks, period. Plus, maybe one day the park could be expanded, sometime in the future .

[colemonkee]

I saw the buildings when I drove by it yesterday. There's an adult day care and a single story brick building. As for the freeway onramp, that could be decked over to make one contiguous park.

[munkyman]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973836.html?categoryid=15&cs=1

Nokia Theater makes bow

The Eagles will christen L.A.'s newest theater next week, and if its owners have their way, every major awards show will be using the venue before long. It could even play host to the Oscars.

Philip Anschutz's AEG will take the keys from the contractor Friday to downtown's Nokia Theater, which the live entertainment company envisions as the home to 80-100 concerts per year and the epicenter of kudofests.

The first venue to open within AEG's three-phase, 100-acre L.A. Live campus, the $120 million Nokia Theater is being positioned by AEG as "the new Radio City Music Hall." The 7,100-seater opens Oct. 18 with a six-night stand featuring the Eagles and Dixie Chicks.

Venue will host the American Music Awards in mid-November, and discussions are ongoing with the Recording Academy about how to use the building and its courtyard during February's Grammy ceremony, which takes place in Staples Center and has used the Convention Center for its pre-telecast the past two years.

"We want every major event to come to Los Angeles -- our competition is New York," said Tim Leiweke, prexy-CEO of the Anschutz Entertainment Group. "We never want to see the Grammys return to New York. We want the Emmys. We want the NFL to move its draft here."

AEG, which owns and operates the adjacent Staples Center and has privately raised the $2 billion needed to finance L.A. Live, has a list of 20 events it would like to attract, including the Emmys. Because of production demands -- a week of setup is often required -- the building is unlikely to be home for more than 10. The Academy Awards are not on that list; the Motion Picture Academy has a long-term contract with the Kodak Theater, though there are outs as in any other contract. AEG's list does not include any other movie-oriented kudofests.

AEG, which has put nearly 30 shows on sale, is eager for the Nokia to become known as the most technologically advanced concert venue in the city, with its sights set on acts that would otherwise go to the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City or the Shrine Auditorium.

For concerts "we make no bones about it -- Gibson is our key competitor," Leiweke said. "But if in five years we're in a tug of war with the Gibson, something is wrong. Once the hotels, restaurants and clubs are open, this will be marketed as one campus."

L.A. Live, a giant construction site that sits to the north and a bit west of Staples Center, will be a $2 billion collection of hotels, including a Ritz Carlton and Marriott; the 2,300-capacity Club Nokia; the Grammy Museum; ESPN broadcast facilities; nine restaurants; a movie theater; and the Nokia Theater.

"We'll be in the convention business with the city," Leiweke said.

Before that day arrives, AEG is focused on getting everything in place for Monday's load-in of the Eagles' gear. Tuesday evening, the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 33 Stagehands ratified a five-year contract with the theater by a vote of 320 to 32.

"We're pleased we finally came to a meeting of the minds with AEG," said Local 33 business rep James Wright, noting the package is comparable to that at other area venues. "This is a contract we can build on."

When AEG opened its Nokia Theater in Gotham's Times Square two years ago, it had attempted to do so non-union. When workers threatened to walk prior to the opening concert, AEG inked a five-year deal with the IA.

At 7,100 seats, the Nokia is larger than most of L.A.'s large theaters: Gibson has 6,200, the outdoor Greek Theater boasts 5,700 and the Kodak has 3,000-3,400.

The Nokia stage is distinctively large: 180 feet by 80 feet.

The orchestra level is practically a hall unto itself: 4,340 of the venue's seats are in the lower level, and the upper reaches of the hall can be blocked by curtains to make the room feel like a smaller theater.

Among the Nokia's major selling points, Leiweke noted, will be its electronically operated rigging systems for lights and sound equipment that keep humans off the catwalks; two 16 foot by 29 foot LED screens alongside the stage; a dozen dressing rooms; hospitality suites; and a covered load-in area that can accommodate three semis.

"There are three ways to load in. We have enormous wing space and two levels (to store equipment)," Leiweke said, connecting the building's offerings to cost savings for promoters and acts. "The orchestra pit is on hydraulics; there's no need to bring a projection system. There's less time needed to get in and get out. People will spend less money producing a show here" than at any other house in L.A.

AEG created two VIP seating areas -- opera boxes on the sides and the first two rows of the mezzanine. The 12 opera boxes, six on each side, stacked in two levels, sold for about $150,000 each. Company has sold 220 of the 256 premium seats licenses that were offered for between $2,500 and $5,000 per year. License gives the owner the right to purchase tickets plus parking privileges and access to a private club.

The Eagles-Dixie Chicks shows sold out in a flash, and AEG has since been announcing future shows -- Neil Young on Oct. 30, Anita Baker on Nov. 3, John Fogerty on Nov. 23, Enrique Iglesias on Dec. 7 and George Lopez on Dec. 26, 27 and 31, to name just a few.

But Leiweke is well aware that L.A. Live has not yet achieved name recognition and that only the people who attend Lakers, Kings and Clippers game know how to navigate the area south of Olympic Boulevard between the 110 and Figueroa and find parking.

AEG has printed a half-million parking guides to distribute to patrons and said it has added 3,000 parking spaces to the area. Concerts are scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m.; tipoff for a Clippers-Suns game on opening night is at 7:30, as are most other sporting events.

"We are going to have some issues," Leiweke said, adding, "We're working on a better infrastructure.

"We have to teach people where (new parking) is. We have to teach people how to get into the building, because we can't have 7,000 people using the front door at once. We have to teach them that there are four lobbies, all equal size. These are challenges that will be solved by habit."

Leiweke envisions a time when all the elements of L.A. Live will be used for a single purpose, such as a weeklong "American Idol" festival that would include the staging of the singing show's finale, concerts and club appearances by former finalists and a fan fair that would involve the Convention Center.

There is a tunnel between Staples Center and the Nokia that creates the opportunity for an artist to sing the national anthem before a sporting event and then walk across the way backstage. Plans also call for a tunnel from the hotels to the backstage area, allowing a performer to commute to a show on foot.

In a way, AEG, which promotes shows in addition to running venues, will be operating in a fashion similar to its key competitor, Live Nation. With the club and theater, AEG has venues for a performer at the 2,000-seat level, the 7,000-seat level and the arena level.

Live Nation, with its remodeling of the Hollywood Palladium, has 1,000-2,000 seats covered by House of Blues, the Avalon and Wiltern; 4,000 capacity at the Palladium; and 6,100 at Gibson. It is a free agent when it comes to arenas.

[citywatch]

Nokia Theatre Raises the Bar for L.A. Concert Scene

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2007/1011/20071011_013813_nokia3_GALLERY.jpg
A worker pushes a cart through the Nokia Lounge in
the Nokia Theatre, in downtown Los Angeles, Thurs-
day, October 4, 2007. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff
Photographer)

BY FRED SHUSTER,
Los Angeles Daily News
10/11/2007

The latest piece in the Monopoly game of downtown Los Angeles moves into play next week with the opening of the Nokia Theatre, a $100 million state-of-the-art venue across the street from Staples Center. In the downtown board game, 11th Street is looking a lot like Times Square since the 7,100-seat midsize Nokia sprang up along the newly named Chick Hearn Court.

The theater, like similar Nokia-branded venues in New York and Dallas, is a major addition to the city's musical landscape. The hall has a music-friendly acoustic design, unrestricted sightlines, a plethora of bars and lobbies, the newest audio, lighting and visual gear and a wide-ranging booking policy that takes in everything from the Eagles, Queens of the Stone Age and the Dixie Chicks to the "So You Think You Can Dance" road show and a Chinese New Year event.

Better yet, the farthest seat is just 210 feet from the impressively huge stage. L.A.-based bookers AEG Live anticipate putting 120 shows into the venue each year. (Some ticket prices are lofty - seats for upcoming Eagles/Dixie Chicks shows, predictably, are $85, $195 and $265, while other events start at around $40.)

"Venues of this size are the future of the concert business," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the trade magazine Pollstar, which covers the touring industry. "It's partly because the music business at huge arenas is fueled by acts of the '60s and '70s and, eventually, age will take its toll. I don't think we've seen a comparable batch of evergreen artists who can go out and tour large arenas year after year, even without a hit record. The musicians who can do that are in their 50s and 60s now - except for Hannah Montana, of course."

Still, Nokia isn't taking any chances with its unveiling. A double bill of long-standing local favorites the Eagles, along with the Dixie Chicks, opens the building Oct. 18, and settles in for a further five nights. Many other events already have been announced. The multilevel venue's versatile design means the American Music Awards can broadcast there next month, instead of its longtime home of the Shrine, and Neil Young, Aretha Franklin, Bjork, Tori Amos and even Larry the Cable Guy will tread the Nokia's big stage in the near future.

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2007/1011/20071011_012807_nokia12_GALLERY.jpg
Workers put the finishing touches on the Nokia Thea-
tre at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

"The acoustics are going to make or break this building," says Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live, one of the country's largest producers of events at venues ranging from the 20,000-seat Staples Center to the 1,200-capacity Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre. "Based on the surfaces we've put in and the acoustical design, this is going to sound like a great opera house." Early reports have been overwhelmingly good. Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, known for his meticulous attention to detail, was reportedly "blown away" when he visited the place a few weeks ago with his manager.

But other venues could feel some fret. A story in Variety predicted Nokia would take business away from venues like the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk (6,200 capacity), and acts that might quickly sell out the Wiltern (2,200) or the Kodak (3,100) or might not quite fill the Greek (5,700) will be trucking down to the new high-tech hall downtown. "As much as I love the Hollywood Bowl, if an act is not going to sell 17,000 seats there, they're better off doing a night or two at Nokia," Phillips said.

A recent tour of the building reveals a sleek silver outer shell festooned with giant LED screens promoting upcoming acts - resembling something you'd see in Times Square. Filling the interior are full-service lobbies with bars, food and restrooms on each of the four floors, much like the Kodak and Disney Hall. The stage itself measures 180 by 80 feet with an extensive catwalk system that makes it possible to stage arena-size shows. The breakdown of the hall's 7,100 seats includes 4,340 in the lower level, while the building's balcony can be curtained off to make the venue seem like an intimate theater. As for anything resembling that bane of Bruce Springsteen - sky boxes - the venue's right and left sides are given over to three decks of large opera boxes that will have their own private bar areas. Economic apartheid, L.A. style.

The Nokia is part of a complete remake of the once-desolate corner of downtown. It's located within the L.A. Live complex (developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group), a 4-million-square-foot, $2.5 billion downtown sports, residential and entertainment district adjacent to Staples Center and the Convention Center. Plans for L.A. Live over the next few years include a 54-story, 1,000-room convention "headquarters" hotel (combining JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton brands and 224 condominiums), a Grammy museum and two separate clubs - the Conga Room and Club Nokia, the latter a 2,200-capacity live-music venue. There will also be a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, broadcast facilities for ESPN and further entertainment, restaurant and office space in the area covering six city blocks, bordered by the Harbor Freeway, Figueroa street, and Olympic and Venice boulevards.

But at this point, the big draw continues to be Staples, which anchors three major sports teams and brings in top touring acts, and the Nokia. It's safe to say that every major act will probably want to play there at some point. "Nokia does raise the bar - but that's not a slap at any other venue," said Lee Zeidman, the diplomatic senior vice president and general manager of Nokia and Staples Center. "They all have very unique features to offer."

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site200/2007/1011/20071011_012838_nokia1_GALLERY.jpg
Two men watch the construction of the Nokia Theatre
at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

[ocman]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3052380.ece

City of angels without a heart: building plan aims to give Los Angeles a cultural focus
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Published: 12 October 2007

When Sir Peter Hall travelled to Los Angeles a few years ago to direct a Shakespeare season, he quickly realised his biggest challenge was not the difficulty of the texts he was presenting, so much as persuading Angelenos to make the journey to a distinctly unfashionable part of the city – its downtown heart. "The people in Hollywood and Beverly Hills don't like going down there," Sir Peter said. "They'd rather go to New York."

In the intervening years, the city has made – literally – monumental efforts to heighten downtown's appeal and give it a life beyond the high-rise office blocks that fall mostly silent after five or six o'clock in the evening.

First came a brand-new sports arena and convention hall called the Staples Centre, now home to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. Then, in 2003, Frank Gehry's shimmering metallic Disney Hall put a distinctive mark on the landscape and gave the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra a permanent home.

Now comes the most ambitious project of all – a multi-year development scheme encompassing hotels, condominiums, cinemas, restaurants, a bowling alley, a museum charting the history of the Grammys, the music industry's top awards, and a 7,000-seat concert venue, all of it intended to create the feel of New York's Times Square, only on the west coast.

Two years into construction, the first piece of the project, the concert hall, is opening next week, with about the biggest audience draw its promoters could think up: a double bill made up of the Eagles, who are about to release their first new album of original material in 28 years, and the Dixie Chicks, the darlings of this year's Grammys.

The Nokia Theatre, as it is called, will keep the big names rolling until Christmas and beyond – Neil Young, Mary J Blige, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty, and on and on.

The project, known as LA Live, is the brainchild of Philip Anschutz, the reclusive Colorado-based billionaire who also took on London's Millennium Dome, and his AEG entertainment group. It is perhaps appropriate for a city as restless and peripatetic as Los Angeles that an out-of-towner should be making such a big push for its civic improvement.

But the project has also been enthusiastically embraced by the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, who understands only too well that LA's claim to be a world city will always be compromised as long as it feels empty and soulless at its very heart.

Downtown is where the city began and it remains the heart of LA's business activity. But, with the arrival of the movie business in 1915, the focus of the city started to shift westwards, first to Hollywood and then, with the arrival of the freeways and a big influx of Jewish refugees who were not welcome at the WASPy downtown country clubs and business associations, further out towards the Pacific.

For the past half-century, LA has been a famously decentred metropolis. Downtown turned into an awkward mix of high-rise office blocks, industrial warehouses, shabby older buildings that housed jewellery businesses and clothing sweatshops, and a sizeable area given over to flophouses, missions and the homeless. Some streets, like Broadway, felt more like Mexico City than LA, with their Mexican street vendors, crumbling art deco palaces and taco stands.

The entertainment on offer exists in spite of its surroundings, not because of it. Concert and opera-goers dutifully trekked to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – a regular home for the Oscars – and baseball fans headed to Dodger Stadium, just north of downtown, dreading the traffic they would encounter along the way. (Downtown's circle of freeways acts as a glorified roundabout for much of the rest of the city.)

Much has improved over the past decade, however. History buffs and hardcore tourists have always known downtown to be a treasure trove of unusual and beautiful buildings, like the gloriously over-decorated Mayan Theatre, an exercise in sham Mexican folklore, or the Bradbury Building, a masterpiece of urban design that was prominently used in the movie Blade Runner.

Downtown's very shabbiness has played to its advantage, too. Many of the old warehouses and factories have been converted into artists' lofts. Last weekend, an old brewery on the eastern end of downtown held its biannual art show – a magnificent showcase of new talent in an intriguing rabbit warren of a venue.

Just like Times Square, LA Live has its critics who fear it will be too brash, too commercial, too out of synch with its surroundings and the history of the area. LA is nothing, though, if not a city that thrives on surface appeal.

If the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks don't make them exactly enthusiastic about getting into their cars and on to the freeways, then here's an even surer sign that downtown is on the up-and-up: it has just seen the opening of its first big supermarket in more than half a century.