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  #3021  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2013, 9:43 PM
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Lately I've been crossing the Gerald Desmond Bridge a lot and I keep seeing more and more cranes and activity on the east side for the new replacement bridge. Haven't had time yet to get down below the approach to take photos of the construction, but mostly it's still just pilings and drilling and stuff like that. Ground breaking was back in early January and construction will continue for at least four more years. At 500 feet tall the new towers will be 135 feet taller than the Vincent Thomas Bridge towers on the other side of Terminal Island, and it will also include a bike and pedestrian path across it. It will also allow newer taller ships to pass below the bridge. In March last year a container ship was scheduled to dock at a terminal north of the bridge, but the ship was too tall to pass and had to dock at a different terminal. This will be the first true long-span cable stayed bridge in California.


Courtesy of the Port of Long Beach.
http://www.newgdbridge.com/gallery/press_photos.asp


Courtesy of the Port of Long Beach.
http://www.newgdbridge.com/gallery/press_photos.asp

Last edited by mdiederi; Feb 26, 2013 at 3:05 AM.
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  #3022  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 1:12 AM
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http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/0...ierge.php#more

Expo-Adjacent Sepulveda/Pico Mixed-User Will Have 1,795 Parking Spaces, Transit Concierge



by Eve Bachrach

Quote:
Casden West LA, the controversial and huge mixed-use development planned to replace the cement at Sepulveda and Pico, is up for a Planning Commission vote this week. And despite having several unmitigatible impacts (air quality, noise, traffic, etc.), staffers are recommending that the commission approve the project, with a few modifications (pdf). According to the staff report, any one of the benefits of the project--new job, more senior housing, increased density around the Expo Line--would be enough to outweigh the concerns. So what is being built? The total number of apartments is up 100 to 638--including 71 set aside for "very low income" seniors--but the total retail square footage is down about a third to 160,000, including a grocery store. And this transit-adjacent project is due to get 1,795 parking spaces on six underground levels. However, there will be several concessions made to transit-friendliness (in addition to the project's location near the future Sepulveda station of the Expo Line):

-- A redesign to allow direct pedestrian access from the transit plaza to the grocery store and planned big box retailer, and better pedestrian access from Pico
-- On-site bike sharing and car sharing facilities
-- 84 bike parking spots
-- Transportation awareness-raising kiosks scattered around the site
-- A transit "concierge/coordinator"
-- Transit incentives and free/discounted Metro Passes will be provided to residents and employees by the developer

In addition to changing the mix of retail and residential space and improving pedestrian access to the site, the four buildings planned have each dropped about 10 feet in height.
The amount of parking is obscene.
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  #3023  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 2:27 AM
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Originally Posted by blackcat23 View Post
The amount of parking is obscene.
Agreed, the amount of parking is grotesque. Not to play city-vs-city but there was a 65-unit mixed-use apartment building next to one of our metro stations in DC that was approved last summer with zero off-street parking. Depending on how much these units are rented for, the building above next to the Expo. Line should have 0.5 to 1 parking spaces per unit.
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  #3024  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 3:03 AM
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Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist View Post
Agreed, the amount of parking is grotesque. Not to play city-vs-city but there was a 65-unit mixed-use apartment building next to one of our metro stations in DC that was approved last summer with zero off-street parking. Depending on how much these units are rented for, the building above next to the Expo. Line should have 0.5 to 1 parking spaces per unit.
It has an inordinate amount of parking because it has 160,000 square feet of retail. Probably too much, but 600 spaces would be far too few.

No parking is obviously rare for LA, but Santa Monica did approve a 56 unit building next to the Expo terminus with no parking.
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  #3025  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 3:49 AM
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One of the comments on the Curbed article points out that the Wilshire Grand (all 1100 feet of it) will have 635 fewer parking spaces than the Casden development.

The Expo/Sepulveda station is already going to be a park-and-ride, too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist View Post
Agreed, the amount of parking is grotesque. Not to play city-vs-city but there was a 65-unit mixed-use apartment building next to one of our metro stations in DC that was approved last summer with zero off-street parking. Depending on how much these units are rented for, the building above next to the Expo. Line should have 0.5 to 1 parking spaces per unit.
A few months back, the city approved a new specific plan for the area northeast of downtown in which parking minimums were eliminated altogether. Instead, developers can decide based on market conditions. Of course, we're talking about a less wealthy/more transit dependent part of LA.

It will be a while before parking becomes optional for the wealthier/auto dominated westside. Once Expo reaches Sepulveda, hopefully we'll see further shifts in attitude.

Another positive development from the past month or so was the new ordinance which allows bike parking to be substituted for auto parking. Not sure how much that substitution will be utilized in the near future, but it's step in the right direction.
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  #3026  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 3:57 AM
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Originally Posted by blackcat23 View Post
One of the comments on the Curbed article points out that the Wilshire Grand (all 1100 feet of it) will have 635 fewer parking spaces than the Casden development.

Yeah that was a good comment by DistrictDirt. But to be fair people tend to use mass transit more for commutes to and from work than they do for trips to Target and the grocery store. I don't mean to defend the obscene number of spaces planned, but a quadruple digit number of spaces doesn't surprise me.
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  #3027  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 9:23 AM
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True, that is a ridiculous amount of parking. But why does it bother you all if it's going to be all underground?
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  #3028  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by benji55545 View Post
True, that is a ridiculous amount of parking. But why does it bother you all if it's going to be all underground?
LA's plan includes allowing increased development density around rail stations with the idea that those areas can handle the extra density because of the option to use rail. Allowing such large amounts of parking is the opposite of what they are supposedly trying to achieve. This seems like more parking than a development away from rail would even need.
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  #3029  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2013, 2:53 PM
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Originally Posted by benji55545 View Post
True, that is a ridiculous amount of parking. But why does it bother you all if it's going to be all underground?
Abundant parking, especially if it is free or under-priced undermines transit ridership and encourages more driving. People who live or work within 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile of a rail station have fundamentally different travel patterns and much lower car-ownership rates than the rest of the population. If you reduce the cost of parking, on the other hand, people will drive more.

Transit Oriented Development’s Ridership Bonus: A Product of Self-Selection and Public Policies
http://www.uctc.net/papers/765.pdf

Are TODs Over-Parked?
http://www.uctc.net/papers/882.pdf

Second, underground structured parking is very expensive, with estimates of this costing $30,000 - $50,000 per space. This limits the affordability of the housing.

Third, having this much parking will encourage the developer to design the building around vehicle access instead of around pedestrians (see page 5: http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/People,Parking,Cities.pdf).

In DC, there is a similarly large retail building in Columbia Heights that is directly across the street from one of the rail stations on the Green line. Entire floors of the parking garage go unused most of the time.

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...ver-been-used/
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  #3030  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 2:38 AM
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Look at what's going on down in Redondo Beach.

From Curbed:


http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2013.02_redondo.jpg

Quote:
The listening sessions on the Redondo Beach waterfront regeneration are over, and developer CenterCal is ready to start talking. This past weekend, CenterCal revealed the initial plans for their vision of the revamped pier and waterfront area. The concept was designed to bring more locals down to the pier, refurbish buildings, and plan for rising water levels, says the Daily Breeze. While the plans released are still just conceptual, CenterCal CEO Fred Bruning says the eventual designs will be "open, inviting and green," and minimally ocean-view-blocking. The latest plans for the redevelopment include:

-- A market hall
-- Local shops and restaurants
-- Water features
-- Boutique hotel with beach access
-- 600 to 800 seat theater for movies and live performances
-- Renovated Seaside Lagoon, a heated saltwater pool next to the ocean, which would keep it open year-round
-- Better bike and pedestrian access to the waterfront

A representative of a group called Residents for Appropriate Development sounded cautiously supportive of the project--Nadine Meiser said she liked the family-friendly plans, but that she and fellow RAD members were concerned that their ocean views be protected, and want to see a 3D model to check sight lines before backing the project. The Redondo Beach City Council will vote on the preliminary concept next month.
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  #3031  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 3:44 AM
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Selma and Vine Mixed-User in Hollywood Back From the Dead



Quote:
Everyone hop in the DeLorean and lets take a trip back to 2006, a magical time before our brows were troubled by recession, and everyone was following a hot lead about a new Whole Foods coming to Hollywood. The market was to be part of a large mixed-use development at 1540 North Vine Street (at Selma), which our new mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa was touting as one of his wins in his second year in office. And then ... nothing. Until now! Word on the street is the project, designed by TCA Architects and developed by Camden Development, has risen from the dead. The rendering above is a bit out of date, but the most recent information we can find is that project will have around 300 market-rate apartments and groundfloor retail, taking the place of the surface parking lot on the southwest corner of Selma and Vine.
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/0...m_the_dead.php
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  #3032  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 4:19 AM
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^ Awesome! Hollywood is on fire right now.
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  #3033  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 5:22 AM
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I was thinking about the Selma/Vine project when I walked past there last week, and here we are. Very welcome news.

I wonder when we'll see movement on the proposals for the two opposite corners on Selma and Argyle.
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  #3034  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 10:52 AM
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Why is TCA physically unable to create quality architecture?
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  #3035  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 2:55 PM
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^ Seriously. They're Public Enemy #1 when it comes to banal stucco Type III design. What's even more frustrating is that they seem to win every single development bid in LA at the moment. Reeeeeeally hoping that moment comes to an end soon.

What I do hope happens with this development is that the Whole Foods is still part of it. Taking the Red Line to Hollywood/Vine and walking a block and a half will be so much easier than the trek out to Pasadena.
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  #3036  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 5:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Illithid Dude View Post
Why is TCA physically unable to create quality architecture?
I agree for the most part but I do give them credit for going "all-in" on streamline moderne with 5550 Wilshire.


Source: TCA
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  #3037  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 6:02 PM
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No need for a prolonged introduction here but I would just like to thank all of you for your ongoing coverage of development in Los Angeles. Having followed SSP since 2006 without ever posting myself, at least until now, the opinions and contributions of every forumer on this site are greatly appreciated. With that out of the way let's move onto business.

While the evolution of DTLA has been thrilling to witness I find the urbanization of the region at large to be in many ways far more interesting. People like to point out the enormity of the metropolis in describing how transit will never sufficiently tie the region together, but the city can more accurately be envisioned as a dozen or so (increasingly) dense, (potentially) walkable nodes. Based on this recent barrage of development, it seems like Hollywood is lining up to be the second most prominent node.

Certainly there are more jobs, wealth, and political power in say Santa Monica or Century City, but neither of these communities seem to have quite the same urban potential due to density restrictions (in the case of Santa Monica) and mid-century urban planning (in the case of Century City). When you add to that the fact that Hollywood is linked to DT through an already existing and increasingly popular subway line, unlike the westside nodes, and has a relatively central location within the city it would seem to be running away from the competition.

With that being said Expo phase II to Santa Monica will, I believe, be the real game changer in the operational dynamic of the metropolis. It will be at this point that Metro Rail comes of age and begins a slow but permanent transition in the eyes of the average Angelino from a system for transporting only car-less riders to as system for transporting middle class voluntary riders. Of course this has already become a reality to a certain extent but, at least for people who don't tend to pay attention to such things, I think it's safe to say perception lags behind reality. However as soon as Expo II opens and images of trains full of business people in suits and teenagers going shopping and families headed to the beach become imprinted in the consciousness of the public, a monumental shift will have occurred. Arty twenty-somethings and commuters from the Valley will have paved the way when all is said and done, but nothing says PR like westsiders riding Metro Rail.

I'm reminded of a forumer on the Washington, D.C. page who described a similar transition with regard to metro system ridership occurring during the 1990s in that city. 15 years later commuting via rail in Washington is a given, an obvious fact of life for all but the elite. Imagine if Los Angeles were on the cusp of just such a change in the transportation dynamic of the city...
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  #3038  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 6:14 PM
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Originally Posted by ThreeHundred View Post
Look at what's going on down in Redondo Beach.

From Curbed:


http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2013.02_redondo.jpg
Very nice, Ive been keeping up on Redondo, I lived in Redondo as a kid for 3 years. I really hope it becomes a great destination. I like the connecting bridge and the new lagoon. I'd love to see a little more development on the pier like the old days....
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  #3039  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 6:37 PM
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DenseCityPlease--- I think you assessment is pretty much right on. I think LA is a bit similar to DC, being a multi-nodal area. If LA can continue to create dense, walkable, nodes and connect these by rail transit, Southern California will be doing very well.
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  #3040  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2013, 6:55 PM
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Originally Posted by DenseCityPlease View Post
No need for a prolonged introduction here but I would just like to thank all of you for your ongoing coverage of development in Los Angeles. Having followed SSP since 2006 without ever posting myself, at least until now, the opinions and contributions of every forumer on this site are greatly appreciated. With that out of the way let's move onto business.

While the evolution of DTLA has been thrilling to witness I find the urbanization of the region at large to be in many ways far more interesting. People like to point out the enormity of the metropolis in describing how transit will never sufficiently tie the region together, but the city can more accurately be envisioned as a dozen or so (increasingly) dense, (potentially) walkable nodes. Based on this recent barrage of development, it seems like Hollywood is lining up to be the second most prominent node.

Certainly there are more jobs, wealth, and political power in say Santa Monica or Century City, but neither of these communities seem to have quite the same urban potential due to density restrictions (in the case of Santa Monica) and mid-century urban planning (in the case of Century City). When you add to that the fact that Hollywood is linked to DT through an already existing and increasingly popular subway line, unlike the westside nodes, and has a relatively central location within the city it would seem to be running away from the competition.

With that being said Expo phase II to Santa Monica will, I believe, be the real game changer in the operational dynamic of the metropolis. It will be at this point that Metro Rail comes of age and begins a slow but permanent transition in the eyes of the average Angelino from a system for transporting only car-less riders to as system for transporting middle class voluntary riders. Of course this has already become a reality to a certain extent but, at least for people who don't tend to pay attention to such things, I think it's safe to say perception lags behind reality. However as soon as Expo II opens and images of trains full of business people in suits and teenagers going shopping and families headed to the beach become imprinted in the consciousness of the public, a monumental shift will have occurred. Arty twenty-somethings and commuters from the Valley will have paved the way when all is said and done, but nothing says PR like westsiders riding Metro Rail.

I'm reminded of a forumer on the Washington, D.C. page who described a similar transition with regard to metro system ridership occurring during the 1990s in that city. 15 years later commuting via rail in Washington is a given, an obvious fact of life for all but the elite. Imagine if Los Angeles were on the cusp of just such a change in the transportation dynamic of the city...
Welcome to the Forum and very well put. I agree with your assessment and i truly believe LA is going to be a much different (and better) animal in 10 years
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