Greater Los Angeles Region: Projects and Developments

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Originally Posted by The Atlantic

The American Cities With the Most 'Pleasant' Weather
JOHN METCALFEFEB 06

"Nice" weather is extremely subjective. Who's to say that basking under the Florida Keys's sun-washed skies is any less sublime than crunching through fresh snow in Bangor, Maine?

Well, software engineer Kelly Norton might politely disagree. Norton spent his January flying to and from New York, and was mightily bummed at the weather whenever he got off his plane. "Whichever way I went, bitter cold greeted me at the end of the jet way and often with a coating of slick ice," he writes on his website. "It’s hard not to dwell on anomalous and unpleasant weather. It got me wondering, though, where in the U.S. do you go if you want the most 'pleasant' days in a year?"

To answer that question, Norton designed a map of where in America you're most likely to experience days of "pleasant" weather. Being from Atlanta, the engineer defined pleasant using rather Southern parameters: The mean temperature must be between 75 and 55 degrees, and the day's minimum can't drop below 45 nor the max exceed 85. Using that criteria and a mother lode of meteorological data from NOAA, he was able to elicit what are allegedly the country's most fair-weather burgs. Not surprisingly, they are all in California:

1. Los Angeles (an average of 183 "pleasant" days per year)
2. San Diego (182)
3. Oxnard (166)
4. Simi Valley (156)
5. San Francisco (153)

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/des...-weather/8315/
http://www.kellegous.com/j/2014/02/03/pleasant-places/

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Burbank approves construction of largest Ikea store in U.S.
By Alene Tchekmedyian
March 12, 2014, 12:36 p.m.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea got the unanimous green light from the Burbank City Council on Tuesday to build its largest furniture store in the nation in Burbank.

The retailer, which opened in Burbank in 1990 as its first store in California and sixth in the United States, will relocate roughly a mile to a nearly 23-acre lot at 805 S. San Fernando Blvd.

The megastore is scheduled to open in August 2016, the Burbank Leader reported.Construction is slated to begin this summer, starting with the demolition of the 22 existing buildings on the property which are currently used for office, manufacturing, industrial, warehouse and residential purposes.

The development will include an underground parking level, a ground level for retail and warehouse areas and a supervised children’s play area, and an upper level consisting of showrooms, offices and a restaurant. The new store will have 1,726 parking spots and 86 bicycle parking spaces.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...,0,93139.story

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Catalina's Avalon is getting an ambitious overhaul
Santa Catalina's cozy harbor town is trying to restore its luster as a tourist hub. A museum leads the list of ambitious projects.
By Louis Sahagun
March 22, 2014, 1:00 p.m.

AVALON, Santa Catalina Island — Trying to restore its luster as a tourist destination, this cozy harbor town is undergoing its most ambitious overhaul since chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. built the town's signature feature in 1929: Avalon Casino.

More than half a dozen projects are underway or planned in the 2-square-mile community, including a museum, hotel, spa, aquatic facility, chapel and wine-tasting room. Renovations are planned for the island's golf course, and the oceanfront beach club is expanding.

The most eagerly awaited of the new projects is the museum, on Metropole Street in the center of town. The $6-million Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building of the Catalina Island Museum will feature 11,000 square feet of floor space, with a gallery devoted to traveling art exhibits that museum and community leaders hope will be strong enough to entice visitors from the mainland.

Elsewhere, the Santa Catalina Island Co., which owns all of the developable property in town, is constructing a spa and plans to build an aquatic facility with three freshwater swimming pools, a community center and a hotel with more than 100 rooms. It is also plans to build more than 120 homes that will sell for about $1 million.

Separately, the Rusacks have planted the island's first vineyard 17 miles west of Avalon, and plan to add a wine-tasting room and a chapel with panoramic views.

The museum, scheduled to open in 2015, has already altered centers of influence on the island. Some of its largest financial contributors were formerly allied with the nonprofit Catalina Island Conservancy, which manages the island's wild lands. Those contributors left the conservancy over disagreements with the executive director's management style.

The conservancy also has development plans. The Catherine Hotel, an aging structure once known for serving the coldest beer in Avalon, will be torn down and replaced with "The Trailhead," a nexus of nature exhibits, classrooms, accommodations and a gift shop where tourists can buy tickets for Jeep tours of the island's interior.

About 88% of the 75-square-mile island is owned by the conservancy. The Santa Catalina Island Co. owns about 11% of the land mass, and about 1% is owned by private individuals and the city of Avalon.

http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me...,2646550.story
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/0...new_houses.php

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Originally Posted by LA Daily News

Plans for a massive development in the West San Fernando Valley were released Wednesday, a $3 billion project on the 47-acre Rocketdyne site that will include a mix of commercial, residential and high-rise buildings forming almost their own mini-city.

The project, now named LA Warner Center, will add more than 5 million square feet of development to the Canoga Park area, creating a retail and commercial hub that also will feature a 5-acre park open to the community 24 hours.

It is being proposed amid a building boom in the area, including the $350 million The Village at Westfield across the street from Rocketdyne and a series of new upscale apartment buildings that have risen in Canoga Park in recent years.

Boston Global Investments is in the early planning stages and working on the project with St. Louis-based HOK architectural firm’s Los Angeles office and Los Angeles-based Arup, a engineering and design consulting firm.

http://www.dailynews.com/business/20...ed-use-project
http://www.bginvestors.com/la_warner_center.html
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/0...hrise_hood.php

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Six Flags Magic Mountain surges ahead of Cedar Point for coaster crown
By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer
March 26, 2014, 7:45 a.m.

In the hyperbolic battle for the self-proclaimed title of "Roller Coaster Capital of the World," Six Flags Magic Mountain will jump out to a seemingly insurmountable lead this summer as rival Cedar Point continues to fade in the race for amusement park supremacy.

The Valencia, Calif., and Sandusky, Ohio, parks have fought for decades over the grandiose title bestowed on the park with the most coasters. The current score: Magic Mountain 19 and Cedar Point 16 (or 17, depending on who's counting).

Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers, a 14-foot-tall Zamperla kiddie coaster with a top speed of 14 mph, won't quicken the pulse of any ride enthusiasts -- but it will count as Magic Mountain's 19th coaster.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/...,4607374.story

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Knott's makes Camp Snoopy kiddie rides more family-friendly
By Brady MacDonald
March 5, 2014, 7:45 a.m.

But that will begin to change this summer when the Buena Park theme park gives the 30-year-old kiddie land a much-needed facelift and removes a number of rides with height maximums that prevent families from having fun together.

Replacing those rides will be a slate of attractions built by Italy-based Zamperla with modest 36-inch minimum height requirements and no maximums: Charlie Brown's Kite Flyer kiddie wave swing, Pig Pen's Mud Buggies spinning car ride and the Linus Launcher hang glider ride.

While you might find the new collection of family rides at any county fair or church carnival, Knott's will be integrating a great deal of Peanuts theming and storytelling into the attractions in an effort to better compete with neighboring Disneyland.

The wave swing will be themed as a kite-eating tree, with an upside down and hopelessly tangled Charlie Brown revealed as the ride rises to a height of 16 feet. Riders will spin 12 feet in the air atop Linus' blanket, which doubles as a flying carpet on the hang glider attraction. And the Pig Pen spinner will send the littlest ones on a bumpy off-road journey aboard muddy all-terrain vehicles.

A new meet-and-greet location dubbed Beagle Scout Headquarters will allow visitors to pose for photographs with Peanuts characters in front of several hand-painted comic-strip-inspired backdrops.

Other existing Camp Snoopy rides will get a Peanuts makeover while maintaining the old height maximums: Timberline Twister kiddie coaster (69-inch maximum) receives a new pinewood derby theme, with Charlie Brown's younger sister, Sally, at the helm, while the Red Baron plane ride (54-inch maximum) becomes Flying Ace, assuming another of Snoopy's alter-egos. Meanwhile, Lucy's Tugboat transforms into Rapid River Run with a white water rafting theme while Woodstock's Airmail kiddie drop tower gets a new queue.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/...,2499352.story

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Plans unveiled for $200-million Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria hotel
Designers want the first new Waldorf Astoria west of Chicago to evoke Hollywood glamour and airy California cool. The grand hotel is set to open next to the Beverly Hilton in 2017.
By Roger Vincent
April 10, 2014, 5:00 a.m.

Designs for the long-anticipated Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria, the luxury chain's first new U.S. outpost west of Chicago, have been unveiled with a flourish by local hotelier Beny Alagem.

The 12-story Waldorf Astoria will stand at the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards next to the Beverly Hilton hotel. It will be a flagship for the Hilton company's top hotel brand, said Christopher Nassetta, chief executive of Hilton Worldwide.

"When we are done, this will be one of the great hotels in the world," he said. "We have been working with Beny on this project for nearly a decade."

Preliminary work is underway, and the grand hotel is expected to open in 2017.

The project was delayed in large part by neighbors' concerns that development would create more traffic congestion at the busy intersection. Beverly Hills voters narrowly approved the project in a 2008 ballot measure intended to stop Alagem from further developing his property.

City officials have to approve the final architectural design of the Waldorf Astoria before construction can begin, Alagem said.

The hotel will cost more than $200 million and be developed by Alagem's company, Alagem Capital Group, and clients of Guggenheim Partners, a prominent investment firm. It's part of Alagem's planned $500-million project on the Hilton site that will also eventually include two residential towers.

Alagem's vision is to make the 170-room Waldorf Astoria one of the biggest five-star hotels in Beverly Hills, projecting both Hollywood glamour and airy California cool.

http://www.latimes.com/business/real...0,948715.story

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Originally Posted by NY Times

A Makeover at Universal Studios Hollywood Aims at Disney
By BROOKS BARNESAPRIL 8, 2014

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Now Comcast is mouse hunting on both coasts.

After pouring money into its Universal Resort in Orlando, Fla., Comcast is increasing spending at Universal Studios Hollywood, unveiling a smattering of new attractions on Tuesday that — when combined with previously announced sections devoted to Harry Potter and “Despicable Me” — will remake 70 percent of the California park by 2016.

The enhancements, part of a $1.6 billion overhaul of the park and adjacent movie studio, are aimed at keeping Universal’s thrill-ride fans coming back and also to begin attracting families with young children, a lucrative audience that Universal until recently left almost entirely to nearby Disneyland.

“We’re trying to significantly broaden our base,” said Larry Kurzweil, president of Universal Studios Hollywood, which drew roughly six million visitors last year. “This isn’t about adding rides. It’s about a complete transformation.”

When Universal Orlando opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter four years ago, that resort went from an also-ran to a must-visit almost overnight. Year-on-year attendance shot up 30 percent as families swarmed the snow-capped shops of Hogsmeade and rode three Potter-themed rides.

To prepare for a similar surge here — a Wizarding World will open at this hilltop park in 2016 — Comcast’s NBCUniversal is adding thousands of parking spaces, spending about $100 million to improve transit and planning two 500-room hotels. But those efforts are crumbs compared to what is planned inside the gates.

On Saturday, a “Despicable Me” attraction called Minion Mayhem will begin transforming riders into furry yellow Minions and taking them on a topsy-turvy excursion. Also opening is a water-themed play area called Super Silly Fun Land, a version of the seaside carnival from “Despicable Me.”

“That is our first real kiddie ride,” Mr. Kurzweil said during a preopening tour, pointing to a contraption called Silly Swirly, a new brightly colored offering similar to Disney’s flying Dumbo attraction, except with exotic bugs instead of elephants. “I rode it earlier myself,” he added with a smile.

The park, which will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary, said that it would also expand its “Simpsons” ride to include an entire themed village, scheduled to open next year.

Also coming next year, the company said on Tuesday, will be “Fast & Furious — Supercharged,” a hybrid movie and thrill ride in which occupants of Universal’s famed back-lot trams will be encircled by 400-foot-long movie screens. “We’re going to make it feel like those trams are being pulled through the streets at speeds of over 100 miles per hour,” said Chick Russell, an executive producer for Universal Creative.

Comcast has discovered — to its surprise — that theme parks represent one of the few areas of stable entertainment industry growth outside of cable television. Universal parks had operating income of about $1 billion last year, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, according to financial filings. Revenue increased 7.2 percent.

Now Comcast, which bought control of NBCUniversal in 2011, also wants to grow by going after families, which have long been Disney’s bread and butter. “Our guests at this park used to start at about 11 years old and go up from there,” said Ron Meyer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal. “We now have something for everybody, even very young children, with much more on the way.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/09/bu...to-disney.html

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Originally Posted by Inside Universal

Universal Announces Ambitious Transformation Plan

Working in collaboration with Universal Creative, the visionary design and development division of Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios Hollywood has crafted an ambitious blueprint for the future of the theme park detailing its expansive redesign and mega-attraction introductions.

“Transformers: The Ride—3D” set the stage for this epic transformation in 2012 and raised the bar for immersive, technologically advanced entertainment offered at Universal Studios Hollywood or elsewhere. Working in partnership with award-winning filmmaker Michael Bay and the technical luminaries at Industrial Light & Magic, the ride infused an adrenalized multi-level ride-track and visceral special effects with one of the most elaborate flight simulation ride systems ever created. Housed within a newly built 60,000 square foot structure, the ride utilized the highest, most sophisticated resolution of 3D-HD technology available to virtually launch guests into the dynamic, action-packed robotic world of the Transformers.

In summer 2013, the interior focal point of the theme park profoundly changed with the installation of Universal Plaza, a visually aesthetic 37,000 square foot art deco styled piazza. This impressive and versatile polygon-shaped entertainment venue sits at the heart of the theme park as a welcoming open air courtyard, architecturally reminiscent of classic Hollywood glamour. Featuring a soaring 70 foot tall tower emblazoned with the word Universal, the venue is large in scope, yet provides a warm and inviting environment to host an array of special events and entertainment.

On April 12, 2014, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award-nominated film franchise, and created in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” will resonate with the same endearing qualities and characters that catapulted the franchise to international blockbuster fame.

The footprint for “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” however, will serve as a crucial turning point for the theme park, as the adventure represents its first foray into fully expansive themed environments aimed at immersing visitors from the moment they enter the space. From experiencing Gru’s neighborhood to Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls and the imaginative seaside carnival, this all-encompassing approach is a decisive departure from the park’s more commonly used vignette ride exteriors to create holistic experiences and transport guests to that imaginary place.

2015 will be a momentous year for the theme park with two spectacular attractions debuting as part of the 50th anniversary. “Springfield” an immersive land surrounding “The Simpsons Ride” will open in Spring 2015 and in Summer 2015, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” based on the blockbuster film series, will be introduced as the grand finale to the celebrated Studio Tour.

The former layout of the park will become unrecognizable when “Springfield” hometown of America’s favorite family, The Simpsons, breathes new life to the sprawling and vibrant space surrounding “The Simpsons Ride.” “Springfield” will capture the spirit of the town and engage visitors and fans of the show in the intensely absorbing and colorful world made famous throughout the series’ 25 seasons.

“Springfield” is being designed to make guests feel as if they are being propelled through their television sets into the accurately depicted city, complete with signature eateries from Krusty Burger to Luigi’s Pizza and Phineas Q. Butterfat’s 5600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor to iconic watering holes like Moe’s Tavern and Duff’s Brewery.

“Fast & Furious—Supercharged” will be a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled finale to the world-famous Studio Tour. This technologically advanced thrill ride, will catapult guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars where they’ll join the cast in a harrowing escapade. The ride will be situated within a newly constructed 50,000 square foot building on the legendary backlot and will reunite stars from the Fast & Furious series in a groundbreaking mega-attraction, conceived as a new installment to the dynamic film series that can only be experienced at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.

The dynamic hydraulic-motion based ride will tell an original Fast & Furious story, incorporating hyper-realistic special effects and state-of-the-art 3D-HD imagery projected onto the world’s longest and most expansive 360-degree screen spanning nearly 400 feet in length to encircle Studio Tour guests in the Fast & Furious universe.

2016 will be a magical year for Universal Studios Hollywood as the theme park’s epic transformation becomes fully realized with the highly-anticipated arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

Inspired by the magical world created by J.K. Rowling and brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood will be a fully immersive land designed for the entire family that brings the Harry Potter fiction and films to life with impeccable detail and authenticity. Similar to the dynamic Universal Orlando Resort themed land that opened in 2010, the Hollywood experience will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including Hogwarts castle that will serve as the iconic focal point of the impressively themed environment. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is a collaboration between J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Parks and Resorts.

This evolution of Universal Studios Hollywood will also include the addition of two newly constructed parking structures that, combined, will accommodate thousands of additional vehicles. Construction on the second parking structure will be completed in late 2015.

http://insideuniversal.net/2014/04/u...ormation-plan/

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Originally Posted by PE

CABAZON OUTLETS: Grand opening of Desert Hills Premium Outlets

The Simon Property Group which owns or has an interest in more than 325 retail properties in North America, Asia and Europe and has $1.1 billion in redevelopment and expansion projects in the works at 25 properties in the U.S., Asia and Mexico counts the Desert Hills expansion as one of its finest finishes.

“This is our Woodbury Common of the West Coast,” said Coleen Conklin, senior vice president of marketing for the premium outlet division of Simon Property Group in Indianapolis, comparing the desert site to its center in Central Valley, N.Y., one of the most successful in the nation.

The expansion, which grew the center from 130 to 180 stores, attracted high-end newcomers such as Ted Baker London, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Valentino and Calypso.

“The heft of stores we're bringing to this property is pretty impressive,” she said. “Alexander McQueen, Belstaff and Helmut Lang are brands that do not have a single outlet store yet in the U.S., so it's very exciting.”
Expansions of the existing stores are equally dazzling: Burberry is adding its “gold” line. Guess Factory Store is moving to a bigger site. And Prada, Coach and Georgio Armani are all adding space.

Simon's Cabazon center and its neighbor Cabazon Outlets, a line-up of 20 stores directly east of Desert Hills operated by Craig Realty Group of Newport Beach, attracts I-10 drive-by tourists, day-trippers from Greater Palm Springs, Orange County, the Los Angeles Basin, Arizona and Nevad

“Asia is a hugely important market,” said Conklin, and tour groups from China have increased by nearly 50 percent in the past year.

Desert Hills, which generated $3.1 million in sales tax revenue in 2013 –

$13 million over five years – was among several Simon outlets earmarked for expansion in 2012.

In August 2012, Desert Hills was considered a high performer with sales approaching $1,000 per square foot, compared with the average $562 per square foot reported by Simon.

Les Morris, a spokesman for Simon Property Group, said redevelopment has concentrated on premium outlets – and better luxury brands – because the demand is there.

“Desert Hills is one of our most productive centers in the Premium Outlets' portfolio,” Conklin said. “It generates more than $1,300 a square foot in sales.”

http://www.pe.com/local-news/local-n...um-outlets.ece
http://blog.pe.com/business/2014/04/...emium-outlets/

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by Desert Sun

The 17-store Cabazon Outlets is also gearing up for expansion. Owned by Craig Realty Group, the shopping center is going through the design review process with Riverside County to add 80,000 square feet of 25 additional stores and surface parking. Major brands there include Columbia Sportswear, Puma and Adidas.

Cabazon Outlets has leased out space to retailers and plans to start construction early next year, said Steven Craig, president and chief executive of Craig Realty Group.

Desert Hills is one of the top five performing centers out of 66 premium outlet centers owned by Simon Property Group, officials said Thursday. It ranks among those in Orlando, New York City, Hawaii and Las Vegas.

Every year, 9 million visitors flock to Desert Hills Premium Outlets, and 25 percent to 30 percent of them are international visitors. The shopping center generates sales of about $1,300 per square foot, Simon Property officials said.

About 40 percent of sales taxes in unincorporated Riverside County are generated by Desert Hills Premium Outlets and the nearby, smaller, Cabazon Outlets.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/money...shops/8136675/

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Originally Posted by LA Times

New California botanic garden celebrates native conifers and plants
The nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy's Southern California Montane Botanic Garden is set to open May 10.
Louis Sahagun
May 3, 2014, 8:00 a.m.
Reporting from Oak Glen, Calif.—

Protecting the beauty and biodiversity of landscapes is a life's work for men like David Myers. If the lanky naturalist takes you sightseeing, you'd best wear sturdy boots.

Myers, 62, is executive director and a co-founder of the nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy. The sightseeing on this day will be of the organization's new garden, one of the largest in the United States dedicated to native conifers and plants.

The Southern California Montane Botanic Garden, which opens May 10, is designed to be a haven for tourists and a center for education programs promoting the protection of the region's flora and fauna.

http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me...,4356475.story
http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/botanicgarden.html

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Disney park crowding reveals options: Hike rates or expand
HUGO MARTIN
5/21/14

The Happiest Place on Earth" has become one of the most crowded.

Tourists and annual pass holders are flooding Disneyland and California Adventure in large numbers, causing headaches for guests and park officials. Waits for rides often stretch over an hour, and visitors are having to park in remote structures, particularly on Sundays.

Industry experts say the crowding problem leaves Walt Disney Co. with two options: Keep hiking rates until attendance becomes manageable, or expand the park.

Over the weekend, the Anaheim park raised single-day ticket prices by $4 to $96 and temporarily halted new sales of a popular annual pass for Southern California residents. Disneyland officials say they have no current plans for a new Anaheim park, but that hasn't stopped speculation.

Many longtime park watchers say now may be the time to dust off plans, dating to 2000, to build a third park on a 78-acre site just south of Disney's complex on Harbor Boulevard.

Those plans were shelved while the company focused on the 2001 opening of Disney California Adventure, which fell short of expectations until a $1-billion expansion in 2012 added the hugely successful Cars Land.

After Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012, many fans hoped a third park would feature Marvel superheroes or characters from the "Star Wars" franchise.

"Maybe they'll do Star Wars Land or Indiana Jones Adventure or Marvel characters," said Todd Regan, founder of the Disney blog site MiceChat.com. "It will be interesting to see what happens."

At least for now, Disneyland officials say they are focused on expanding parking. They're buying a lot at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road with room for 1,400 parking spaces for employees, freeing up more parking for guests.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...521-story.html

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Army Corps to recommend $1-billion L.A. River project

Federal officials gave a major boost Wednesday to the city's plans to turn the Los Angeles River into an urban oasis for recreation and an inviting locale for new commercial and residential development.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it has decided to recommend approval of an ambitious, $1-billion proposal to restore habitat, widen the river, create wetlands and provide access points and bike trails along an 11-mile stretch north of downtown through Elysian Park.

The city sees those 11 miles as the starting point for a project that will eventually revitalize all 51 miles of the river, from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.

It's the right thing for the ecology, it's the right thing for the economy and for kids growing up being separated from downtown by a concrete flood control channel.
- Mayor Eric Garcetti
The decision, made by Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, opens the way for Congress to give its approval and work to begin to transform the unsightly concrete corridor into something resembling the river's natural state.

The Army Corps initially declined to approve the plan in favor of a less ambitious, $453-million alternative. The city responded with an intense lobbying campaign.

"I was tenacious about this — it's a big win for the city," Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "As I argued in the White House over and over, it's the right thing for the ecology, it's the right thing for the economy and for kids growing up being separated from downtown by a concrete flood control channel."

A few weeks ago, Garcetti said, President Obama told him: "I think we're on track for the L.A. River."

Under terms of the proposal, the $1.08-billion cost would be shared equally by the federal government and city and state sources.

http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me...529-story.html

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Originally Posted by LA Mayor

GARCETTI ANNOUNCES AEROSPACE & ADVANCED MANUFACTURING WIN
Posted by Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti · May 28, 2014 3:58 PM

LOS ANGELES – Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced that an effort he co-led with USC has resulted in Southern California winning a federal designation that gives our region preference in accessing $1.3 billion in federal assistance for local aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Southern California was designated by the U.S. Commerce Department as a "Manufacturing Community" as part of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative. The initiative is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities by supporting the development of long-term regional economic development strategies that help communities attract and expand private investment in the manufacturing sector and increase international trade and exports.

http://www.lamayor.org/garcetti_anno...ufacturing_win
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theova...ships/9679563/

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Originally Posted by LA Times

Inventors of modern wet suit memorialized in Redondo Beach statue

Twins Bill and Bob Meistrell had a passion for water sports -- and they made sure other folks could enjoy surfing and scuba diving too.

Sixty years ago they developed the first commercially viable wet suit made of neoprene, a lightweight material that moved easily with the motions of a surfer while guarding against chilly water. According to the lore, "it fit like a glove," a friend said -- inspiring the name for Body Glove, the company they founded in Redondo Beach, where they operated an aquatic shop called Dive N' Surf.

On June 5, a statue of the Meistrell brothers is to be unveiled at Redondo Beach's Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way. The statue, by artist and former pro surfer Chris Barelo, is based on an archival photograph of the brothers taken in 1949, when they were lifeguards.

http://www.latimes.com/fashion/allth...528-story.html

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Originally Posted by LA Times

L.A. Mayor Garcetti identifies city's 'Great Streets'

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's office has identified the first 15 areas to be targeted in his initiative to revitalize dozens of neighborhood streets.

The goal of his "Great Streets" program, the mayor has said, is to make streets more pedestrian-friendly and attract businesses. The mayor's staff said Monday that $800,000 has been initially budgeted for the project.

The first 15 that will be formally announced Tuesday morning include one in each council district:

District 1: North Figueroa Street between Avenue 50 and Avenue 60
District 2: Lankershim Boulevard between Chandler and Victory boulevards
District 3: Sherman Way between Wilbur and Lindley avenues
District 4: Western Avenue between Melrose Avenue and 3rd Street
District 5: Westwood Boulevard between Le Conte Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard
District 6: Van Nuys Boulevard between Victory Boulevard and Oxnard Street
District 7: Van Nuys Boulevard between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and San Fernando Road
District 8: Crenshaw Boulevard between 78th Street and Florence Avenue
District 9: Central Avenue between MLK Boulevard and Vernon Avenue
District 10: Pico Boulevard between Hauser Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue
District 11: Venice Boulevard between Beethoven Street and Inglewood Boulevard
District 12: Reseda Boulevard between Plummer Street and Parthenia Avenue
District 13: Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea Avenue & Gower Street
District 14: Cesar Chavez Avenue between Evergreen Avenue and St. Louis Street
District 15: Gaffey Street between 15th Street & the 110 Freeway

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...602-story.html
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/0..._makeovers.php

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Originally Posted by SGV Trubune

Solis, Chu hold rally for National Recreation Area bill
By Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
POSTED: 06/14/14, 4:20 PM PDT

County Supervisor-elect Hilda Solis and Rep. Judy Chu — the two people responsible for creating federal legislation that would bring national recognition to the San Gabriel Mountains and San Gabriel River — led a rally of about 150 supporters at Peck Road Park near El Monte on Saturday.

Both touted the bill by Chu, D-Pasadena, to turn 615,000 acres of mountain and river wilderness into a National Recreation Area that would be co-managed by the U.S. National Park Service, a model that they say has worked for the Santa Monica Mountains for nearly 40 years.

“Today we make history,” Chu said to a round of applause, “by the introduction of a bill that fixes a decades-old problem.”

The idea began in 2003 when then-Congresswoman Solis, who grew up in La Puente, got a bill passed to study the proposal. Solis went on to become U.S. Labor Secretary and handed off the effort to Chu.

Chu’s bill, introduced Thursday, would force the U.S. Forest Service to partner with the Park Service to repair trails, fix bathrooms and provide more safety rails and enforcement in the heavily used Angeles National Forest from Santa Clarita to Cucamonga Canyon.

If approved by Congress and signed by the president, the San Gabriel National Recreation Area would be funded by between $2 million and $4 million from the NPS almost immediately.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/government...-gabriel-river

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by Daily Breeze

Del Amo Fashion Center stores brace for end-of-the-month moves to make way for remodel

Part of a comprehensive redevelopment project, the changes include enhancements to the outdoor lifestyle portion of the mall, a new 1,900-car garage, new landscaping, new signage, new food courts and improvements designed to improve shopper circulation.

A new food court called Patio Cafes, located near the central Macy’s store, is going through what a spokesman called “a progressive opening.” Originally it was slated to be open last month. Sbarro and Gengis Khan are now open, with other restaurants — Panda Express, Chipolte and Stove Oven Gourmet Sandwiches — set to open in the next few weeks. Ginza Grill will open in February and Blaze Pizza will open in the spring.

Patio Cafes is part of the first phase of the work, which altogether is expected to cost at least $200 million. It will be finished in the fall of 2015, timed with a grand opening of Nordstrom, which is relocating from the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach.

A medical building on the north end of the Del Amo mall property — near the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf — will be demolished.

The idea, designers said, will be to brighten the center using sky lights and a crisp, clean design.

and a crisp, clean design.

“By holiday 2015, you will not recognize Del Amo Fashion Center,” said Chuck Davis, senior vice president of West Coast development for Simon Property Group, in a Daily Breeze article from July 6.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/...ay-for-remodel