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Runyon Group's Platform Takes Shape in Culver City

August 20, 2014, 6:08 am
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The above image should be a very familiar to all passengers coming to and from the Expo Line's current Culver City terminus.  Nine months after breaking ground at the corner of Washington and National Boulevards, the Runyon Group is still roaring ahead with construction on their mixed-use development known as the Platform.  The Abramson Teiger-designed  project will feature an eclectic mixture of retail, restaurant and office space.

Steel framing is now in place for Boxcar, a four-story creative office building located at northeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Landmark Street.  Across the street, rebar and concrete is still rising for the Washington Arts Building, a five-story parking that will be structure obscured by murals on upper floors and commercial stalls at ground level.  Out of frame to the left, other buildings that will contain additional retail and restaurant establishments now rise above the the elevated Expo Line tracks.

A significant portion of the complex's commercial stalls have already been leased, with announced tenants including Aesop skin care, Blue Bottle Coffee and a signature restaurant from renowned New York chef Michael White.  As the Platform quickly moves to become a major destination for for shopping and dining, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that this was still an abandoned car dealership less than one year ago.

Image credit: Abramson Teiger Architects


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Details Emerge for Adaptive Reuse of Joseph Youngerman Building

August 21, 2014, 6:18 am
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Image credit: Bob Safai

Thanks to documents from the Mid City West Community Council's Planning and Land Use Committee, details have emerged for CIM Group's upcoming mixed-use conversion of the monolithic Joseph Youngerman Building. The nine-story office tower, currently vacant, is slated to become a 36-unit apartment complex featuring street-level commercial space.  The mid-rise building occupies a prominent location along the Third Street shopping corridor, situated one block east of the Beverly Center and Cedars-Sinai Hospital.  An above-grade, 107-stall parking garage will be maintained as part of the adaptive reuse project, nearly double what is required by code.

Built during the 1980s office boom, the Joseph Youngerman Building has stood head-and-shoulders above its low-rise surroundings for more than three decades.  The 38,000 square foot edifice was previously home to the Director's Guild of America's pension and health fund, and is named for the union's longtime executive secretary.  However, the DGA's decision to relocate to more expansive facilities along the Miracle Mile last year left the building without a primary tenant, opening the door for CIM Group to purchase the mostly vacant tower for $14 million.

Image credit: Loopnet

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More Residential Flooding into Koreatown's Western Fringe (UPDATED)

August 22, 2014, 6:12 am
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Per an LADCP case filing from last month, a sizeable multi-family residential development is headed to the western edge of Koreatown.  The apartment complex, pegged for an approximately one-acre property at 700 South Manhattan Place, would offer 162 residential units within a seven-story structure.  The project site, currently developed with surface parking and a nondescript two-story structure, spans slightly more than one acre near the intersection of Western Avenue and 7th Street.  Residents would be located just one block south of the Purple Line's current Wilshire/Western terminus, offering quick service to Downtown Los Angeles and connections to all other points on the Metro Rail network.

The new development is situated in a highly walkable section of Koreatown, with a slew of stores and eateries strewn about surrounding blocks.  Unsurprisingly, other multi-family projects area slated for the neighborhood.  The locally-based Hankey Group is in the planning stages for a similar low-rise residential development, intended for a long vacant property at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hobart Avenue.  South along Western Avenue, a 79-unit mixed-use complex is proposed across the street from Koreatown Plaza.

(UPDATE) An e-mail tipster has noted the following about 700 S. Manhattan Place:
"The project requests three variances: (1) to allow an approximately 35% increase in density; (2) to average floor area ratios across residential and commercial zones; and (3) to permit vehicular access for a commercial zone from a residential zone.

Probably not coincidentally, these variances would be available to the project as Density Bonus incentives if the project provided affordable housing.  Density Bonus projects providing a certain amount of units covenanted for very-low or low income households are entitled to a 35% increase in density, FAR averaging and parking access from a less restrictive zone.  The variance filing appears to be a means of avoiding providing affordable units."


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Carmel Partners Revising Plans for South Park Tower

August 25, 2014, 6:11 am
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The now outdated design of 801 Olive Street, by GMP Architects

Nine months after revealing plans for a new residential tower in South Park, Carmel Partners is switching up the playbook.  According to a memo issued earlier this month by the Department of City Planning, the San Francisco-based developer's proposed high-rise building at 801 Olive Street has been redesigned by a new, unspecified architect.  Although the fundamentals of the project remain the same (363 apartments above 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a four-level parking podium), the retooled development plan calls for a tower that is both taller and slimmer than previously approved.  The now rectangular-shaped building is set to rise 33 stories (352 feet), representing a six-floor increase from the previous design by GMP Architects.

801 Olive Street is one of several skyline-altering developments planned for the northern section of South Park, including a 50-story condo project from the Onni Group and a 33-story apartment tower from CIM Group.  However, it is a more vertically challenged neighbor that has arguably generated the biggest news for the neighborhood.  Carmel Partners' seven-story G8 development is slated to bring 700 apartments to the Downtown market, a larger total than any of its sky-scraping neighbors.  More importantly, the low-rise building will feature a 42,000 square foot Whole Foods Market when it opens in 2015.  The high-end grocer has been listed amongst the most sought-after retailers for Downtown residents in recent years, perhaps second only to the elusive Trader Joe's.


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Another Mixed-User Headed to Santa Monica Boulevard

August 26, 2014, 9:17 am
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11852 Santa Monica Boulevard

Just as one of West Los Angeles' abandoned car dealership prepares for a mixed-use conversion, a similar development plan is emerging at the same intersection.  According to a recent case filing from LADCP, a quarter-acre lot at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Westgate Avenue is slated for a new residential-retail development.  Plans call for a four-story building, consisting of 39 apartments and ground-level commercial space.  The apartments and retail stalls would be served by a three-level subterranean parking garage.

The low-rise complex would rise directly across the street from a larger mixed-use development, proposed by the Hollywood-based CIM Group.  Their plans, recently discussed with members of the West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, would create a four-story, 157-unit apartment building on the former site of Beurge Ford.

Adding to this momentum, other development schemes are percolating on properties further east.  CIM Group owns a second vacant car dealership nearby, although exact plans for the property have yet to crystallize.  Surprisingly, Curbed LA reports that development rumors have also surfaced at the former site of West Los Angeles'"Ghetto Vons."

11852 Santa Monica Boulevard

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More on Hollywood and La Brea's Upcoming High-Rise Complex

August 27, 2014, 7:29 pm
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All images credit: Horizon Hollywood and GMPA Architects

With an official website up and running, we can now take a closer look at the latest tower project slated to realign Hollywood's low-slung skyline.  The $150 million Horizon Hollywood - to be developed in collaboration by Kennedy Wilson and the LeFrak Organization - would create 410  residential units and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space just a short walk from Hollywood/Highland Station.

Designed by Santa Monica-based GMPA Architects, Horizon would erect a trio of modern buildings on a two-acre property currently occupied by Mosaic Church.  A 26-story tower known as the La Brea Building would be the centerpiece of the development, rising 275 feet from the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and namesake La Brea Avenue.  Renderings portray a white color scheme for the high-rise, similar to that of many nearby historic structures.

Moving northwest from the busy intersection, Horizon's buildings would step down in height to match the scale of adjacent developments.  The eight-story Boulevard Building, to be located in-between the aforementioned tower and an existing residential mid-rise, would stand 88 feet above street level.  The six-story Courtyard Building, the smallest of the proposed structures, would rise 65 feet at the northernmost corner of the development site.  All three buildings would be served by a wide array of amenities, including roof decks, a fitness center, conference and media rooms, and an outdoor pool.


Cognizant of the numerous obstacles faced by most developers in Hollywood, LeFrak and Kennedy Wilson have included a slew of amenities to make Horizon Hollywood more palatable to its prospective neighbors.  One example is an expansive public plaza, planned for the southernmost corner of the project site.  The 9,300 square feet of open space would feature public art, gathering spaces, benches, landscaping and outdoor dining along one of the most pedestrian-heavy corridors in Los Angeles.  In addition, the new buildings would be aligned so as to preserve views to and from the adjacent Hollywood Hills.

Due to Horizon's location along two major arterial roads, the developers are making an earnest attempt to mitigate any potential traffic and parking impacts.  The buildings would sit above a larger-than-required vehicular garage, intended to prevent spillover parking in the surrounding neighborhood.  Furthermore, Horizon Hollywood would implement a "traffic demand management plan," that would encourage alternate transportation modes, including bike-sharing and mass-transit.

Fully aware of the lingering specter of the Hollywood fault line, LeFrak and Kennedy Wilson are taking preemptive action to ensure their project's earthquake safety.  Although the Horizon site lies outside of the Hollywood fault zone (and the stringent seismic testing associated with it), the developers have nonetheless announced their intent to conduct subsurface trenching.  This action, while not required, will help to assuage fears of seismic activity at the development site.

Contingent on various city approvals, Horizon Hollywood is scheduled to break ground in 2016.  Construction of the 460,000 square foot development is anticipated to last roughly two years.




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Redesigned Bixel & 6th Development Rendered

August 28, 2014, 11:53 am
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Bixel & 6th.  Image credit: LoopNet.

Take another look at Bixel & 6th, the fortress-like mixed-use development currently sprouting next to Good Samaritan Hospital.  Designed by Togawa Smith Martin, the six-story complex will offer 606 studio to three-bedroom apartment units, seated above 25,000 square feet of commercial space and a 762-vehicle parking garage.  The $200 million development also entails the adaptive reuse of an A.C. Martin-designed office building, located at the corner of 6th Street and Lucas Avenue.  The eight-story edifice, built in the 1920s, will contain a total of 42 apartments (including 27 affordable units).

Planned amenities will include rooftop decks, an outdoor pool, a fitness center and new landscaping.  Designs call for a pedestrian paseo to bisect the newly constructed buildings, running north to south from the project's 6th Street frontage.  The paseo would provide open space for residents and potentially outdoor seating for ground-floor commercial tenants.

The approximately 900,000 square foot complex is being developed by Holland Residential, a subsidiary of the Holland Partner Group.  The Vancouver-based organization is no stranger to City West, having previously developed a smaller residential-retail project immediately south of Bixel & 6th.  That project, known as 1111 Wilshire, has helped usher a new wave of development into Downtown's westernmost nabe.

In addition to Holland Residential, prominent Beverly Hills developer Sonny Astani plans a similar complex two blocks southwest at Wilshire Boulevard and Valencia Avenue.  Some demolition work for the $60 million project has already occurred.  North of Bixel & 6th, a 122-unit residential-retail development is proposed near the intersection of 3rd and Witmer Streets.

View looking south from 6th Street.  Image credit: Downtown News

An A.C. Martin-designed office building at 6th Street and Lucas Avenue.  Currently being converted to apartments by Holland Residential.

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Beverly Hills-Adjacent Condo Tower Pulls Permits

September 2, 2014, 3:03 pm
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Image credit: Genton Property Group

According to a series of permit filings with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the long delayed Wetherly Luxury Residences are finally exhibiting signs of life.  The $230 million development, in the works since prior to the global recession, calls for a mid-rise condominium tower at the corner of 3rd Street and Wetherly Drive.  Renderings from the website of developer Genton Property Group portray a boxy, 12-story structure containing 55 for-sale units and more than 100 parking stalls.  The proposed building, reportedly designed by architectural firm RTKL, would feature a stout, 152-foot height profile.

Originally approved at a 16-story, 132 unit development, a combination of neighborhood resistance and market realities gradually whittled the proposed building down to its current size.  However, even the substantially reduced development program has still engendered outcry from neighbors large and small.  In addition to run-of-the-mill complaints of blocked views, overpopulation and traffic congestion, the project also brought Genton Property Group into conflict with the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel last year.


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Oceanwide Group Finally Getting Active on Fig Central

September 3, 2014, 6:17 pm
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Image credit: RTKL

Nine months after purchasing the comatose Fig Central development for $200 million, Oceanwide Real Estate Group is finally taking the plunge in South Park.  Last week, the Beijing-based developer issued $320 million in bonds that will reportedly be used to finance the construction of the mixed-use complex.  Simultaneously, the developer has applied for the first in a series of LADBS approvals that will allow the long-delayed project to move forward.

The recent LADBS filing describes Fig Central as a two-building development, offering a mixture of apartments and hotel rooms above ground-level commercial space and a health club.  Towers will ascend to heights of 53 and 38 stories, seated atop a an eight-floor podium structure.  Seven stories of the podium will be devoted to a vehicular garage, supplementing three underground parking levels.

More information can be garnered via a series of renderings, drawn up years ago by architectural firm RTKL.  Fig Central, originally envisioned as the retail component of the LA Live complex, greets its namesake street with storefronts and a mid-block public plaza.  From there, a ground-level paseo cuts straight through to the eastern side of the property, helping to mitigate the inherent walkability issues that come with such a large development site.

The glass-clad towers would directly abut the Flower Street side of the project, creating a formidable street wall along the path of the Blue and Expo Lines.  Upper levels of the mid-rise podium would feature outdoor dining space and a residential amenity deck.  Additionally, a large LED ribbon would wrap the western perimeter of the property, bombarding commercialism upon all passersby between 11th and 12th Streets.

Fig Central joins more than a dozen new and revived high-rise projects that have sprung up throughout Downtown within the past two years.  North of LA Live, the Shanghai-based Greenland Group is currently building hotel and condominium towers as part of their Metropolis development.   On parking lots surrounding the Fig Central site, Mack Urban and other local investors are scheduled to break ground on multiple high-rise buildings before the end of this year.





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Introducing 925 La Brea: Hollywood's Latest Office Development

September 4, 2014, 2:35 pm
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Resurgent demand for quality office space in Hollywood has revived a slew of commercial developments throughout the submarket, including 1601 Vine Street and the sprawling Columbia Square campus.  Now, a recent environmental report provides a glimpse of the neighborhood's latest project, intended for a property which straddles the Hollywood/West Hollywood border.

925 La Brea Avenue, a six-story mixed-use complex, would rise from a mid-block parcel between Willoughby Avenue and Romaine Streets.  Designed by Santa Barbara-based Shubin + Donaldson Architects, the project would feature nearly 50,000 square feet of office space on its upper three floors.  The structure's three bottom floors would be devoted to a 175-car parking garage and 15,000 square feet of street-fronting commercial space.  A 4,800 square foot outdoor garden would occupy a fourth floor amenity deck, providing tenants with much needed open space.

Across the street from 925 La Brea, an art deco structure known as the Mole-Richardson Building was unceremoniously demolished this past June.  While this situation may represent a loss for the city's cultural heritage, it is also evidence of a more positive trend currently transforming Hollywood's western fringe.  Over the past several years, a pronounced construction boom has brought a litany of new residential, office and retail developments to the northern stretch of the La Brea corridor.  Strip malls and drab commercial buildings have gradually given way for mixed-use developments, providing one of Los Angeles' most famous commercial boulevards with a new lease on life.

One example of this trend is currently under construction at the intersection of La Brea and Willoughby Avenues, next-door to the proposed office building.  That project, known as La Brea Gateway, will create a five-story apartment building containing 179 residential units above a ground-level Sprouts Farmers Market.




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South Park Condo Project Gets a (Slightly) Different Look

September 5, 2014, 7:03 pm
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Image credit: Harley Ellis Devereaux

As the long-awaited revival of Fig Central finally starts to rev its engines, architectural firm Harley Ellis Devereaux has retooled the look of a neighboring high-rise proposal.  1200 Fig - revealed in July by Curbed LA - will feature a pair of elliptical, 36-story towers with 648 condominium units and 50,000 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space.  Updated renderings of the project portray the twin buildings with horizontal window patterns, giving them an appearance which would be right at home in Downtown Miami.  The towers are adorned with swooping roof lines, inspired by the architecture of the adjacent Staples Center.

While the towers may look straight outta' Brickell, their podium structure has a lot more in common with Times Square.  Six levels of above-grade parking will be wrapped with LED signage, displaying advertisements and public art above Figueroa, Flower and 12th Streets.  Similar video screens are also utilized on neighboring tower developments, including Fig Central and the recently completed double-Marriott on Olympic Boulevard.

The mixed-use complex is being developed by a team of investors, including Jamison Services and the Hankey Group.  At 400 feet, the twin towers will reportedly be the tallest reinforced concrete structures ever built in Los Angeles.  According to the website of structural engineering firm Cary Kopczynski & Company, 1200 Fig is anticipated to break ground in late 2014.






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Hollywood's Lexington Development Redesigned and Downsized

September 9, 2014, 11:11 am
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Viewed from the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue

Five years after stalling out with developer DS Ventures, Central Hollywood's massive Lexington project is somehow alive and kicking.  The mixed-use development, proposed for a 5.9-acre site at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue, would create a series of low-rise buildings featuring apartments and/or condominiums above ground-level commercial space.  A recently released FEIR casts some light on the updated, and slightly reduced development program.

Revised plans for the Lexington were designed by Santa Monica-based VTBS Architects, and call for six buildings, ranging from five-to-seven stories in height.  The low-rise structures will contain a total of 695 studio, one and two-bedroom units.  This represents a sharp decrease from the 786 dwelling units proposed under the former development program.  Conversely, the new plans call for just under 25,000 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space, a slight increase from the original proposal.  The project will also offer parking accommodations for nearly 1,400 vehicles, to be located in a three-level, partially-underground garage.

Buildings would be divided by approximately 71,000 square feet of open space, including outdoor seating, a children's play lawn, and pathways.  A landscaped plaza would cut through the center of the development site, offering a pedestrian link between Santa Monica Boulevard and Lexington Avenue.  Residents would also benefit from two landscaped courtyards, each containing a pool, barbeque pits, tables and chairs.

The revived Lexington project is being spearheaded by Eugene La Pietra, a local nightclub owner who had previously partnered with DS Ventures on the project.  However, don't expect to see shovels hit the dirt anytime soon.  Construction of the mixed-use complex will first require a change in both the property's land-use designation and zoning.



The earlier design for the Lexington, by VTBS Architects.  Image credit: BJA3D


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Big Sunset Bronson Studios Expansion to Break Ground Next Week

September 10, 2014, 9:31 pm
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Icon at SBS (Image credit: Hudson Pacific Properties)

Hollywood's well documented construction boom continues to surge, as yet another skyline altering project prepares to break ground near the 101 Freeway.  According to Bisnow, local landlord Hudson Pacific Properties (HPP) plans to begin work next week on a long-awaited expansion of Sunset Bronson Studios (SBS).  The $150 million development, designed by architectural firm Gensler, will retool the eastern side of the SBS campus with a new parking garage and approximately 400,000 square feet of office and production space.

HPP's expansion project is highlighted by Icon, a 14-story office tower slated for the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue.  The 315,000 square foot structure will stand roughly 200 feet tall, creating a commanding presence above the nearby freeway trench.  An August piece from the Architect's Newspaper describes the building as featuring "five rectangular, stacked volumes, offset horizontally to create exterior terraces."  Facade elements will variate between precast panels and a glass curtain wall, breaking down the tower's broad, imposing scale.

Moving south from Sunset Boulevard, the project will include two new buildings of a lower height profile.  The first, a five-story production building, will contain 90,000 square feet of production office space and a ground-level cafe.  The second, a seven-story garage, will rise adjacent to the production building and offer parking accommodations for 1,600 vehicles.

Gensler's design for the project attempts to maintain architectural harmony with the campus's numerous historic structures.  The 150-foot KTLA radio antenna, a well-known local landmark, will be moved to its original location on Bronson Avenue to make room for Icon.  The plan also gives several nods to the SBS Executive Office Building, a charming colonial edifice which once housed the headquarters of Warner Brothers.  The new office tower will feature an offset above its third floor, so as to match the eave line of its historic neighbor.  Other tributes to the 1920s structure include decorative free-standing columns, a masonry fence line, and a landscaped setback along Sunset Boulevard.

In stark contrast to most of the Los Angeles region, Hollywood has seen strong demand for new office space in recent years.  In fact, Icon is just one of several speculative developments currently proposed or under construction within the neighborhood.  Four blocks west, developer Kilroy Realty is in the process of transforming CBS Columbia Square into a mixed-use complex with more than 300,000 square feet of creative office space.  At the intersection of Selma Avenue and Vine Street, the J.H. Snyder Company is scheduled to break ground on a long-delayed 112,000 square foot project later this year.  Further down the pipeline, HPP also plans a second office tower for a parking lot on the north side of Sunset Boulevard

Image credit: Gensler via the Architect's Newspaper



Sunset Bronson Studios, outlined in red.

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Long Beach's Newest Tower Now Pushing Dirt

September 13, 2014, 8:05 pm
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Six months after its nominal groundbreaking, Long Beach's first post-recession high-rise finally has non-ceremonial shovels in the dirt.  Construction of the Current, a 17-story mixed-use tower, is visibly underway at the northwest corner of Lime Avenue and Ocean Boulevard.  The $70 million project - formerly known as Shoreline Gateway - will offer a mixture of 223 studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and penthouse apartments.  Ground-level commercial stalls will encompass a total of 6,750 square feet, divided between retail and restaurant uses.

The tower's design, created by San Francisco-based BAR Architects, takes inspiration from early Southern California modernists such as Richard Neutra and R.M. Schindler.  Due to its location just blocks from the ocean, the Current places a strong emphasis on quality outdoor amenities.  The design incorporates expansive terraces and a roofdeck pool, offering views of both the waterfront and the surrounding cityscape.  In addition, the building's main entrance will feed directly into a 25,000 square foot plaza, to be built over a closed-off section of Lime Avenue.

Construction of the Current is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2016.  After that point, developer Anderson Pacific, LLC is expected to embark on a more grandiose second phase of the project: a 35-story condominium building.  That tower, to be located catacorner from the iconic Villa Riviera Apartments, would likely become the tallest residential building in Downtown Long Beach.

Image Credit: The Current Living

Image Credit: The Current Living

Image Credit: Longbeachize

Image Credit: Longbeachize

Image Credit: Longbeachize

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Fancy Senior Housing Complex Breaks Ground in Playa Vista

September 16, 2014, 5:37 pm
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Image credit: Kilograph

Feast your eyes on the latest shiny object to sprout from the ashes of Howard Hughes's once expansive empire.  According to multiple sources, the Los Angeles Jewish Home has officially broken ground on the Fountainview at Gonda Westside, an upscale senior housing development in the Playa Vista neighborhood.  The $100 million complex will feature a series of low-rise structures, offering a total of 175 independent living units and 24 assisted living/memory care units.  Plans call for a wide battery of residential amenities, including a fitness center, library, screening room and a ground-floor cafe.  In addition, an accessible rooftop deck will offer both a swimming pool and a spa.  Completion is currently scheduled for sometime in 2016.

Plans from architectural firm Gensler call for a complex of six-story buildings, incorporating the sloping rooflines and wood paneling frequently seen on other Westside developments. The project's design  ingratiates itself heavily to the outdoors, both through its rooftop amenity deck and its expansive balconies.  Lush landscaping will surround the perimeter of the residential community and permeate into an internal courtyard.




Crews from C.W. Driver will have plenty of company as they build the new senior housing facility, as two major commercial developments are also underway on adjacent properties.  To the west, the $260 million Runway at Playa Vista is slated to serve as a pseudo-downtown for the planned community.  The mutli-building project will create 420 apartments and 35,000 square feet of office space above 221,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial stalls.  Confirmed retail tenants include Whole Foods Market, CVS Pharmacy and Cinemark Theatres.

To the south of Fountainview, the steel framework for the IMAX Corporation's new West Coast Headquarters is now in place.  The three-story structure, also designed by Gensler, will contain multiple screening rooms and office space for over 120 employees.

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The Ultimate Measure R2 Fantasy Map

September 18, 2014, 2:09 pm
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Image Credit: Move LA

Transportation advocacy group Move LA, one of the driving forces behind the transformative Measure R, has cooked up a mouth watering fantasy map for a sequel ballot initiative in 2016.  Measure R2, as per its most recent draft proposal, could fund a slew of transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles County via a 45-year, half-cent sales tax.  As reported this past April by Streetsblog LA, the tentative plan allots revenue as follows:

  • 30% for new Metro Rail and BRT Capital
  • 20% for Transit Operations
  • 20% for Highways
  • 15% for Local Return
  • 6% for Clean Goods Movement
  • 5% for Metrolink Capital
  • 4% for Active Transportation

Unlike the (barely) unsuccessful Measure J, which planned only to accelerate the existing docket of Measure R projects, the strawman Measure R2 would fund numerous new rail lines and extensions.  The proposed transit lines, which represent a near complete build-out of Metro's 2009 Long Range Plan, read as follows:

  • Sepulveda Line: a new rail line running north-south between Sylmar and Los Angeles International Airport.  Prior studies have indicated that the proposed 20+ mile light rail line could yield over 90,000 daily riders.  With heavy rail technology, that ridership figure swells to more than 100,000.  However, the scale and topography of the proposed route makes this project a prohibitively expensive one.  Given that sobering reality, Metro has already begun exploring the possibility of building the project as a public-private partnership.
  • Orange Line Light Rail Conversion: a portion of the 18-mile busway, running between Warner Center and North Hollywood, would be converted to higher capacity light rail.  The much discussed conversion recently became possible with the repeal of a shortsighted law, passed in the early 1990s, which outlaws at-grade rail along a portion of the Chandler Boulevard right-of-way.  Daily ridership on the busway, now averaging close to 30,000 passengers, is constrained due to signal priority at grade crossings.
  • Purple Line Extension, Phase IV: an extension of the Purple Line from its future terminus at the Westwood VA Hospital to 4th Street and Wilshire Boulevard in Uptown Santa Monica.  Running approximately 3.5 miles, the final leg of the Purple Line would complete the long-elusive "Subway to the Sea."  Metro had previously studied the project as part of the current Purple Line extension, but was unable to incorporate it within the confines of Measure R.
  • Crenshaw Line Northern Extension: an extension of the Crenshaw Line north from Expo/Crenshaw Station to Wilshire/Fairfax Station via Crenshaw and San Vicente Boulevards.  Trains would then travel north under Fairfax Avenue, before veering right along Santa Monica Boulevard towards an eventual northern terminus and Hollywood/Highland Station.  This route borrows heavily from an earlier concept known as the Pink Line, which would have linked West Hollywood to the current Purple Line extension.
  • Harbor Line: an extension of the Green and Crenshaw Lines, traveling southeast to Long Beach via the Harbor Subdivision right-of-way and Sepulveda Boulevard.  The Harbor Line has been incorporated into several future visions of the Metro Rail network during the past 30 years, most recently in a proposal pushed by Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge. 
  • Burbank Airport - Glendale Connector: a new rail line running from Los Angeles Union Station to North Hollywood via the cities of Glendale and Burbank.  The route would roughly parallel the 5 Freeway and could potentially interline with a post-light rail conversion Orange Line.
  • 134 Freeway Connector: a new rail or BRT line linking Pasadena to Glendale, roughly along the path of the 134 Freeway.  The proposed transit line could offer transfers to both the Pasadena leg of the Gold Line (or the Blue Line, post-Regional Connector) and the aforementioned Burbank Airport - Glendale Connector.
  • West Santa Ana Branch: a new rail line between Los Angeles Union Station and Paramount.  A first phase of the still unbuilt line is partially funded under Measure R, intended to utilize a former Pacific Electric right-of-way between the Green Line and Cerritos.  The connecting tracks could utilize several existing right-of-ways, all of which roughly parallel the Los Angeles River.
  • Green Line Santa Fe Springs Extension: an underground extension of the Green Line east to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink Station.  The approximately 2.5-mile gap is one of the more frustrating holes in the Southern California rail network.
  • Gold Line Eastside Extension, Phase II: an extension of the East LA-leg of the Gold Line which could run to South El Monte and/or Whittier.  The South El Monte option would run on an elevated structure, parallel to the 60 Freeway.  The Whittier alternative would traverse Garfield Avenue and Washington Boulevard along both elevated and at-grade tracks.
  • Gold Line Foothill Extension, Phase II: an extension from the Gold Line's future Azusa terminus to Claremont, at the border between Los Angeles and San Bernadino Counties.  The lack of funding for this project became an contentious issue during the 2012 campaign for Measure J, which narrowly missed achieving 2/3 support.  In the distant future, the Gold Line could be extended even further east, crossing the county line to reach Ontario International Airport.

    Moving down the list of funding priorities, we also see that Move LA's strawman Measure R2 would dedicate 11% of net revenue to improving regional freight and passenger rail.  Although the plans are light on specifics, potentially upgrades would include double-tracking and new grade separation.  While perhaps not as exciting as many of the aforementioned Metro Lines, these upgrades are an important investment for our ports, which will face increased competition in years to come.  Furthermore, the capital investments would be critical to Metrolink, which has suffered declining ridership in the wake of recent service cutbacks.

    Another important difference between the proposed Measure R2 and its predecessors is its "Grand Boulevards," program.  Similar in concept to Mayor Garcetti's Great Streets Initiative, the proposal would utilize approximately 10% of Measure R2 funds to provide streetscape improvements and development incentives along major corridors with existing bus service.  Bus-only lanes, similar to those currently being installed along Wilshire Boulevard, could be implemented when and where appropriate.  Proposed "Grand Boulevards," by approximate region include:

    • Antelope Valley: Sierra Highway, Palmdale Avenue, Lancaster Boulevard
    • San Fernando Valley: Reseda Boulevard, Roscoe Boulevard, Ventura Boulevard, Lankershim Boulevard, Olive Avenue
    • San Gabriel Valley: Colorado Boulevard, Rosemead Boulevard, Longden Avenue/Arrow Highway
    • East Los Angeles: Atlantic Boulevard, Whittier Boulevard
    • Central and West Los Angeles: Sunset Boulevard, Venice Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, Vermont Avenue
    • South Los Angeles: Slauson Avenue, La Brea Avenue/Hawthorne Boulevard, Century Boulevard
    • South Bay and Gateway Cities: Del Amo Boulevard, 7th Street (Long Beach)

    As Move LA has reiterated multiple times, this is nothing more than a "strawman," proposal, intended only to spur discussion amongst residents and the powers that be.  Any real ballot measure is still at least two years away from consideration.  A future where Los Angeles is criss-crossed by hundreds of miles of light rail is even further off on the distant horizon.

    The northernmost segment of the Measure R2 fantasy map; Imaged Credit: Move LA

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          Low-Rise Mixed-User to Sprout on Reseda Boulevard

          September 19, 2014, 11:06 am
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          The WaterMark (Images courtesy of the Albert Group Architects

          One of the San Fernando Valley's countless auto repair shops is about to make way for a new mixed-use development.  The WaterMark, a residential-retail complex from the Los Angeles-based Metric Holdings Corporation, is slated for an approximately 2.5-acre site at the crossing of Reseda Boulevard and the Los Angeles River.  The low-rise project, designed by the Albert Group Architects, will contain 254 one, two and three-bedroom apartment units above slightly less than 7,700 square feet of ground-level commercial space.

          Plans call for a six-story structure along Reseda Boulevard which would gradually step down in height as as it approaches the single-family zone to the west.  A glass clad tower highlights the WaterMark's design, inviting cyclists and joggers to enjoy the neighborhood-serving stores and eateries which will stretch north from Kittridge Street.  The low-rise project, which is to be located less than one mile from an Orange Line Station, will offer parking accommodations for up to 436 automobiles and 287 bicycles.

          Like many new river-adjacent developments, Metric Holdings' project reverses the long-standing trend of shunning the maligned waterway.  Instead, the WaterMark will embrace an eventually revitalized LA river through common green space and bicycle parking on its southern edge.  The green space will wrap around to the eastern side of the property, where it shall provide additional landscaping as a buffer between the apartments and nearby single-family homes.  Further open space is provided via private balconies and upper-level terraces.

          Seen from the corner of Reseda Boulevard and Kittridge Street

          Viewed from the southwest corner of the property

          Looking east along a restored Los Angeles River


          6611 Reseda Boulevard

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          New York-Based Hotelier Setting Up Shop Near Staples

          September 23, 2014, 3:16 pm
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          Staples Center and its surrounding environs.

          Representatives of the Wilshire Grand development ended months of speculation earlier today, announcing that Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts will operate the 73-story tower's 900-room luxury inn.  Surprisingly, that's not the only hotel buzz emanating from Downtown Los Angeles at the moment.

          According to an interview with HOTELS Magazine, New York-based Hampshire Hotels Management is planning to open a new location in close vicinity to Staples Center and LA Live.  CEO Eric Danziger states that the company is considering either the Time Hotel or another 3-star brand for their South Park outpost.  The as-of-yet undisclosed location would be their second in Los Angeles, following the upcoming Dream Hollywood Hotel.

          One potential home could be the $1 billion Metropolis development, which will feature a 350-room hotel at the intersection of 9th and Francisco Streets.  Although city documents had previously pointed to IHG's Hotel Indigo as the likely operator of the 19-story tower, developer Greenland USA has yet to give official word.  Other proposed developments from Mack Urban and the Oceanwide Group also call for substantial hotel components, but have yet to announce operators.

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          Lots of Activity at G.H. Palmer's Broadway/Olympic Site

          September 24, 2014, 7:16 pm
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          Downtown stakeholders breathed a collective sigh of relief last February, when developer G.H. Palmer - he of freeway-adjacent, "fauxtalian," infamy - revealed more contextually appropriate plans for a mixed-use development near the Ace Hotel.  That historically-themed design will soon be put to the test, as the Beverly Hills-based developer has finally begun work on the the project known as Broadway Palace.  Crews are currently demolishing an existing building and surface parking lot at the southeast corner of of Broadway and Olympic Boulevard, clearing the way for the first of the complex's two buildings.

          The low-rise and mid-rise project, designed by Nelson/Boivin Architecture & Planning, calls for a cumulative 686 apartment units and over 50,000 square feet of ground-level commercial stalls.  The buildings, which will be clad in brick veneer, are to rise on opposite sides of Olympic Boulevard.  Planning documents indicate that the project may be linked together by a pedestrian bridge, an amenity which became a controversial issue for a different Palmer development earlier this year.

          Image credit: Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council

          The first of Broadway Palace's two buildings, known by the prosaic title of "Building A," will rise six stories from the former parking lot at 1026 South Broadway.  Upper floors will comprise a mixture of 240 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments.  Ground-level frontage on Broadway, Olympic Boulevard and Main Street will be lined with approximately 17,500 square feet of commercial space and seven live-work residential units.  Parking accommodations for 421 vehicles will be situated within a three-level, partially subterranean garage.


          North across Olympic Boulevard, the lion's share of Broadway Palace's residential units will rise from a longtime parking lot at 928 South Broadway.  The abnormally shaped "Building B," will contain a total of 439 studio, live-work, one and two-bedroom apartment units above 35,000 square feet of street-level retail and restaurant space.  This portion of project checks in with a copious 1,152-car garage, contained on four underground levels.

          Building B features an usual design, calling for for a ten-story, concrete-framed structure along Broadway and a six-story, wood-framed building along Main Street.  This peculiarity is the result of a section of the Broadway Design Guide which stipulates minimum building heights within its boundaries.  As a result, new developments are forced to maintain Broadway's signature mid-rise street wall even while they replace surface parking lots and dilapidated one-story structures.

          Palmer's colossal mixed-use development is the latest entrant into an ongoing development boom which has enveloped several blocks on the eastern periphery of the South Park neighborhood.  East along Olympic Boulevard, four low-rise residential-retail projects are simultaneously under construction from the Houston-based Hanover Company and the Miami-based Lennar Corporation.  To the northwest, the Onni Group has nearly topped-out on a 33-story apartment tower at 888 Olive Street.

          Other mixed-use projects are currently wending their way through the planning process.  Developer Barry Shy recently unveiled plans for multiple residential projects in and around the Historic Core, including a new 15-story tower across the street from Broadway Palace and the adaptive re-use of an adjacent building.  South at the intersection of Broadway and 11th Street, a trio of historic structures are slated for conversions into boutique hotels and creative office space.

          1026 and 928 South Broadway

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          Watch USC Build Its Mixed-Use Village in Real Time

          September 26, 2014, 3:17 pm
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          Earlier this month, USC officially broke ground on its long-awaited Village development.  The first phase of the $650 million project will expand the existing campus north by 15 acres, adding a combination of student housing, academic facilities and community-serving retail space.  As has been the case with other recent capital investments, USC Facilities Management has set up a live-feed camera focused on project, allowing Trojans and all other interested parties to stay up-to-date on the Village's progress.  A battalion of dump trucks was recently seen streaming through the construction site, hauling away dirt in preparation for foundation work.

          When completed in late 2017, the first phase of the Village will yield new academic facilities, housing for up to 2,700 students, and 115,000 square feet of street-level commercial stalls.  The low-rise buildings - designed by Harley Ellis Devereaux in the school's signature Collegiate Gothic style - will be oriented around an expansive central plaza.  Trader Joe's, the trendy grocer which consistently eludes nearby Downtown Los Angeles, was recently announced as a ground-floor tenant.

          Later phases of the development would tackle two adjacent city blocks, encompassing an additional 15 acres between Vermont and McClintock Avenues.  A full build out of the Village will carry an approximately $1.1 billion price tag, creating more than two million square feet of programmed area.





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