LOS ANGELES | Wilshire Grand Development | 1,100 FT | 73 FLOORS | U/C - Page 13

Downtown Los Angeles · #**241** Posted **May 14, 2011, 5:28 PM**

wilshire grand approved huh..? hell yea downtowns doin it BIG for our first office tower since i was born 20 years ago! so excited for this i have a passion for downtown i live in pomona... sumthin taller than the us bank

love it.. cnt wait to see it up

JDRCRASH · #**242** Posted **May 15, 2011, 5:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown Los Angeles

wilshire grand approved huh..? hell yea downtowns doin it BIG for our first office tower since i was born 20 years ago! so excited for this i have a passion for downtown i live in pomona... sumthin taller than the us bank

love it.. cnt wait to see it up

Wow, an LA forumer here that's younger than me? This is new.

Yeah I was about a year old when First Interstate World Center (now US Bank) was built.

Downtown Los Angeles · #**243** Posted **May 15, 2011, 6:48 AM**

oh really..can you remember it fondly? i doubt it

im actually 19.. glad to know there are people who appreciate the things most people dont

Illithid Dude · #**244** Posted **May 15, 2011, 8:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Wow, an LA forumer here that's younger than me? This is new.

Yeah I was about a year old when First Interstate World Center (now US Bank) was built.

Pshh, 20? I'm younger.

JDRCRASH · #**245** Posted **May 16, 2011, 1:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Pshh, 20? I'm younger.

Umm, no. 21 1/2.

Just-In-Cali · #**246** Posted **May 16, 2011, 9:29 PM**

Kids, kids....lets stay on topic now.

Id say this project is basically a done deal. I've checked and you cant make reservations at the Wilshire Grand past December. The funding is in place and with the news on the hotel vacancy rates getting lower and lower, there finally seems to be a project that has no more real roadblocks.
As far as the office tower, hopefully by the end of next year, they will have enough interest to announce a start date.

animatedmartian · #**247** Posted **May 16, 2011, 11:16 PM**

Awwwwwwww yeaaaaa, looks like L.A. is about to get a skyline makeover!

Illithid Dude · #**248** Posted **May 17, 2011, 1:28 AM**

Great! Los Angeles seems to be taking an abnormal long time to get development back in gear compared to other cities, but it looks like we are going to be back in business in a BIG way.

kenratboy · #**249** Posted **May 17, 2011, 1:36 AM**

Odds this will get built at the same height as what we see here? I'm crossing my fingers, but waiting for groundbreaking!

Downtown Los Angeles · #**250** Posted **May 17, 2011, 3:00 AM**

dont anyone forget about the 40 floor tower should be as tall as the gas company tower..that tower in itself would change the skyline significantly.. this is REALLY big

Just-In-Cali · #**251** Posted **May 18, 2011, 4:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown Los Angeles

dont anyone forget about the 40 floor tower should be as tall as the gas company tower..that tower in itself would change the skyline significantly.. this is REALLY big

Thank YOU!. I have been making this point endlessly. Even if the taller tower is put off, the hotel alone is a 750 footer. Outside of NY and Chicago, not many of these are going up in the States. Plus it will make a mark, filling the gap between 777 Tower and Fig at Wilshire.

Steve2726 · #**252** Posted **May 18, 2011, 2:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just-In-Cali

The funding is in place

Where did you hear this?

Illithid Dude · #**253** Posted **May 19, 2011, 11:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve2726

Where did you hear this?

The developers said so.

In regards to the guy saying that the hotel tower is 750 feet tall, and that being only matched by towers under Construction in New York and Chicago, that isn't completely correct. The cities with 750+ towers going up are New York and Oklahoma City.

DJM19 · #**254** Posted **May 24, 2011, 10:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

It would likely be unsafe to land a helicopter on a building that is unstable. And even if it was, smoke from fires would hinder the helicopter's ability to land anyway.

The issue of helipads got the attention of LA politicians as recently as last year. Some would like to get red of the ordinance, but the LAFD thinks they are very progressive (code: one of the few cities with stupid helipad requirment) and have precedent for some reason in keeping them required.

Easy · #**255** Posted **May 26, 2011, 4:42 AM**

The Downtown News is reporting that the last night that the hotel will be open is December 31 and that demolition will begin early next year.

Illithid Dude · #**256** Posted **May 26, 2011, 4:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easy

The Downtown News is reporting that the last night that the hotel will be open is December 31 and that demolition will begin early next year.

That shouldn't be right. Demolition was supposed to happen this Winter. Ah, well. As long as they end on the expected end date is it all coo.

Easy · #**257** Posted **May 26, 2011, 8:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

That shouldn't be right. Demolition was supposed to happen this Winter. Ah, well. As long as they end on the expected end date is it all coo.

That is this winter.

Illithid Dude · #**258** Posted **May 27, 2011, 1:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easy

That is this winter.

No, they close the hotel the last day of the year. They said winter 2011. I assume they wont start demolition the last day the hotel opens, as they have to move all the chairs and stuff out of the hotel first. Therefore, when demolition starts, it will start in winter 2012.

Easy · #**259** Posted **May 27, 2011, 2:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

No, they close the hotel the last day of the year. They said winter 2011. I assume they wont start demolition the last day the hotel opens, as they have to move all the chairs and stuff out of the hotel first. Therefore, when demolition starts, it will start in winter 2012.

Huh? Winter starts December 22. Are you saying that it was your understanding that the hotel demolition would start between December 22 and December 31? What most consider "Winter 2011" ended weeks ago.

QuarterMileSidewalk · #**260** Posted **May 27, 2011, 3:36 AM**

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articl...5968539389.txt

Quote:

Razing of Property for $1.1 Billion Project to Begin Next Year
Published: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 5:17 PM PDT

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Anyone hoping to stay in the Wilshire Grand hotel had better make reservations in the next few months. S. Chris Park, vice president and general manager of the Financial District facility, today announced that the hotel will shutter on Dec. 31.

The hotel on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets is slated to be razed to make way for a $1.1 billion, two-tower hotel, condominium and office project. Earlier this year, hotel owner Korean Air and its development partner, Downtown-based Thomas Properties Group, secured the approvals for the new project.

Officials expect to begin tearing down the 59-year-old structure early next year. The first element to rise will be a 45-story tower holding 650 hotel rooms, with some condominiums on the upper floors. It is slated to open in 2015. A second 65-floor edifice, an office tower, will follow when the office market improves.

According to a statement from the Wilshire Grand, the existing hotel received its building permit on May 22, 1950, and groundbreaking on the $15 million project took place in July of that year. The facility opened on Aug. 6, 1952 as the Hotel Statler. In later years it was the Statler Hilton and an Omni Los Angeles.