Downtown LA Housing Construction: A Complete Listing

[citywatch]

I think this should be archived here because it's a good example of how difficult it is to get some projs under actual construction in DT. That & how expensive a condo can be even when sponsored by a non profit group. But this is one of the larger (in terms of the sq ft of each unit) & nicer housing devlpts in the hood & it replaces one of the biggest deadzones-----thanks to the NIMBY storeowner across the street -----in the NE part of DT.


Downtown's New 'Temple District'

After 20 Years of Work, the $42 Million Senior Living Complex Teramachi Is Ready to Open

by Kathleen Nye Flynn

In the early 1980s, Ronald Ohata noticed that his parents were getting older. He envisioned moving them into a condominium in Little Tokyo, where they could be near the Japanese restaurant they owned and close to their friends. Problem was, that building did not exist. So Ohata, then an immigration judge, decided to build the perfect senior citizens condominium complex himself. He asked his fellow members at the Senshin Buddhist Temple, at the southern edge of Downtown Los Angeles, if they wanted to invest. Nobody was interested.

Ten years later, the Temple's reverend called. Members were getting older, and they were ready to build. Still, it was no easy path to construction, as the would-be developers endured a decade of battles with funding, red tape and even the weather. But now, 20 years after the idea was initiated, Teramachi Seniors Housing is two months from opening. Ohata's parents have since passed away, but ironically, Ohata himself is now old enough to live in the building. He has already picked out his unit. "I guess I've aged myself into it," he said.

The 127-unit project at Third and San Pedro streets is Ohata's dream realized: It's comfortable enough to compel empty nesters to leave their family homes, but also has facilities for a convenient lifestyle. Most importantly, he says, it will keep his aging community together and active.

Built Around a Garden

After getting the call from his reverend back in 1996, Ohata contacted his high school friend Thomas Wong, who had become a Los Angeles high-rise developer (his projects include the Malibu City Hall building). Wong took an immediate interest in the project and ultimately got it built. Walking through the Teramachi site recently, Wong acknowledged that he had a personal interest in making the project stand out. After all, he said smiling, "All my friends and friends' parents will be living here."

The $42 million development includes double sound-proofed floors, a high-tech elevator system, a long-lasting power generator and units with as many extra inches as could be squeezed in. The attention to detail for the elderly residents extends to the smallest elements: For example, the parking garage is painted a gleaming white, to make it as bright as possible for senior eyes.

"The Temple members are all empty-nesters and have their own homes, and at first they didn't understand condo living," Wong said. "It doesn't have to be like living in an apartment."

Wong also worked with Ohata to infuse the building with Japanese culture - a demonstration of generational change. There was a time, Wong said, when the rift between the Japanese and the Chinese would never have allowed the two to work on the project together. The result is manifested in details such as the units' entryways, which are tiled to accommodate the Japanese custom of removing shoes before stepping into a living space. Outside each door is a small shelf that could hold a customary Buddhist statue. The top floor of the four-story building is listed as the fifth floor, because the number four is unlucky in Japanese culture. The word "Teramachi" is Japanese for "temple district."

Currently, the central courtyard is a maze of brick walls and cement basins. Soon, after cranes drop in boulders and full-grown trees, and a water system pumps in a flowing stream, the area will resemble a Japanese Zen garden, complete with a koi pond and a walking bridge. Wong opted to cap the building's south wing at two stories, which keeps sunlight shining into the courtyard almost all day long.

"It's a very modern building, clean lines, and a lot of use of storefront glass," said Gary Leus of VTBS architects, which designed the project. "It is catered toward the Japanese, as 90% of the owners of the units are Japanese, and a big selling point is the garden."

The 1.6-acre project will have a hair salon, bookstore, 24-hour security, a two-story parking garage and a social services center on its bottom floor. Inside, the building offers residents a gymnasium, private flower and vegetable boxes on the podium level, a multipurpose room with a book-filled mezzanine and a full kitchen that opens to the courtyard. Each floor has its own public lounge area with a kitchen.

Units sell for $350,000 to $1 million and the building is 90% sold, said Wong. The largest unit is 2,200 square feet with three bedrooms, rounded walls, a private patio and a fireplace. Most condos have views of the Downtown skyline and some feature large, private balconies or patios. The courtyard holds a large swimming pool, which is tucked halfway under an overhang, creating an indoor/outdoor effect.

"The investors said that a swimming pool was too expensive," Wong said. "I said, 'Do you want to see your grandkids? Then we need to have a pool.'"

Plasma screen televisions with PlayStations will also be on hand to keep the kids coming to visit grandma, Wong said. "Usually, you pick up your grandparents, take them to Denny's, and then go home after an hour," Wong said. "But now kids can hang out here with their grandparents all day."

Long Road

It has taken Ohata and Wong 10 years to reach near-completion, and in that time, the project encountered a torrent of setbacks.

The site appealed to them because of its proximity to a hospital, grocery stores and Little Tokyo's retail. A hotel had originally been planned for the spot, but that deal fell through during the recession of the early 1990s. The surrounding area was at an economic standstill, said Wong. This made getting funding from banks tough, and the fact that the project had an informal relationship with the Buddhist temple only added to the difficulty.

"Even Japanese banks were concerned that if we were at all affiliated with a religious organization it would be really bad press for them if they suddenly had to foreclose on us," Wong said.

After finally receiving funding, entitlements and permits from the city, a nearby business owner appealed the project, saying that it would take away parking on the crowded streets (the project replaced a parking lot), Wong said. They fought the appeal, a process that cost the project a one-year delay and an estimated $2 million. Along with satisfying city building requirements, construction had its touch-and-go moments.

"There have been unexpected delays one right after the other," Leus said. "For example, in the beginning during excavation, we found there was an old foundation deep in the soil. We have no idea where it came from, but we had to dig it out."

Then came nearly 100 days of rain in the 2004 winter season, which temporarily drowned construction shortly after it had begun. By the time the sun came out, the price of building materials had risen. The project accrued $1 million in increased steel, concrete, copper, rebar, plywood and drywall costs.

Wong persevered, calling old contacts and making deals. "Without [Wong's] diligence and determination, we would be nowhere with the project," Leus said.

Now, with Teramachi almost ready to open, residents are eager to head to Downtown Los Angeles. David Fujikawa has waited four years to move from his home in the Valley, and has visited the construction site a handful of times just to check on the progress. "I think there will be a lot more interaction with people. There's a big room where they are going to have a TV and coffee where we can get together and lounge," Fujikawa said. "And, I don't know, maybe we will even have little parties here and there. It would be easy to do."

page 1, 10/9/2006

[danparker276]

Oh yeah, did a walkthrough of Vero, 1234 Wilshire. Seems pretty nice. HOA is only 350








More photos here:
http://loftla.com/loftla/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=19

[colemonkee]

^ Nice pics. Thanks for posting. Vero really went quick, didn't it? Astani doesn't mess around. Let's hope he takes his profits from this and pumps them into Concerto and 8th and Grand.

[LAMetroGuy]

danparker276... thanks for the pics! That will add some residents to that area which are needed... hopefully this will add some local eateries and shopping.

[danparker276]

Yeah, there should be a lot of foot traffic in that area. 7 retail shops under Vero, 3 in 1100, a few in glo, and some in 1010 maybe. There is also the hospital and the city of hope building across the street.

[citywatch]

I saw this in the city discussions forum about Philadelphia. I want to post it here because this shows that if that city & its devlprs & ppl are able to do as much as they're doing, then damn it!, we better do at least as much as-----& a lot more than-----we've done so far.

Delays or cancellations of new projs & improvements in DTLA are less excusable now than ever before.




Center City Renaissance residential population boom and retail growth power a comeback.

By Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writer

Frank Plateroti and John Mully could have chosen anywhere for a shared weekend getaway for their affluent North Jersey families.

New York? Too difficult to get in and out. The Jersey Shore? Too overpriced and good only two seasons a year. A Philadelphia townhouse at 18th and Montrose? Just right.

Plateroti, 54, a communications consultant with a 16-year-old daughter and a 12-year old son, and Mully, 52, a dentist with an 11-year-old son, chose a new Quincy Court townhouse to be near Center City's arts and culture, restaurants and nightlife, affordability, and big-city life on a human scale. Philadelphia is "rich in history and tradition," and easy to get around, Plateroti said. "It's very culturally rich."

That's an opinion shared by an army of out-of-towners, recent college graduates, and suburban empty-nesters who are swelling Center City's population and remaking its neighborhoods.

Consider the following:

Though Philadelphia as a whole is still losing residents, Center City has the third-largest downtown population after New York and Chicago. Since 2000, its population has increased 11.5 percent, from 78,902 to 88,000. Experts say it could reach 96,000 to 105,000 by 2010. Retail occupancy in Center City is now at 90 percent - 3 percent higher than 2004. This year, the Urban Land Institute listed Center City among the nation's top 10 for urban retailing. By year's end, says a November report by the Center City District, 8,235 new housing units - new construction and condominium conversions of older buildings - will have been completed since 1997. By 2008, an additional 3,574 will be done - with 7,204 more proposed.

The geographical definition of Center City itself has expanded, thanks to demographic changes. Once, the north and south boundaries were Spring Garden Street and South Street. Now, the Center City District defines it as river to river and Poplar Street to Christian Street - and some believe adding University City is just a matter of time.

Some might say Philadelphia is just having its 15 minutes of fame. After all, 2005 began with the Eagles in the Super Bowl. In July, Philadelphia hosted the only Live 8 concert in the United States. And last month, it was dubbed America's "Next Great City" by National Geographic Traveler magazine. But even skeptics - and Philadelphians have made an art of pessimism - concede the hype cannot hide what has occurred over the last decade, and what will likely continue.

"No, this is real. Nothing could be more real," said Theodore Hershberg, professor of public policy and history and director of the Center for Greater Philadelphia at University of Pennsylvania. Hershberg, 64, has made Philadelphia his laboratory in almost 40 years of urban public-policy research. A longtime resident of West Mount Airy, Hershberg was not always sanguine about the city's future.

His attitude has changed. Hershberg recalled walking with his wife through Old City on a recent Friday night. The streets were packed. "I couldn't stop smiling," Hershberg said. "Who would believe all these people? It was almost like being in New York."

Hershberg dates Center City's rebirth to the Rendell administration, the 1991 creation of the Center City District, and the unflagging optimism and energy of district director Paul R. Levy. Funded with assessments on Center City property owners, the district improved cleanliness and public safety in the downtown neighborhoods most traveled by tourists and workers. It also has gone much further, becoming Philadelphia's biggest booster and advocate - not above calling city officials about broken curbs, clogged sewers, overflowing trash cans, and burned-out lights. "It's remarkable, but everything has finally reached a critical mass," Hershberg said. "There's no measure that I can think of that anyone could look at and say, 'This is not working.' "

Developers are certainly taking bets. This year, architect George L. Claflen Jr. and several fellow members of the volunteer Design Advocacy Group tallied current and proposed Center City construction projects. The list, which Design Advocacy Group made public in June, stunned even members - about 130 projects, a total of more than 35 million square feet of space and $7 billion in construction. And most - 97 projects involving 12 million square feet of space - were residential: 1,635 apartments, 7,085 condominiums and 465 single homes. If all those projects are built, "that means 18,000 people moving into Center City Philadelphia," Claflen said. "We're going to see the look of this city change dramatically."

Center City's retail sector is trying to catch up with its growing population of potential customers. Experts maintain that Center City remains "underserved" by movie theaters and sporting goods, electronics, appliance and furniture stores. Yet, a Center City District survey this fall showed a slight increase over 2004 in the number of retail sites: 2,468 retail spaces occupying 4.1 million square feet.

The change can be seen in storefronts. In the last five years, Chestnut Street has risen from the dead, recovering after a 1975 decision to ban automotive traffic turned it into a windswept, vacant strip. The vacancy rate on Chestnut from Broad Street to the Schuylkill dropped last year from 15.6 percent to 8 percent - thanks to tony additions such as DiBruno Bros.' $3 million food emporium and Stephen Starr's restaurant Continental Mid-Town.

Nor is the renaissance limited to west of Broad. In the 1300 block, the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture store has opened and a West Elm store will share a former Woolworth's with Lucky Strike Lanes, one of a chain of glitzy, themed bowling alleys.

"This year has been so unbelievable that it scares me," said Ann Gitter, owner of Knit Wit, a high-fashion women's clothing store at 1718 Walnut St.

The downtown rebirth hitting Philadelphia is not unique. A Brookings Institution study released last month, analyzing demographics in 44 cities from 1970 to 2000, showed that city downtowns grew by an average of 10 percent in the 1990s, a "marked resurgence following 20 years of overall decline." The study, "Who Lives Downtown," reported that during the 30-year period, the cities saw an 8 percent increase in the number of downtown households and a doubling of the rate of home ownership.

The Brookings study also confirmed that Center City Philadelphia's population mix is not unusual: smaller households of singles, unrelated people living together, and childless marrieds, including "empty nesters." In August, the Center City District polled residents of the last 13 condominiums built in Center City. Half those responding were between 25 and 44 years old, but 18 percent were over 55. And almost a quarter said they came to Center City from the suburbs - 18 percent from Pennsylvania and the rest from New Jersey.

These are the people who brought David Krieger to Philadelphia. Krieger, a vice president and branch manager for Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate, worked for years in Conshohocken. But three years ago, Krieger said, he and his brokers started getting increasing numbers of calls from people asking to see Center City homes. The company has since opened two new city offices. "We felt it was critical that we be in Center City," Krieger said.

Philadelphia's real estate tax abatements - a 10-year abatement on conversion of vacant buildings into residential units passed in 1997 and a 2000 10-year tax break for new residential construction - played a large role in sparking the boom, Krieger said. But he also credited public improvements and the creation of the Avenue of the Arts on South Broad Street with making Philadelphia into a "destination city."

Robin Morris agrees. Morris, 31, has lived and worked in New York City and Boston. A year ago, she came to Philadelphia for a graduate degree in history at the University of Pennsylvania. Now in South Philadelphia, Morris says she wants to buy - and stay - in Center City. "When I lived in New York City and Boston, I hardly lived in the city," Morris said. "It's hard to find a place like Philadelphia, where I can open up the door of my rowhouse, walk two blocks, and go to the theater. And it's affordable. There's a lot of life downtown."

At the other end of the spectrum are architects Peta Raabe, 53, and Peter Bloomfield, 54. The couple were "urban pioneers" in 1980, buying and renovating a rowhouse at 18th and Bainbridge Streets. Twelve years later, though, the couple followed a traditional city-to-suburbs migrating pattern, moving to Merion in Montgomery County when their children were school-age. The suburban schools turned out not to be up to their expectations, however, and their two children wound up in a private school. Finally, in April 2004, with one child in college and another almost out of high school, the family decided to return to Center City. This time, they bought in Society Hill - a house with parking for two cars and a small garden for a touch of green. "It's the best of both worlds," Raabe said. "We really always thought we'd go back."

Raabe and Morris both said they love Philadelphia's human scale and walkability, an asset often lost on Philadelphia natives - although they are catching on. One reason is prices and rapidly appreciating home values. Dan Tobey, the Coldwell Banker broker who sold Plateroti and Mully their townhouse at Quincy Court, took his own advice and bought a unit on the former vacant lot. Townhomes that started at $425,000 last year have only gone up.

"People from Los Angeles and San Francisco see this and ask, 'What's wrong with this? It's only six blocks from Rittenhouse Square,' " Tobey said. "The prices can't be this cheap."

In some cases, they aren't. Marking another benchmark for upscale Philadelphia, Prudential Fox & Roach vice president Joanne Davidow said she sold, in two days, a $1.5 million condominium unit (to empty-nesters) and a home in Center City for $3 million (to a young "self-made couple" moving into the city). "Everyone asks, 'Who is buying this?' And the answer is, 'Everybody,' " Davidow said at a recent meeting of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp. "Two million has become the new one million."

With Center City prices on that kind of upswing, the transformation is spreading to border neighborhoods such as Northern Liberties, Fairmount and Pennsport. By decade's end, experts say, Center City's boundary with University City could become a distinction without a difference, and development could be moving beyond Girard Avenue on the north and Washington Avenue to the south.

Yet there are clouds surrounding Center City's silver lining. Education remains Philadelphia's most vulnerable point. The Center City District recently polled day-care centers and preschools and is estimating, based on current application trends, that the number of school-age children could increase by 43 percent in 2010.

"This could be a huge opportunity for the public schools and the independent schools of Center City," Levy said.

Another is Philadelphia's outmoded zoning code and attitude toward investors, which some warn could let developers run roughshod over public spaces - parks and open access to the Delaware and Schuylkill waterfronts - that attracted new residents in the first place. Philadelphia used to "agree to anything because we were desperate for people to invest in us," said William P. Becker, cofounder and chairman of the Design Advocacy Group. "We are way beyond that. To be a world-class city, we need to think like a world-class city."

And that, some say, involves a culture change that could go hand in hand with Philadelphia's new faces. Hugh C. Long II, Wachovia Bank's chief executive officer in Pennsylvania and Delaware, has called for business leaders to take a more active role in Philadelphia's future - including bidding for the 2016 Olympics. "We are at the beginning of Center City's shining moment," he said. "Our job is to put a mechanism in place to make sure this shining moment lasts well beyond us and far into the future."

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Ok, here is an updated list of all the NEW towers over 10 stories Under Construction, Proposed or Possible. PLEASE point out mistakes and missing towers. Believe me, i wont take it personally. By the way, while doing this research, it really is amazing how much is going on. Remember, these are only new towers, add in all the adaptive reuse, and all the units being built under 10 stories and we have a bonafide BOOM in DTLA!!!

**These heights are estimates, there may be mistakes**

Completed

1) South / Elleven - 13
2) Colburn - 11

Under Construction

1) Concerto 1 - 27
2) Hanover - 27
3) Evo - 23
4) South / Luma - 19

Proposed

1) Park Fifth Tower 1 - 65
2) City House - 60
3) Metropolis Tower 4 - 55
4) LA Live Ritz - 54
5) Olympic - 50
6) Grand Ave 1 - 50
7) 755 Fig - 50
8) Zen - 50
9) 1027 Wilshire - 48
10) Metropolis Tower 3 - 46
11) LA Central Tower 1 - 45
12) Grand Towers 1 - 45 ?
13) Grand Towers 2 - 45 ?
14) Metropolis Tower 2 - 42
15) St. Vibiana Tower - 41
16) Park Tower - 40 ?
17) Grand Ave 2 - 40
18) 8th and Grand Tower 3 - 38
19) Park 5th Tower 2 - 36
20) Olive Tower - 35
21) Shy Barry Tower 2 - 35
22) 717 Ninth - 35
23) South Tower 4 - 34
24) LA Central 2 - 33
25) Herald Examinar 2 - 33
26) 1247 W. 7th - 33
27) Lucia Tower - 31
28) Trinity Tower 31
29) Metropolis Tower 1 - 30
30) Grand Ave Tower 3 - 30
31) Pacific Exchange Tower 1 - 30
32) Pacific Exchange Tower 2 - 30
33) Grand Towers 3 - 30?
34) Kurtzman - 29
35)
36) Concerto 2 - 27
37) Grand Ave Tower 4 - 25
38) Grand Ave Tower 5 - 25
39) Grand Ave Tower 6 - 25
40) Glass Tower - 25
41) LA Lofts - 25
42) 8th and Hope - 25
43) South Tower 5 - 25
44) Hope Tower - 25
45) Herald Examinar Tower 1 - 24
46) 8th and Grand Tower 2 - 22
47) Block 8 Tower - 20
48) SB Tower - 19
49) FIDM - 19
50) Olive Street Lofts - 17
51) Ingrahm - 16 ?
52) Mill Street Lofts - 16 ?
53) 8th and Grand Tower 1 - 15
54) Park 5th Tower 3 - 14
55) Park 5th Tower 4 - 14
56) 808 Olive - ?



Other Possibilities

1) Titan Tower 3 (Possible Hotel)
2) 8th and Fig Hotel ?
3) Fig / 11th Boutique Hotel (LA Central Developer)
4) Federal Building - 16
5) Sci Arc Tower 1
6) Sci Arc Tower 2
7) Meruelo South Park Tower ?
8) Second AEG Hotel ?


Thats it for now! Remember, help me out. i have a feeling all those Hope Street Towers are the same and im mixing them up so please let me know. Thanks.

[Quixote]

Park Tower is 41 stories.

[bobcat]

I was informed that 1133 Hope and Kurtzman are the same project.

[colemonkee]

^ Based on Google Maps, that appears to be correct.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

thanks!

[danparker276]

Got some new photo's from barker block

http://loftla.com/loftla/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=66

[LosAngelesBeauty]

^ I'm assuming this is the project being developed by KOR across from the Molino Street Lofts (boy! I haven't been out there in a LONG ASS time!). It doesn't look like it because the street seems bigger than what I remember out there in the Artist District.

Anyway, the renderings are decent. I'm not wowed by any of the interior or exterior shots, although I'm sure whoever does appreciate true lofts will probably like the layout of the two story units. I'm starting to see how similar lofts are between many different projects and the ubiquitous rooftop pools that have become standard downtown. What can developers do to set themselves apart from the next since everyone is doing the SAME THING? Perhaps forsaking the pool on the roof and upgrading the interiors of the units to the utmost quality? Just my thoughts on that.

Thanks for the post Dan.

[citywatch]

Artisan at Work

Trammell Crow Tries Out Condos With $47 Million Arts District Project

by Evan George

Good artists know success comes only with experimentation and the ability to adapt to changing situations. In the case of one Downtown developer, three work sites in the Arts District have shown that principle holds true in real estate as well.

With construction underway at E. Second and Hewitt streets, developer Trammell Crow Residential has already sold nearly a dozen of Artisan on Second's 118 condominiums (the initial sales release included only 12 residences). The project, still more than a year from completion, was initially intended as one of three phases in Trammell Crow's Arts District development along Second Street, a short stroll east of Little Tokyo. But today, this growing enclave looks markedly different from Trammell Crow's original vision from 2002, when it bought all three sites. The plan then was for the developer to essentially corner the market on people who wanted to live in the neighborhood but were not ready to buy.

"The original idea was - and at that time really what Trammell focused on - was building rental developments," said Kim Paperin, managing director for Trammell Crow Residential. Instead, the developer responded to a rapidly shifting market with an increased appetite for condominiums. The company sold its adjacent holdings to competing sellers - the finished Savoy in January and the open lot across the street in 2005. Since then, Trammell Crow has also switched from apartment leasing to condo development in Downtown.

Artisan on Second will be the company's first for-sale project in Downtown Los Angeles and will house a variety of one- and two-bedroom units from 916 to 1,770 square feet. Prices range from $478,545 to $776,055, also a departure from the area's reputation as an affordable alternative to Downtown's other luxury buildings. "You're getting much more space for your money," said Paperin. "Also since it's a smaller community, people will be able to share the amenities more easily."

A model by architect Togawa Smith Martin Residential depicts a four-story, L-shaped structure that wraps around a sleek pool and the largest of three landscaped courtyards. Jill Renfrow, marketing director for Trammell Crow, said they hope to encourage a community vibe with shared amenities like a built-in poolside barbecue, a fitness center, spa and skydeck.

The four corner units, which will overlook the intersection of Second and Rose streets with large glass windows and luxury loft mezzanines, have already sold. The development will not include any affordable units. According to Paperin, that decision was made with the Arts District community in mind. "We talked with leaders in the neighborhood and asked them what they would like to see at these different sites," said Paperin. "The response was they wanted to see market-rate housing, because they needed patrons for all of their businesses."

Like the Savoy, which debuted in the spring, Artisan on Second will not have any retail. However, the development is a short walk from the shops and businesses of Little Tokyo, including the Japanese grocery store Mitsuwa Marketplace.

A Work in Progress

Artisan and its adjacent developments will do more than grow the neighborhood; they are building their own, floor-by-floor. As crews work to build Artisan's foundation on the northeast corner of Second and Hewitt streets, a five-story complex is quickly rising out of the hole on the southeast corner of the intersection. The $80 million Mura (Japanese for "village") will be a 190-unit condominium complex when developer Pulte Homes finishes next spring. At the northwest corner of the block sits the Savoy, a 303-condo development now owned by Intracorp. "We're clearly a separate neighborhood by ourselves with the three structures," said Mark Shapiro, a developer for Pulte Homes.

In Trammell Crow's original plan, phases I and II were to be apartment buildings. The plot across the street, now the Mura, was intended to cradle a high-rise before Trammell Crow Residential scooped it up as well. Two years later, after mostly completing the Savoy, Trammell Crow Residential sold the entire building to Intracorp. for $114 million. Intracorp. turned around and sold the units as scaled-down condos. The project is completely sold out.

"They timed the market perfectly I would say, and it sold very quickly," Miles Huber, a former Pulte executive who helped launch Mura (he has since left Pulte Homes), said of Intracorp.'s condo conversion. After buying the phase III lot from Trammell Crow, Pulte Homes also began building condos. In an ironic twist, both companies contacted architect Glenn Togawa, independently of one another.

"I said, 'Son of a gun,' I'm going to have to tell them and I'm going to lose one of the projects," said Togawa. In the end, neither firm pulled out. Both Artisan on Second and the Mura were designed by Togawa, which may lend continuity to the neighborhood's look.

When designing Artisan on Second, Trammell Crow knew apartments were out and instead set upon designer condos with higher ceilings (17 feet high in some units), fireplaces and an unusual variety of sizes to choose from.

"A lot of developers would have cut back and made it more cost effective by not putting them [loft features] in," said Togawa. "But they were very dedicated to creating interesting space." According to Paperin, Artisan on Second will cost close to $47 million. But with drumbeats about a slowing housing market, some wonder how Artisan on Second's upgraded features - and higher-priced units - will fare.

"There's something that's going on in the difference between our two buildings in that we're having strong pre-sales and they're not," said Shapiro of Pulte Homes.

Renfrow of Trammell Crow disagreed. "I think we have all noticed a slowing in the market, but we're still seeing sales steadily," she said.

Both developers have opened sales centers in Downtown to show off models and virtual tours of the projects. Pulte's Mura will open for move-ins around April 2007, nearly eight months before Artisan on Second is set to finish construction. Both developers say the competition is a mixed blessing, in that it makes the neighborhood more appealing while also flooding the market.

"The buyers are just shopping and comparing a little bit more," said Renfrow, "and there's a lot on the market to choose from so it takes a little bit longer to make a decision."

page 6, 10/23/2006

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Citywatch, i was at Met Lofts the other day, and they told me that they are now at over 90% leased! i was looking into a renting there, but i really didnt find anyting i loved. There are about 7 or 8 spaces left.

[colemonkee]

^ That's great news. I wonder where the Security Lofts are in terms of leasing. That building opened up about six months ago, so it should be getting close, hopefully.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

i was at Met Lofts the other day, and they told me that they are now at over 90% leased!

Good to hear! That's the kind of nitty gritty that's so important for ppl to keep track of.

I know everyone here (inc me) gets the most when discussing some new proposal that's just been publicized or dealing with images of a new highrise that may (or many not) be built X number of yrs from today. But it's the fundamentals of how fast apts & condos are leasing or selling in DT, or how much money a new store, restaurant or hotel is making, or how many businesses are moving into the hood that's the key to everything.

If you tour any other apt bldg in the hood, esp metro417 or the reserve (in the former federal reserve bldg), I definitely hope you describe your visit & most importantly tell us how booked up they are.

[yeah215]

Downtown L.A. Nears ‘Critical Mass’ During Jan Perry’s Tenure
L.A. City Council Member Jan Perry reflects on Downtown's tremendous progress and provides a roadmap for continuing prosperity.

L.A. City Council Member Jan Perry represents a district like no other. While some council districts are nearly indistinguishable from each other, Perry’s Ninth District encompasses two unmistakable communities: Downtown and South L.A., which both pose deep, unique, challenges. TPR was pleased to speak with Councilmember Perry about the promise of Downtown development and her approach to revitalizing the communities that lie in its shadow.

As the representative of L.A.’s Ninth District you’ve championed the revitalization of Downtown. What is being built? What is planned? And what challenges remain?

As a result of many years of work, a critical mass of cultural institutions and mixed use developments now exists, and these facts on the ground reinforce a common vision that Downtown should be the center of arts, culture, and commerce. People have finally decided to invest and work with government and the private sector to bring these dreams to reality, such as LA Live, the Convention Center hotel, Grand Avenue project, etc. Each of these investments is critical for transforming and redefining Downtown.

We do this interview following a weekend in October that perhaps signifies the changing nature of Downtown. You had on one beautiful Saturday, a USC football game with 100,000 people, a Dodger playoff game, the Grand Avenue Festival, and the Detour Music Festival. Is this confluence of events in downtown emblematic of the future?

I would say so. And as good as it was, it was better than I even expected. I was walking around that day and it was pretty stunning. I also drove—I came in from the freeway—and it seemed to work. But I think, to build on Saturday’s experience. Also, given the allure of Downtown as a destination and the challenges of traffic, we must have a better rapport with Film L.A. on the coordination of the film shoots so they can be viewed as a positive experience, not a negative experience.

With gentrification and new investment downtown, planning challenges arise. How does the city strike a balance between residential needs and regional use of regional facilities?

We have to continue to preserve a certain amount of housing for people who are at great risk, people who are frail, elderly, disabled, or on fixed incomes, and to create new housing for people who are mentally ill and require support services. Then we need to balance that with amenities for people across the spectrum of incomes, such as grocery stores, open spaces, and green spaces.

Much of the district is a redevelopment area. While we haven’t always been able to use all of the tax increment, any time a developer makes a discretionary request it is an opportunity to require 20 percent affordable housing. It is also an opportunity to work with the Housing Department and the county to leverage housing dollars and public health dollars, and to work with the top-notch nonprofit housing developers to create more permanent supportive housing.

Last month CRA/LA CEO Cecilia Estolano commented on the challenges arising from growth projections in the region and its rather unfriendly business environment. She said, “We need to be strategic about creating job zones in the city. A huge part of that is the land-use industrial work we have been doing with the Planning Department.” What is the value of such job-focused planning?

We need to create opportunities for environmentally friendly jobs and use industrial land for higher and better uses. As you go farther south many industrial uses have been grandfathered in and should never have been there in the first place, and some of these unregulated activities, such as plating and light assembly, pose great risk to people’s health and well-being.

As you probably know from reading studies on air quality, South Los Angeles is rife with residents suffering from allergies and respiratory diseases. I work hard to remove those industrial activities that pose a risk to people’s health. Some of the light-industrial land can be reused in ways that are not only a better use, but are also more beneficial to the community and create jobs that don’t pollute. These policies have also reduced the housing that occupied many of these areas before rezoning for industrial. Housing is needed in communities like South Los Angeles.

CRA’s Cecilia Estolano continued, “In the vast city of Los Angeles only eight percent of the land area is zoned industrial, of which only half is actually is used for manufacturing. And our industrial zoned properties are below a two percent vacancy rate.” You’ve always promoted job growth; link the two in light of your previous statement.

To enhance or attract industrial jobs you should look at the evolution of technology-related jobs. Those jobs should be cleaner, safer, and they should even pay a competitive wage. I would like the city to attract businesses that have to do with goods movements and logistics, because we have the Alameda Corridor and other infrastructure to support these jobs.

These are opportunities for younger people to go to a vocational school and have a low-cost pathway to a job with a career ladder with good pay. That’s just one example. I think we need to rethink how the city treats areas like South Los Angeles. The old template of, “Oh, let’s just preserve industrial areas for industrial jobs,” needs to be rethought. We have 300 acres of industrial land in South Los Angeles (CD-9) there is no shortage of opportunity.

LAEDC CEO Bill Allen told TPR that L.A. County over the last 25 years has added 2.7 million people but only 500,000 jobs, and that the city of L.A. hasn’t added a single job while adding a million people. Should the city of L.A. have an economic strategy that relates to land use to create jobs?

I think that is absolutely possible. I am currently working on a project and have discussed with potential developers a vocational component on-site, recruiting people who have the basic skills to be trained to do these jobs that are with a higher, safer technology, and that still classify as a industrial jobs. The people we are targeting will be from places like WLCAC, from Job Corps—people who would be considered low-skilled—and train them for these entry-level jobs at the beginning of the continuum of goods movement.

You have been very forceful in addressing the challenges raised by the impacts of gentrification on Skid Row. Can you elaborate on those challenges and the need for more housing?

Let’s correct a basic misunderstanding. I think it is easy for some to say that homeless people are being pushed out of Skid Row because of gentrification. Skid Row has the greatest number of units of permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless in the entire city, and I think that it would be very difficult to disregard that fact.

We’re really talking about urbanization, not just in Downtown, but through the entire city. In fact, the entire city is going through an urbanization process. And as people look for areas to develop, we will see competition for space on which to build. I will continue to develop housing for people at all income levels.

I want to make sure that we preserve the single-room occupancy hotels while continuing to create new units. Hopefully, this means that housing opportunities will disperse throughout the city and county. I think that it is going to be a struggle that will continue, because as much as people say they want to help, they’re still not helping.

The Downtown News’ recent survey of Downtown development listed just over 150 projects, but Building and Safety head Andrew Adelman said at a recent L.A. Chamber event that he expects that many of them will never break ground. What is your sense of the prospects for development Downtown over the next decade?

I think that many of them may fall in and out of escrow, and in some cases their plans might be reconfigured because some people may find—like any business—that conditions have changed. They might not get the financing they need, or they may not want to overbuild to achieve the margin they need with the price of materials. That’s already happening to some developers. But, I still expect that we will see very little space left over the next five to seven years all the way down to the Santa Monica Freeway, even construction continues to slow down.

What is happening in your district in the way of development south of the 10 Freeway?

I hope that the CRA will release the RFP for Washington Boulevard as was promised so that we can get developers to build in that corridor. I spoke at the International Shopping Center Developers Conference last week in Palm Springs, and the CRA had an event, and there was a lot of interest in Washington Boulevard. But I understand that they are reducing the scope of it.

We have a new Ross at Vernon and Figueroa, and every time I drive by there the parking lot is full. A developer has built a town house project just south of there and he already has a waiting list. I have told him to find more properties with activities that are a detriment or blight on the neighborhood so that he can build housing in its place. His property is beautiful and he has shown a lot of respect to the community.

I expect more of that to happen on the southern portion of the Ninth District transportation corridors. The Convention Center hotel being built now is going to create opportunity for people who haven’t worked in a long time. And, it’s affecting more interest as we go farther south. The prosperity of Downtown, I believe, is spreading south.

Land use planning in a built-out city like Los Angeles involves choosing between residential, commercial, and industrial uses, How have you prioritized and balanced these competing uses?

I look at the district: Where do the people live? Historically, where have the people lived? In South L.A. the residential single-family neighborhoods have to be protected, because they make up the fabric of South Los Angeles. We have to respect that. They give South L.A. its historical context. The opportunity for housing that is not single family, it is on commercial corridors. As for industrial, when you look south, I think you have to be careful. For years the people in South Los Angeles have been treated with great disregard for their health and their safety.

Look at Little Tokyo, look at the Arts District, and what sorts of activities are taking place there. People in the Arts District were the pioneers who went into areas where no one else would reside, and we have to thank them because they gave those areas new life. They are the reason that people are investing over there now. There is no way to create a policy that works with a cookie-cutter approach.

[citywatch]

I'm not sure if anyone sees any postings on SSP anymore, because its server is so damn overloaded that this message board is virtually inaccessible most hours of the day. But I'm not much into the neighbor site of SSC because most of the users there, at least the ones from LA, rarely get into good discussions (or comments & debates that go beyond one or two sentence responses)-----although I notice Colemonkee, LASF & LAMG, among others from here, do post there on occasion. However, I'll give SSC's forum credit for allowing me to find this, a post from raymond3000:


***GOOD NEWS*** I was walking down 9th street on lunch break today and saw that the parking lot adjacent to the Market Lofts on the west is closed off with no cars or ticket booth just cones and markings on the asphalt soo I guess Muruelo is going thru with his condominium development I asked a guy who use to park there and he told me that they had closed it indefinitely and he just mentioned something about a tower being built there so we will see wat happens.



And this post from LASF:



Great news!!!

Titan Closes Escrow on Towers

By DANIEL MILLER
Los Angeles Business Journal Staff

The Titan Organization Inc. has taken another step towards building its pair of $500 million luxury apartment towers in downtown Los Angeles’ South Park district.

The company, formerly known as Rodmark Inc., has closed escrow on a 58,000-square-foot property at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard where the Olympic and City House will be built. The towers will be tallest residential buildings on the West Coast when completed.

Titan, a Los Angeles-based high-rise developer, purchased the property from owner Jim Myron for $30 million and hopes to break ground in summer 2007.

The two towers – one 60 stories the other 49 – will total 800,000 square feet and contain 320 units. The towers will be fashioned in the New Beaux Arts style.

Phillip Sample, Michael Shustak and Chris Caras of Grubb & Ellis Co. represented Titan in the deal.

[Easy]

I was downtown today and noticed the same thing. Not being a regular I wasn't sure how unusual it was. There is a fence up on two of the four sides (the other two sides are a building and the entrance from the alley) and a couple of temporary light poles. I'm pretty sure they were both put up during the last false alarm 6+ months ago. The entrance side of the lot was blocked off using only traffic cones and caution tape. It hardly looked permanent and would take only about 30 seconds of work to reopen it.

I think that the last time the lot was closed and we were hoping that construction was imminent, it turned out that the lot had been rented by a movie production company. I have no idea about this time, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for construction.