LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[craigs]

Figueroa looking north at Beaudry, from LA Reddit:

[craigs]

This skyline shot shows both Beaudry and also the new residential tower in Koreatown on the far right side -->:



source

[LAsam]

^Very hazy skyline shot, but I like it! The focus can equally be given to downtown in the background, or Hollywood in foreground. It's interesting how the downtown towers also are just silhouettes... gives them a mysterious quality like mountains off in the distance. Incredible to see how much our city's skyline(s) continue to grow.

[DTLAdweller]

Oceanwide Weighs Taking on Partner, Sale of Stalled Billion-Dollar LA Project

https://www.costar.com/article/28127...lar-la-project

[Doctorboffin]

Finally was able to return to LA for the first time in nearly 7 years. My expectations were high, but even then I was pretty blown away.

Admittedly I only spent one evening Downtown when I visited in 2015, so I can’t say how accurate my assessment is, but this time around I stayed at CitizenM (which was fantastic) and thus spent a lot of time in that area. Compared to 2015 (which again I am just basing on one night), I found it so much more lively and packed with people. There were still parts of Broadway and Spring that felt a bit more run down (namely between 6th and 8th and 5th and 6th respectively), but even then those areas had enough foot traffic to keep them from feeling unsafe. Also the presence of all the new construction really added something to the urban feel. I can’t say I love the look of all the new Onni towers, but they really make the area feel more like New York.

I was also really blown away with how diverse the area felt, not just in terms of people, but also in terms of food and general atmosphere. This was made all the more apparent by going to the Broadway Market. I had no idea just how big and packed it would be, and it really cemented itself as my favorite thing in LA, and Downtown as my favorite area.

The other area that came out on top was Little Tokyo. I guess I had written the area off as being a gritty area full of strip malls, because that’s kind of how it comes off from above, but I was absolutely amazed by it. There is definitely plenty of room for infill, but as a whole the pedestrian experience was fantastic.

What unfortunately wasn’t was the walk between CitizenM and Little Tokyo. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but for what should just be a short walk, it felt incredibly arduous. Cutting down 4th and main was probably the best route, but the area around Main and 3rd was in a terrible state, especially around that giant parking lot. It is really incredible just how quickly the vibe of the neighborhood can change. The walk down 1st felt a bit safer, but also incredibly dead, especially at night, the Metro construction and huge empty lot where the Parker Building used to be didn’t help, but the Onni towers at the old Times building can’t come soon enough.

On the flipside I didn’t realize just how filled out the Arts District is, and just how easy the walk between Little Tokyo and that would be. I went to the Resident at ~11:30 and was really shocked at just how busy the area was that late at night.

Beyond Downtown Silver Lake still comes out on top for me. I was also incredibly impressed by Mid Wilshire, namely around S La Brea and N Fairfax, both of which had some amazing Japanese food. I’m sure the Purple Line would fill those areas out even more. Culver City was also quite nice and walkable, albeit a bit low-rise for my tastes, same with Venice. I wish I spent more time in Koreatown, but from what I saw it seemed quite nice, even though Wilshire was a nightmare to get around.

The only areas that I was disappointed with were Long Beach and Pasadena. I only spent a tiny bit of time in the former, and it was incredibly hot, and I was incredibly tired, so I can’t really say how fair my assessment is, but I found it to be quite bland. It felt like some of the more touristy areas in Florida to me. Pasadena was good, but next to Silver Lake, it was my favorite area when I visited last time. Maybe my tastes have changed, but I also found it quite sterile and mall like. Not nearly to the extent as Long Beach, but it just didn’t really do much for me, especially when compared to Silver Lake and Venice.

Anyways, this is a total ramble, but hopefully the perspective of someone who loves LA, but hasnt been there in years proves to be interesting.

[NIMBY Slayer]

Can someone please update the first page? Also a lot of the photos are missing now.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by craigs

Figueroa looking north at Beaudry, from LA Reddit

I notice the apt bldg to the right...which I think broke ground well over 2 yrs ago, is still under construction. An apt bldg in little tokyo, in the shadow of city hall, has also been on a very slow schedule. Not sure why that happens. Problems with contractors, financing, red tape? Then there's the oceanwide proj.

I recall that stretch of figueroa when everything across from the convention ctr was mainly rundown warehouse bldgs. I was embarrassed to think of how many out of towners...even locals from the burbs....dropped by that part of dt as they visited an event at the convention ctr.

I know various conventions bypassed dtla altogether for areas like anaheim.

What's going on around Fig today is not a second too soon. DTLA is moving closer to where it should have always been.

as I watched this vid of a new yorker relocated to miami, which once had a lot of seedy areas within its center too, I realize that everyone is upping their game:


https://youtu.be/pvKTtK7rOO8

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Doctorboffin

Finally was able to return to LA for the first time in nearly 7 years. My expectations were high, but even then I was pretty blown away.

On the flipside I didn’t realize just how filled out the Arts District is, and just how easy the walk between Little Tokyo and that would be. I went to the Resident at ~11:30 and was really shocked at just how busy the area was that late at night.

thanks for your observations....I wish more ppl at ssp's dtla page would visit dt & describe what they see...their experiences. I get why ppl instead like figuring out the height of a proj, how many stories a tower will have or the architectural design of a new bldg, but that's only part of the story. DT isn't going to rise or fall based on how many skyscrapers it has or doesn't have.

Whenever I'm in dt itself, I notice myself not noticing its bldgs not being taller or becoming impatient because the hood doesn't have super talls. DTLA has to take care of the basics instead of whether it has sleek huge towers like in Dubai...or NYC...Chicago.

I drove by this a few days ago on the way to the south bay & even though the devlpr, GH Palmer, of bldgs like this is odd in duplicating the look of his tuscan fauxtilian apt bldgs throughout dt, I also recall when this was another one of the hood's deadzones. I'm still amazed at how close these apts are to the fwy, but at least it now has banana trees instead of a parking lot.



google.com



speaking of the arts dist, this isn't a new tower, but things like this are the meat on the bones of a hood.


• Video Link

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Doctorboffin

This was made all the more apparent by going to the Broadway Market.

a pet peeve of mine about that part of dt has long been the taco house #1 stand. It's just a bit south of grand central mkt, located for over 40-50 yrs near the NE corner of 4th & Hill. Why the devlpr...equity residential based in the US, not China....not only hasn't by now built an apt tower long proposed for that property, but hasn't even torn down the food stand is puzzling to me. Demo permits were issued for the taco stand over a yr or two ago, but so far nothing.


http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/...10-16-2019.pdf

Equity Residential’s long-stalled DTLA residential tower project is back



realdeal.com

Nearly five years after Equity Residential proposed a 428-unit tower in Downtown Los Angeles, new renderings show the project is slightly scaled back. They also signal the development may be back on track.

Between the angels landing proj across the street probably taking an extended time to actually break ground too, the equity proj is also an endurance test. A lot of ppl outside of dt drop by the grand central mkt area...& also angels flight....so the surroundings should be improved. The nearby clark hotel has long been shuttered & doesn't enhance the hood either. Time to get things going & moving.


• Video Link

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Doctorboffin

Finally was able to return to LA for the first time in nearly 7 years. My expectations were high, but even then I was pretty blown away.

Admittedly I only spent one evening Downtown when I visited in 2015, so I can’t say how accurate my assessment is, but this time around I stayed at CitizenM (which was fantastic) and thus spent a lot of time in that area. Compared to 2015 (which again I am just basing on one night), I found it so much more lively and packed with people. There were still parts of Broadway and Spring that felt a bit more run down (namely between 6th and 8th and 5th and 6th respectively), but even then those areas had enough foot traffic to keep them from feeling unsafe. Also the presence of all the new construction really added something to the urban feel. I can’t say I love the look of all the new Onni towers, but they really make the area feel more like New York.

I was also really blown away with how diverse the area felt, not just in terms of people, but also in terms of food and general atmosphere. This was made all the more apparent by going to the Broadway Market. I had no idea just how big and packed it would be, and it really cemented itself as my favorite thing in LA, and Downtown as my favorite area.

The other area that came out on top was Little Tokyo. I guess I had written the area off as being a gritty area full of strip malls, because that’s kind of how it comes off from above, but I was absolutely amazed by it. There is definitely plenty of room for infill, but as a whole the pedestrian experience was fantastic.

What unfortunately wasn’t was the walk between CitizenM and Little Tokyo. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but for what should just be a short walk, it felt incredibly arduous. Cutting down 4th and main was probably the best route, but the area around Main and 3rd was in a terrible state, especially around that giant parking lot. It is really incredible just how quickly the vibe of the neighborhood can change. The walk down 1st felt a bit safer, but also incredibly dead, especially at night, the Metro construction and huge empty lot where the Parker Building used to be didn’t help, but the Onni towers at the old Times building can’t come soon enough.

On the flipside I didn’t realize just how filled out the Arts District is, and just how easy the walk between Little Tokyo and that would be. I went to the Resident at ~11:30 and was really shocked at just how busy the area was that late at night.

Beyond Downtown Silver Lake still comes out on top for me. I was also incredibly impressed by Mid Wilshire, namely around S La Brea and N Fairfax, both of which had some amazing Japanese food. I’m sure the Purple Line would fill those areas out even more. Culver City was also quite nice and walkable, albeit a bit low-rise for my tastes, same with Venice. I wish I spent more time in Koreatown, but from what I saw it seemed quite nice, even though Wilshire was a nightmare to get around.

The only areas that I was disappointed with were Long Beach and Pasadena. I only spent a tiny bit of time in the former, and it was incredibly hot, and I was incredibly tired, so I can’t really say how fair my assessment is, but I found it to be quite bland. It felt like some of the more touristy areas in Florida to me. Pasadena was good, but next to Silver Lake, it was my favorite area when I visited last time. Maybe my tastes have changed, but I also found it quite sterile and mall like. Not nearly to the extent as Long Beach, but it just didn’t really do much for me, especially when compared to Silver Lake and Venice.

Anyways, this is a total ramble, but hopefully the perspective of someone who loves LA, but hasnt been there in years proves to be interesting.

Little Tokyo is so underrated on these forums.
It's always full of people and life, locals and tourists.
I stayed at the citizen m too! Great hotel

Yea, the people say the arts district is a island for some reason. It's right across the street from Little Tokyo. It blends right in.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Yea, the people say the arts district is a island for some reason. It's right across the street from Little Tokyo. It blends right in.

The Arts District is massive. They are obviously referring to the central/southern portion which is cutoff from DTLA by Skid Row. The northern portion is connected fine via Little Tokyo.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Doctorboffin

Finally was able to return to LA for the first time in nearly 7 years. My expectations were high, but even then I was pretty blown away.

Admittedly I only spent one evening Downtown when I visited in 2015, so I can’t say how accurate my assessment is, but this time around I stayed at CitizenM (which was fantastic) and thus spent a lot of time in that area. Compared to 2015 (which again I am just basing on one night), I found it so much more lively and packed with people. There were still parts of Broadway and Spring that felt a bit more run down (namely between 6th and 8th and 5th and 6th respectively), but even then those areas had enough foot traffic to keep them from feeling unsafe. Also the presence of all the new construction really added something to the urban feel. I can’t say I love the look of all the new Onni towers, but they really make the area feel more like New York.

I was also really blown away with how diverse the area felt, not just in terms of people, but also in terms of food and general atmosphere. This was made all the more apparent by going to the Broadway Market. I had no idea just how big and packed it would be, and it really cemented itself as my favorite thing in LA, and Downtown as my favorite area.

The other area that came out on top was Little Tokyo. I guess I had written the area off as being a gritty area full of strip malls, because that’s kind of how it comes off from above, but I was absolutely amazed by it. There is definitely plenty of room for infill, but as a whole the pedestrian experience was fantastic.

What unfortunately wasn’t was the walk between CitizenM and Little Tokyo. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but for what should just be a short walk, it felt incredibly arduous. Cutting down 4th and main was probably the best route, but the area around Main and 3rd was in a terrible state, especially around that giant parking lot. It is really incredible just how quickly the vibe of the neighborhood can change. The walk down 1st felt a bit safer, but also incredibly dead, especially at night, the Metro construction and huge empty lot where the Parker Building used to be didn’t help, but the Onni towers at the old Times building can’t come soon enough.

On the flipside I didn’t realize just how filled out the Arts District is, and just how easy the walk between Little Tokyo and that would be. I went to the Resident at ~11:30 and was really shocked at just how busy the area was that late at night.

Beyond Downtown Silver Lake still comes out on top for me. I was also incredibly impressed by Mid Wilshire, namely around S La Brea and N Fairfax, both of which had some amazing Japanese food. I’m sure the Purple Line would fill those areas out even more. Culver City was also quite nice and walkable, albeit a bit low-rise for my tastes, same with Venice. I wish I spent more time in Koreatown, but from what I saw it seemed quite nice, even though Wilshire was a nightmare to get around.

The only areas that I was disappointed with were Long Beach and Pasadena. I only spent a tiny bit of time in the former, and it was incredibly hot, and I was incredibly tired, so I can’t really say how fair my assessment is, but I found it to be quite bland. It felt like some of the more touristy areas in Florida to me. Pasadena was good, but next to Silver Lake, it was my favorite area when I visited last time. Maybe my tastes have changed, but I also found it quite sterile and mall like. Not nearly to the extent as Long Beach, but it just didn’t really do much for me, especially when compared to Silver Lake and Venice.

Anyways, this is a total ramble, but hopefully the perspective of someone who loves LA, but hasnt been there in years proves to be interesting.

Thanks for offering your perspective! Glad you enjoyed your stay. It's always interesting to see how others view your city, what things they like or don't like. I think DTLA has certainly improved significantly over the past few years. As you pointed out there's still many areas for improvement but it's heading in the right direction.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Little Tokyo is so underrated on these forums.
It's always full of people and life, locals and tourists.
I stayed at the citizen m too! Great hotel

Yea, the people say the arts district is a island for some reason. It's right across the street from Little Tokyo. It blends right in.

The Arts District feels very disconnected from the rest of downtown to me. For most DTLA residents going anywhere in the Arts District except right next to Little Tokyo is a long unpleasant walk, inconvenient public transportation, or most likely driving/Uber. It's the only DTLA neighborhood that is inconvenient for me to get to without Uber.

[citywatch]

this is the apt bldg in little tokyo going up across from city hall. It took forever to finally break ground & reach a final stage...I don't know if the 2nd film work is for an extended ad campaign or just a draft. Since new housing fills up rather quickly....in dtla & other cities like NY, SF, Boston, Atlanta, miami, etc....I don't know if much of a PR promo will be necessary by the owner.


• Video Link


• Video Link

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Easy

The Arts District feels very disconnected from the rest of downtown to me. For most DTLA residents going anywhere in the Arts District except right next to Little Tokyo is a long unpleasant walk, inconvenient public transportation, or most likely driving/Uber. It's the only DTLA neighborhood that is inconvenient for me to get to without Uber.

Have they ever looked at continuing the Red or Purple line down 7th all the way to the Arts District? They could add stops along the way at Broadway, San Pedro, Central/Alameda, and Mateo or something along those lines.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by Easy

The Arts District feels very disconnected from the rest of downtown to me. For most DTLA residents going anywhere in the Arts District except right next to Little Tokyo is a long unpleasant walk, inconvenient public transportation, or most likely driving/Uber. It's the only DTLA neighborhood that is inconvenient for me to get to without Uber.

I was saying it's connected to Little Tokyo, so it's not a island.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by LAsam

The Arts District is massive. They are obviously referring to the central/southern portion which is cutoff from DTLA by Skid Row. The northern portion is connected fine via Little Tokyo.

I've seen comments on here where some people think it's all disconnected.

[plinko]

I was down in Long Beach yesterday and shot these while sitting in traffic on the 110. The Beaudry is really occupying a nice spot in the skyline...

220428 LOS ANGELES 019 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 020 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 025 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 030 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 049 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 056 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 058 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 067 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 077 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

220428 LOS ANGELES 081 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

[craigs]

Speaking of the Arts District:

City Planning Commission clears Arts District hotel tower

The 1914 Rendon Hotel is getting an add-on

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
April 29, 2022



At its meeting yesterday, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted to support a proposal from local artists Ralph Ziman and Maria Greenshields-Ziman for a boutique makeover and expansion of a century-old hotel in Downtown.



The project, which was first submitted to the Planning Department for review in 2017, is slated for an approximately quarter-acre property at the northwest corner of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, which is currently improved with surface parking and the three-story Rendon Hotel, which was completed in 1914. The Zimans' proposal calls for restoring the brick building and adding a fourth floor, while also redeveloping the adjoining parking lot with a 15-story tower. At completion, the property would feature 103 hotel rooms accompanied by 15,907 square feet of commercial space - including an art gallery, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bar.

The Commission vote also approves a request to develop the Rendon without on-site parking, although the hotel would have access to 58 parking spaces at an off-site location through a private agreement.

Downtown-based architecture firm Omgivning is designing the project, which calls for a restoration of the Rendon, which was named for its former manager Ada Rendon. The new construction, located to the north of the intersection, would stand 172 feet in height and feature an exterior of exposed white concrete. Amenity decks and commercial uses are proposed for the tower's fourth floor, upper level, and rooftop.

Plans to redevelop the Rendon are being paired with a plans to reactivate a residential hotel at 719-725 E. 5th Street, an early 20th century building which has previously been slated for conversion to market-rate housing, but is currently vacant. The creation of 42 residential units at the three-story structure would allow proposed hotel project to comply with the terms of the Wiggins Settlement Agreement, which limits the loss of SRO and affordable housing units within the Downtown area.

Plans to reactivate the building on 5th Street faced opposition Unite HERE Local 11, which represents hospitality workers, and CREED LA, a coalition of building trades unions, both of which submitted appeals to the Commission, arguing that a mitigated negative declaration conducted for the project failed to fully capture the project's environmental impacts. A staff response refuted the claims of both appellants, and recommended that the Commission should uphold the project's approval.

The Commission's vote to approve the project included conditions that the new apartments at 5th Street property, known as the The El Sol, be subject to the city's rent stabilization ordinance. Additionally, future residents would be offered Metro monthly passes or a cash stipend of the same value.

The Rendon development is the latest in a recent series of new commercial developments in the works near the intersection of 7th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, including large mixed-use projects from Onni Group and Hines which are slated for nearby sites on Violet Street, and a Bjarke Ingels-designed tower complex planned along the L.A. River.

[craigs]

Awesome downtown shots, Plinko! Thanks for posting them. The Beaudry is definitely a solid addition to the skyline.