LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0 - Page 102

dachacon · #**2021** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 3:54 AM**

Totally agree i'm not looking for a two story motel in front of a large parking lot, but more of a five or six story tower with rear parking if parking is needed. Rear parking is cheap and with a front facing building, it at least gives the illusion of an urban setting. Considering a hotel doesn't have a large foot print, and the lot is a large lot.

KEVINcredible1226 · #**2022** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 9:20 AM**

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iZgsBIN7ug

OMG . If this project actually happens. I'd be the happiest Angeleno out there.

Illithid Dude · #**2023** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 1:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEVINcredible1226

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iZgsBIN7ug

OMG . If this project actually happens. I'd be the happiest Angeleno out there.

Sadly, that is only a collection of student concepts.

Kingofthehill · #**2024** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Some sad news, but not entirely a surprise to people who live in the immediate area, but Harlem Place Cafe - previously Lost Souls - has called it quits. Tom Gilmore says he is talking to some tenants about a potential wine bar in the space.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/restau...cc4c002e0.html

Ouch, gonna miss this one!

Easy · #**2025** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcat

Gosh, you folks make it sound like they're planning to build a Motel 6. Homewood Suites are hardly "super budget" hotels--I once stayed in the one in downtown Chicago for over $250/night! And even some Hampton Inns are more than passable hotels.

Anyway this plot of land isn't zoned for high density development so don't expect another Wilshire Grand.

I agree. It's not going to be iconic at only 8 floors, but at the same time provides something that is desperately needed for convention travelers - more affordable rooms close to the convention center/LA Live. This phrase does worry me a little:

design a building that would meet Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites guidelines

Hopefully they mean something a little better than the picture below of a slightly smaller Hampton Inn in Louisville. Hampton Inn's don't have restaurants, but if they could at least plan on some ground floor retail that could include restaurants or other retail, that would be nice. Also how they plan space for cars to arrive will be important. The property doesn't look large enough for a separate parking garage (if I'm looking at the right one - next to Honda) so they would have underground parking.

Easy · #**2026** Posted: **Aug 28, 2011, 5:51 PM**

Strange that with all of this impending hotel news that we still haven't heard from Moinian and LA Central with even a clue of something on the horizon. IIRC Tim Leiweke had hinted late last year that news from them was imminent and that a hotel would be named soon, but so far nothing. This is a key piece of property, especially with the adjacent lot to the north possibly staying as parking for a long while. The Courtyard Marriotts and Hamptons are necessary, but I'm really hoping for at least one nice one there. Plus retail. The area around LA Live is lacking in retail.

LAofAnaheim · #**2027** Posted: **Aug 29, 2011, 5:16 AM**

Wow! Did anybody catch the MTV VMA's tonight? Did you see how they were using the INSIDE of the JW Marriot for their "Black Carpet Special"? Oh wow! It makes LA look amazing! I'm so glad to see how the JW Marriott was featured prominently at the VMA's and LA Live! itself. No matter what people say, I love the investment in LA Live!, Staples Center and Nokia Plaza. It truly puts more eyes on the city of Los Angeles from the world! When people see this on their TV's, they're like "I need to go there someday". This is why I'm glad AEG is doing what it's doing in South Park and we're building the entertainment here, in downtown LA! As long as it's concentrated in the South Park district as THE Sports and Entertainment mecca of Los Angeles, then it won't affect the characters of Civic Center, Olvera Street, Old Bank or Financial District.

Imagine, downtown LA without LA Live!. These celebrity shows may not even be here in LA and we'd be losing the sales tax dollars to New York again! This is what you call a smart investment.

Sorry for the rant....LA just looked magnificent in the Mtv VMA's tonight!!! Check out some photos online!

DistrictDirt · #**2028** Posted: **Aug 29, 2011, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Wow! Did anybody catch the MTV VMA's tonight? Did you see how they were using the INSIDE of the JW Marriot for their "Black Carpet Special"? Oh wow! It makes LA look amazing! I'm so glad to see how the JW Marriott was featured prominently at the VMA's and LA Live! itself. No matter what people say, I love the investment in LA Live!, Staples Center and Nokia Plaza. It truly puts more eyes on the city of Los Angeles from the world! When people see this on their TV's, they're like "I need to go there someday". This is why I'm glad AEG is doing what it's doing in South Park and we're building the entertainment here, in downtown LA! As long as it's concentrated in the South Park district as THE Sports and Entertainment mecca of Los Angeles, then it won't affect the characters of Civic Center, Olvera Street, Old Bank or Financial District.

Imagine, downtown LA without LA Live!. These celebrity shows may not even be here in LA and we'd be losing the sales tax dollars to New York again! This is what you call a smart investment.

Sorry for the rant....LA just looked magnificent in the Mtv VMA's tonight!!! Check out some photos online!

Post some photos!

OneMetropolis · #**2029** Posted: **Aug 29, 2011, 10:10 PM**

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m53Wr...e_gdata_player" target="_blank">Video Link

LA IS finally becoming a true place for media and entertainment again. People are finally respecting LA.

OneMetropolis · #**2030** Posted: **Aug 29, 2011, 10:24 PM**

Inside Marriott

Here's the link for more info:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/166...k-carpet.jhtml

LosAngelesDreamin · #**2031** Posted: **Aug 29, 2011, 11:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Wow! Did anybody catch the MTV VMA's tonight? Did you see how they were using the INSIDE of the JW Marriot for their "Black Carpet Special"? Oh wow! It makes LA look amazing! I'm so glad to see how the JW Marriott was featured prominently at the VMA's and LA Live! itself. No matter what people say, I love the investment in LA Live!, Staples Center and Nokia Plaza. It truly puts more eyes on the city of Los Angeles from the world! When people see this on their TV's, they're like "I need to go there someday". This is why I'm glad AEG is doing what it's doing in South Park and we're building the entertainment here, in downtown LA! As long as it's concentrated in the South Park district as THE Sports and Entertainment mecca of Los Angeles, then it won't affect the characters of Civic Center, Olvera Street, Old Bank or Financial District.

Imagine, downtown LA without LA Live!. These celebrity shows may not even be here in LA and we'd be losing the sales tax dollars to New York again! This is what you call a smart investment.

Sorry for the rant....LA just looked magnificent in the Mtv VMA's tonight!!! Check out some photos online!

yea... when i first heard and saw renderings of la live i was like "omg i wanna go there" i took my sister there in march... our first time in downtown la and we had a good time... ate and explored the city and we've been wanting to go back for all the great restaurants and delicious macaroons at bottega louie... to get away from the busy la live we relaxed at angel knolls and took in the view of the historic core and talked about how a long time ago this place looked like the streets of new york city or san francisco.. busy and full of life. and why would anyone in the past wanna abandon the beautiful urban city core for a bland and sleepy 2 story suburb??

But yea =D i missed the VMAs yesterday bc of work.. but will watch the rerun.

all of the trash · #**2032** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 12:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMetropolis

LA IS finally becoming a true place for media and entertainment and everything else. People are finally respecting LA.

.

When was LA ever not a place for media and entertainment?

Where do you get that people are finally respecting LA? If we're host to cultural trash like the MTV VMAs, I'm not sure "respect" is the right word here.

LosAngelesDreamin · #**2033** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 2:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by all of the trash

When was LA ever not a place for media and entertainment?

Where do you get that people are finally respecting LA? If we're host to cultural trash like the MTV VMAs, I'm not sure "respect" is the right word here.

how are the VMAs a cultural trash??

LA has been doing award ceremonies LIKE the VMAs, Emmy awards, Academy awards, the Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globe, People's Choice awards etc etc since the time of Hollywood's golden age.... its their culture.

If you see these things happen in cities say Seattle or San Fran.. it'll look out of place... NY and LA are the only two cities who can pull it off, but it's SO L.A.

pesto · #**2034** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 4:24 PM**

Please ignore if you don't want to hear more complaining.

I complained a few weeks back that Metropolis is now mostly 4 story (with some 12 story "towers"). I was told that this was ridiculous because anything is better than a parking lot and there are plenty of other open lots available.

Now one of those large lots is becoming an 8-story Hampton Inn. Perhaps with surface parking for all I know. So now that lot is also determined for the next 50 years.

It looks like the race to keep up with West Covina is on.

bobcat · #**2035** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

I complained a few weeks back that Metropolis is now mostly 4 story (with some 12 story "towers"). I was told that this was ridiculous because anything is better than a parking lot and there are plenty of other open lots available.

Now one of those large lots is becoming an 8-story Hampton Inn.

Not comparable. Lots south of Pico are in a different development zone and are only allowed a 3:1 Floor Area Ratio.

pesto · #**2036** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcat

Not comparable. Lots south of Pico are in a different development zone and are only allowed a 3:1 Floor Area Ratio.

Even better. Then remove all the parking lots south of Pico from EVER being high-rise. That gives a more limited supply of potential spots for high-rises.

DistrictDirt · #**2037** Posted: **Aug 30, 2011, 9:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

Please ignore if you don't want to hear more complaining.

I complained a few weeks back that Metropolis is now mostly 4 story (with some 12 story "towers"). I was told that this was ridiculous because anything is better than a parking lot and there are plenty of other open lots available.

Now one of those large lots is becoming an 8-story Hampton Inn. Perhaps with surface parking for all I know. So now that lot is also determined for the next 50 years.

It looks like the race to keep up with West Covina is on.

Take heart. No matter how badly they screw up South Park, we'll always have the Historic Core. Its far too densely built out already and can't really be messed up.

RuFFy · #**2038** Posted: **Aug 31, 2011, 12:05 AM**

Pesto, that Hampton Inn is as forever as the Wilshire Grand. The question is, do we hang around with a parking lot that won't have the "need" for a skyscraper for a very long time... or, do we build a hotel on it to activate that block until it proves financially viable to demolish and build a skyscraper? Not just that, you have to consider the lesser amount of undeveloped real estate, the more likely we'll have the need for skyscrapers. In the long term, that Hampton Inn, and a few more like it, could prove to be the catalyst for the vision you have for downtown. This isn't a beggers can't be choosers situation. This is a get it activated situation, and let the rest follow. If anything, what we should focus is how the buildings, regardless of size, interact with the street.

OneMetropolis · #**2039** Posted: **Aug 31, 2011, 2:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by all of the trash

When was LA ever not a place for media and entertainment?

Where do you get that people are finally respecting LA? If we're host to cultural trash like the MTV VMAs, I'm not sure "respect" is the right word here.

OK so maybe i exaggerated a little bit, but years ago New York was becoming the center of media and the entertainment and stuff, the focus was on New York, but now it's kinda coming back to L.A. or at least that's how i see it.

"respect" was a overstatement.

and lets face it when it comes to entertainment Vegas beats L.A. by a landslide and L.A. suppose to be the entertainment capitol.

LAofAnaheim · #**2040** Posted: **Aug 31, 2011, 2:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMetropolis

OK so maybe i exaggerated a little bit, but years ago New York was becoming the center of media and the entertainment and stuff, the focus was on New York, but now it's kinda coming back to L.A. or at least that's how i see it.

"respect" was a overstatement.

and lets face it when it comes to entertainment Vegas beats L.A. by a landslide and L.A. suppose to be the entertainment capitol.

L.A. is still THE home of entertainment (any other city with "stars of the maps", a Walk of Fame, a Chinese Theater that is known world-wide for hosting premieres, multiple film shootings per DAY in the downtown core, etc..).

New York is the MEDIA home of the world (Wall street, ticker tape electronic signage on many street corners, live news broadcasting with windows showing street activity, late night TV shows, etc..).

To each is their own. New York and Los Angeles are still two of the top-rated entertainment/media cities in the world.