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

[craigs]

First look at the 24-story apartment tower planned in Downtown Glendale

Plans call for 294 apartments above parking and open space facing Brand Boulevard

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
January 12, 2022



A presentation scheduled for the January 13 meeting of the Glendale Design Review Board unveils renderings for Lucia Park, a residential high-rise planned just south of the 134 Freeway.



Slated for a property located just east of Brand Boulevard at 625 N. Maryland Avenue, the proposed project calls for the construction of a 24-story tower containing 294 one- and two-bedroom apartments above 373
parking stalls, as well as 129 above-ground spaces which would serve an adjoining bank building.

JFAK Architects is designing Lucia Park, which is split into three distinct volumes, and clad in a series of blue, white, and gray metal panels. Renderings depict a contemporary high-rise with amenity decks located above
a podium structure and at the roof level.

"Unlike most new projects, Lucia Park does not bulge out to all its property lines, but sits approximately 130 feet away from Brand Boulevard behind a new pocket park and the beloved mid-century Chase building, which
was one of the original Home Savings and Laon Buildings punctuating the Southland for many decades," reads a design narrative. "Inspired by the Chase Building, but not mimicking it [the tower] takes a respectful
stance as a background building that actually calls more attention to the significance of its forebear[er]."
....
If completed, the 266-foot-tall tower would be the Type-I construction high-rise built in Glendale since the mid-1990s. But it may have competition for that title.

Just across Brand Boulevard, Vancouver-based developer Onni Group has proposed a two-building hotel complex, while few blocks north at Glenoaks Boulevard, an Arcadia-based firm has proposed its own 25-story hotel tower.

[colemonkee]

I dig the massing and the programming, but man, that facade is pretty bad. If they swap that out with better materials, we've got a winner.

[Steve8263]

Demolition has resumed at 8150 Sunset.
They taking down the main building now, site should be completely cleared in a week or two at current pace.

[WonderlandPark2]

Originally Posted by Steve8263

Demolition has resumed at 8150 Sunset.
They taking down the main building now, site should be completely cleared in a week or two at current pace.

Nice to see, I drove past there last week and the gate was open with no evidence of activity-happy to see that mini mall gone!

[pwright1]

[colemonkee]

Great shots, pwright1!! Where was that first one taken from?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Beautiful!

[Steve8263]

Looks like another one will be sprouting soon in that Century City photoscape-

CAA To Move To New Century City Headquarters In 2026

https://deadline.com/2022/01/caa-new...26-1234915345/

http://johnsonfain.com/projects/arch...y-city-center/

[colemonkee]

Whoa. That's an about turn. I was convinced the residential towers would move forward in that space. Three crazy things about this:

1. CAA and ICM will effectively be moving across the street, which will gut the current CAA building (the Darth Vader building at Ave of The Stars, designed by Gensler), and the former MGM Building on Constellation.
2. Johnson-Fain will now have designed 4 out of the 6 trophy office towers in Century City: this building, Fox Plaza, SunAmerica Plaza (across the street) and Constellation Place (also the former MGM Building on Constellation).
3. It looks like the interiors will be designed by BIG. From the article:

CAA said today its new headquarters will occupy a “building-within-a-building,” designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and featuring “cutting-edge collaboration, dining, health & wellness, and event spaces.” The agency will have its own entrance, lobby and parking area.

Honestly did not expect to see a large office tower in Los Angeles built in the near or long-term future. That being said, this is the place to build it, where the subway will be in a few years. Now, if they could just clean up said subway...

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Great shots, pwright1!! Where was that first one taken from?

Thanks so much. Above Sunset Plaza on the Sunset Strip. Breathtaking views from up there.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Steve8263

Looks like another one will be sprouting soon in that Century City photoscape-

CAA To Move To New Century City Headquarters In 2026

https://deadline.com/2022/01/caa-new...26-1234915345/

http://johnsonfain.com/projects/arch...y-city-center/

Wow, that is unexpected and awesome news for century city

[colemonkee]

Looking at the rendering, I count 37 stories up to the last setback. So the offset roof element at the top would be in addition to the 37 stories. Assuming 13' per floor plate and 30' of roof element, we're looking at 511 feet for this one. Likely to be a little bit higher as the ground floor will be more than 13' and there appear to be 2 floors with higher heights about 1/3 and 2/3 up. So we're likely looking at something in the 525-535' height range. Not bad!!!

[Steve8263]

I'm curious if JMB can come back later and add a residential tower somewhere in the open space to the east. Sort of a hybrid build of the previous two tower resi plan. Is there a condition prohibiting that as part of the office tower build anyone know?

[LAisthePlace]

Love the inclusion of both a large amount of open space (hoping it will be accessible to the public and not just on a raised podium as an amenity) and retail on top of it being quite a handsome tower.

Should make for an excellent entrance to the neighborhood for those coming out of the future subway stop.

Awesome to see Century City's economy in such strong shape to be seeing an office tower planned to break ground with office space still in such a strange place.

[Illithid Dude]

Urbanized LA has a slightly updated rendering. If I wasn’t on my phone I would post it myself.

[homebucket]

The CAA proposal looks awesome.

Quick question for those more familiar with the area. What is it about Century City that makes office space there more desirable than building such an office building in DTLA? Century City seems to have a very... vertical office park feel to it. Wouldn't a tower like this be more appropriate in a more urban, walkable environment, especially considering the ever growing residential population in DTLA?

[LAisthePlace]

Originally Posted by homebucket

The CAA proposal looks awesome.

Quick question for those more familiar with the area. What is it about Century City that makes office space there more desirable than building such an office building in DTLA? Century City seems to have a very... vertical office park feel to it. Wouldn't a tower like this be more appropriate in a more urban, walkable environment, especially considering the ever growing residential population in DTLA?

From what I know is that it is:
-Close to fancy neighborhoods (Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Westwood, Century City itself) where CEOs + execs actually want to live (I'm sure a ton of mid level staff live in DTLA, but I'm now sure how many execs choose that over a mansion). DTLA isn't really surrounded by the tops of neighborhoods business leaders tend to prefer (maybe a Silver Lake, but that is probably more creative types).
-Sterility= the idea safety. Each of the skyscraper are their own manicured compounds and while there are some nice open spaces in Century City they are meant more for office workers vs. DTLA where parks are meant for community at large
-Westside. Close (ish) to the beach with beach views from the towers. I imagine this doesn't hurt when trying to recruit talent to Los Angeles.

As a DTLA resident, I'm hopefully that DTLA continues to become more appealing as the young, professional and hopefully even the executive population continues to grow.

[Illithid Dude]

The new rendering I was referring to:



Note the refined lobby area, the simplified cladding, and the future Metro station.

I happened to drive by a few westside construction projects today.



This is the office and residential project on Bundy and Olympic that replaced the Cadillac dealership. Totally changes the atmosphere of the area, and renders the intersection much more urban than before.



A close up of the articulated glass they used. I love this cladding.

This is 500 Broadway in Santa Monica, designed by Koening Eizenberg.







I wish more podium style apartment complexes looked this good. There are quite a few similarly scaled projects going up in Santa Monica right now. I'll try to snag a few more photos of some of the other projects later this week. They all look significantly better than almost any other apartment complex going up in Los Angeles proper. A real argument for having an architectural review board.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by homebucket

The CAA proposal looks awesome.

Quick question for those more familiar with the area. What is it about Century City that makes office space there more desirable than building such an office building in DTLA? Century City seems to have a very... vertical office park feel to it. Wouldn't a tower like this be more appropriate in a more urban, walkable environment, especially considering the ever growing residential population in DTLA?

I will add, not only nice single family home livng but luxury highrise living close by. Major shopping steps away. Tons of parking and easy access by car. Safe, clean. I use to work in Century City and for office workers it's quite easy to walk to restaurants, major shopping, even a nice greenspace area to chill. It's quite easy to get around on foot for office workers.

[craigs]

I missed this detail--Century City Center will, if built, basically sit on top of the Century City subway station currently under construction, according to Urbanize LA. That is quite a perk, and really helps the proposal's appealing location, location, location.