LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

Huh?

Concerto 2 (Apex II) was supposed to look like this:


http://kitchenhip.net/wp-content/upl...concerto-2.jpg

Then it looked like this:

http://urbanize.la/sites/default/fil...?itok=oFHDOq6k

Now it looks like this:

http://www.theprestonpartnership.com...Apex-II-02.jpg

Oh Brandon,
you've challenged my aging eyes. Yes, I do remember the original proposed in its entirety by Astani (De Stefano/HansenLA). But then he BK'd and I only recalled the first Preston Partnership design. Nevertheless, I still stand by my opinion about the final design, not bad, bad, but certainly not good. Why not seek to improve? Incidentally, Astani's original plan for 8th and Grand was tremendous, I don't recall who did that, but it doesn't even compare to the pile that we now have in its place. You get my drift.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Resident

$th and Broadway got sold right before it was supposed to break ground. 4th and Hill who knows.

I'm hoping your typo isn't supposed to refer to "4th".

From my vantage point.....& because I was walking around there a few months ago & saw just how desperately important it is to fill in the gaps in that part of broadway.....the apt tower at 4th & broadway is among the most important in dtla. That along with the apt tower south of the grand central mkt at 4th & hill st.

the names of shomof & Behdad confuse me since I have a recollection of both of them cropping up in the past regarding articles on devlprs in dt, with projs of one being totally separate from the other.

Izek Shomof's 34 Story Tower Broadway @ 4th Permit Application Submitted 02/02/2016


Credit: LADBS, HansonLA, Izek Shomof

When taking a look at the City of Los Angeles's Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Permit Information for 400 S Broadway, there is a permit application for a building demolition which is the one story commercial building mentioned earlier. In terms of status, under "Permit Application Clearance Information", all the items have been cleared, but the permit has not been issued yet. The most recent update was back in 10/08/2015 when the Plan Check was approved.

However, there is new news which entails the developer has submitted a Permit Application for the Broadway @ 4th project on 02/02/2016. The project entails the construction of a new 35 story mixed use residential high rise tower with a total of 450 apartment dwelling units. With regard to the parking levels, 2 levels will be underground while 6 levels will be above ground.

BROADWAY @ 4th

CCDG is proud to be the exclusive Development Advisor for Broadway@4th, providing guidance on every aspect of the development process of this project. Mr. Behdad serves as the chief advisor for the selection of every member of the project team; from architect to engineer, to the environmental and historic preservation consultants, even so much as selecting a landscape designer. CCDG supervises every operation of the project including the land-use, entitlement and governmental affairs. Needless to say, without CCDG and the expertise of Hamid Behdad, Broadway@4th would be little more than an idea.

although actual groundbreaking of one proj doesn't necessarily have anything to do with groundbreaking of another one....or isn't like a teeter totter effect, where the start of work on one proj makes the start of another one less likely....I'm surprised the way that projs barely known about until not too long ago....such as the 2 apts tower on spring st at 8th st....have managed to break ground while projs talked about for yrs & yrs....particularly at 5th & olive....sit empty as of today. So projs that have been most known about for at least a few yrs....& that I consider top priority....take forever to move past the talking stage, while projs in less prominent locations of dt somehow manage to get underway.

Unlike some forumers, I don't think the parking lot at 5th & olive, which has been a gap for over 30 yrs or longer, can afford to remain in its current state for the next 30 yrs....or next several yrs. I walked around there earlier this yr & it makes for an unpleasant gap, even more so in the context of the nearby biltmore hotel & pershing sq.

I don't think it's being overly cynical to assume the current round of new construction will result in a pause of at least a few yrs once devlprs & funders in 2016 squeeze their projs through the pipeline before December, preceding the time when hundreds & hundreds of new apts & condos come on line after 2016.

So if any proj misses out in managing a groundbreaking this yr, it may miss out for the next several yrs....or even further into the future.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

Oh Brandon,
you've challenged my aging eyes. Yes, I do remember the original proposed in its entirety by Astani (De Stefano/HansenLA). But then he BK'd and I only recalled the first Preston Partnership design. Nevertheless, I still stand by my opinion about the final design, not bad, bad, but certainly not good. Why not seek to improve? Incidentally, Astani's original plan for 8th and Grand was tremendous, I don't recall who did that, but it doesn't even compare to the pile that we now have in its place. You get my drift.

Personally, I think that Apex is one of the better looking buildings in DTLA and tower 2 will do a wonderful job of tying in the corner of 9th and Figueroa. All we need now is for someone to do something with the base of The Watermarke.

[Easy]

So the 34 story 9th/hope restarted digging this past week and upcoming we have towers for Apex (28 stories) Mack Urban (38 stories) and Onni (40 and 31 stories) ready to start digging in the next few weeks if not sooner.

With all that is currently under construction the boom is definitely continuing. And as crazy as it may be I think we may see a couple more towers break ground by the end of the year. Maybe one of the Chinese projects would be my guess.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

Personally, I think that Apex is one of the better looking buildings in DTLA and tower 2 will do a wonderful job of tying in the corner of 9th and Figueroa. All we need now is for someone to do something with the base of The Watermarke.

I hope you're right. 9th/Fig is poor corner right now and this should be a huge improvement. Does Apex 2 do anything for 9th/flower? That needs some help as well.

[SC_00_05]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

Oh Brandon,
you've challenged my aging eyes. Yes, I do remember the original proposed in its entirety by Astani (De Stefano/HansenLA). But then he BK'd and I only recalled the first Preston Partnership design. Nevertheless, I still stand by my opinion about the final design, not bad, bad, but certainly not good. Why not seek to improve? Incidentally, Astani's original plan for 8th and Grand was tremendous, I don't recall who did that, but it doesn't even compare to the pile that we now have in its place. You get my drift.

Umm, what's wrong with it? Looks pretty nice to me...and very different than most towers going up. It doesn't even seem to have the giant podium most people often bitch about.

The one thing I'm positive of, there is nothing that can be built without people complaining.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by SC_00_05

Umm, what's wrong with it? Looks pretty nice to me...and very different than most towers going up. It doesn't even seem to have the giant podium most people often bitch about.

The one thing I'm positive of, there is nothing that can be built without people complaining.

Apex is one of the few buildings that I can think of that have underground parking. I remember when 9th and Fig was a huge hole for some months because construction was halted for a time.

[citywatch]

It figures that the one proj I've long considered among the most important in dt....& having a greater role in revitalizing surrounding areas that were once vital.....unlike south pk, which has always been mainly light manufacturing & never a part of dt full of pedestrians.....must have hit a snag.

The original devlpr of 4th & broadway appears to have pulled out at the last minute....at least hinted at since that proj isn't mentioned in this article. I hope that's not due to the proj failing to attract financing, as much as another devlpr seeing great potential in an apt tower on broadway & making the owner an offer he couldn't refuse.

Izek Shomof is driving the Downtown L.A. revival

Posted on Apr. 4, 2016

Walk along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles with Izek Shomof and you’ll likely encounter a couple of passersby waving hello. That’s because the real estate developer has become a bit of a celebrity in the area, buying and rehabilitating a number of historic buildings in the vicinity.

“All of those buildings were old, neglected and vacant for many years,” he said. “I turned each one of them into apartment buildings, and on the ground floor I opened restaurants, coffee shops, etc.”

Shomof, 56, is a longtime entrepreneur and developer who first invested in downtown Los Angeles in the early ’90s. He started by purchasing the building at 639 S. Spring St. (Spring Tower Lofts) for $1 million, even though the area had a bad reputation and he wasn’t sure what to do with the property. Shomof kept the building until 2000, when the city implemented an adaptive reuse ordinance that facilitates the conversion of old commercial buildings into residences. This caused a domino effect, and within a few years, Shomof owned numerous buildings on Spring Street between Eighth and Fifth streets.

The native Israeli was careful to restore and preserve the historic buildings — most in the area were built between 1900 and 1930. For example, when he purchased Premiere Towers, the 120-unit building at 621 S. Spring St., he restored its Art Deco facade and retrofitted its elevators. Other projects he’s been involved with include the King Edward Hotel and the Alexandria Hotel.

Even though he helped give the area a new life, the streets outside were problematic. On the corner of Spring and Sixth sat the Hayward Hotel, a 525-unit, low-income hotel with a liquor store on the ground floor. To help change the image of the area, Shomof purchased the hotel in 2002 and started making changes. First to go was the liquor store, which was replaced by a music store.

Ken Bernstein, manager at the Office of Historic Resources and principal city planner for the Department of City Planning, said Shomof was one of the first developers to believe in downtown’s great potential.

“Initially, in 1990, it was difficult to convince investors to buy into this vision. Izek was truly among the first to see the potential of downtown’s remarkable historic buildings and saw the potential to attract new residents into the heart of the city. So he actually took over two buildings in the Spring Street National Register Historic District, which had failed financially after being rehabilitated as condominiums with the support of the Community Redevelopment Agency in the 1980s.

According to Shomof, the change in the area has been dramatic since then.

“It turned [into] one of the most popular entertainment areas in L.A.,” he said. “Back in the days, downtown was a business place. People used to come to work and go back home at 5 p.m. It was completely dead during the evening hours. Today it’s full of life, with many young people and professionals who live here or come for entertainment.”

Today, this self-made millionaire is working on a new big project, the transformation of the historic Sears complex in Boyle Heights into 1,030 live/work units.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

Apex is one of the few buildings that I can think of that have underground parking. I remember when 9th and Fig was a huge hole for some months because construction was halted for a time.

I don't understand how every new 7 story building has 100% underground parking (2-3 floors of it) while most high rises can't. Is it that much of an incremental cost for high rises? I suspect that it's not and the actual issue is that no one wants to move to a high rise and live on the first and second floor.

[black_crow]

Just for the record..

Hunter said 5-OH would not happen.

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 1:35 AM
To: Julie C.
Subject: Park Fifth Site, Los Angeles, California

Hello Julie,

I am working for a social media company and we would like to know if the Park Fifth Site in Los Angeles is still going to happen or is the project cancelled? (it still shows the project in your Portfolio)

Mr. Hunter K. spread some rumors about the cancellation and I want to give you the chance to clear things up.


Thank you for your feedback.


S. Pinnow

CEO

XXXXXX XXXXX Inc.

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

Hello Mr. Pinnow,

The project is very much moving forward.

Thank you!

Best,

J. Chase

President & CEO Chase Communications

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


edit..

Still waiting for Lizard and Co..

Keep you guys updated.

[NativeOrange]

Originally Posted by Easy

I don't understand how every new 7 story building has 100% underground parking (2-3 floors of it) while most high rises can't. Is it that much of an incremental cost for high rises? I suspect that it's not and the actual issue is that no one wants to move to a high rise and live on the first and second floor.

I'm assuming it has something to do with the fact that there is no concrete core and matching foundation in the 7 story buildings?

[Just-In-Cali]

Originally Posted by SC_00_05

Umm, what's wrong with it? Looks pretty nice to me...and very different than most towers going up. It doesn't even seem to have the giant podium most people often bitch about.

The one thing I'm positive of, there is nothing that can be built without people complaining.

You forget...there is a cadre of posters on this thread whom literally would have nothing to say on this forum unless they were complaining...about every single thing. Bless their hearts...

Its a fine tower. No work of art...but a standard residential tower. Something most wouldnt notice or care about...but the armchair architects on here fuss over because...well...real life is too hard?

[Easy]

Originally Posted by NativeOrange

I'm assuming it has something to do with the fact that there is no concrete core and matching foundation in the 7 story buildings?

The height of the core doesn't change if the parking is above or below ground does it? Think about it. A 30 story building with a 5 story podium has 35 stories of core. A 30 story building with 5 levels underground also has a 35 story core. The core would be shorter if there's a whole separate garage but then you have the cost of adding a garage.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by black_crow

Just for the record..

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 1:35 AM
To: Julie C.
Subject: Park Fifth Site, Los Angeles, California

[Jun]

Originally Posted by black_crow

Just for the record..

Hunter said 5-OH would not happen.

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 1:35 AM
To: Julie C.
Subject: Park Fifth Site, Los Angeles, California

Hello Julie,

I am working for a social media company and we would like to know if the Park Fifth Site in Los Angeles is still going to happen or is the project cancelled? (it still shows the project in your Portfolio)

Mr. Hunter K. spread some rumors about the cancellation and I want to give you the chance to clear things up.


Thank you for your feedback.


S. Pinnow

CEO

XXXXXX XXXXX Inc.

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

Hello Mr. Pinnow,

The project is very much moving forward.

Thank you!

Best,

J. Chase

President & CEO Chase Communications

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


edit..

Still waiting for Lizard and Co..

Keep you guys updated.

Damn, throwing Hunter under the bus there.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Jun

Damn, throwing Hunter under the bus there.

Yeah. That's crazy. Unbelievable and unforgivable lack of discretion.

[SanDiegoGuy]

Originally Posted by Easy

Yeah. That's crazy. Unbelievable and unforgivable lack of discretion.

Welcome to the Internet.

User 1: public rumor about a project
User 2: is straighten things out

I wished more people would go the extra mile.

[ConstructDTLA]

Originally Posted by Jun

Damn, throwing Hunter under the bus there.

Originally Posted by Easy

Yeah. That's crazy. Unbelievable and unforgivable lack of discretion.

Ya pretty messed up, but he can do what he wants hiding behind a screen name.

Originally Posted by SanDiegoGuy

Welcome to the Internet.

User 1: public rumor about a project
User 2: is straighten things out

I wished more people would go the extra mile.

Don't be a child, did you really expect they would break news to him about their project? Silly and pointless demonstration.

[SanDiegoGuy]

Originally Posted by ConstructDTLA

Don't be a child, did you really expect they would break news to him about their project?

The project is very much moving forward.

Sounds very much like it. Doesn't it?

[black_crow]

Originally Posted by ConstructDTLA

Ya pretty messed up, but he can do what he wants hiding behind a screen name.

I am not hiding anywhere.

You wrote a rumor and I gave them the chance to clear things up.
That's how we do it in our company. I think that's just fair.