LA New SkyScrapers

[The Voice of Reason]

I found an old article in the downtown news

I found it with my bloomberg terminal so I do not have a link

the article is MASSIVE

and from back in 2-7-2008

it lists all 172 projects that were proposed at the time.

http://www.downtownnews.com/

here is a small sampling

BROCKMAN MARKET

Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market is scheduled to open in the refurbished Brockman Building at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue later this year. The 10,000-square-foot space will include a mid-priced version of gourmet grocer Dean & Deluca. Plans call for the market to be open from 6 a.m. until late evening, and it will feature homemade baked goods, specialty sauces and soups, European pastries, organic vegetables, seafood, and fresh mozzarella pizza. The restaurant will include a Milan-style coffee bar, a hot carving station, seasonal salads, and a bread and cheese area. It will sit the below the Brockman's 80 new condominiums. C7

CHAYA BRASSERIE

Chaya Brasserie, a high-end Asian fusion restaurant with glitzy locales in Venice and Beverly Hills, plans to open in City National Plaza, according to leasing officials with building owner Thomas Properties Group. The restaurant is expected to arrive by 2008 and occupy 7,000 square feet inside the twin 51-story black granite office towers at Fifth and Flower streets. Chaya is known for its Italian, Japanese and French cuisine. B6

DONALD T. STERLING HOMELESS CENTER

Donald T. Sterling, real estate mogul and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has moved ahead with plans to build a $50 million homeless center at the corner of Sixth and Wall streets in Skid Row. Sterling announced that he purchased the lot in April and is currently looking for partners to manage the services. While Sterling has yet to bring any specific plans to the city, he said he would like the facility to include a medical center, legal center and homeless court. There is no timeline for the project. NA

GIANNINI BUILDING

Metcom Management plans to convert the Giannini building at 649 S. Olive St. into 100 to 120 live/work condominiums. The units would range from studios to two bedrooms, a spokesperson for the developer said. The building is classified as historic and has a grand lobby with detailed ceilings and carved sculptures. Metcom plans to have retail in the basement, ground floor and mezzanine and may look for one name-brand store to fill the space. Floors two through 12 will be residential and the rooftop will have a gym and a swimming pool. Metcom Management, which also owns the AT&T building, bought the Giannini building nine years ago. C6

LUCAS ONE

After two years of planning, Hi Point Development LLC said it will break ground early next year on a seven-story complex at 1135-1147 W. Seventh St. The City West project would have 115 condominiums and 7,500 square feet of commercial space. The units would range from one bedroom to two bedrooms with a den, and the development would feature a gym, pool and spa area, along with a rooftop deck. A7

MILLION DOLLAR THEATRE

The legendary theater at Third Street and Broadway, built by Sid Grauman, is being renovated and will reopen in June, said manager Robert Voskanian. The Million Dollar Theatre, which seats more than 2,000 people, will host film screenings, movie premieres, stage performances and concerts. Voskanian said the next phase of the renovation includes replacing the carpet, drapes and some electrical repairs. The theater has been completely repainted and is awaiting a shipment of gold tiles for the lobby, which will house an upscale concession stand. The $1 million-plus refurbishment is more than halfway complete, said Voskanian. C6

MARRIOTT HOTEL RENOVATION

In March Los Angeles-based investment company Namco Capital Group, through its subsidiary LA Hotel Venture, purchased the 469-room, 1983 Downtown Marriott hotel and announced it would undertake a $30 million renovation. According to the developer, that renovation could be complete within 18 months, though it is still in the planning phase. The exterior and interior work will include a redesign of the lobby, new high-end eateries in refurbished retail space, upgraded banquet rooms, lighting and room improvements as well as the addition of a spa. The hotel will continue to operate under the Marriott name. B6

ORCHID HOTEL & OLIVIA RESTAURANT

A new boutique hotel with a Mediterranean tapas restaurant and lounge is set to open early next month at Eighth and Flower streets (across from the Gas Company Lofts). After two years of renovation, the 1920s Orchid Hotel at 819 S. Flower St. has been turned into a sleek 68-room venue. Developer Michael Rahimi of the Orchid Hotel Group is behind the project, which features modern finishes, earth tones and rooms with flat screen televisions. A health spa is set to open in spring 2008. A nightclub is scheduled to open on the lower level later this year. B7

ORIGAMI BISTRO & BAR

Located on the ground floor of the Douglas Building at 257 S. Spring St., the Origami Bistro and Bar will be a 3,367-square-foot stylish restaurant and full bar. It will be the second Origami - the original is in Valencia - and will feature steaks, sushi and martinis. An opening is expected this fall. C5

PARK FIFTH

On a parking lot just north of Pershing Square, developer David Houk plans to build what could be the tallest structure in the western United States. Park Fifth is expected to break ground in October on nearly half a block bounded by Fifth, Olive, Hill and the Subway Terminal Building. According to documents filed with the city, a building entitled for up to 76 stories and housing 750 condominiums would front Hill Street. Another 40-story high-rise at Fifth and Olive is earmarked for a five-star hotel. The 234-room facility would take up the first 15 floors of the smaller tower, with the upper levels devoted to luxury condos with hotel service. Leo A. Daly is the local architect, while New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects is handling the overall design. Completion is expected in 2010. Houk said he has funding for the project. C6

WASHINGTON MUTUAL BUILDING

Developer Kim Benjamin has announced plans to transform the Washington Mutual building at 315 W. Ninth St. into more than 100 condominiums. The adaptive reuse project is in the early planning stage. Benjamin said it would contain 40,000 square feet of office, restaurant and retail space. C8

WITMER TOWER

Hi Point Development LLC is planning a 40-story condominium tower for 1247 W. Seventh St. in City West. The project is in the entitlement stage and there is no timeline set for construction. The building would have 33 stories of residential units atop seven levels of parking. It would feature 198 for-sale units, 7,500 square feet of retail and a full gym and spa. A7

RESIDENTIAL FOR SALE

711 N. BROADWAY

Construction could start early next year on Bridge Residential Advisors' $10 million conversion of the four-story BC Plaza office building in Chinatown into 53 housing units. The condominiums would average about $500,000 and range from 525 square feet to 1,100 square feet. Los Angeles-based firm Habitar is working on the redesigns of the structure at the northwest corner of Ord Street and Broadway, said Bridge representative Jim Osterling. The update would rehabilitate BC Plaza's outdated fa念191;?ade, ground-floor storefronts and central plaza. The ground floor would remain retail space and the project would include a courtyard and an exercise room. The structure has approximately 130 spaces of underground parking. C3

717 NINTH

Developer Meruelo Maddux Properties broke ground earlier this year on a 35-story tower that will feature a glass curtain resembling a wall of water. Steel laying and utility relocation have been ongoing and crews began pouring the concrete for the foundation in April. The two-thirds-of-an-acre site is adjacent to the coming Ralphs supermarket. Plans call for the tower at Ninth and Flower streets to contain 214 units and a 6,800-square-foot ground-floor seafood eatery. Mambo Architecture is designing the $120 million project. Completion is slated for mid-2009. B8

756 S. SPRING ST.

Construction is underway on the 12-story edifice once known as the Great Republic Insurance Building, which developer Spring Main Development LLC is transforming. However, project architect David Gray said the market-rate, 72-unit condominium project is not scheduled to open until early 2009. The building is open on three sides - on Spring, Eighth and Main streets - and the large windows will allow more light than many adaptive reuse projects. The average unit will be 800 square feet and feature hardwood floors and exposed brick walls. A rooftop gym and Jacuzzi are also planned. A construction cost has not been announced and no retail contracts have yet been signed, said Gray. D7

808 N. SPRING ST.

Kor Group, which in 2005 purchased the 150,000-square-foot building at 808 N. Spring St. in Chinatown, has not announced any plans for the property. Kor paid $9.2 million for the structure and filed permits to turn it into as many as 123 lofts. The 10-story edifice is the tallest in Chinatown. C2

808 S. OLIVE ST.

There has been no movement on plans for New-York based Moinian Group's property at 808 S. Olive St., a spokesperson for the company said. Moinian Group, which is also developing the Figueroa Central project in South Park, has preliminary plans to build a residential complex and a boutique hotel. The land is currently a parking lot. C7

1010 WILSHIRE

Condominiums at 1010 Wilshire will go on sale in September. Developer Amir L., LLC's 16-story adaptive reuse project in a former City West office building will hold 227 units, some of which will have 1,000-square-foot terraces. The company got its start in Silicon Valley and intends to bring some technological flair to the building, installing flat-screen televisions in some common areas and pre-wiring for LCD panel displays in the units' bathrooms, a spokesperson for the project said. Killefer Flammang is the lead architect on the project. CNI, now with Perkins + Will, did interior design of the public spaces, and Bijan and Associates designed the exterior skin, which will be complete in October. Units will range from 800 to 1,200 square feet. Residents will be able to purchase custom designed furniture manufactured specifically for the building. The rooftop will have a swimming pool and an eight-and-a-half-foot glass railing to protect the area from wind. A7

2121 LOFTS

The 2121 Lofts, at 2121 E. Seventh Place, is gearing up for residents. The renovated compound of historic industrial buildings will have 78 live-work spaces in a 125,000-square-foot property. Concerto Development is working with architecture firm Killefer Flammang to update existing units with new kitchens and amenities, and to construct 19 townhomes that will be available for move-ins late this month. The lofts and townhomes range from 750 to 2,100 square feet and include mezzanines, teak and lacquer cabinetry, 18-foot ceilings and industrial loading docks that have been turned into patios. The 28,000-square-foot grounds will include a dog park, an outdoor kitchen and spa area, an entertaining area and fire pit and private herb gardens. While it awaits residents, the project has been used to host events, including a lecture by photographer Jeff Dunas and a fashion show with designer Jeffrey Sebelia. The first phase is on sale now and prices range from approximately $400,000 to $900,000. NA

BARKER BLOCK

Developer Kor Group recently announced that the Westside restaurant Urth Caf念191;? will open an outlet in the Barker Block project, on the block bounded by Hewitt, Fourth, Molino and Palmetto streets in the Arts District. The 297-unit, $75 million project, which occupies an entire block of 19th-century industrial buildings, will open its first phase at the end of 2007. The compound consists of seven structures made of a variety of materials, including wood, brick and cement. Architecture firm Nakada & Associates added double-height ceilings in some units, as well as large windows with views of the Downtown skyline or the Los Angeles River. An interior courtyard runs through the block and will feature retail space, a restaurant and a walkway. The sales office is currently open; prices start at $300,000. Sales will close on building four in the summer. F6

BARN LOFTS

Construction will begin within a month on the adaptive reuse development, said a spokesperson for El Segundo-based Rockefeller Partners Architects, which is designing the project. Developer Barn Lofts LLP is in the planning stage on the effort to turn the 39,000-square-foot brick warehouse at 940 E. Second St. in the Arts District into 40 market-rate condominiums. All the units in the former Spreckels Brothers sugar beet warehouse will be three levels and will range from 1,300 to 2,600 square feet. Interior parking will run through the center of the project with residences on either side. Loading docks will be converted to exterior entrances with balconies. F5

BRIDGE LOFTS

Mark Kriesel, who had planned to build townhouses on a lot at 120 N. Santa Fe Ave. in the Arts District, has cancelled the project and is in the process of selling the property. No new plans for the lot have been announced. F4

BROCKMAN BUILDING

Developer West Millennium Homes bought out its partner, Urban Pacific Builders, in the conversion of the 12-story Beaux Arts structure at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue. The $35 million renovation will create 80 lofts from 850 to 2,280 square feet. Penthouses will have rooftop decks. Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market is slated to open on the ground floor in mid-2008. The restaurant will have late-night hours and is applying for exterior seating. The building, at 530 W. Seventh St., will boast a rooftop fitness center and Jacuzzis. Santa Monica-based Donald Barany Architects is designing the conversion and units are expected to go on sale in July (reservations are being accepted now). Prices will start in the low $400,000s. C7

CHAPMAN LOFTS

The Chapman Building at Eighth street and Broadway, is scheduled to open in September. The adaptive reuse project is transforming a 13-story, 94-year-old Jewelry District edifice that once housed garment manufacturers. Architect Wade Killefer is designing the restoration and will maintain the original historic hallways that are lined with marble. The building will also keep its original decorative fa念191;?ade, doors, columns and window trim. The $30 million project will feature a rooftop garden. The residences range from 600 to 1,300 square feet and prices will start around $300,000. C7

CITY FRONT PLACE

No groundbreaking has been announced for developer Dennis Needleman's plan to build condominiums above a strip mall at 530 E. Washington Blvd., just south of the Fashion District. Although the project has been approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency, it will not proceed for at least six months, said a company official. The project would erect three side-by-side five-story buildings above the existing structure with 136 one-, two- and three-bedroom units from 880 to 1,800 square feet. The 200,000-square-foot building would also feature a barbecue area, fitness center, pool and an adjacent eight-level parking garage with 444 spots. Yung Kao of Alhambra-based Architech Group is handling the designs. NA

CITY HOUSE AND OLYMPIC

The Titan Organization plans to build an 800,000-square-foot complex on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard. The $500 million development would hold two buildings: the 60-story City House, which would have a classic design and include 180 units, and the contemporary, 49-story Olympic. Residences in both structures, designed by Robertson Partners, would start at 1,200 square feet and $700,000. Titan officials have said they are seeking approvals and hope to break ground in early 2008. The towers would rise on a 58,000-square-foot lot that currently houses the Grand Avenue nightclub. The company purchased the property last year for $30 million. C8

CONCERTO

Groundwork is continuing on developer Sonny Astani's three-tower Concerto project at Figueroa and Ninth streets. The 348-unit first phase of the South Park development will include a 30-story tower and a seven-story loft building; there will be 27,500 square feet of retail. Plans call for a second 30-story tower to break ground after the first phase is complete in 2009. The buildings will wrap around a courtyard that will hold a 2,510-square-foot park. The complex will have market-rate units ranging from 750 to 2,325 square feet. Altogether, it will create 619 condominiums. B8

E2 LOFTS

RTI Properties hopes to break ground soon on the conversion of a two-story brick warehouse at 941 E. Second St. in the Arts District, said the company's Michael Donovan. Designs to turn the building into 23 industrial lofts, with two retail spaces on the ground floor, are being fine-tuned in order to meet the $16.5 million budget. The units will range from 831 to 1620 square feet with prices from $455,000 to $985,000. The project would include 15 top-level lofts accessing private gardens with views. The 33,654-square-foot effort would also feature a common rooftop garden, barbecue area and a fitness center. The condominiums are targeted for the artist community, said Donovan. F5

EIGHTH AND GRAND

There is currently no timeline for the construction of a $500 million development by Astani Enterprises that would rise on a parking lot at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue. In February, a spokesperson for the developer said the project is two years from breaking ground. Beverly Hills-based Sonny Astani announced plans last year to develop more than 800 units and 7,200 square feet of retail on the lot. The project, if it gets off the ground, would grow in four stages. C7

EL DORADO

Developer Downtown Properties broke ground early this year on the transformation of a former hotel at 416 S. Spring St. into 65 condominiums. Project manager Bill Stevenson said units in the 12-story building, which has been vacant for several decades, would range from 850 to 1,700 square feet and start at $400,000. Each condo will feature a balcony, and penthouses will have private rooftop gardens. The 1913 structure was originally named the Hotel Stowell. Stevenson said the renovations are slated to wrap by mid-2008. D6

FIGUEROA CENTRAL

According to the most recent information available, New York-based Moinian Group hopes to start construction on a $700 million plan to build two towers in late 2007. The project would include a 45-story high-rise and a 33-story tower and would rise near the Anschutz Entertainment Group's $2.5 billion L.A. Live development. Figueroa Central would include approximately 700 lofts, condominiums, townhouses, live-work units and penthouses (including approximately 150 affordable housing units). Plans also call for 250,000 square feet of retail space with a gourmet grocery store and a 40,000-square-foot health club. A boutique hotel option is also on the table for the effort at Figueroa and 11th streets (the land is currently a parking lot). Architecture firm RTKL Associates is designing the development, which would include park space and pedestrian paseos. AEG sold the land to Moinian Group for $80 million. B9

RESIDENTIAL FOR RENT

308 E. NINTH ST.

The transformation of a 1924 warehouse at Ninth and Santee streets in the Fashion District has begun. The renovation was delayed slightly due to a conflict with the Planning Department over the rooftop penthouses, said architect and developer David Gray. The five-story building, complete with concrete columns, is 73,000 square feet and will house 38 loft apartments. The eight penthouses, all of which are two stories and include a rooftop garden, will feature large industrial windows, exposed ceilings and raised platform sleeping areas. The construction price has not been announced nor have rents been determined, but the project is expected to be complete by fall 2008, said Gray. D8

717 OLYMPIC

Houston-based Hanover Company is getting ready to pour the last level of concrete for the 26-story tower at Olympic and Figueroa in South Park. The developer broke ground on the project in late 2005 and hopes to complete it by the end of this year. Move-ins will begin by spring 2008, according to a Hanover representative. RTKL Architects is designing the project that will create 156 one- and two-bedroom market-rate apartments averaging 1,061 square feet. Amenities will include an Internet cafe, a coffee bar, a rooftop pool and a fitness center. B8

810 S. SPRING ST.

Developer National City Towers has completed more than half of a 12-story adaptive reuse project in the Historic Core. Earlier this year, the company decided the project will be rental units rather than condominiums. The 135,000-square-foot effort, which has been estimated at $17 million, will include two-story penthouses with a rooftop deck and a Jacuzzi. The 93 units will range from 650 to 1,700 square feet and have cement floors. Santa Monica-based architect David Gray is preserving many of the 1924 building's historic attributes, including the elaborate fa念191;?ade and lobby and the first-floor, gold-leaf embossed ceiling. There will be ground-floor retail space. Gray said the project is a little more than 60 days behind schedule and that crews are finished framing and have begun installing the electrical system. D7

ALEXANDRIA HOTEL

San Diego-based Amerland Group is in the midst of construction on the Alexandria Hotel at 501 S. Spring St. Amerland purchased the residential hotel last year for $30 million and is turning the 463 rooms into rental units. The renovation should be complete in the first quarter of next year. The Community Redevelopment Agency gave the developer $35 million in tax-exempt bonds to maintain the hotel's affordability standards and to provide 130 units to low-income residents. Amerland is sprucing up the structure and will market the apartments to a diverse range of people working in Downtown, said Jules Arthur, an Amerland partner. The developer plans to install kitchenettes in each unit and refurbish the hallways and common areas. Crews are currently renovating the rental units. The ground floor bar, Charlie O's, is under new management; the bar is now hosting comedy several nights each week. C6

ARTISAN ON SECOND

Developer Trammell Crow Residential has changed the focus of the 118-unit complex at Second and Hewitt streets in the Arts District. The $47 million development, which was originally planned as condominiums, has shifted to rental units. Kim Paperin, managing director of the project, said the move was due to the perceived strength of the rental market. She said the project should be complete by December and that crews are currently hanging drywall and completing the roof and the framing. The one- and two-bedroom units in the four-story building designed by Togawa Smith Martin Residential will range from 916 square feet to 1,770 square feet. Other amenities will include floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, a fitness center and spa. E5

[dpbaker]

Hmmm. So, article about a year old. I'd sure be interested to see how this sudden economic shift has affected that list. I don't think anybody quite has a clue in Feb. of 08 that things we're going to turn ugly! I wonder what is pushing forward, what might be on hold, or if anything has been scrapped as a result?

[The Voice of Reason]

I think if you look in that paper there are updated lists, maybe I can find something more accurate and current. maybe you can

[calwinston]

The last phase of the LA Live Entertainment development in Dowtown Los Angeles was completed yesterday! This is the same place that houses the Staples Center! The tower is 54 stories tall and is housing the JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and, The Residences at Ritz-Carlton. This is a beautiful tower if you ever get to see it in person!

http://www.ritzcarlt.../LosAngeles.htm

The Ritz-Marriott Lighting Ceremony Last Night May 18, 2010

http://www.flickr.co...ons/4272919311/

http://www.flickr.co...net/4141719879/

[calwinston]

The last phase of the LA Live Entertainment development in Dowtown Los Angeles was completed yesterday! This is the same place that houses the Staples Center! The tower is 54 stories tall and is housing the JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and, The Residences at Ritz-Carlton. This is a beautiful tower if you ever get to see it in person!

http://www.ritzcarlt.../LosAngeles.htm

The Ritz-Marriott Lighting Ceremony Last Night May 18, 2010

http://www.flickr.co...ons/4272919311/

http://www.flickr.co...net/4141719879/

Downtown Los Angeles Construction

[paletexan]

I had the privilege of driving by downtown last weekend while visiting relatives from out-of-state. This is a beautiful tower, and i could not take my eyes off it while riding on a freeway heading towards Santa Monica.