LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[a9l8e7n]

That would be great news!

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Onni's double tower site on Flower was supposed to "start" today from what I was told. If anyone's in the area to investigate and see if the site itself has been fenced off or emptied out please post, thanks

[blackcat23]

4th & Broadway scheduled for October groundbreaking

[sopas ej]

^^^^
Gee, that's attractive. (?)

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Onni's double tower site on Flower was supposed to "start" today from what I was told. If anyone's in the area to investigate and see if the site itself has been fenced off or emptied out please post, thanks

It really doesn't look like anything is starting. The work that you saw appears to be some sort of plumbing work for the existing building. Absolutely nothing on the Onni site. Again.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Easy

It really doesn't look like anything is starting. The work that you saw appears to be some sort of plumbing work for the existing building. Absolutely nothing on the Onni site. Again.

When I walked by yesterday there were two small tractors parked on site. No idea what they were there for though.

[Mojeda101]

Originally Posted by Easy

It really doesn't look like anything is starting. The work that you saw appears to be some sort of plumbing work for the existing building. Absolutely nothing on the Onni site. Again.

I knew that was unrelated. I'm just asking based on what the lot attendant and an inside source told me. So tractors are on site?

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

4th & Broadway scheduled for October groundbreaking

LA Cowboy
Tuesday, July 05, 2016

The center of the story is the two story solid concrete parking structure on the southeast corner of 4th and Broadway which had all of its parking closed quite a few months ago. Most of the stores then closed – and moved – and the remaining stores slowly moved out – one by one - until there were… just two… jewelry stores left

Now while all this was happening, a few of local pundits felt – or heard – the project was postponed – or canceled. But everything I had been watching happening made it clear to me, at least – that only the reason things could be happening in the exact way they had been happening was if the project had to wait until the last tenant was gone before construction could start. Nothing else made any possible sense. Then some days ago – one of the last two stores moved – and then closed. And that then left only… one. And, finally, by the end of last Friday’s business day – there were… none.

The first project for this site was announced back in early 2013 by pioneering Historic Downtown developer Izek Shomof. At the time he was planning to build 22 story residential high rise and he stated he had paid north of ten million for the site. The following year Izek redesigned the project and it was now going to be a 34 story 450,000-foot-high rise with 750 condos, 750 parking spaces and 7,000 feet of retail.

But the starting date came and went – which is not at all uncommon. And then I heard a rumor through the grapevine; a rumor that a major Chinese developers had made Izek an offer that absolutely no one could refuse. And when I called up Izek – he conformed he had not refused it. But for almost a year, it was still listed everywhere as one of his projects and that’s when I started to read that the project had been delayed or canceled.

Then – around a month or so ago – the controversial fire damaged buildings across the street from this project – located on the northeast corner of 4th and Broadway – suddenly seemed to have people inspecting the site. And a couple inquiries disclosed a buyer had unexpectedly surface; a buyer who was already very close to making a deal. And knowing the history of the owner of the site – and having once tried to make a deal with him on another project – I knew any deal would have to be at a price that absolutely no one could possibly resist.

And the next day – I heard he hadn’t.

And then there was another new rumor. The new owners of the property – were the owners of the building site across the street! They were going to build another tower on that corner – and then connect the two towers with a sky-bridge.

And that brings us up to last Friday and the closing of the last jewelry store in the parking garage. So I finally asked the store’s owner if I had been right – and if the developers had been waiting for him to leave before they could start construction. And he confirmed I had guessed right.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

So tractors are on site?

Whatever is there is related to whatever is going on with the existing building. They're digging something for what looks like plumbing or irrigation. Nothing is happening on the Onni property.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Easy

Whatever is there is related to whatever is going on with the existing building. They're digging something for what looks like plumbing or irrigation. Nothing is happening on the Onni property.

That sounds right, they were light tractors, didn't look like ones that would be used for large scale excavation.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

^^^^
Gee, that's attractive. (?)

I think that the original design was better. It reminded me of Chicago.

[blackcat23]

820 Olive Street readies for vertical construction

[headcheckjj]

I know this is not Downtown specific, but has everyone seen the proposed Metro map?

http://calurbanist.com/los-angeles-future-rail-brt/

What are your thoughts?

It's not perfect (there are still enormous swaths of population and tourist-heavy city that are inaccessible by train), and I'm a little impatient with how long all this is taking, but something is better than nothing. Also, I remain hopeful with acceleration as I've seen each subsequent proposal become more and more ambitious.

PS. Vermont Corridor has the second highest mass transit ridership behind Wilshire, so don't put a BRT down it -- turn it into a subway.

Also, extend the T Line from Union Station down Sunset until you hit the Red Line. From There, stop at Santa Monica/Western, then Beverly/Larchmont and continue down Beverly all the way to Santa Monica Blvd. From there, another stop at Sunset/Benedict Canyon, then Sunset/Beverly Glen, and finally connect to the Q Line. (Yes, I realize those two penultimate stations would be a fight to the death with NIMBYs).

[BrianMojo]

Originally Posted by headcheckjj

PS. Vermont Corridor has the second highest mass transit ridership behind Wilshire, so don't put a BRT down it -- turn it into a subway.

I believe the latest revision of R2 did just that.

[headcheckjj]

Originally Posted by BrianMojo

I believe the latest revision of R2 did just that.

I wish, but no. It's a rapid transit bus line -- similar to the current Silver Line.

[BrianMojo]

Originally Posted by headcheckjj

I wish, but no. It's a rapid transit bus line -- similar to the current Silver Line.

That wasn't the last word that I heard on it from Urbanize when Metro revised it in June:

"The revised ballot initiative would allow the project to be built as a a heavy rail subway, likely running between the Green Line and the Wilshire/Vermont Station served by the Red and Purple Lines."

http://urbanize.la/post/metro-revise...lot-initiative

[King Kill 'em]

I hate BRT. It's such a half measure. LRT/HRT or nothing. And the NoHo-Pasadena BRT really short changes those of us in Burbank and Glendale. Poorly placed stations and it should be light rail considering how many jobs are in both cities.

Luckily the revised plan not shown in the map has it as LRT. I just hope they chose a good mostly grade separated route. Like this onehttps://drive.google.com/open?id=1Dk...mM&usp=sharing

One more thing, change the Artesia-DTLA line to the allignment that shares 3 stations with the blue line.

[NSMP]

Originally Posted by BrianMojo

That wasn't the last word that I heard on it from Urbanize when Metro revised it in June:

"The revised ballot initiative would allow the project to be built as a a heavy rail subway, likely running between the Green Line and the Wilshire/Vermont Station served by the Red and Purple Lines."

http://urbanize.la/post/metro-revise...lot-initiative

First BRT in the 20s, then HRT in the 60s.

[NSMP]

Sometime in this god forsaken century, hopefully the state or Feds will start pulling their weight and we'll get transit while we're all alive.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by King Kill 'em

I hate BRT. It's such a half measure. LRT/HRT or nothing. And the NoHo-Pasadena BRT really short changes those of us in Burbank and Glendale. Poorly placed stations and it should be light rail considering how many jobs are in both cities.

Luckily the revised plan not shown in the map has it as LRT. I just hope they chose a good mostly grade separated route. Like this onehttps://drive.google.com/open?id=1Dk...mM&usp=sharing

One more thing, change the Artesia-DTLA line to the allignment that shares 3 stations with the blue line.

Your hate is very misplaced. Ideally is LRT/HRT better? Of course. But we operate in a real world with limited resources and real tradeoffs. BRT provides many of the benefits of LRT at a fraction of the cost. We simply don't have the funding to build light rail everywhere. BRT is a great way to expand our transit network within that reality. I lived in South America for a little bit and rode the BRT in my city every day. It was quick, efficient, and provided a great alternative to a normal bus. This city certainly didn't have the resources to build rail, so this line was a real blessing.

That being said, I do think that Vermont's ridership and density justify rail investment to a much higher degree than many other proposed rail lines in the plan. (note: I would likely never use the Vermont line, so I don't say this out of self-interest)

[colemonkee]

Looking at the Metropolis web cam this morning, it appears that we're seeing 1st floor decking on the tallest tower at Oceanwide Plaza. If there are any local photogs who have time to mozy on down to confirm, that would be wicked awesome, as they say in Bahston.