Greater Los Angeles Region: Projects and Developments

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California added 63,000 jobs in August, 42% of U.S. total

California employers quieted any lingering doubts about the state’s economy in August, as an uptick in hiring helped absorb hordes of new job-seekers.

The state added a net 63,100 jobs last month and the unemployment rate remained at 5.5%, according to data released by the Employment Development Department on Friday.

Across the nation in August, employers added a net total of 151,000 new positions, meaning that California accounted for 42% of all U.S. job growth last month.

“These are astounding numbers,” said Michael Bernick, an attorney at Sedgwick, a San Francisco firm, who directed the EDD from 1999 to 2004. “Each time we think growth has to slow down, it just continues.”

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html

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Rams triumphant in long-awaited return to Los Angeles

Six days after a demoralizing loss to open their season, the Rams got the win they so badly needed -- the win this city has been waiting 22 years to experience -- on an emotional Sunday afternoon at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Led by a stout defense, an efficient quarterback and a flawless kicker, the Rams edged the vaunted division-rival Seattle Seahawks 9-3 in their highly anticipated home opener.

The Rams sold 91,046 tickets for their first game in the Coliseum since 1979. The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a pregame concert, CeeLo Green sang the national anthem, LeBron James and Magic Johnson were in attendance and the Rams provided a performance worthy of all the pomp and circumstance. They limited the Seahawks -- the team many have picked to win the Super Bowl this season -- to 305 yards from scrimmage and one field goal, for their third straight victory against Seattle.

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles...to-los-angeles
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...seum/90626730/

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A 'crown jewel' of the L.A. River project could cost $252 million

A plan for turning a former rail yard next to the Los Angeles River into park space, wetlands and other amenities could cost more than $252 million, city analysts said in a report Thursday.

The City Council voted in May to allocate $40 million for the purchase of the vacant site, which is owned by railroad company Union Pacific and referred to as Parcel G2. But the overall project, including the removal of contaminated soil, could reach six times that amount, according to the 91-page report.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has championed the G2 project for years, describing the property as a “crown jewel” of a larger, 11-mile river restoration initiative. He and the council must decide over the next few weeks whether to move ahead with a purchase of the site, which sits on the north side of the river next to Rio De Los Angeles State Park.

Asked about the estimates, Garcetti said through an aide that he remains committed to the purchase of the property. The G2 site will create “41 acres of much-needed green space in the heart of L.A.,” said his spokeswoman, Connie Llanos.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...nap-story.html

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Fanciful power plants envisioned off the Santa Monica Pier

If we told you a power plant was being built off the coast of Santa Monica, mere yards from the Santa Monica Pier, you'd think Santa Monica leaders had lost their minds. But what if that power plant was also designed as a public art piece?

That’s the goal of the 2016 Land Art Generator Initiative, says the Santa Monica Lookout. The competition not only puts a focus on creating new forms of sustainable energy, it also challenges designers to add some artistry to the normally drab and foreboding appearance of power plants.

http://la.curbed.com/2016/9/23/13031...ta-monica-pier

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Beverly Grove Tower Goes Vertical

Targeting a 2017 completion date, construction has gone vertical for an 18-story tower near the LACMA campus.

Wilshire at Crescent Heights, named for its location at Wilshire and Crescent Heights Boulevards, will include 158 residential units and 6,850 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The project will offer a mixture of one- and two-bedroom dwellings, penthouse suites and parking accommodations for up to 423 vehicles.

http://urbanize.la/post/beverly-grov...-goes-vertical

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Expansion Proposed for Del Rey's Stella Apartments

Just three years after opening, an expansion is planned for the Stella Marina del Rey Apartments.

The existing complex, located at 13488 W. Maxella Avenue, features 244 luxury apartments above ground-floor retail and restaurant place. According to plans submitted to the City of Los Angeles, the expansion would create an additional 65 residential units in a six-story structure.

http://urbanize.la/post/expansion-pr...lla-apartments

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Riverside's downtown to allow more high-rises

Riverside will “lift the lid” on downtown development, allowing buildings taller than the current cap of 140 feet in some areas.

Changes to the zoning code, which the City Council approved Tuesday, Sept. 27, remove height limits in the downtown core and instead base maximum building heights on several factors including the size of the lot, square footage of the building and amenities such as a landscaped courtyard or rooftop dining area.

Dubbed the “lift the lid” initiative, the move is expected to attract new offices and housing downtown while keeping the city skyline from being one dull, uniform height.

http://www.pe.com/articles/downtown-...ew-taller.html

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What’s next for West LA’s big new development Martin Expo Town Center?

A big Westside project, the Martin Expo Town Center, won unanimous approval from the Los Angeles City Council last week, a decision that will usher in new retail, residential, and a 10-story office tower on the site of a car dealership at the northwest corner of Olympic Boulevard and Bundy Drive.

The project has been tweaked and trimmed since we last saw it at the beginning of the year. The most notable reductions are on the retail and office front. Office space was shaved down from 200,000 square feet down to 150,000, and the grocery store, once 50,000 square feet, has been slimmed down to 35,000 square feet. (The project also includes 18,000 square feet of restaurant space and 46,000 square feet for general retail use.)

The town center has also gained a few significant add-ons, namely an affordable housing component that will set aside 20 percent of the project’s 516 apartments for less-than-market rate rents. (Fifteen percent will be "workforce housing," where occupants median income can't exceed 150 percent of the area median income, and five percent will be for very low-income tenants.)

http://la.curbed.com/2016/9/30/13118...proved-west-la

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Del

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A modern events center in its historic campus in Inland Empire!

Claremont McKenna College unveils new sports, fitness, events center

Claremont McKenna College opened the doors to its new fitness and events pavilion Friday.

Dubbed the Roberts Pavilion Events Center, it is named after alumnus George R. Roberts, who graduated in 1966 and currently serves as a trustee at the college. He is founder and co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a private equity firm.

Among other features, the new pavilion houses a three-story, 10,000-square-foot fitness studio with more than 60 treadmills, cross-trainers, exercise bikes, climbers, rowers, weight machines and other cardio equipment, according to a news release. The facility also offers a 4,500-square-foot strength training room as well as exercise rooms for yoga, aerobics, spin, dance and other group classes.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/social-aff...-events-center

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Small Lot Homes Break Ground in Valley Glen

The Glen LA, slated for the San Fernando neighborhood of Valley Glen, will consist of 63 "eco-conscious" homes near the Tujunga Wash Greenway. Each unit will feature 3-4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, with floor plans of up to 2,100 square feet. Plans also call for a number of amenities, including customizable finishes, attached two-car garages, balconies, dual-pane windows and private rooftop decks.

http://urbanize.la/post/small-lot-ho...nd-valley-glen

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Final Phase of Dana Strand Development Breaks Ground

Earlier this week, nonprofit developers Abode Communities and Mercy Housing California convened in Wilmington to celebrate the groundbreaking of Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar, a new collection of 176 affordable homes.

In addition to housing, the $71 million development will offer 35,000 square feet of open and recreational space, as well as features uch as a computer lab, bicycle parking and on-site social services. The property also is located in close proximity to the Wilmington Waterfront Park.

http://urbanize.la/post/final-phase-...-breaks-ground

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What's new at Bear Mountain-Snow Summit this winter season

Southern California’s Big Bear Mountain Resorts has added new base area activities and a kids center and renovated a sports bar to attract more skiers and snowboarders to its slopes, halfpipes and terrain parks this winter.

The resort, which consists of the combined Snow Summit and Bear Mountain areas, is entering its second full season of operation under Mammoth Resorts’ ownership.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/...nap-story.html

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Cambria Hotel Rises in El Segundo

Construction is in full swing for a high-end Cambria hotel in El Segundo.

The project, a joint venture between Choice Hotels International Inc. and Fillmore Capital Partners, consists of a six-story buidling that will feature 152 guest rooms. The hotel's on-site amenities will include a fitness center, a private patio area and a contemporary bistro known as Social Cirlce.

Surrounded by Sepulveda, El Segundo and Contental Boulevards, the Cambria is intended to business travelers to El Segundo via nearby Los Angeles International Airport.

http://urbanize.la/post/cambria-hotel-rises-el-segundo

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Video Link

Shimahara Illustration: Demo Reel

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Fresh Renderings for Burbank Town Center

New documents from Burbank's Planning Division have revealed fresh renderings for the second component of the Burbank Town Center redevelopment.

The project, which encompasses 16.5 acres of the 37-acre property, would create:

A seven-story, 259-unit apartments building
A 15-story building with 70 condominiums
A seven-story building with 756 residential units and 37,420 square feet of retail and restaurant space
A seven-story, 200-room hotel with 10,000 square feet of restaurant space
Various improvements to N. San Fernando Boulevard

The proposed buildings would replace approximately 241,000 square feet of retail space within the existing shopping complex, including an Office Max, a Corner Bakery and a soon-to-be-vacated Ikea.

http://urbanize.la/post/fresh-render...nk-town-center

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$55-Million Facility Completed at East L.A. College

East Los Angeles College (ELAC) has completed work on a $55-million expansion of its campus in Monterey Park.

The Arts and Humanities Building, designed by the architecture and engineering firm HGA, consists of a five-story structure featuring classrooms, offices, and language learning labs. It is divided into two separate wings by an open-air courtyard which also serves as a main entrance and vertical circulation point.

http://urbanize.la/post/55-million-f...ast-la-college

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Neptune Marina Development Gets Back on Track

The proposed redevelopment of the Neptune Marina apartments has gotten a much-needed shot in the arm.

According to a document from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Greystar Real Estate Partners has taken over a majority stake in the $300-million project, which encompasses nearly 10 acres of property overlooking the Marina del Rey waterfront. Legacy Partners, a California-based firm, has spearheaded the development process thus far and will retain a stake in the development.

http://urbanize.la/post/neptune-mari...ets-back-track

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Westfield proposes $1.5-billion mixed-used complex at site of aging Warner Center mall

Westfield Corp. plans to demolish its struggling Promenade shopping mall in Warner Center and replace it with a massive mixed-use complex with nearly 1,500 homes, two hotels and a concert venue.

The $1.5-billion project is meant to serve as a downtown district for the West San Fernando Valley and would be an extension of Westfield’s recently opened $350-million Village at Topanga “lifestyle center” across the street.

In additional to housing, plans for a new Promenade include shops, offices and a 15,000-seat arena for concerts and sports.

Also envisioned are 7 acres of open space, including a 1-acre park, known as Promenade Square, that could host outdoor movie nights.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html