LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[colemonkee]

Agreed on both fronts! And Crescent Heights has plenty of creds in getting projects of this scope completed in LA. The additional bonus is that it extends that little cluster forming around Wilshire and Vermont to the east. More of this, please!

[hughfb3]

Hallasan by Holland Residential, Wilshire Center

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Agreed on both fronts! And Crescent Heights has plenty of creds in getting projects of this scope completed in LA. The additional bonus is that it extends that little cluster forming around Wilshire and Vermont to the east. More of this, please!

I'm surprised how much parking is being included (13 levels of parking to 25 levels of residential) in this project especially considering this is probably one of the most transit rich areas in LA, with Ktown being the densest neighborhood in LA and there's the Wilshire/Vermont Metro station entrance literally across the street on Shatto, where both the B and D Line run. And then you've got Vermont which is already one of the busiest bus corridors in the city, which is being studied for future BRT or B Line extension with heavy rail. 297 units to 410 cars in this location doesn't exactly scream transit oriented community to me.

At least the 7 levels of above-grade parking will largely masked by existing construction.

That being said, let's not let perfect be the enemy of good, and it’s much better than what’s currently there.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I'm surprised how much parking is being included

I'm surprised that you're surprised. Even the lucky few Angelenos who commute to work by transit generally still own cars for other purposes.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I'm surprised how much parking is being included (13 levels of parking to 25 levels of residential) in this project especially considering this is probably one of the most transit rich areas in LA, with Ktown being the densest neighborhood in LA and there's the Wilshire/Vermont Metro station entrance literally across the street on Shatto, where both the B and D Line run. And then you've got Vermont which is already one of the busiest bus corridors in the city, which is being studied for future BRT or B Line extension with heavy rail. 297 units to 410 cars in this location doesn't exactly scream transit oriented community to me.

At least the 7 levels of above-grade parking will largely masked by existing construction.

That being said, let's not let perfect be the enemy of good, and it’s much better than what’s currently there.

Agreed on the parking, especially given the current westward extension of the B line. This will be a very prime spot for transit with easy connections to Westwood, Hollywood, and DTLA.

That said, I strongly support the right of developers to build the amount of parking to they think that they need ant that doing so will continue to lead to fewer parking spaces being built.

[Quixote]

Article is behind a paywall, so I screenshot all of it...

AltaSea in San Pedro vows to forge the world’s largest ocean tech hub

In the works since the idea hatched in the early 2000s, AltaSea is being created using historic port warehouses that are more than 100 years old

By Donna Littlejohn
June 8, 2023

A $17 million agreement to buoy San Pedro's AltaSea — vowing to forge the world's largest ocean tech hub — was feted on Thursday, June 8, at a ceremonial groundbreaking and speeches that drew some 200 people on World Ocean Day.

In the works since the idea hatched in the early 2000s, AltaSea is being created using historic port warehouses that are more than 100 years old at 2451 S. Signal St., across from Warehouse One. The research, education and workforce/innovation center will focus on ocean-based solutions to climate change.

For Geraldine Knatz, the former Port of Los Angeles executive director and now chairperson of AltaSea's Board of Directors, recalled the somewhat long and sometimes slow evolution of the vision that began when she first began talking about the vision to bring university researchers together at what was named City Dock One to set up a collaboration.

Her early outreach talks found receptive audiences who encouraged her to "think big" and "think like an entrepreneur."

"I thought we must really be on to something," she said of the encouragement and learning that the Annenberg Foundation had pledged "millions of dollars" in a substantial start-up grant.

While the progress has been sometimes slow, the vision seems to be hitting its stride, several speakers at the event said. Jenny C. Krusoe, the founding executive director, was praised for her work on the project since the beginning. "She was the glue that held AltaSea together for 10 years," Knatz said.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka recalled meeting with Krusoe shortly after taking over his position in 2014 and marveling at the vision and helping to create a vision with Zoom calls with Councilmember Tim McOsker who before being elected was AltaSea's CEO, "from his backyard to my backyard."

"I know there's much more to do," Seroka said, "but it's time to take a few moments to celebrate" what's been accomplished so far.

McOsker, now the area's Los Angeles City Council representative, first became involved as the project's attorney who helped craft a more affordable vision for the plan and then became AltaSea's CEO.

"We're still actively raising funds to complete all four of the warehouses and fund the programs," said Terry Tamminen, now president and CEO of AltaSea. "There's a lot more work and fundraising to be done."

The 35-acre waterfront campus also received a $29 million contribution from the state of California, Port of Los Angeles and philanthropies toward the renovation of three warehouses. It will pay for the construction costs and a linear park and garden area, along with the installation of solar panels on the rooftop.

The backdrop to the celebratory event was a historic tall ship from the Los Angeles Maritime Institute next to a modern aquaculture vessel.

Growing up, McOsker said, it was outer space that held the answers to the future. Now, it also is the ocean, he said, adding it promises to bring forth unexpected discoveries and future answers as well as jobs.

The research that will be done at AltaSea, he said, "not only will save the planet but bring new opportunities. We owe that to the future."

"It was when (McOsker) was CEO that my husband Richard and I made our ($5 million) commitment to AltaSea," said philanthropist Melanie Lundquist.

It was the second largest donation to the center behind the one from Wallis Annenberg.

"We believe AltaSea is the innovation that will end up saving the planet" she said. "We believe its best days are ahead and now, let's break ground."

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/06/...cean-tech-hub/

[Quixote]

LABJ:

AltaSea breaks ground on ocean-focused R&D space at Port of Los Angeles

Isabel Sami
June 9, 2023

Three historic warehouses that have sat at the Port of Los Angeles for more than 100 years are being renovated into research and education spaces at a 35-acre waterfront campus focused on ocean-based solutions to climate change.

Los Angeles-based public-private ocean institute AltaSea is breaking ground on expanding its AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles campus, a space for research, education, workforce development and innovation. The 40,000-square-foot project sits on a pier in the San Pedro Bay, with 4,100 linear feet of waterfront dock and wharf space.

Since its founding in 2014, AltaSea has partnered with more than 30 universities and 15 community-based organizations to engage with L.A.'s "blue economy?'

Funded by public and private institutions, the renovated warehouse project garnered $29 million in funding from California, the Port of Los Angeles and philanthropic contributions. The project is estimated to total $18 million in construction costs for the warehouses, a linear park and garden area, and the installation of 2.2 megawatts of solar power on AltaSea's rooftop.

The AltaSea campus is occupied by a number of institutions, and a portion of the funding will be put toward programs, staffing and tenant improvements inside the buildings. Tenants of AltaSea are working on innovative technology to curb climate change, including 3D cement printing for ocean wind infrastructure by RCAM Technologies, a carbon capture barge developed by UCLA, Eco Wave Power's wave energy power station and an aquaculture lab developed by USC.

Community groups also work with AltaSea to bring jobs to the blue economy, with the Entrepreneur Educational Center Inc. and Strength Based Community Change building a pipeline from South Bay communities to AltaSea and ocean-focused groups.

The campus is also home to the Southern California Marine Institute, a multi-campus research facility and nonprofit oceanographic institution for ocean-related research.

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangel...Pos=1#cxrecs_s

[citywatch]

• Video Link

Around the 10 second part of the vid, old devlpt in Inglewood, west of I believe Prairie Ave, contrasts with new devlpt east of the street. It's a good comparison of how lots of land in SoCa decades ago never reached its full potential because the goals, money, resources & interest just didn't exist back then. So called gentrification in any city is a bit easier when there's more to work with...& decline is less likely to be as severe when a community has always been somewhat well put together.

[LAsam]

^ So much white! Would have to see it in person to get an idea of whether that works or not. I wonder if there will be an element for little kids in the development? Those things really drive a lot of traffic like the newish common space in downtown Culver City... and there's not a lot of that around.

[homebucket]

Looks pretty walled off to the rest of the surrounding neighborhood. Very fortress like, and completely autocentric.

This screenshot paints a pretty grim picture.

[DJM19]

The stadium district is a totally missed opportunity. Super insulated from the rest of Inglewood, but even inside the premises its not hospitable to walking.

[citywatch]

I don't know how you integrate the old with the new when inglewood was generally poorly developed to begin with. If the new isn't ideal, the old isn't either. I knew a person who yrs ago lived not too far from where the new sports & commercial devlpt has taken place, & inglewood was nothing to write home about. Too much of it is not much better than this small house or the city's original main shopping dist from the 1950s...


trulia

^ That house btw was listed at over 600K...whoa...smh.


calisphere


This one section of the city was developed more recently, maybe around 15 to 20 yrs ago, & at least reflects devlpt patterns...burban or otherwise, residential tract or otherwise....more in keeping with today's higher expectations.


latimes.com

[hughfb3]

Jamison's Wilshire Center double tower

Wilshire tower


6th Street tower


Both towers




Rear of the Wilshire tower


Across the street, Jamison recently completed renovating this office building into the Gemma apartments

[LAisthePlace]

Originally Posted by hughfb3

Jamison's Wilshire Center double tower

Wow!!! That shot up and actually look excellent. Cautiously optimistic to see how the groundfloor turns out.

Koreatown is still on a roll.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Jameson Co has lsingle handedly changed Koreatown for the better over the last 10 years. Incredible. The conversions of these unused, run down Class C and B office towers to residential units was a god send. Must be several thousand units in total

[craigs]

Thanks for the photos, hugh! I really like the taller Wilshire Center tower--I didn't realize it would be curvy like that. Nice glass curtain, too.

Also, I'm a huge fan of renovating and recycling the worn-out office towers on Wilshire into new housing. Gemma has kind of a retro, mid-century cool.

[citywatch]

this vlogger mentions the slope of the escalators in the new arena being built a few miles east of LAX. Unless the angle of the cam is distorting things, the staircase, whether moving or stationary, looks really steep...

• Video Link

[sopas ej]

Over in my neck of the woods... nothing big. But two institutes of higher learning are constructing buildings. Photos taken yesterday (6.15.2023).

On the Caltech campus.

Photo by me

The South Campus of ArtCenter College of Design.

Photo by me

[HusBy]

Originally Posted by craigs

Thanks for the photos, hugh! I really like the taller Wilshire Center tower--I didn't realize it would be curvy like that. Nice glass curtain, too.

Also, I'm a huge fan of renovating and recycling the worn-out office towers on Wilshire into new housing. Gemma has kind of a retro, mid-century cool.

The scallop-y curves are a nice touch! Simple way to add interest and beauty but keep it uncomplicated and less expensive.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Over in my neck of the woods... nothing big. But two institutes of higher learning are constructing buildings.

I wish a larger portion of the LA, SoCa area were more like your 'neck of the woods'. The pasadena, south pasadena area was geared to the so called gentry class decades ago, so it developed differently than areas like central LA did.

When I took the expo line to SaMo a few days ago, I noticed that even many areas east of brentwood & the Samo pier represent the overly funky standards common in Soca during the early, mid 1900s. Sections not too far from there, however, like Culver city, have gradually improved since then, but they tend to get lost in all the sq miles of old SoCal.