02-24-14

INSIDE THIS WEEKx

Development

Updates On 97 Downtown Projects, Plus a Residential Section Pages 7-25

FEBRUARY 24, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #8

THE DOWNTOWNERS OF DISTINCTION WINNERS Honoring Nine Projects And People That Made Downtown a Better Place

Photo courtesy of Grand Park

See Page 26

Making the Wilshire Grand Seismically Safe | 5

Grand Park’s powerful programming brought people all year long to the Civic Center attraction.

The Wooster Group Returns to REDCAT | 33

Watch City Living on DTTV New Episodes Every Monday @ 9am on DowntownNews.com

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

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AROUND TOWN

Downtown Film Festival Seeks Entries

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ovie fans who never want to leave the Central City can get excited again, as plans are in the works for the next Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles. Organizers recently announced that the sixth annual event will take place July 9-19.They are looking for entries, which are due by May 1, in all genres including narrative and documentary, feature length and shorts. Last year’s program included more than 100 screenings of features, documentary and short films, an exhibition during Art Walk, a 3-D film program devoted to French cinema, workshops and more. For the 2013 festival, organizers utilized 13 venues for screenings and events, from the Fashion District to Chinatown. Over the years, the festival has partnered with 80 organizations and businesses in Downtown. Ticket sales will be announced at a later date. Additional information is at dffla.com.

Regional Connector Gets $670 Million In Federal Funding he Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $1.37 billion Regional Connector, a Downtown project that would facilitate and speed up travel on three Metro rail lines throughout the region, got a major financial

boost last week. At a Thursday, Feb. 20, news conference at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Gold Line station, various local and federal officials announced that the 1.9-mile route that will run across Downtown has received $670 million from the Federal Transit Administration. That covers more than half of the total cost and comes on top of $160 million provided in a federal loan. It also allows the development, which will have three Downtown stations, to begin major construction by the end of the year, according to Metro officials. The remaining $540 million will be covered by local Measure R transportation tax funds and state bonds, according to Metro project head Rick Jager. “Los Angeles is replete with half-finished transit projects,” Mayor Eric Garcetti, who sits on Metro’s board of directors, said at the announcement at First Street and Central Avenue. “We’re righting a wrong in that it’s been 17 years since we’ve had a full funding grant agreement.” The project is slated for completion in 2020.

Gap Moves Out of Downtown

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lothing company the Gap brought the design team for its 1969 line of denim jeans to Downtown Los Angeles about four years ago, but it looks like the move was temporary.

The company closed its design studio at 316 W. Pico Blvd. this month and moved the team to New York to foster a more “centralized, global design approach,” according to fashion trade publication Apparel News. Previously, Gap had heavily marketed the relationship between its denim and L.A., even dubbing a 2011 global marketing campaign “1969: L.A. and Beyond.”

There’s a consolation prize: The retailer noted

February 24, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Main Street

William Mitchell

(March 10, 1962 - February 18, 2014)

in a press release that it will continue to look to L.A. for “emerging trends.”

Urban Greening Plan Blooms in Downtown

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group that is working on greening the industrial spaces between Downtown’s highrises and the Los Angeles River held a kick-off event this month to garner interest as well as financial donations. Industrial District Green, which has planted 26 trees in the Central City with the help of several local entities, is focus-

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Katherine McNenny, IDG’s project leader, said that while everyone supports planting trees, many volunteers don’t realize that the foliage needs to be maintained. People often have the errant belief that the city will provide followup service, she said. IDG is looking to develop a partnership with Chrysalis and to tap formerly homeless individuals to help water and care for the trees. Once a crew is lined up for tree maintenance, IDG hopes to plant along Seventh Street in the fall, said Gabrielle Newmark, the program director. Additional information is at industrialdistrictgreen.org.

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Real People, Real Stories

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February 24, 2014

EDITORIALS

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Hotel Wage Hike Does Not Pass the Smell Test

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os Angeles politicians have a history of being a progressive bunch and have often reflected the greater sensibilities of the city. The recently enacted ban on single-use plastic bags at supermarkets is one such example.

Now the progressive proclivity is apparent again, this time in a City Council move, perhaps sincere, to increase the minimum wage in the city’s largest hotels.

Last week, the council took steps that could ultimately force hotels with more than 100 rooms — a level that includes many Downtown establishments — to pay workers at least $15.37 an hour. California’s minimum wage is $8 (although it will soon rise to $9).

Such a wage hike would be huge, nearly 100% over the current state minimum, and not surprisingly it has ignited opposition from those who say that the government should not be deciding what private entities pay their employees, though of course minimum wage does that already. Additionally, initial assertions from the private sector were that any such wage increase could hamper business, and potentially lead to some layoffs or a cutback in services.

Ostensibly in response to the objections, the council opted quickly not to implement the wage increase, but rather to study it.

At this point there are many questions, such as why one industry is being targeted. While this page does not support greed, it’s pretty clear that singling out the hotels does not pass the smell test. Have the hotels not donated enough to the politicians, in the opinion of the politicians? Or are the council members’ ties to organized labor so cozy that they could not say no to a strongly desired move? This feels more like a power play, or negotiating in the press, than a real proposal.

In the past, city leaders successfully required hotels near LAX to raise their wages on the philosophy that those hotels earned healthy profits off the city-owned airport. Although many visitors arrive in L.A. via the airport, it is a far cry to say that all hotels, including those in Downtown, have that same reliance on LAX. If this is an honest proposal, the best thing may be for a comprehensive study that examines the impacts of $15.37 an hour, along with other pay rates. Before the council makes any move, there should be reliable reports on how the wage hike would impact workers and a hotel’s bottom line, and what it would mean for rates charged to visitors.

We believe that people deserve to earn a fair wage that allows them to provide for their families, but we’re wary of the council determining pay in the private sector beyond what state law requires. If this measure passes it could prove precedent-setting, and perhaps an emboldened council would then decide to dictate what restaurant workers earn. Or those in another field. That’s a frightening thought.

As referenced above, organized labor is important here. The current proposal is that the wage increase would not apply at union shops. That could be interpreted as a council move to propel unionization in hotels. Again we are faced with the smell test.

If this proposal is genuine, which we doubt, the best move is to proceed very carefully, thoroughly and sincerely. Conduct the study and then share and explore the results in a transparent manner. If there is reason to increase the base hotel wage to $15.37 an hour, then we need to see real proof.

Two Views of Downtown, Both Correct

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t is easy to take a bird’s-eye view of Downtown Los Angeles and walk away with one of two impressions. The first is that the community has exploded, and that the area that was dead after 5 p.m. two decades ago is now thriving almost around the clock, driven by billions of dollars worth of investment in housing and the opening of scores of bars and restaurants. A more recent spate of hotels and cultural additions has furthered the transformation.

The second view is that, despite all the momentum and effusive press, Downtown still has too many shortfalls to be a great place for more than the young and hip and a few other pioneers. The area holds numerous dead patches, the gridlock is bad and getting worse, and the presence of the homeless community in and around Skid Row makes the Central City too gritty for many ever to embrace.

The thing about both impressions is that they are correct, and that, more than any other community in Los Angeles, someone’s overall outlook on Downtown depends heavily on their comfort zone and, sometimes, on where they lived before arriving here.

Those who have spent time in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago or Washington, D.C. understand the pros and cons inherent in metropolitan environments. Those who hail from suburban areas, or perhaps grew up on the Westside of L.A. and always avoided Downtown, may have a more difficult time separating the past from the present.

The other important thing to keep in mind is that Downtown is in the midst of change, not at the end of the cycle, and that while the community today is nothing like it was a decade ago, 10 years from now it will also be vastly different. That holds true both for those enamored with the current goings-on and the individuals still reticent about the area.

Although the progress to date — we track the latest in this week’s Development section, with updates on 97 projects (see page 7) — is wonderful, a flood of stories about the vibrancy of Downtown can give the impression that the community has fully emerged from a chrysalis-like transformation. Enthusiastic reports in GQ magazine (calling Downtown the “next great city in America”) and the New York Times (Downtown ranked number five on

the list of 52 places to go in 2014) imply that a full rebound from the past has occurred.

The same reminder, that the change isn’t close to complete, goes for those still skeptical of the area. While certain patches between vibrant neighborhoods are moribund today, the heated real estate market indicates that in a few years these parking lots and fallow plots may give rise to the next mega-project. Eradicating homelessness will prove impossible as long as Skid Row serves as a central repository for the region’s addicted and mentally ill, but over time a necessary move to provide support services in other neighborhoods will make a difference.

Those who look at Downtown with a sense of historical context can see some of the places in which progress will come. For example, the burst of hotel development in South Park is laying further groundwork for a much-needed renovation of the Convention Center, and while local leaders have yet to formulate when and how this will occur (current hopes are pinned to a football stadium that may never materialize), the project is too important not to happen. When the venue that hosts trade shows is upgraded, even more local businesses will open.

The shopping scene also should be viewed as a work in progress. Downtowners have cheered the arrival of Urban Outfitters and the impending openings of Sephora and H&M, and in the next five years they will likely do brisk business. However, when a couple chain stores succeed, others routinely flood a community.

This would be good for locals and visitors, but it also runs the risk of giving Downtown a similar retail lineup to that which exists in many other areas. The trick may be insuring that the independent and quirky stores survive.

All of this change is generally positive. Downtown’s past was too often depressing, and seeing gorgeous historic structures sit empty for years was an exercise in frustration. It is exciting to know that in the coming years other defunct buildings will get new life.

The key is to remember that all of this takes time, and that Downtown L.A. is not a “complete” city like New York. That’s not a bad thing. The community is a work in progress. The exciting part is helping bring the future to fruition.

February 24, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Preparing the Big One For the Big One How to Make Sure the 73-Floor Wilshire Grand Can Withstand A Massive Earthquake

The $1 billion Wilshire Grand Hotel will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi when complete. That poses unique seismic challenges.

image by AC Martin

By Donna Evans n the 1920s, when Chris Martin’s grandfather was doing early designs for City Hall, the architect would sit on the banks of the Los Angeles River and watch the trains passing over the bridges. He was paying attention to how the vibrations impacted the structure. He used these observations to help plan the then-tallest building in the city.

That was seismic technology for the early 20th century.

Today, Martin, CEO of the architecture firm AC Martin and the affiliated Martin Project Management, taps into all manner of temblor-thwarting technologies when designing structures.

All of those are coming into play in the company’s biggest project ever: the 73-story replacement for the Wilshire Grand Hotel at the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets. When completed in late 2016, the $1 billion edifice will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

Seismic concerns have ramped up in Los Angeles in recent months. In January, the city marked the 20th anniversary of the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake. Around the same time, officials have been discussing how to ensure that older buildings are structurally sound. Over at the site of the Wilshire Grand, work crews recently poured 2,100 truckloads of cement weighing 82 million pounds; the “pour” 80 feet below street level will create a 17.5-foot thick concrete foundation.

Although the height of the new building naturally sparks queries of how it could withstand another Northridge-sized quake, or perhaps the ever-discussed “Big One,” Martin is confident in modern technologies.

“The science is so good now on [high-rises] in seismically active areas, it’s really a no-brainer today,” he said.

Martin noted that seismic work began long before the cement pour. He said engineers used computer programs to build the Wilshire Grand digitally and incorporate known fault data. They then subjected the edifice to simulated tectonic activity, using information gleaned from previous and potential earthquakes.

For the Wilshire Grand, which will offer 900 hotel rooms, restaurants and 400,000 square feet of retail and office space, designers are starting with a heavy, stable base. The core of the building is braced against the mat (foundation) with five levels of 13-inch-thick concrete floors. These form the garage and plaza levels of the three-acre site and function as “diaphragms,” an architectural term for a structural system used to transfer lateral loads (think wind and earthquakes) to shear walls or frames.

As the structure rises, the central core of the building will hold steel-plate box columns filled with concrete (the core will also house all of the elevators and staircases). The walls of the core are up to four feet thick.

To “stiffen” the core wall, 10 “outrigger” columns were added to the structure, explained Gerard Nieblas, president of Brandow & Johnston, one of two structural engineering firms Continued on page 32

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DOWNTOWN DevelOpmeNT Housing, Hotels and Office Space, Oh My The Latest Information on 97 Downtown Projects

By Donna Evans, Eddie Kim and Jon Regardie t sounds like a cliché to say that Downtown Los Angeles is one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, but even a casual observer of the community would have a hard time denying it.

Just consider the last five months, a period during which more than a dozen major projects were announced or began construction. These range from a new housing project on the old Park Fifth site across from Pershing Square by veteran developer MacFarlane Partners to the groundbreaking of Metropolis, a South Park mega-complex first proposed (in a far different form) 27 years ago. A plan is underway to turn the historic Case Hotel on Broadway into a four-star boutique establishment, and a new park in the Arts District is in the prep stage.

These efforts come on the heels of an already impressive surge in Downtown development. All across the community, from Chinatown to City West to the Arts District to South Park, apartment and condominium buildings are under construction.

A slate of hotels are in the works, and there are even plans to build office space for both white collar and creative firms.

In the following pages, Los Angeles Downtown News runs down the latest information on 97 projects. Expect the community to keep buzzing for quite a while.

NEW PROJECTS These projects were either publicly announced, were revived or gained prominence in the past five months.

200 S. MAIN ST. Weintraub Real Estate Group is expected to close escrow within a month on a property south of the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral (it now functions as an event space). Plans have been announced for an eight-story steel-and-glass edifice at 200 S. Main St. that would contain 238 residential units along with 3,600 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The effort is markedly scaled back from a pre-recession proposal, which envisioned a 41-story condominium tower. Weintraub officials have said they hope to break ground over the summer with a completion date 18 months later. Designs by Nadel Architects include a recreation area on the roof with a pool and spa, as well as pedestrian walkways connecting Los Angeles and Main streets on the north side of the project.

801 S. OLIVE ST. San Francisco-based developer Carmel Partners last month revealed plans to build a 27-story residential tower at the corner of Olive and Eighth streets. There is no budget or timeline for groundbreaking, and the developer, which is currently in the midst of construction on a nearby 700-unit apartment complex that would include a Whole Foods, is seeking entitlements from the city. The proposed high-rise would feature 363 units (studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments and four penthouses) and 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Designs also show a fifth-floor deck with a fitness center, a rooftop pool and lounge and several other open-air decks. The three-floor parking podium above street level would be wrapped in translucent panels and emit a soft glow at night.

1001 S. OLIVE ST. Miami-based developer Lennar Multifamily announced last November that it plans to build a seven-story apartment building at the southwest corner of Olive Street and Olympic Boulevard.

Officials hope to break ground in April or May, and construction should take about two years. The complex would feature 201 units — 12 of them two-story townhomes at street level — and 4,100 square feet of retail and commercial space. There would also be two floors of above-grade parking and one subterranean level, providing a total of 228 spaces. Designs show a thirdfloor pool and spa deck overlooking Olive Street, and a sky deck

image by TCA Architects

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1000 S. GRAND AVE. Houston-based Hanover Company is embarking on a seven-story apartment building at 1000 S. Grand Ave., adjacent to Lennar Multifamily’s proposed seven-story rental complex. The 274-unit structure will break ground in the second quarter, according to consultant Jim Ries of Craig Lawson & Co., with construction taking 18-24 months. Designs by TCA Architects feature glass balconies on the majority of the street-side units. Initial plans call for 35 studios, 146 one-bedroom apartments and 93 two-bedroom residences. Approximately 12,000 square feet of retail and commercial space would wrap around Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard and feature outdoor seating. The project would include 252 parking spaces for residents.

ALEXANDRIA HOTEL Developer Izek Shomof purchased the Historic Core’s Alexandria Hotel last September, and his company Pacific Investments has been undertaking cosmetic improvements inside the building at 501 S. Spring St. The renovations include restorations to the Palm Court ballroom and other spaces around the building; no major renovation is slated at this time, said Pacific Investments Vice President Eric Shomof. There is no timeline or planned budget for the project, he added. The company is also looking into changing the retail components on the building’s ground floor, though no new tenants have been signed. The majority of the building currently operates as an apartment complex.

ARTS DISTRICT PARK The city Bureau of Engineering is working with the Department of Recreation and Parks to create a $1.6 million, half-acre park at Fifth and Hewitt streets, just south of Urth Caffe in the Arts District. The money has been secured through Quimby fees, which developers pay for park creation. Community meetings have been held to glean public input on the project, and two conceptual designs are currently on the table. Each offers six- to eightfoot fences with an eight-foot wall for mural art, outdoor eating areas and plaza space, a playground, shade trees around the perimeter, concrete seating, and security and nighttime lighting.

Neither design includes a dog run, though pet owners would be allowed to bring leashed dogs into the park, city officials have said. The park is expected to open by summer 2015.

CASE HOTEL Developers Frank Stork, Channing Henry and the Kor Group have purchased the Case Hotel, a 1924 building at 1106 S. Broadway, and plan to turn the 107,000-square-foot edifice into a four-star boutique hotel. The 13-story building, which is vacant now but recently housed facilities for the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, sold late last year for $13.5 million. A hotel operator, timeline and building transformation details have not been revealed, though the acquisition team said it intends to redesign

photo by Gary Leonard

at the corner of Olympic and Olive on the top floor. There would also be a dog park on the east side of the property.

the red brick and stone masonry property while maintaining the historic structure’s integrity.

FOREST CITY IN SOUTH PARK Two parcels adjacent to the historic Herald Examiner Building were purchased in late December by developer Forest City, which is also building Chinatown’s Blossom Plaza. Plans calls for two apartment buildings at the intersections of Broadway and Twelfth Street and Hill and Eleventh streets, according to K.C. Yasmer, Forest City’s development director. The developer is seeking entitlements from the city; neither the groundbreaking date nor the budget has been revealed. Although Forest City has not discussed specifics, previous plans by another developer called for 23- and 37-story structures on the sites.

HERALD EXAMINER BUILDING San Francisco-based Hearst Corporation is revisiting plans announced before the recession to renovate the historic Herald Examiner Building at 1111 S. Broadway. Although details remain slim, the plan was jumpstarted by Hearst’s selling of two adjacent South Park parcels to developer Forest City. Hearst could begin work on the 1913 building in 12-18 months, according to Los Angeles Property Manager Doyle McDonald. The twostory building that was formerly the headquarters for William Randolph Heart’s Los Angeles newspaper operations has about 35,000 square feet of space on each floor. McDonald said the first floor would be used for retail while the second floor will be converted to creative office space.

LA PLAZA HISTORIC WALK The LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Foundation, which operates a museum and cultural center at 501 N. Main St. near the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, is looking for a partner to activate and develop two surface parking lots. The parcels, which total 3.7 acres, are adjacent to LA Plaza, which opened in 2011. LA Plaza officials say the goal is to re-create a historic trail from Union Station to Fort Moore, with a path featuring programming, tourist attractions, retail and more. Design proposals are due Feb. 28. No timeline or budget has been revealed.

MACFARLANE PARTNERS/PARK FIFTH SITE Developer MacFarlane Partners has submitted plans to the Department of City Planning for a two-building residential complex at the former Park Fifth site, on the block north of Pershing Square. The proposal, downscaled from a previous plan for the Continued on page 8

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February 24, 2014

Development

site offered by another developer before the recession, calls for one 24-story tower with 300 units and about 11,000 square feet of commercial space. The second building would be a sevenstory, 315-unit structure with approximately 6,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. No timeline or budget have been revealed.

MACK URBAN PROJECT Last year Mack Urban, a newly formed consortium of real estate heavyweights including Downtown-based Urban Partners, purchased six acres of land (spread across six parcels) for more than $80 million. The developer this month submitted plans to the Department of City Planning to build four structures on four of those parcels. A residential tower and a hotel would rise on two adjacent sites near Olive and Twelfth streets. Two other sites near Olive Street and Pico Boulevard would hold two residential buildings (apartments and possibly condominiums) anchored by ground-floor retail and office space. The sites will be connected by large swaths of green space, per Mack Urban’s aim to create a more park-like setting in the area. The developer is partnering with AECOM Capital, the investment fund for L.A.-based AECOM Technology Corp., on the estimated $750 million project. The architect will be AC Martin.

mofs purchased the buildings at Fifth and Los Angeles streets in 2012 and have been overseeing a phased upgrade of the 265-unit Baltimore and the 150-room King Edward hotels; they have said the work will not displace residents of the buildings.

An upgraded King Eddy Saloon has reopened, and Eric Shomof said a pizza place will be arriving soon. Across the street, a tattoo shop will open at the Baltimore Hotel, and the Leland Hotel, also part of the project, will get an electronic cigarette store and a clothing outlet dubbed Massive. The ground-floor retail spaces had been used for storage or were shut down for more than 30 years.

tain three structures of five to six stories, has secured city entitlements and will be built in one phase. Construction is expected to take about three years.

1027 WILSHIRE The Central City Development Group continues to search for financing for an apartment complex at 1027 Wilshire Blvd. in City West, said the firm’s Hamid Behdad. The company is partnering on the proposed 376-unit project with the Amidi Real Estate Group. The development would be across the street from 1010 Wilshire, a corporate housing complex that Amidi created. The building would also contain 6,500 square feet of retail and 5,000 square feet of office space. The timeline will depend on how long it takes to secure financing, said Behdad.

AVA LITTLE TOKYO

Construction on a long-delayed housing project on the Megatoys site in the Arts District began last fall. A joint venture of Lowe Enterprises, Megatoys and institutional investors advised

by J.P. Morgan Asset Management is behind the two-building, 320-unit apartment complex. Crews have completed excavation on the site at 905 E. Second St., said Tom Wulf, senior vice president of Lowe Enterprises. Designs by Togawa Smith Martin Architects call for two five-story buildings between First and Second streets flanking Garey Street. The $60 million development, which is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2015, will include 15,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space with outdoor dining. The apartments will be studio to two-bedroom units with an average size of 728 square feet. Residences will have open floor plans with features including gourmet kitchens, quartz countertops, and a washer and dryer. The project will contain four courtyards, one dedicated to pets. Another courtyard will offer a pool, spa and sundeck with grilling areas, fire pits and an outdoor lounge.

VALENCIA Developer Sonny Astani is planning a six-story, 218-unit residential project at 1501-1521 W. Wilshire Blvd. He hopes to break ground by April, with construction lasting about 18 months.

Plans filed with the city for Valencia, as the project has been dubbed, also call for about 4,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space, open courtyards and balconies. Astani is working with Killefer Flammang Architects for the City West building’s design.

At astanienterprises.com.

RESIDENTIAL 950 E. THIRD ST. Dilip Bhavnani, a managing member of Legendary Development, said a groundbreaking is expected this spring for a 472-apartment project at 950 E. Third St. in the Arts District. The $150 million complex will rise on a six-acre site adjacent to the Southern California Institute of Architecture. The project, which will con-

Work continues on both buildings in the Little Tokyo project being developed by Avalon Bay Communities, said Irwin Yau, a designer and principal at TCA Architects. Phase one is a 104-unit, six-story apartment building at the southeast corner of Second and Los Angeles streets. It will include 13,500 square feet of retail space and is scheduled to open in late summer. Framing is complete on phase two, which will hold 176 rental units along with some street-level townhouses facing a promenade. Completion of phase two is expected late this year. The complex will offer studio and one- to three-bedroom apartments. Amenities in the project will include a two-level fitness center and a sixthfloor deck with skyline views, a bar and a movie wall.

At avalittletokyo.com.

BROADWAY AND OLYMPIC APARTMENTS Historic Core developer Barry Shy has said he is looking to create three housing structures near Broadway and Olympic Boulevard. One would transform a 12-story building immediately south of the newly opened Ace Hotel into 150 apartments. Shy also bought the adjacent parking lot north of Broadway and Olympic. There, he plans to create 250 units in a new building that will rise to about 13 stories along Broadway and about 20 stories along Olympic Boulevard. Then, at 916 S. Hill St., which is currently a parking lot, Shy plans to build another 250 units in a 20- or 21-story tower. Shy said he paid $30 million collectively for the two Broadway properties and the Hill Street site.

DA VINCI G.H. Palmer Associates’ 526-unit project at 909 W. Temple St. in City West will open by the end of the summer, said company head Geoff Palmer. The complex, designed in the same Italianinspired style as some other G.H. Palmer projects (such as Downtown’s Orsini and Medici), will feature five stories of studio to two-bedroom apartments sitting above three floors of parking and 8,200 square feet of street-level retail. Some units will have balconies. There will also be some two-floor lofts with two bedrooms and two balconies. Amenities will include a pool, barbecue areas and a fitness center. At thedavinciapts.com.

AVANT

EIGHTH AND GRAND APARTMENTS

photo by Gary Leonard

rendering courtesy Lower Enterprises

photo by Gary Leonard

MEGATOYS LOFTS

BARKER BLOCK Move-ins for the final phase of the Barker Block are expected to begin this month, said Tripp Dubois of the Kor Group, which is helping market the condominiums for developers CityView and Blackstone (Kor Group developed the 241-condominium first phase in 2006). Model units opened at 527 Molino St. in the Arts District in January, one month after the sales gallery began operating. The $25 million second phase has created 68 lofts and townhomes in the nearly century-old building; prices start in the $400,000s in the structure originally built for the Barker Furniture Company. The 72,451-square-foot complex offers lofts that range from 650-2,000 square feet and townhomes that are 1,100-1,300 square feet. Interior elements include steel staircases with wood steps and dual-pane windows. The project also features exposed brick, heavy timber beams and other historic elements. At barkerblock.com.

Pre-leasing is underway for the $154 million Avant, which will bring 443 rental units to 1360 S. Figueroa St. The South Park complex will hold studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as live-work residences above 11,000 square feet of retail space. The project, near L.A. Live, Staples Center and the Convention Center, will include a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a dog run and four 750-square-foot roof decks featuring fireplaces and barbecues. Tours will begin at the end of the month with the first move-ins expected in mid-March, according to an Avant representative. Residences will range from 561-1,035 square feet. Move-ins are expected to begin in late March. At avantsouthpark.com.

BALTIMORE AND KING EDWARD HOTELS The upgrade of the Baltimore and King Edward hotels continues, said Eric Shomof, vice president of Pacific Investments and the son of longtime Downtown developer Izek Shomof. The Sho-

photo by Gary Leonard

PROJECT UPDATES, 7

Construction on San Francisco-based Carmel Partners’ 700-unit residential building at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue is continuing, with completion slated for the third quarter of 2015, according to Dan Garibaldi, Carmel’s senior vice president of development. The project broke ground in January 2013. In addition to the rental units, the development will include a 42,000-square-foot Whole Foods. Designs for the project feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows, balconies, a rooftop pool

and central courtyards. This isn’t the only big Carmel project on Eighth Street — the developer in January announced plans for a 27-story tower at Eighth and Olive streets.

EIGHTH AND HOPE APARTMENTS Atlanta-based developer Wood Partners has hit the highest point of construction on its 22-story tower at 801 S. Hope St., according to Director of Development Brian Hansen. The project is slated to open in the third quarter of this year. The tower will feature 290 one- and two-bedroom apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, a pool deck and a six-story parking podium (two floors are below ground). There is also 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, though it is unclear what kind of tenants will take that space.

FOURTH AND BROADWAY TOWER The first ground-up project for Historic Core developer Izek Shomof has grown from 22 stories to 36, said Eric Shomof, vice president of Pacific Investments. The building would offer up to 400 units on the southeast corner of Fourth Street and Broadway and would replace a one-story retail building with rooftop parking. Eric Shomof said it is too early to announce a groundbreaking date. A budget and design specifics have also not been announced.

G12 Developer Sonny Astani and parking lot giant L&R Group purchased a three-acre site bounded by Twelfth and Olive streets, Pico Boulevard and Grand Avenue in 2012 with hopes of building a $245 million residential complex with 640 units. The site was then sold for $45 million to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based private equity firm Wolff Company last September. Astani has stayed on as a partner with Wolff to continue development of G12, as the project has been dubbed, and a groundbreaking is still slated for this year, he said. Astani declined to give a timeline. The project will rise in multiple phases, with the initial round of development calling for a seven-story building with 347 units. G12 would also have 42,000 square feet of retail. At astanienterprises.com.

Downtown News 9

Development LORENZO Developer G.H. Palmer Associates’ $300 million, two-phase residential project near the University of Southern California is nearing completion: Phase two will be finished in April, and leases are already being signed, said company head Geoff Palmer. Both phases sit on a 9.4-acre parcel on Adams Boulevard and Flower Street and feature a combined 950 apartments, four swimming pools, two basketball courts and a sand volleyball court. The design is similar to G.H. Palmer Associates’ other Italian-themed projects in Downtown Los Angeles. Phase one of the Lorenzo opened in May 2013, offering one- to three-bedroom residences geared toward USC students, with some leases offered for individual beds. Floor plans bear Italian names such as the two-bed Botticelli and the six-bed Michelangelo. At thelorenzo.com.

NEW PERSHING APARTMENTS

photo by Gary Leonard

February 24, 2014

Skid Row Housing Trust’s transformation of the former Pershing Hotel and Fifth and Main streets continues, and completion is expected by October, said Dana Trujillo, housing development director for SRHT. The renovation of the formerly 69-unit building will create studio and one-bedroom residences ranging from 350-500 square feet. Much of the building’s original historic

facade has been preserved, though the roof of the structure was removed and will be replaced. The project will also provide social services offices, outdoor courtyard space and ground-floor commercial space along both Fifth and Main streets.

OLYMPIC AND BROADWAY APARTMENTS A groundbreaking for developer Geoff Palmer’s two-building project on two parcels at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway is slated for late March, according to Palmer. The project design features a 10-story, 439-unit edifice on what is now a surface parking lot and a six-story, 247-unit building on a lot that has a small building (that structure will be demolished). The development, just south of the new Ace Hotel, is a partnership between Palmer and parking lot company L&R Group. While exact design elements are still unclear, the projects won’t have the Italian-inspired architecture of several other Downtown Palmer projects.

Instead, the buildings will be clad in a brick veneer to better fit the neighborhood’s look. The project is still slated for a 2015 opening, according to G.H. Palmer Associates’ website.

At ghpalmer.com.

OLYMPIC AND HILL APARTMENTS The Hanover Company is still seeking entitlements for a 281-apartment complex at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street.

Aram Chahbazian of TCA Architects, which is handling the designs for the Houston-based developer, said he expects construction of the South Park project to start in approximately eight months. The building would have seven floors of housing along with 16,000 square feet of street-level retail. The ground floor would hold three live/work units. Hanover previously developed the nearby luxury apartment tower 717 Olympic.

At hanoverco.com.

ONNI TOWER The Vancouver-based Onni Group continues its work on a 32-story apartment tower at 888 S. Olive St. The project broke ground a year ago, and construction crews have now poured the concrete for the 14th floor, according to an Onni Group ofContinued on page 10

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PROJECT UPDATES, 9

February 24, 2014

Development on top of six levels of parking and one floor of retail. Downtown Management had been planning a 12-story building for the site, but owner Joseph Hellen was not happy with the way the design was going, Martin said. The project does not yet have a budget or firm timeline.

ion District, has submitted plans for a seven-story building at 550 S. Main St. on what is now a parking lot. According to documents filed with the city, the project, dubbed Topaz, is just north of the Santa Fe Lofts at Sixth and Main streets and would stretch between Main and Los Angeles streets. The complex would include 23,000 square feet of retail and would offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. A groundbreaking could occur this year.

THE CHELSEA Though construction on the $5 million project at 216 W. Fifth St. was slated to begin late last year, more delays have pushed back the timeline for the property sometimes referred to as the “ghost building.” Construction has not yet started on the annex of the Alexandria Hotel, according to the office of developer Nick Hadim. Hadim plans to turn the 1910 Historic Core structure into apartments (initial plans called for 28 units). That will require bringing the 104-year-old edifice up to code, potentially with a new staircase and redesigned floor plans. The building was originally an annex to the Alexandria, but bickering between two property owners led to it being walled off from the hotel in 1934.

URBAN VILLAGE AT SOUTH PARK Orange County-based development company Urban Village has sold the property it was intending to use for a housing complex to Lennar, said founder Brett Shaves. Urban’s plans had called for a seven-story, 100-unit building at 1027 S. Olive St. that would have four live/work residences on the ground floor. Lennar’s Scott Rynders, vice president of development for the project, could not be reached for comment. Shaves said his company completed the sale on Jan. 31. Lennar will merge the new site with an adjacent property at Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street, Shaves said. The site at 1027 S. Olive St., south of Olympic Boulevard, is currently a parking lot.

photo by Gary Leonard

THE ELYSIAN

MIXED USE BLOSSOM PLAZA

ROSSLYN HOTEL A renovation of the Rosslyn Hotel is approximately 50% complete with the 99-unit Phase 1 finished, said Joseph Corcoran, director of planning and housing development for SRO Housing Corporation. The 264-unit affordable housing complex at Fifth and Main streets is slated to be finished by Halloween, he said.

Currently work is proceeding on Phase 2 (165 units). The project involves the restoration of historic elements including the main lobby and the facade. SRO Housing bought the 1913 Historic Core edifice in 2010. The project cost, including acquisition of the building, is $33 million.

SARES-REGIS LITTLE TOKYO Construction continues on a 240-apartment complex in Little Tokyo from developer Sares-Regis Group. The seven-story structure at 232 E. Second St. will include 51 studio, 112 one- and 77 two-bedroom apartments measuring up to 1,220 square feet.

The first occupancies are expected in August 2015 and rents are projected to average $2,400 a month. The development will also hold some townhomes, more than 16,000 square feet of retail space and three levels of underground parking. At sares-regis. com.

SB OMEGA Developer Barry Shy is still working on securing permits for a 40-story tower that would rise at 601 S. Main St. Shy said progress on the Historic Core development slowed when he changed the parking concept, moving it to Sixth and Main streets. The 350-unit effort would be Shy’s sixth Downtown apartment project, but his first ground-up effort. He hopes to break ground within six months. No budget has been revealed.

SPRING STREET APARTMENT TOWER Downtown Management, which has turned three old Historic Core buildings into apartments, expects to finalize the design and engineering team for a proposed 40-story structure this month, said company vice president Greg Martin. Currently a parking lot on Spring Street between the Spring Arcade Building and the Alexandria Hotel, the high-rise is slated to have housing

The development firm Linear City hopes to begin move-ins shortly at The Elysian. The project has converted the eight-story former headquarters of the Metropolitan Water District at 1115 Sunset Blvd. into 96 apartments ranging from 700 to 1,800 square feet. Linear City, which previously developed the Arts District’s Biscuit Company and Toy Factory lofts, has transformed a 1973 building originally designed by William Pereira; the structure near Dodger Stadium has been empty for the last 20 years.

The development will include a cafe with 2,000 square feet of indoor space and a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio. The project’s name comes from its proximity to Elysian Park. At theelysian.la.

THE EMERSON Developer Related Cos.’ Grand Avenue apartment tower finally has a name and an opening date: Related California President Bill Witte said the 19-story structure is being called The Emerson, and that move-ins will start in October, with leasing beginning over the summer. The $120 million rental edifice is rising on Grand Avenue just south of the under-construction Broad art museum, and will share a plaza with the museum when that building is finished. The tower will consist mostly of luxury units, but 20% of the 271 apartments will be set aside as affordable housing. Rents have not yet been determined. The building, designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, will also contain a threelevel parking structure.

TITLE INSURANCE BUILDING A renovation of the 1928 Title Insurance Building is in the plan check stage, said Debbie Welsch of Bel Air-based Capital Foresight. The developer intends to convert the structure at 433 S. Spring St. into 216 residential units, with retail on the ground floor. Additionally, the company is looking to lease the second floor’s 40,000 square feet of space. The Historic Core building’s interior is used in many film and commercial shoots, Welsch said.

Capital Foresight also has subleased the adjacent building, at 419 S. Spring St., to a hotel, but details have not been provided.

TOPAZ Jade Enterprises expects to receive entitlements by June on a 159-unit apartment complex in the Historic Core, according to a company spokesman. Jade, which has a long history in the Fash-

rendering courtesy Forest City Residential West

ONYX Property owner Jade Enterprises continues to seek entitlements for the Onyx, a 410-unit, two-building complex on Pico Boulevard at Flower and Hope streets, according to a Jade spokesman.

Although Jade has extensive holdings in the Fashion District, Onyx would be the company’s first Downtown residential project. The proposed development would rise on two side-by-side parking lots over 42,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space. No timeline or budget have been revealed.

photo by Gary Leonard

ficial. The $100 million Financial District structure will create 303 one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments. Onni is targeting an opening in the first quarter of 2015. It is the firm’s first project in Downtown; Onni has plans for two additional Downtown developments.

Developer Forest City has completed the demolition of the former Little Joe’s restaurant and is beginning the excavation and shoring process for the $100 million Blossom Plaza at 900 N. Broadway. An opening is expected in about 27 months, said Frank Frallicciardi, vice president of development at Forest City’s Los Angeles office. The developer is also beginning the leasing process for the 20,000 square feet of retail space that will be on the ground floor. The five-story Blossom Plaza will have 237 apartments (with 53 reserved for low-income residents), a 17,000-square-foot public plaza and a walkway connecting the Metro Gold Line station to Broadway in the heart of Chinatown.

The project broke ground last year, nearly a decade after it had first been proposed.

CITY MARKET The development team working on the massive City Market continues to put together an environmental impact report, said project spokesman Sean Rossall. The proposed development, overseen by City Market owner Peter Fleming, would transform the 1909 produce mart, today a collection of mostly unused warehouses bounded by Ninth, San Pedro, San Julian and 12th streets, into a $1 billion hub of housing, office space, hotel rooms and a college campus. The 10-acre development would ultimately include 945 residential units, 210 hotel rooms, 225,000 square feet of retail and 295,000 square feet of creative office space. The first phase calls for transforming two aged buildings: One would hold 150 housing units, and the other would be an office structure. It could be 20 years before the entire project is complete. At citymarketla.com.

FIGUEROA CENTRAL A 4.6-acre site immediately east of Staples Center was sold in late December to Beijing’s Oceanwide Real Estate Group. For years the New York-based Moinian Group had been planning to build the massive mixed-use Figueroa Central project on the property, with 45- and 33-story towers, 220 hotel rooms and additional retail space. Moinian had received approvals from the city for the work, though it is as yet unknown how Oceanwide’s plans will differ from the original project. The property is currently used as two surface parking lots MEDALLION 2.0 Saeed Farkhondehpour continues to prepare a second phase

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 11

Development

of the Medallion project on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets in the Historic Core. The initial focus will be the creation of several dining establishments in some of the approximately 180 empty spaces that were originally supposed to hold small toy-oriented shops (the building is close to the Toy District). So far six restaurants have been announced for the updated complex, including Café Uzes, a 2,000-square-foot eatery by Tara Thomas of Traxx at Union Station, and Downtown outposts of Bigmista’s Barbecue and Bread Bar bakery. Farkhondehpour has also discussed plans to add 300 residential units in three buildings facing Main and Third streets.

rendering courtesy of Gensler

METROPOLIS

Nearly 27 years after it was announced, the mixed-use megaproject Metropolis finally broke ground. A ceremony marking the start of construction took place on Feb. 14, just two weeks after Shanghai-based developer Greenland Group completed its purchase of the site from IDS Real Estate Group. The 6.33-acre Metropolis site is bounded by the 110 Freeway and Francisco, Eighth and Ninth streets, and the first phase of construction will create two towers joined by a large public plaza. One will be a 38-story building with about 300 units (it has not yet been revealed whether they will be rentals or for sale), while the other will be a 19-story hotel with 350 rooms. Both buildings are being designed by architecture firm Gensler. Construction on the first phase will take about 30 months, according to Gensler Managing Principal Robert Jernigan. Greenland and Gensler declined to discuss future phases, but a city memo indicates that there are three more towers planned for residential and office purposes. The entire project is budgeted at $1 billion.

ONE SANTA FE The mammoth Arts District effort One Santa Fe is ahead of schedule, according to a sign posted on the construction site.

Completion is now expected this summer. Last fall, the project that runs along Santa Fe Avenue across from the Southern California Institute of Architecture reached the end of vertical construction. The $160 million development will create 438 apartments and more than 78,000 square feet of retail space, including a 15,000-square-foot space slated for a grocery store.

The complex, which from above resembles two snaking train cars, will hold six-story structures along with a 47,400-squarefoot plaza facing Santa Fe Avenue and 802 underground parking spaces. Additionally, the Arts District Center for the Arts, a 5,300-square-foot gallery and community space, will open in summer 2015. One Santa Fe’s development team is comprised of Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds Investments, McGregor Company, Polis Builders, Cowley Real Estate Partners and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. Michael Maltzan is the architect.

At one-santafe.com.

THE GRAND A Grand Avenue plan that involves Frank Gehry roared back to life in November, when developer Related Cos. said it had reunited with the architect and was moving forward on a proposal to build two towers on the site of a current parking structure across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall, and to do both buildings at once, rather than proceed in phases. A $2 billion version of the project had been proposed before the recession but stalled when the market turned, and Related began exploring a piecemeal process without Gehry. The current plan, which Related California President Bill Witte said is valued at $650 million, has been approved by the Grand Avenue Authority, a joint powers panel of the city, county and the successor agency of the Continued on page 12

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February 24, 2014

Development

rendering courtesy of the office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard

defunct Community Redevelopment Association. Plans call for a residential tower that Witte has said would likely be between 420 and 480 feel tall, and would have 380-450 apartments. A second high-rise would create an approximately 300-room SLS Hotel and also hold some condominiums, said Witte. The other major component of the project is a podium with a stacked mix of shops and restaurants that would be situated around a central plaza that opens to Grand Avenue. Witte said the current goal is to begin construction in December 2015 and open by the end of 2018.

photo by Gary Leonard

WILSHIRE GRAND REPLACEMENT

On Feb. 15, Korean Air orchestrated the world’s largest continuous concrete pour. More than 2,100 truckloads with 21,000 cubic yards of concrete (weighing 82 million pounds) were poured to form the building’s foundation in the spot of the old Wilshire Grand Hotel, said Sean Rossall, a spokesman for the $1 billion development. The project on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi; the 73-story tower will have 900 hotel rooms and 400,000 square feet of office space, along with retail and restaurant space. The project, being overseen by AC Martin, would be the first Downtown high-rise to utilize a sloped roof, instead of a flat surface to accommodate a full helipad. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2016, with move-ins taking place early the following year.

CIVIC AND NONPROFIT BROADWAY REVITALIZATION The stretch of Broadway between First and Eleventh streets will be transformed as the city begins implementing the Broadway Streetscape Master Plan, a two-phase, multi-year project. The $1.5 million first phase, also known as the “dress rehearsal,” is underway and will reduce Broadway’s six lanes of traffic to three (two northbound, one southbound) by the end of summer. The city will use temporary and semi-permanent materials — think planters, flexible poles and paint on the street — to reduce the driving lanes, which will make room to “extend” the sidewalk and create protected zones for parking and loading. The city will eventually move into phase two, which is permanent construction of larger sidewalks, curb extensions, transit shelters and more. There is currently no timeline to start phase two, though the city has raised $4.6 million, enough to complete two blocks.

The work, part of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative, follows the recent opening of several major businesses on Broadway: the Ace Hotel, and the stores Urban Outfitters and Acne Studios. At bringingbackbroadway.com.

BUDOKAN OF LOS ANGELES The fundraising effort continues for the Little Tokyo Service Center’s proposed $22 million sports and activities center, said Scott Ito, the project manager. The long-anticipated development would create a 40,000-square-foot facility on Los Angeles between Second and Third streets with a two-court gymnasium, a mezzanine with an outdoor terrace, community space and a rooftop park. The Budokan would be used for an array of sports, athletic tournaments, special events and community programming, and would be one of the only dedicated venues for martial arts tournaments and exhibitions in the region. Groundbreaking is expected in fall 2015 with completion approximately 12-14 months later.

FEDERAL COURTHOUSE Construction crews are continuing the excavation and prepa-

ration of a 3.6-acre site at the southwest corner of First Street and Broadway in anticipation of building a $400 million federal courthouse. A groundbreaking was held last August, and the approximately 600,000-square-foot project in the Civic Center will have 24 courtrooms and 32 judges’ chambers. It will also house district judges, jury assembly facilities, offices for the U.S. Marshals and other federal services. The new courthouse, which will replace one of Downtown’s most notorious eyesores, is being designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architects. Completion is expected by 2016.

FIGUEROA CORRIDOR BIKEWAY Although the environmental impact report has been completed, Ninth District City Councilman Curren Price has asked the city to continue to study plans to remake Figueroa Street between Downtown and Exposition Park. During a Jan. 28 meeting of the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee, Price addressed the topic of a bikeway running from Seventh Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, with a spur along 11th Street. He asked for additional analysis on which parts of the corridor would require a lane separated from cars by a curb.

The project would remake a three-mile section of Figueroa into a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly corridor. Officials from the city Department of Transportation are due to report back to the committee by early March. Currently, construction must be completed by Dec. 31, 2014, in order to use Prop 1C bond funds.

Officials are seeking an extension for the deadline through the end of 2016. At myfigueroa.com.

FIRST AND BROADWAY PARK The proposed First & Broadway Civic Center Park will be undertaken in two phases, starting with site demolition, and then proceeding to park development, said Tonya Durrell, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Public Works. The city purchased the long-blighted, formerly state-owned parcel in the Civic Center in June for $7.5 million. The site, across the street from City Hall and adjacent to the eastern portion of Grand Park, has been known as the “graffiti pit” because it was routinely tagged. Demolition will include removal of all aboveground and underground structures, shoring, excavation, backfill and re-compacting and grading, Durrell said. That is expected to be complete in August. The future park development will elicit input from stakeholders through community meetings, she said.

No timeline or budget for the full project has been revealed.

GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL EXPANSION A topping-out ceremony marking the end of vertical construction on the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Pavilion was held Jan. 13. The seven-story medical office building at Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street in City West is on pace to open in the second quarter of 2015, according to hospital spokeswoman Katrina Bada. The $80 million effort will create a 190,000-squarefoot edifice with a pharmacy, an outpatient surgical center and five levels of physicians’ offices. The building will also house the hospital’s cardiology, orthopedics and primary care clinics.

HALL OF JUSTICE The protective tarp around the building has been removed, the 1,000-space underground parking garage has been

photo by Gary Leonard

PROJECT UPDATES, 11

completed and construction crews are currently working on tenant improvements for the $234 million renovation of the Hall of Justice, said project spokesman Sean Rossall. Workers are continuing the improvements on the exterior, as well as implementing safety modifications for the interior portions of the 1925 structure at 211 W. Temple St. When finished, the first floor will feature a display area with some of the building’s historic elements including a cellblock that once held Charles Manson. The edifice was red-tagged after being damaged in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The revamped building will house the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office. The expected completion date is late August, Rossall said.

LOS ANGELES RIVER The future of the Los Angeles River is at a crossroads: The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to announce its choice of a revitalization plan within the next few weeks, according to a city representative. The Army Corps initially proposed a $450 million upgrade known as Alternative 13, which would restore habitats and open up access along 11 miles of the river. City officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, have pushed aggressively for the adoption of Alternative 20, an approximately $1 billion effort that would connect the river to Los Angeles State Historic Park and revitalize the waterway on a larger scale. Meanwhile, several projects to expand or restore parks along the river continue, including the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority’s expansion of Marsh Park in Elysian Valley and the city’s work on Albon Dairy Park in Lincoln Heights. At lariver.org.

LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK Area residents only have a little more time to see Los Angeles State Historic Park as it currently exists. Construction on a major renovation of the park is expected to start by the end of this month, according to State Parks Superintendent Sean Woods.

The department is awaiting final budgets from Gov. Jerry Brown before work begins, he said. The $18 million-$20 million development will close the park on the edge of Chinatown for a full year to build a new amphitheater, a welcome pavilion, public restrooms, two 75-space parking lots and more. The plan will also revitalize some of the wetlands that could eventually connect to the Los Angeles River. At lashp.wordpress.con.

LOS ANGELES STREETCAR In December, officials with the Downtown streetcar project hired URS Corporation to serve as project manager for the urban circulator, and a full environmental impact report will come by late spring, according to the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar. The proposed project, which would connect L.A. Live and the Civic Center with a main spine on Broadway, continues to seek funding. In late 2012 people who live in the vicinity of the streetcar’s proposed route voted to tax area property owners up to $85 million for what was billed as a $125 million development. However, city officials have since said that the cost of the project could reach about $325 million, including the moving of utilities. The streetcar team is now studying the cost of underground utility relocation and expects to have a firm number in the summer. Streetcar officials have said they hope to get a large chunk of the financing from the federal government. At streetcar.la.

MERCED THEATRE A renovation of the historic Merced Theatre is continuing. An agreement to allow L.A. Opera to operate a public performance space inside the 1870 venue is pending before the city. Last April, the city approved creating a new studio inside the struc-

February 24, 2014

photo by Gary Leonard

METRO BUS FACILITY

Concrete and rebar columns have sprouted out of the ground at the northeast corner of Vignes Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is building the Division 13 Bus Maintenance and Operations Facility. The underground garage has been completed and the first and second floors are now being built, and according to a Metro representative the project is on track to open by the end of the year.

The $104 million development is intended to hold 200 buses and will contain a multi-level garage, a fueling depot and areas for washing vehicles. The project is intended to meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards and will have, among other elements, a green roof, solar panels and a storm water reclamation system with an underground 275,000-gallon retention tank. The project will also create 397 parking spaces for District 13 employees.

PARKER CENTER REPLACEMENT Three alternatives are being considered for Parker Center, the

former headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to the Draft Environmental Impact Report, the Civic Center property could be rehabilitated, partially demolished or fully demolished with a new building rising, said Tonya Durrell, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Public Works. Under the first option, the faded 1955 structure would be rehabilitated with seismic retrofitting, fire safety improvements and upgrades to ensure energy efficiency, she said. Partial demolition would include rehabbing a majority of the building that fronts Los Angeles Street (south of Temple Street); that proposal would involve razing the Parker Center jail and replacing it with a new building. The city is currently reviewing public comments and the Final EIR is scheduled for completion by June. No budget or timeline for a replacement of Parker Center has been revealed.

The property was mostly vacated in 2009 when the LAPD moved into the new $400 million Police Administration Building.

REGIONAL CONNECTOR The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is continuing with pre-construction work on the $1.37 billion Regional Connector, which will connect a series of light rail lines, creating three new stations and streamlining travel throughout the region. The relocation of utilities, including underground gas and cable lines, has begun at several sites across Downtown. The utility work is part of the preparation for major construction, which will involve underground tunneling from Little Tokyo to the Financial District by way of Second Street, as well as a trench down Flower Street to Wilshire Boulevard. The project continues to face a legal challenge from Japanese Village Plaza, Thomas Properties Group and the Westin Bonaventure Hotel over concerns about its impact on business. The project is slated to finish in 2019. At metro.net/projects/connector.

SIXTH STREET VIADUCT REPLACEMENT Demolition and construction of the 3,500-foot-long bridge connecting the Arts District and Boyle Heights is slated to begin in 2015. Built in 1932, the Sixth Street Viaduct has been weakened by an internal chemical condition called Alkali Silica Reaction.

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Downtown News 13

2/19/14 8:01 AM

rendering courtesy of HNTB

ture near the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument to house its Channel 35 studio, which airs all council meetings and other events or programs related to city government. The $23 million project also includes seismic retrofitting and installation of an elevator. The project is expected to take about three years.

Development

serve as the lead designer on the $401 million replacement.

Also on the team are L.A. architect Michael Maltzan, Hargreaves Associates and AC Martin. HNTB’s renderings feature a “Ribbon of Arches” that amplifies the sweep and style of the 81-year-old bridge’s original look. Some early details have been tweaked.

Now, instead of the previous “X” configuration where the canted arches swoop into the base, the look is a “Y” configuration. The project will integrate bicycle and pedestrian access, open space and direct connections to the Los Angeles River. At sixthstreetviaductreplacement.org.

CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT DELIJANI BROADWAY THEATERS The revitalization of four historic Broadway theaters — the Los Angeles (615 S. Broadway), Palace (630 S. Broadway), State (703 S. Broadway) and Tower (802 S. Broadway) — owned by the Delijani family continues. Plans call for almost a dozen bars, lounges and restaurants throughout the buildings. All land-use approvals and permits for alcohol have been secured, according to project consultant Kate Bartolo. The renovations are currently focused on the Los Angeles and Palace theaters, Bartolo added, Continued on page 14

14 Downtown News

FARMERS FIELD The effort to build an NFL football stadium in South Park continues to be hampered by the lack of a team. The once-heated project stalled last March when Tim Leiweke, the president and CEO of developer Anschutz Entertainment Group and the prime driver of the stadium, left the company. Still, AEG has pledged to move forward, though the company has also said work would not begin on the $1.4 billion project until a deal with a team and the NFL is signed. The project would create a 68,000-seat football stadium where the Convention Center’s West Hall now stands. A replacement for the lost building, dubbed the Pico Hall and being designed by the firm Populous, would rise contiguous to the current Convention Center.

Architecture firm Gensler is handling designs of the stadium that would feature a “deployable,” or removable roof. The project would include a $10 million expansion of the Blue Line’s Pico Station as part of AEG’s effort to have 25% of game attendees utilize public transit. Though what will happen with football is unknown, the City last year turned over operations of the Convention Center to AEG in a new publicprivate partnership. At farmersfield.com.

ITALIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM The restoration of the exterior of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles is set to begin shortly, and the long-awaited project is on schedule to open in the second half of 2014, and possibly as soon as summer, said executive director Marianna Gatto. The museum’s permanent exhibition, which will focus on the history of Italian Americans in Los Angeles and Southern California, is currently under construction. The Italian Hall, a $4.5 million effort at 125 Paseo de la Plaza near Olvera Street, will display rare photos, documents, maps and artifacts illustrating the legacy, contributions and influences of Italian Americans in the region, Gatto said. The exhibits will be interactive, Gatto she added. At italianhall.org.

REDBIRD AT VIBIANA Redbird at Vibiana, the eagerly awaited restaurant from chef Neal Fraser, is slated to open in the rectory next to the former cathedral in June, according to Pinky Farnum, the office manager for the longtime home of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Fraser and his wife, Amy Kroll, took over management of Vibiana last

REGENT THEATRE The renovation of the Regent Theatre at 448 S. Main St. is on track for completion this summer, according to Beth Holden, a principal at project architect New Theme. The Historic Core building will become a concert venue, and a pizzeria will also open in the space. The project is led by Mitchell Frank, who owns concert promotion company Spaceland Productions.

THE BROAD

The next major component of philanthropist Eli Broad’s $140 million art museum is the installation of “The Veil,” the lattice-like exterior of the project being designed by the New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The museum is rising directly south of Walt Disney Concert Hall, on top of a three-level, 370-car garage. Once completed, the 120,000-square-foot attraction will house Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. The structure will offer free admission and have 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as an outdoor plaza and a restaurant. The project, on Grand Avenue across from the Colburn School and MOCA, will also hold a lecture hall that seats 200 people. Broad Art Foundation officials recently pushed back an opening from late this year to sometime in 2015. At broadartfoundation.org.

TRACTION AVENUE BREWPUB Downtown nightlife proprietor Cedd Moses overcame opposition from some neighbors to secure city entitlements for a 17,320-squarefoot brewpub at 826-828 Traction Ave. Eddie Navarrette, chief consultant for F.E. Design & Consulting, which is representing the 258-seat project, said David Poffenburger has been selected as the architect for the Arts District

project. Construction could be underway by summer, he said. More than half of the business, which will occupy the site of the former Crazy Gideon’s electronics store, would be dedicated to manufacturing and kitchen and beer service, Navarrette said. Moses’ license would also allow 5,000 barrels of beer to be sold off-site annually. The facility would offer 27 skeeball lanes and two ping-pong tables.

BUSINESS 353 S. BROADWAY Developer and architect David Gray Architects is wrapping up pre-construction on a $7.5 million renovation of the building at 353 S. Broadway, and has completed the permitting process with the city. Construction should begin within the next month, according to partner Tom Steidl, and is slated to take around 18 months.

The building’s historic facade was restored as part of the renovation, and the project will turn the structure into creative office space, with ground-floor retail or restaurant space. A ficus tree continues to stick out of the fifth floor of the building. The tree will be removed.

ALAMEDA SQUARE Evoq Properties, which runs the massive complex at 777 S. Alameda St. formerly owned by Meruelo Maddux, continues to work on filling the four buildings and turning the site into a thriving apparel-based hub. Evoq is negotiating leases that would fill up the third building, which it upgraded last year. The most recent addition to the tenant roster is online retailer GoJane; it followed the arrival of fashion brands Splendid and Ella Moss last summer. Evoq is looking for other tenants to fill the fourth building, which would also be upgraded, said company CEO Martin Caverly. The complex continues to be anchored by clothing manufacturer and retailer American Apparel, which occupies two of the four buildings.

CLARK HOTEL Construction on a proposed 347-room hotel at 426 S. Hill St. is complete, but its opening continues to be delayed, likely because of an ongoing labor dispute. Last year, the hotel workers union Unite Here Local 11 campaigned against the project because of questions surrounding its Environmental Impact Report, though that was widely interpreted as a ploy for a hotel to be a union operation. New York-based Chetrit Group, which owns the building near Pershing Square, did not respond to a request for comment on the project.

CLEANTECH MANUFACTURING CENTER Trammell Crow Company and Principal Real Estate Investors are in the process of grading a massive property at 2455 E. Washington Blvd. for the 446,000-square-foot Cleantech Manufacturing Center, said Trammell Crow Development Manager Philip Tsui. CBRE, the 20-acre project’s listing agent, is marketing the property to clean technology and other tenants seeking state-of-the-art industrial and manufacturing buildings. The project would consist of three large buildings.

CLIFTON’S RENOVATION The long-awaited restoration of the 1935 Clifton’s Cafeteria may be nearing the finish line, as developer Andrew Meieran said the project at 648 S. Broadway is on track for completion this summer. Meieran has given the historic fourstory complex a new moniker, Clifton’s Cabinet of Curiosities, which refers to the several different eating and drinking establishments

it will have, including a tiki bar and sit-down steakhouse-style restaurant on the fourth floor.

The first two floors, meanwhile, will be a restored version of the classic Clifton’s Cafeteria, serving cafeteria dishes such as pot roast and mashed potatoes. According to the project’s website, there will also be a butcher, a soda fountain, a specialty grocery and a bakery. The redevelopment of Clifton’s has been a delayplagued process for Meieran, who acquired the building in 2010. The budget has swelled to about $7.5 million, up from $5 million in early 2013. At cliftonscafeteria.com.

DESMOND BUILDING

image courtesy CBRE

with work on the State further down the road (a church currently occupies the space).

year, and they are partnering with Bill Chait (the businessman who helped open Bestia and Rivera, among others) on Redbird. The food will likely be a return to the unpretentious fine dining Fraser executed at the Beverly Boulevard restaurant Grace.

photo by Gary Leonard

PROJECT UPDATES, 13

February 24, 2014

Development

Developer Lincoln Property Company is still working on securing permits for a renovation of the 1917 Desmond Building at Eleventh and Hope streets, said Lincoln Vice President Rob Kane. The project would create luxury creative office and retail space, and also would expand the building with a new sixth floor. The developer, which has hired architect Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, is spending about $9 million on the South Park project.

EMBASSY HOTEL AND THEATRE According to the most recent information available, the transformation of the vacant Embassy Hotel and Trinity Auditorium at 849 S. Grand Ave. into a 183-room hotel is still on hold. New York-based building owner Chetrit Group had been planning to upgrade the approximately 12,000-square-foot theater and turn the historic building into the Empire Hotel, featuring an approximately 2,000-square-foot groundfloor restaurant, a 7,600-square-foot outdoor garden, a lobby bar and a lounge.

L.A. HOTEL RENOVATION A $28 million renovation of the hotel at 333 S. Figueroa St. will provide upgraded guest rooms, meeting space, new public areas and an all-new fitness center. The facility, for several years known as the L.A. Hotel (and the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown before that), is slated to soon become the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles. Officials had previously said the name change would occur last year. The hotel is also readying a new restaurant featuring farm-totable cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients, according to the website. The facility has remained open during the renovation. Officials recently announced plans to use several floors of the office building adjacent to the hotel as space for a new boarding high school, the American University Preparatory School. At losangelesdowntown.hyatt.com.

LA KRETZ INNOVATION CAMPUS Construction continues on the La Kretz Innovation Campus, a 30,000-square-foot clean technology project and business incubator in the Arts District, said Ian Harris, the vice president of partnerships for the Los Angeles Cleantech

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 15

Development

Incubator. The project at 525 S. Hewitt St. broke ground last summer. The DWP paid $11.1 million for the building on the block bounded by Hewitt, Colyton, Fifth and Palmetto streets.

The project will have a workforce training component, and the LADWP’s Energy Efficiency Group is slated to house its testing and demonstration labs on site. At laincubator.com.

MARRIOTT HOTELS TOWER

ters there. The property is now 85% leased. Chinatown-based architecture firm Johnson Fain is overseeing the architectural and interior improvements on the complex that is comprised of three buildings anchored by a 12-story Beaux Arts edifice.

At pacmutualdtla.com.

Exterior work on the upper levels of the 23-story Marriott Tower has been completed and crews are working on the entrance of the $172 million project from Seattle-based American Life Inc. and Portland’s Williams/Dame & Associates. Project officials have said they hope to open the development, which is just north of L.A. Live, this summer. The 373,000-square-foot structure will hold a 174-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 218-room Residence Inn in a single high-rise. Both hotels will utilize the same lobby. The project, being designed by Portland’s GBD Architects, includes a rooftop pool and deck. At williamsanddame.com.

PICO AND FIGUEROA HOTEL The city has rejected bids from potential developers for a South Park hotel and is starting the proposal process anew, said Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller. Last fall, the city launched a public bidding competition, asking developers to offer plans for a 19,000-square-foot city-owned parcel at Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street across from the Convention Center. The city hopes to sell the site to a developer that will erect a hotel.

Though plans had called for a four-star or higher quality structure, Miller said that provision is no longer necessary, and that the main goal is to get a hotel open.

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

PACMUTUAL BUILDING

Rising Realty Partners continues with its renovation of the 1921 Pacific Mutual Building at 523 W. Sixth St. Creation of a new courtyard is proceeding, with concrete for the outdoor gathering space being poured this month. An outpost of Le Pain Quotidien restaurant will open in March, followed in May by the debut of Tender Greens. May will also bring the unveiling of the project’s 80-foot-high “green” wall on Olive Street, and in September a Tartine Bakery & Wine Shop will open. The father-son company run by Nelson and Christopher Rising purchased the Financial District landmark for $60 million in 2012 and has its headquar-

RENAISSANCE HOTEL Portland-based developer Williams/Dame & Associates is considering plans and trying to determine the financial feasibility of building a 450-room Renaissance Hotel at the northeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Georgia Street. Williams/Dame acquired the 60,000-square-foot parcel near L.A. Live from Anschutz Entertainment Group. Last spring, when the project was first announced, the hotel was pegged as a $200 million venture.

However, according to a project spokesman, that figure may no longer hold, and all financial details are being re-examined. No groundbreaking or opening date has been set. Williams/Dame is also developing the nearby $172 million Marriott Tower project that will bring 392 Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn rooms to Downtown.

SPARKLE FACTORY The ground-floor space of the 1914 building at 908 S. Broadway, known as the Sparkle Factory and owned by jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino and her husband and business partner Alfonso Campos, has been leased by New York specialty retailer Oak. Continued on page 16

NEW CONSTRUCTION / ADAPTIVE RE-USE SPECIALIST Commercial ~ Residential Restaurants ~ Retail Chester Williams Building: Winner of the 2013 Historic Core Downtowners of Distinction award, constructed

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PROJECT UPDATES, 15

February 24, 2014

Development ACE HOTEL

OPENED IN THE PAST FIVE MONTHS 845 S. FIGUEROA ST. In January, approximately 280 State Bar employees moved into the upper floors of the rehabilitated 1969 building at 845 S. Figueroa St., said Laura Ernde, a State Bar spokeswoman. The State Bar of California purchased the property on the cusp of the Financial District and South Park in 2012. The ground floor holds a 24,000-square-foot Smart & Final Extra, which opened last July. The Commerce-based grocer signed a 20-year lease for the space in the building.

A Downtown outpost of the Portland-based Ace Hotel opened at 929 S. Broadway on Jan. 6. The project turned the former United Artists Theatre building, which debuted in 1927, into a 182-room boutique establishment. The revamped 12-story edifice features a coffee bar and a restaurant, L.A. Chapter, as well as an indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge with a small pool. The building was originally opened by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith. Most recently, the 1,600-seat theater was the home of the church founded by the late Dr. Gene Scott. During its renovation, Ace restored the historic elements of the 1,600-seat theater while upgrading it for concerts and other events. It opened on Valentine’s Day with a show by the English band Spiritualized. At acehotel.com/losangeles.

GATEWAYS APARTMENTS The low-income housing complex Gateways Apartments celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 7. The $28 million development at Fifth and San Pedro streets, from the SRO Housing Corporation, features 107 apartments for formerly homeless in-

photo by Gary Leonard

THE BLOC Longtime Downtown developer Wayne Ratkovich continues to work on a $160 million plan to transform the aged Macy’s Plaza into a modern office, hotel and retail hub. Ratkovich acquired the Financial District property from Jamison Properties last year, and Downtown-based architecture firm Johnson Fain is handling the planning and design on the 41-year-old complex bounded by Seventh, Eighth, Hope and Flower streets. The project, which has been renamed The Bloc, holds a 700,000-squarefoot office tower, a 485-room Sheraton hotel — which is receiving a $40 million renovation to bring it up to four-star status — and a 400,000-square-foot shopping area anchored by a 240,000-square-foot Macy’s. Plans call for creating an open-air complex on the street level, with the towering, unfriendly brick walls being replaced by windows and dining terraces. The development is slated to open by the end of 2015.

At theblocdowntown.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

The 2,200-square-foot shop is slated to open next month; Campos and Tarantino plan to bring a Sparkle Factory store to the second floor of the building. The couple are converting the long-vacant, century-old structure into their business headquarters, and they are also exploring having stores on multiple levels.

There are seven floors in the 26,800-square-foot edifice that could be leased to different businesses.

dividuals. The 350-square-foot studios are furnished with a bed, a kitchen, a bathroom and more. The design by DBB Architects has clean, modern lines, and large windows in the six-story building look out onto the neighborhood below. The building is certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold.

Amenities include offices for social services and a classroom with computer workstations. There is also a community room.

JIA APARTMENTS Move-ins at the $92 million, six-story Jia Apartments began in the last week of January, according to Jia’s leasing office. The project, at 639 N. Broadway at the southern border of Chinatown, is from developer Equity Residential and features 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with 18,000 square feet of retail (Equity is currently working on leases for the retail space). The design from Thomas A. Cox Architects also created a public plaza and widened sidewalks, with the

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 17

Development

brick walls were left, as were other architectural elements. The store contains a mezzanine, and track lights reminiscent of stage lamps hang from the 31-foot-high ceiling. Old films are projected on the back wall of the structure, where there was once a movie screen.

aim of activating the streetscape. Rents begin at $1,650 for a 571-square-foot studio. Apartments feature nine-foot ceilings and the project has outdoor barbecue and picnic areas. At equityapartments.com.

LOTUS GARDEN Developer Affirmed Housing began move-ins in mid-January at the $24 million Lotus Garden. The 60-unit building at 715-721 Yale St. in Chinatown is for people and families making 30%60% of the county median income. Units range from studios to three bedrooms, and Lotus Garden holds a computer lab and community room. There is also 4,000 square feet of outdoor space on the building’s roof deck. The project’s garage holds 63 vehicles, including a stacking, vertical-grid parking system dubbed Carmatrix. The $289,000, 17-stall machine saves space and allowed the developer to save costs on excavation and shoring. At affirmedhousing.org.

STAR APARTMENTS Move-ins at Skid Row Housing Trust’s Star Apartments began just after Thanksgiving. The building’s 102 affordable housing units are now completely filled, according to SRHT Housing Development Director Dana Trujillo. The project at 240 E. Sixth St. stands out for the design by architect Michael Maltzan: The complex is fashioned from prefabricated residences that were lowered one-by-one onto a concrete superstructure that was poured over an existing one-story edifice; the units measure about 350 square feet and were made in Idaho, then trucked to Los Angeles. The $19.3 million development features 15,000

photo by Gary Leonard

square feet of community space including a basketball court, running track and offices for social services.

THE MUST More than three years after it was unceremoniously shuttered, the wine bar The Must reopened. The spot owned by Coly Den Haan and Rachel Thomas began serving on Dec. 19 in a 2,800-square-foot space on the ground floor of The Jeffries apartment building at 117 Winston St. in the Historic Core. The new Must is larger than the old location, and features a patio and a private tasting room in the basement. The original Must was shuttered in 2010 after a property dispute. At mustwinebar. ca.

URBAN OUTFITTERS A 10,000-square-foot Urban Outfitters opened on Dec. 19. The first Downtown location of the Philadelphia-based chain occupies the former Rialto Theatre at 812 S. Broadway. The historic integrity of the 1917 edifice was retained, with the most significant work being the leveling of the sloped theater floor; original

photo by Gary Leonard

PWC FAMILY HOUSING A City West residential project developed by the Pilipino Worker’s Center and the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 13. The 45-unit development at 153 N. Glendale Blvd., officially known as Larry Itliong Village, includes 22 residences for homeless individuals, along with 54 parking spaces and approximately 4,000 square feet of common space. The colorful complex was in the works for nine years.

WAL-MART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET

A 33,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market debuted Sept. 14 on the ground floor of Grand Plaza, a 302-unit senior housing complex at 701 W. Cesar Chavez Ave. The store, which stocks a full line of grocery goods and contains a large pharmacy, filled a space that had been empty since the building opened in 1991. The supermarket is catty-corner from the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and includes 140 parking spots, as well as loading docks that can handle delivery trucks. Its opening came after a long battle between city officials, who had tried to keep Wal-Mart out of the area, and labor activists and others who fear the store could have a harmful effect on independent businesses in nearby Chinatown.

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Downtown News 19

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The New ‘Avant’ Guard Century West Partners Creates a ForwardThinking Apartment Community

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ith the Avant, Century West Partners is delivering more than a new 440-unit luxury apartment property to Downtown’s South Park neighborhood; they are creating a new home base for the “Avanteur,” a community

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS of mindful, savvy Angelenos who are joining the urban, connected, forward-thinking locals and are moving Downtown to enjoy the rebirth of the original L.A. Avant will mark the cityscape with its elevated design, hightech features and sprawling outdoor living space. It combines the intimacy of a mid-rise property with the sophistication and elegance of a high-rise building, creating a hybrid, boutique living experience perfect for the 21st century “Avanteur.”

Located in burgeoning South Park, Avant is a sophisticated, metropolitan living experience featuring luxury studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as four limited-edition live/work studios with 12foot ceilings.

Avant delivers a full-service property with today’s most desired features and amenities, which include outdoor social spaces, grilling stations, a hotel-inspired pool area with cabanas, a 24-hour state-ofthe-art fitness center with intimate yoga studio, a bicycle cafe, dog run and in-unit USB ports. The residences of Avant feature Kohler fixtures and gourmet kitchens with a breakfast bar, dark cabinets, white quartz

February 24, 2014

Downtown Residential

counters and ceramic tile backsplashes.

The Avant consists of three buildings: Phase I will open on Figueroa and Flower streets this spring. The location is just steps from L.A. Live, Nokia Theater, the light rail station, new restaurants and boutiques, and provides easy access to the Metro, the 110 and 10 freeways, making it easy to connect to all access points in the city in just a matter of minutes.

“There is a pulse to this neighborhood that is unlike any other in the city,” says Randy Fifield, a partner with Century West. “It’s exciting to be part of the evolution of Downtown Los Angeles and we designed Avant to embrace and showcase what life in Downtown is all about.” “Avanteurs are savvy, entrepreneurial and connoisseurs of life,” adds Steve Fifield, a partner at Century West. “By living at Avant they will have the unique opportunity to be in a spectacular new apartment home featuring high-tech advancements, as well as join a distinct paradigm of urban living; one that celebrates individuality while promoting a sense of social experiences.”

The Avant is at 1360 S. Figueroa St. For more information call (213) 746-1360 or visit avantsouthpark.com. Also on Facebook at facebook.com/AvantApartments and avanteur.com.

Where Everyone Knows His Name Bill Cooper’s The Loft Expert! Group Has Its Finger on the Downtown Pulse

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f you live, work or play in Downtown, chances are you have probably met Bill Cooper or heard his name.

Cooper has specialized in lofts since his first loft sale in 2001. He moved to Downtown in 2002 to establish his real estate business, long before most people would even consider visiting the area. Cooper’s ambition to participate in the creation of a successful, thriving residential community in Downtown led him to create The Loft Expert! Group.

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS With years of experience from Keller Williams Realty, Coldwell Banker Residential Realty and Loftway Homes and Lofts, Bill has enjoyed helping many Downtowners find their niche in the ever-changing environment they now call home.

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February 24, 2014

Downtown News 21

Downtown ResiDential

The Pilgrim School’s Progress A Los Angeles Tradition Blends Academics, Technology and Art

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ilgrim school is a true Downtown treasure, a school with a distinctive early education program that begins at age two (named “Best Preschool” by the readers of the Downtown News) and continues through high school with an

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS innovative college preparatory program and 100% college acceptance rate. small class size and a nurturing community spirit offer each student the ability to develop their individual strengths and unique character. the classically beautiful campus offers a city experience in a peaceful setting, and the remarkable diversity of the Pilgrim community reflects the face of los angeles. with the addition of the Mayflower House boarding facility for students in grades 9-12, Pilgrim is now both a day and a boarding school.

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123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

located just four Metro stops west of Downtown at the corner of sixth street and Commonwealth avenue, Pilgrim school was established in 1958 as a division of First Congregational Church. Pilgrim prides itself on offering an education that is both creative and traditional, rooted in sound moral values, a student-created honor code, and a student-run honor council. at Pilgrim, technology is state-of-the-art both in and out of the classroom. the Fab lab is creating a more three-dimensional experience for students, including use of cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing, rocketry and more, and has allowed the faculty to expand the steM program to include courses in more specialized fields of engineering as well as to offer extracurricular activities like a competitive Robotics team. the beautiful Brown Family Fine arts Center offers students the opportunity for an extensive experiential education in the fine arts, and Pilgrim’s Field of Dreams campaign will add a regulation sports field to the campus. Pilgrim school offers a unique opportunity for all students to interact with artists and writers through the Visiting artists and writers Program. artists such as addi somekh, Victoria arriola and Robbie Conal, and authors such as Betty Birney, susan Goldman Rubin and David st. John share their experience and creative process with students beginning in early education. in fall 2013, students spent a week traveling In the Footsteps of Marco Polo with writer, photographer, documentarian and explorer Denis Belliveau, participating in a wide range of cross-curricular projects and activities that brought history to life; and Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, spent an evening with the Pilgrim community.

Pilgrim is committed to the education of the whole student: traditional academics, state-of-the-art technology, a strong foundation in the arts, and a place in athletics for every student.

For more information about Pilgrim School or to tour the historic campus, please call (213) 355-5204.

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

22 Downtown News

February 24, 2014

Downtown ResiDential

Everything You Need Under One Roof TENTEN Wilshire Helps Small Business Thrive in Downtown Los Angeles

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enten wilshire is the ideal place for entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals to live, work and play. Perfect for start-ups and entrepreneurs in industries including high-tech, entertainment, fashion,

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS legal, finance, consulting, real estate and advertising, tenten wilshire provides the perfect blend of amenities and necessities to fulfill the 24/7 needs of an entrepreneur.

You have heard the phrase “live, work and Play” countless times, but nowhere else have all three been combined into a comprehensive, single lifestyle solution. tenten wilshire’s community goal is to offer a space for entrepreneurs, small businesses and young professionals to grow, network and expand across Downtown, a large and up-and-coming market.

Helping to fuel a rebirth of the area, tenten wilshire houses 227 fully furnished, live/work units, and more than 243,000 square feet of space for businesses to rent and expand into as their companies grow. the building is designed to eliminate many of the major barriers to budding entrepreneurs including distribution of capital between living space and office space. By providing a flexible, turn-key environment with equally flexible lease terms, tenten wilshire has been able to sustain a 90% or better occupancy rate every year since opening. additionally, due to exceptional zoning regulations, tenten wilshire provides qualified individuals and all companies located on the prem-

ises special tax benefits including: live/work tax deductions, hiring credits, sales and work opportunity tax credits, utility cost savings, and expense and interest deductions. tenten wilshire, through its green standards, a coming major expansion, and keen focus on inspiring, promoting and helping entrepreneurialism, hopes to be the catalyst for 16,000-plus longterm jobs for los angeles. located within walking distance of the center of Downtown, tenten wilshire is an ideal place for meeting people and networking, providing guests and residents an unparalleled professional and social environment. tenten wilshire, together with its sister communities of Plug and Play technology Center and Hollywood Production Center, are home to more than 600 technology and entertainment entrepreneurs, startups and companies. tenten wilshire is dedicated to fostering community growth amongst its residents through constant contact and the sharing of resources. with key multi-industry relationships including access to more than 150 venture capital firms, and additional relationships with major corporations, entrepreneurs and startups at tenten wilshire are provided a direct bridge to numerous resources including: n operations (legal, accounting, PR, Banking, etc.) n technology (Microsoft Bizspark, sun startup essentials, etc.) n entertainment (CBs, 20th Century Fox, Bet, BBC, Merv Griffin entertainment, etc.)

Buy, Sell or Lease

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Downtown since 2002

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213.598.7555 TheLoftExpertGroup.com

More Fun, Fewer Worries Hollenbeck Palms Offers an Eight-Acre Oasis With Majestic Views of Downtown

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ge is just a number, right? at Hollenbeck Palms, having fun, enjoying life and being young at heart are just a few ways residents like to spend their days. the eight-acre, park-like campus offers majestic views of Downtown los angeles. as a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS skilled nursing all in one location. For 123 years, Hollenbeck Palms has served the senior Continued on page 25

Urban Living With Resort-Style Amenities Beckons in Koreatown

i

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

VOTED BEST DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT! 2010 / 2011

Community), Hollenbeck provides quality independent and assisted living with 24-hour

Rise to the Top at The View n the heart of l.a.’s thriving Koreatown, the View lives up to its name, boasting panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills and the Downtown and westside l.a. skylines. living at the View is a fulltime vacation. Resort-style living abounds while residents lounge by a gorgeous pool with a private sundeck; enjoy the outdoor patio with a natural gas barbecue grill and fire pit. work up a sweat in the state-of-the-art fitness center complete with hardwood floors, or take a break in the

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n Business Development (M&a, investing, licensing) n Corporate Partnership opportunities (Google, Cisco, Best Buy, Yahoo!, ebay, etc.)

At 1010 Wilshire Blvd.

For more information call (213) 785-5100 or visit 1010wilshire.com.

spacious resident lounge with pool table, flat screen tV, kitchenette and common area wi-Fi. Dry cleaning services, package acceptance and controlled building access with closed-circuit video monitoring offer convenience and peace of mind. like the best resorts, the View is also pet-friendly. the studio, one- and two-bedroom residences are sleek and modern, yet comfortable and inviting. the kitchens are outfitted with high-quality fixtures and finishes including imported italian tile, stainless steel appliances, Caesarstone countertops and european-style cabinetry. the living and dining area floors boast sleek hardwood, while the bedrooms feature plush carpeting. life gets a little easier at the View with a high-efficiency, stacked washer and dryer in each unit. the View offers urban living at its best. Just a couple of blocks away from the wilshire/ normandie Metro Purple line station, a ride to Downtown l.a.’s Union station is a quick 20 minutes. Koreatown is the most walkable

neighborhood in l.a., with a walk score of 94. there are more than 1,000 restaurants, bars and clubs in the area, making it a truly vibrant 24/7 neighborhood. sporting events and entertainment are conveniently nearby at the l.a. live entertainment complex and the staples Center. For those who prefer to drive, the View is just minutes from the 110, 10, 101 and 5 freeways.

Koreatown is a mecca for education and employment opportunities. the View is near the Robert F. Kennedy Community schools, a $578 million public school complex that also houses the Coconut Grove theater, the Paul schrade library, and two murals by world-famous artist Judith Baca. the Fashion institute of Design & Merchandising (FiDM), the University of southern California (UsC), and los angeles City College are all in the neighborhood. in addition, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Paramount Pictures, City Hall, Deloitte and touche llP, and Farmers insurance Group are all within three miles of the View. the View’s 14 stories of luxury residences offer the best of urban living. live easy. live lavish. live the View.

For more information visit theviewla.com.

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 23

Downtown Residential

COOPER, 20 Cooper’s fervor for Downtown is recognized by his involvement with the development of Downtown’s real estate as well as its communities. He teamed up early on with local movers and shakers, forging longterm relationships with the best in the community.

He helped found, organize and currently leads the Downtown Real Estate Association as its president.

Cooper is also passionate about preserving and creating green space in Downtown and has worked with several park projects. He currently serves as treasurer of the Pershing Square Park Advisory Board.

At The Loft Expert! Group, Cooper has endeavored to learn everything he can about all of Downtown’s lofts and condo residences and share his insights with his clients, whether they are purchasing or selling, first-time buying or looking for a second home.

His passion for service, knowledge of the marketplace, and understanding of what it takes to complete any transaction with the least amount of problems is matchless in Downtown.

Here are what a few of his clients have written about their experiences with Cooper this past year: ■ “I highly recommend Bill. He knows the area, he’s responsive and a true professional.”

■ “We are so happy. And you have done an amazing job, so thank you Bill. We couldn’t have done it without your expertise” ■ “Bill is extremely knowledgeable about Downtown L.A. and was always professional, available and timely.

Because of our inexperience in the L.A. market, Bill was invaluable in all aspects of the process: from the offer, to the inspection, to securing the loan on time and arranging move in. We truly believe Bill has helped us find the perfect spot for our lives in L.A.” For more information call (213) 598-7555 or visit yoursource4lofts.com.

The Credit Union Difference How to Become a Member-Owner and Reap the Benefits

F

ar from the homespun, basic-banking image held in the past, today’s credit unions are often sophisticated, fullservice financial institutions, offering everything from credit cards to investment services and home mortgages. And Water and Power Community Credit Union’s (WPCCU) branch on Sunset

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS at Beaudry in Downtown Los Angeles is no exception, offering everything a member might need. Plus there’s lots of free parking.

You might ask what the difference is between a credit union and a bank. Unlike banks, credit unions are member-owned and have volunteer board members instead of a paid board of directors, who focus on making members’ financial lives better. Like WPCCU, many credit unions offer free, confidential credit counseling to members who may find themselves trapped and overburdened by debt and late payments, or who may just want to get on a better financial path.

WPCCU is linked to the Co-Op Network of ATMs and shared branches, providing fee-free withdrawals at 25,000 ATMs and account access through thousands of credit union branches nationwide. At these “shared branches” you can access your account with just three things: your government issued picture ID, your account number and the name of your credit union. There you can perform the following services free of fees: ■ Make deposits ■ Request a cash loan advance ■ Make a loan payment by check ■ Transfer money within your credit union accounts ■ Check balances ■ Get your recent account history showing your last 10 transactions You must be a member to use the services of a credit union.

GUARANTEED ON�TIME CLOSING. Receive our on-time closing guarantee on purchase transactions—we will close in as little as 25 days or your first payment is on us1 Benefit from nearly 150 years of lending experience in California Enjoy personal, professional service Los Angeles Main Office Robin Vahoviak NMLS ID #765375 VP & Branch Manager 213�236�7711

Little Tokyo Office Paul Abe NMLS ID #765511 VP & Branch Manager 213�927�5526

California Mart Office Yus Samudro NMLS ID #723566 VP & Branch Manager 213�312�4681

Loans subject to credit and collateral approval. Financing available for collateral located in CA, OR, or WA. Restrictions apply. Terms and conditions subject to change.

1 On-time closing guarantee available only on completed purchase money loan applications received by Union Bank by 8/31/2014, on loan amounts up to the lesser of $4 million or the maximum allowed for the loan program selected. Interest rate must be locked at least 10 business days prior to the set closing date. Specific terms and conditions apply. Visit unionbank.com/closingterms to obtain a copy.

©2014 Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Visit us at unionbank.com

Credit unions operate under a state or federal charter as a member-owned, not-for-profit organization, meaning that they take their revenue and return it to their members in the form of higher savings rates, lower loan rates and reduced or eliminated service fees. To join WPCCU you need only to live, work, attend church or a post-secondary school in Los Angeles. As a resident or employee of a company located in Downtown L.A., you’re in.

The Water and Power Community Credit Union was formed in 1936 by 10 members of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Today WPCCU has more than 36,000 members, and serves employees of DWP and more that 60 other companies, as well as the members of the communities surrounding its six branches.

For more information about membership call (800) 300-9728, or visit WPCCU at wpcu.org.

24 Downtown News

Downtown ResiDential

February 24, 2014

Cultural Connection The Towers Deliver a Rich Downtown Experience ElEgant. ModErn. luxurious.

D

owntown los angeles: Here, the living experience goes unmatched anywhere in the west. it’s a lifestyle richly embellished with art, music and the cultural events that make headlines. Downtown breeds success, housing prominent firms in impressive architectural sculptures

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

THE VIEW IS HIGH RISE LIVING THAT IS UNPARALLELED TO ANY OTHER, WITH SOMETHING TO FIT EVERYONE’S NEEDS. Come explore our well appointed studio, one bedroom & two bedroom residences.

INTERIOR AMENITIES:

BUILDING AMENITIES:

• Imported Italian Tile • Stainless Steel Appliances • European Style Cabinetry • Caesarstone Granite Countertops • Hardwood Flooring • Carpeted Bedrooms • LG Washer and Dryer • Private Balconies * • City Views *Select Units

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEXT TO:

FIDM • LA Live • USC Aroma Wilshire Center Wilshire Normandie Metro Station Koreatown Youth & Community Center

• Picturesque Desert Landscaping • Secured Access & Video Monitoring • Resort-style Pool & Private Sundeck • State-of-the-art Fitness Center • Natural Gas BBQ Grill & Outdoor Lounge Area • Wi-Fi in Common Areas • Resident Lounge complete with Billiard Table, Flat Screen T.V. & Kitchenette • Onsite Management • Subterranean parking • Dry Cleaning Services • Package Acceptance & Delivery

THIS IS KOREATOWN REDEFINED, COME CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AT THE VIEW.

composed of glass, steel and stone. Yet historical elements of yesterday also remain — artifacts of this city’s rich past.

From the faithful climb of the renowned cars of angels Flight to the fantastic urban spectacle of California Plaza, daily life in the towers’ neighborhood remains unsurpassed. extraordinary fountains, garden alcove retreats, gourmet dining and first-run entertainment provide the perfect setting for a lifetime of enjoyment. Downtown holds all the essentials to fulfill the most demanding lifestyles.

During the day, you are moments from the business district, minimizing or even eliminating a commute. evenings become immersed in a flood of nightlife, movies and culture beneath the brilliant lights of the city. Day and night, the towers place residents among all the excitement Downtown offers.

Promenade towers greets guests via a two-story lobby embellished with a tranquil indoor waterscape. Four impressive towers embrace a breathtaking pool, spa and fitness center in an oasis of flowing fountains and immaculate landscaping — a true departure from the ordinary.

Promenade towers’ individual design includes apartments with balconies, contemporary solariums and angular rooms as exciting as the property’s unique exterior styling.

Grand tower’s sensuous granite exterior distinguishes this landmark development as the address that reflects success. the 24-hour manned lobby provides impressive passage to spacious apartment homes with balconies and a rooftop pool, spa and fitness center with beautiful mountain and city views. adjacent to the renowned California Plaza, entertainment can be found virtually at your doorstep.

Museum tower neighbors the beautiful Museum of Contemporary art. this fine collection of apartment homes features expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. exhibit your most precious belongings amidst the outstanding backdrop of the city skyline. a controlled access lobby, pool, spa and fitness center provide the upscale amenities Downtown residents desire.

Double Assurance of Quality: For more than 50 years,

shapell industries and Goldrich & Kest industries have established themselves among america’s most successful and most honored residential developers. today, their nationwide reputation for providing exceptional housing is earned through a consistent dedication to quality craftsmanship and design. as a result, many of their joint ventures have been cited as model developments. Marina Park in san Diego, town square in santa ana and the Promenade and Promenade west in the Bunker Hill district of los angeles have all achieved unparalleled success in these prominent urban centers. together, they bring to the towers apartments a vast combination of experience, talent and integrity. each has proven its dedication for a total of more than 90 years. it is that strong combination of experience, innovation and commitment to quality that makes shapell industries and Goldrich & Kest industries a team you can rely on for excellence.

For leasing information at the Promenade Towers, 123 S. Figueroa St., call (213) 617-3777. For leasing information at the Grand Tower, 255 S. Grand Ave., call (213) 229-9777. For leasing information at the Museum Tower, 225 S. Olive St., call (213) 626-1500, or visit TowersApartmentsLA.com.

A Team Effort Keller Williams’ Downtown Office Sets Its Sights on Growth

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eller williams international Realty, based in austin, texas, recently awarded the Downtown los angeles territory to owners Kathy neal, Roberto seixas and alex lombardo. although recently awarded the new franchise, Keller williams Dtla has been a member of the Downtown community for

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

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3460 W. 7tH st los angElEs, Ca 90005

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several years. KwDtla is an active member of Central City association (CCa) and is highly invested in its residential and commercial growth Downtown. Currently at 45 agents, KwDtla is the largest residential office in Downtown.

KwDtla is proud to announce that Kelley Christine has been brought on to lead the team as broker/manager. Christine has had a leadership role in the local industry for many years and KwDtla is excited that she is sharing her knowledge and skills for growing their office.

KwDtla is currently working on securing more than 6,500 square feet of additional office space, as well as maintaining their current location at 600 w. ninth st., located directly across from Ralph’s in south Park. KwDtla is proud to service this wonderful, vibrant community and looks forward to many years of

success together.

For more information about KWDTLA call (213) 221-7579 or visit kwdtla.com.

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 25

Downtown ResiDential

HOLLENBECK, 22 community in the greater l.a. area providing top-notch amenities and accommodations. studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments featuring full kitchens, washer/dryer hookups, balconies and patios are available with those amazing views of los angeles.

Full dining services are available in Hollenbeck’s Grand Dining Room and the new skyline Bistro serving three mouthwatering meals a day. staying busy at Hollenbeck Palms is easy to do with numerous activities at the resort-like property including an exercise and fitness gym, billiards room, sports lounge, putting green, art studio, ice cream parlor and game room, just to name a few. Dedicated wellness programs take place daily to support residents in their pursuit of an active independent lifestyle. strength and motion training, aero-

bics, tai chi and line dancing are daily events, not to mention monthly special events featuring guest speakers and Broadway themed shows.

Hollenbeck takes great care in helping its residents take on each day. oncampus wellness clinics are offered ranging from hearing, podiatry and dental clinics to regular blood pressure screenings. looking for a ride? Hollenbeck provides transportation to doctor appointments and shopping. several entry plans are available to fit your financial needs. Representatives are available to discuss any questions and will be happy to offer a complimentary lunch and tour. Hollenbeck is offering up to $5,000 toward moving costs if you call today. Moving costs reimbursement priced according to units available.

Hollenbeck Palms is at 573 Boyle Ave. To set up an appointment call (323) 307-4522 or visit hollenbeckpalms.com.

From Dream to Reality Union Bank Makes Owning a First Home More Affordable and Accessible

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rom finding a real estate agent, to locating that perfect home, to learning about down payment assistance programs, homeownership can be in your future.

When you’re ready to start your search: with today’s technology, you have access to some of the same search tools that real estate agents use in identifying homes that are available for sale. one of the most commonly used real estate search engines is Realtor.com. on this site, you can search for properties based on your criteria such as property value and location.

For most first-time homebuyers, the time will come when you will want to work with a real estate agent to guide you along the way. it is important that you select the real estate agent who is right for you. the agent you choose should be someone who understands your needs as a homebuyer, can work within your budget parameters, and is well informed on the neighborhoods you wish to consider. Your agent should also be a skilled negotiator, because when the time comes, he or she will need to negotiate not only the price of the home but the terms of the purchase as well.

Good news for first-time homebuyers: Coming up with the entire down payment for a home is often the biggest hurdle that first-time homebuyers must overcome. the good news is there are down payment assistance programs available. You may qualify to receive financial assistance for a down payment or closing costs if you meet specific requirements outlined by each organization that offers them. the economic opportunity Mortgage (eoM) program is a home loan program available through Union Bank. the program is designed for first-time homebuyers with low-to-moderate incomes. two of the eoM Program features are: (1) a 5% down payment require-

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$TOP

ment, which can come from a down payment assistance program; and (2) no private mortgage insurance required, which can save you up to several hundred dollars each month. to learn more about eoM Program eligibility requirements and eoM loans, visit unionbank.com/eoM. For many of us, buying a home is the largest investment we will make in our lives. in order to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible, it is important that you take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for that commitment. there are many resources available to help.

For more information contact Robin Vahoviak NMLSR #765375, vice president and branch manager of the Union Bank Los Angeles Main Office, at (213) 236-7711.

K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y You’re special... that’s why you’re Downtown!

PAYING HIGH INTEREST

We’ll give you a FREE, $50 Home Depot gift card when your loan closes!*

HOME IS WHERE THE ANSWER IS. Why access the extra cash you need using high interest credit cards? Talk to us about a Home Equity Line of Credit. Our rates are rock bottom, our approvals are fast. How you use the cash is entirely up to you!

• Introductory Rate as low as 2.5% APR!** • Home Equity Lines of Credit up to $100,000!** • Low, low, low monthly payment!

• • • •

No closing costs.

No prepayment penalty.

Appraisal fee rebate at loan funding.

Annual fee waived the first year.**

WPCCU offers a variety of home loan options including

LINES OF CREDIT • REFINANCING • FIXED ADJUSTABLE • JUMBO • FHA • VA

800-300-9728

1053 Sunset Blvd. at Beaudry

(One block above Sunset and Figueroa)

wpcu.org/loans Lots of free parking!

213 . 221 . 7579

www.kwDTLA.com

Federally Insured by NCUA. * Water and Power Community Credit Union is not affiliated with The Home Depot®. The Home Depot® is a registered trademark of Homer TLC,Inc. Applications must be received by April 30, 2014. The $50 Home Depot gift card will be given to qualified members at loan funding. ** All loans subject to credit approval. Promotional rate of 2.5% APR for first 6 months; and 4.75% APR after the promotional period ends. Rates may vary based on Wall Street Prime rate. Maximum Loan $100,000 and/or 75% LTV/CLTV. Owner-occupied primary residence only. Annual $50 fee waived for first year.

Membership in the credit union requires a minimum $25 deposit into the members’ primary savings account. The one-time $5 membership fee is waived for new members with this ad. Full details available at your local branch.

600 W. 9th St. DOWNTOWN LA Conveniently located across from Ralphs

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

26 Downtown News

The 2014

Downtowners of

A rt s Di s t r i c t

Urban Radish

Honoring Nine Key Downtown Projects and People

By Jon Regardie o understand how far Downtown Los Angeles has come since the turn of the millennium, consider the type of projects that are opening in the area. A decade ago, the new arrivals were primarily housing complexes, and even five years back the vast majority of debuts were places to live or restaurants and bars.

Those projects helped make Downtown the dynamic community it is in 2014. However, those efforts also laid the groundwork for an increasingly diverse slate of arrivals. That is evidenced in this year’s Downtowners of Distinction award recipients: There’s a housing complex in the list of honorees, but also a bowling alley. We recognize an office building renovation, along with a new charter elementary school.

In the following pages, Los Angeles Downtown News runs down the winners of our 13th annual awards. The Downtowners of Distinction prizes were created to recognize the individuals, groups and companies that created

T

photos by Gary Leonard

Distinction

Awards

February 24, 2014

projects that not only put them in the black, but at the same time made their community and the whole of the Central City a better place.

The eight district winners were selected by the editorial staff of Downtown News, and the awards will be handed out Tuesday, Feb. 25 (prizes were not given in every Downtown district). Next week the Project of the Year, selected from the individual winners by leaders from each district, will be announced.

This year’s Downtowners of Distinction includes a new prize: The inaugural Downtown Visionary Award goes to former City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who in her 12 years representing the Ninth District oversaw an unprecedented transformation of the community.

The work she did on everything from housing complexes to parks to huge mixed-use developments forever changed Downtown for the better.

Following, in alphabetical order by district, are this year’s Downtowners of Distinction winners.

A

t 8,200 square feet, Urban Radish is on the small side for a supermarket. Still, the business that opened last July at 660 Mateo St. is an outstanding addition to the Arts District, and no one is sniffing about the size. The upscale market created by Carolyn Paxton and Keri Aivazis gives residents and workers in the increasingly busy community a local destination at which to grab groceries — no

longer is there a need to climb into the car to buy a gallon of milk, some produce or a bottle of wine. The light, airy establishment also has a butcher and one of the best cheese selections in Downtown Los Angeles. The sunny patio that seats 30 is perfect for anyone who orders a sandwich at the to-go counter. It’s hard to think of a more important addition to the neighborhood.

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS TRANSITIONAL K - 3RD GRADE Free, Parent-Initiated Elementary School in the Downtown Historic Core Rigorous and Innovative Project-Based Learning Full Day Kindergarten 8:30-3:30pm Comprehensive After-School Enrichment Program Free Breakfast and Lunch For All Students

of Distinction Winner for S s r e n w outh nto w o Pa D 4 rk 1 0 2

320 W. 15th Street, Suite 143, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Phone: (213) 377-5708 • Fax: (213) 985-7313

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 27

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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28 Downtown News

Central City east

February 24, 2014

City West

1111 Wilshire photos by Gary Leonard

photos by Gary Leonard

Ninth Street Elementary School Renovation

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or decades, kids at Ninth Street Elementary School attended classes in worn portable bungalows, and the 450-student facility at 820 Towne Ave. had neither a library nor an auditorium. A $54 million renovation undertaken by the Los Angeles Unified School District has changed everything. The revamped school opened last August, providing area children the learning environment that families in more affluent neighborhoods take for granted. There are now 33

classrooms with 78,000 square feet of stateof-the-art educational space (the campus also houses a 405-seat charter middle school run by Para Los Niños), as well as an auditorium with a stage, two dance studios and a 7,000-book library. There is also a large outdoor area with six basketball hoops, along with tetherball and foursquare courts. The transformation has reminded Downtowners that Ninth Street School exists and deserves widespread support.

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he $60 million 1111 Wilshire is important not only for what it is, but for when it arrived. The colorful seven-story edifice with 210 apartments opened last spring and continues the steady evolution of the stretch of Wilshire Boulevard just west of the heart of Downtown.

Developer the Holland Partner Group was one of the first to recognize the potential of City West, opening the 201-unit GLO apartments in 2007. The new building brings hundreds more

people to the area, creating street life and customers for the increasing number of restaurants and stores. The building features amenities including a two-level gym, an outdoor courtyard and a 24-seat screening room. Perhaps the best part of Holland Partner’s belief in the community is that it is ongoing: The developer is planning another $125 million project with 600 apartments on the same block as 1111 Wilshire.

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Civic Center

Financial District

photo by Javier Guillen

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by John McCoy

photo by Javier Guillen

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Grand Park’s Powerful Programming

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photo by Javier Guillen

rand Park has been one of Downtown’s most popular attractions since opening in the summer of 2012. Last year things only got better, thanks to a thriving entertainment lineup. The 12-acre park run by the Music Center delivers some of the most exciting entertainment in Downtown, and all of it is free.

Standout events at the $56 million park during the past year have included Grand Park’s Got

photo by John McCoy

Moves, a series of lunchtime dance shows for local workers, a lineup of summer activities for kids at the splashy Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain, and Exxopolis, an insta-classic giant inflatable structure that also featured a lineup of international musicians — people waited literally hours to wander through it. The only problem is the future: In its first full year, Grand Park has set the programming bar incredibly high.

I

n April 2012, the nascent real estate firm Rising Realty Partners acquired its first property, paying $60 million for the faded Pacific Center across from Pershing Square. Now, the 460,000-square-foot, three-building complex at 523 W. Sixth St. has enjoyed a marvelous revival. Longtime Downtown player Nelson Rising and his son and business partner Christopher made a shrewd decision to renovate and market the property as “creative” office space,

photo by Gary Leonard

angling for businesses that don’t require a traditional white-collar set-up. Already companies such as clothing behemoth Nasty Gal have expanded their footprint, and the renamed PacMutual complex will feature an outdoor pocket park with patio dining for the restaurants Le Pain Quotidien and Tender Greens. With the project, the Risings have proved that a centuryold office edifice can be a key part of Downtown’s future.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

30 Downtown News

Historic core

February 24, 2014

L i t t L e tokyo photos by Gary Leonard

X Lanes

photos by Gary Leonard

Spring Street Park

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he already vibrant Historic Core became even more attractive on the June day that the Spring Street Park opened. The $8 million space on Spring between Fourth and Fifth streets was an immediate hit, and families with children now regularly flock to the .7acre space so the little ones can cavort on the playground equipment. It is even more popular with Downtown dog owners, who suddenly

have a place where they let Fido run free (even if doing so is against park rules). The park, which is being run by the City Department of Recreation & Parks, is an urban oasis, a space with a small lawn and plenty of benches where you can eat lunch, meet up with friends or just escape the bustle of the Central City. Suddenly, it’s hard to remember the days when the site was just another parking lot.

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here is new life in the Little Tokyo Galleria.

While the bland gray façade remains, it now has youthful energy, thanks to X Lanes. The $6 million destination featuring 24 high-tech bowling lanes opened last summer on the third floor of the complex. X Lanes, which can hold up to 1,300 people, shimmers, bustles and shines,

thanks to the 3,000 LED lights. In addition to bowling, there is a cacophonous 100-game video arcade, a billiards room and a large bar and restaurant with big-screen TVs. The net result is that the 28-year-old mall at 333 S. Alameda St. suddenly feels lively, and people now are flocking to the shopping center and Little Tokyo.

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midst the Downtown residential revolution, there used to be one serious shortfall: The community lacked a quality elementary school where loft dwellers would be comfortable sending their children. That problem has been resolved thanks to Metro Charter Elementary School. Sparked by a handful of South Park parents who met up for play dates with their toddlers, and nurtured into life through thousands of volun-

teer hours over two years, the school opened in a temporary 12,000-square-foot space at 1400 S. Grand Ave. in September.

Now, more than 100 families with kindergarten through second-grade children have a school close to their homes. In an instant the Downtown education scene changed, and in future years Metro Charter will expand, eventually holding up to 500 eager learners and going up through fifth grade.

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rom the New Carver Apartments to L.A. Live, from the Spring Street Park to the Downtown Women’s Center, if a project moved forward in Downtown during the past decade, then Jan Perry likely helped it along.

Perry represented the Ninth District, and most of Downtown, on the Los Angeles City Council from 2001 to 2013. That time frame coincided with the community’s residential, restaurant and cultural boom, and Perry was widely and deservedly praised for her ability to shepherd projects to the finish line while also ensuring that the area benefitted as a whole. She understood how a

Mack Urban Plan Envisions More ‘Park’ In South Park

By Eddie Kim ack Urban, a newly formed development group composed of real-estate heavyweights including Downtown-based Urban Partners, announced in October that it had purchased six acres of land in South Park for more than $80 million.

The developer has now submitted plans to the Department of City Planning for the first phase of development. The proposal features four buildings — three housing complexes and a hotel — surrounded by green space that will eventually connect six different parcels.

A residential tower with ground-floor retail and a hotel tower would rise on adjacent sites bordered by Grand Avenue and Twelfth and Olive streets, according to Mack Urban officials.

Two more residential buildings are slated for adjacent sites bordered by Pico Boulevard and Olive and Hill streets. Those structures would have ground-floor retail and office space, and initial plans call for both rental and condominium units.

“The project design features iconic architecture centered

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CLUStER tOMAtOES market-rate housing project would activate the streets of a burgeoning neighborhood, and pushed just as hard to ensure that the community received high-quality low-income developments. It’s no wonder that Perry, now the general manager of the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, was equally praised by business interests, area residents, community groups and homeless advocates.

Perry’s vast body of work that made the community a better place has earned her the Los Angeles Downtown News’ inaugural Downtown Visionary Award. There is no one more fitting.

around tall slender buildings, providing for the continued evolution of the surrounding neighborhood and investment into Downtown Los Angeles,” said Mack Urban CEO Paul Keller in a prepared statement. “One fundamental design goal is to put the park back in South Park and begin transforming an inactive stretch of asphalt into an active, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of pathways and streets lined with shops and restaurants.”

The project is being designed by prominent Downtown architecture firm AC Martin.

The estimated $750 million venture is the first in South Park to put a heavy emphasis on green space. Mack Urban officials said the plan will include walkways and other features designed to foster pedestrian engagement.

“By carefully choreographing the tenants’ journey through ground-level open space, outdoor cafes, arcades, paseos, and secret gardens, the urban experience is elevated to one of delight and engagement,” David C. Martin, a design principal at AC Martin, said in the statement.

Mack Urban is partnering with AECOM Capital, the investment fund of Los Angeles-based AECOM Technology Corp., on the project.

If the city approval process goes smoothly, construction on the first phase could begin by the end of the year. If the current timeline holds, the final phase of construction could be completed by 2024. eddie@downtownnews.com

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WILSHIRE GRAND, 5 tapped to help the building withstand the most extreme wind and seismic events (the other is Thornton Tomasetti). The outrigger columns are linked to the core wall at three elevations with devices known as BRBs, or buckling restrained braced frames. The diagonal braces actually absorb energy.

“They’re like shock absorbers in a dynamic, seismic event,” Martin said.

Studies show that there are 29 major faults considered seismically active within 50 miles of the building, Nieblas said. The closest, the Upper Elysian Park Thrust, is just 0.2 miles away and is believed to be capable of causing a magnitude 6.4 temblor. An earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, located 46 miles away, could

reach magnitude 7.5, he said.

Riding the Wave The new tower is being designed in accordance with earthquake performance level standards laid out by the LA Tall Buildings Structural Design Council. The guidelines are used by the city Department of Building and Safety.

The work occurs along with advances in seismic technology. Improvements in the field of structural engineering continue to progress, said expert Nabih Youssef of Nabih Youssef Associates, with tall buildings in general benefitting from systems that have been designed to replicate and plan for ground shaking.

That shaking represents earthquake energy that needs to be dissipated without compromising or destroying the building. Youssef, whose Downtown firm has worked on projects includ-

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ing the 54-story J.W. Marriott/Ritz-Carlton, Dodger Stadium and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, noted that as the ground moves left and right and back and forth, today’s skyscrapers don’t resist earthquakes as much as they bend with them. That disburses the energy, he said.

He compared the landlocked buildings to movements in the ocean, saying modern structures are designed so they don’t lock up from the vibrations of a large earthquake.

“Like surfers, they don’t fight the wave, they

ride the wave,” he said.

That figures right into the Wilshire Grand design. Martin pointed to a situation where intense Santa Ana winds whip into Southern California at the same time as a massive earthquake strikes. The 73-story Downtown tower, he said, would essentially go with the flow.

Though such an occurrence seems unlikely, Martin said, “the most extreme conditions are what we designed it for.” donna@downtownnews.com

A Record-Breaking Pour Performance New Wilshire Grand Gets Into the Guinness Book

By Donna Evans he Wilshire Grand hotel will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it opens in 2017. For now, it has another claim to fame: It is the site of the largest-ever continuous concrete pour.

Korean Air’s $1 billion project at the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets achieved those bragging rights on Sunday, Feb. 16, when Guinness World Records staff confirmed that it had surpassed the previous record pour set in 1999 by the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The Downtown Los Angeles pour began Saturday and over 18 hours the site took in more than 2,100 truckloads with 21,200 cubic yards of concrete weighing 82 million pounds — the weight of 250 blue whales — to form the building’s foundation.

The Venetian poured 21,000 cubic yards.

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The concrete, from the Conco and CalPortland companies, will continue to cool for another week with the help of 60 tons of chillers, six chilled water pumps and two 20,000-gallon storage tanks.

The 73-story structure will include 900 four-star hotel rooms, restaurants, shops and 400,000 square feet of office space. It is being designed by Downtown architecture firm AC Martin. Turner Construction is the general contractor.

At the start of the pour, Korean Air Chairman Y.H. Cho put the building in more than Guinness World Record terms.

“This development is more than bricks and mortar,” said Cho. “Today we are setting the foundation for the future and a dramatic new Downtown skyline.” donna@downtownnews.com

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Worldwide Acclaimed Shen Yun Dance Spectacular Returns to Downtown Los Angeles

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he Shen Yun 2014 World Tour returns to Downtown Los Angeles March 22-23, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, just a stone’s throw from Chinatown. This spectacular dance and music performance brings back 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture that were nearly lost and features some of the world’s most talented dancers trained in classical Chinese dance.

During Shen Yun performances, audiences are taken on a transformational journey through ancient legends, modern heroic tales and stories set in heavenly realms, sharing messages of enlightenment and high values. Dancers who perform stunning aerials and leaps are dressed in richly colored traditional costumes and accompanied by animated interactive backdrops, which add a modern edge to the performance, and a live orchestra.

At the heart of the show are dancers trained in classical Chinese dance, demonstrating the expressiveness that is at the heart of the dance form, which places a high value on meaning and expression. Classical Chinese dance has its own training in basic skills, postures, leaps, spins and tumbling techniques, forming an extensive and independent dance system, considered to be one of the most rigorous dance forms in the world.

Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett says, “[Shen Yun is] exquisitely beautiful…an extraordinary experience for us and the children.

The level of skill, but also the power of the archetypes and the narratives were startling.”

The Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company, a nonprofit organization based in New York that runs independently of the Chinese regime, is committed to sharing the sophisticated artistry

and values that are part of the Chinese heritage, with people of all cultures. They have created Shen Yun, which translates to “divine beauty or grace,” to share their expansive history and culture with a life-changing performance for audiences of all ages.

Internationally renowned fashion designer Donna Karan says of Shen Yun, “What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it. It was inspirational and educational, a performance that I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.”

Other celebrities who have praised Shen Yun include Joy Behar, Drew Carey and Robert Stromberg, the Academy Award-winning production designer for Avatar, along with millions of other audience members.

Shen Yun is performing Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 23 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles.

To purchase tickets, visit www.LAspectacular.com.

February 24, 2014

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CALENDAR

A TrojAn WAr ExpErimEnT Cutting-edge Theater Company The Wooster Group Brings a Shakespeare Twist to REDCAT

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By Eddie Kim ince its formation in 1975, New York Citybased theater company The Wooster Group has continually won critical acclaim, both and S for its experimental writingom E-NEW s.c New at Downtownof SIGN UP staging andSig then up performances the cast.

Its longevity as one of the country’s top theater troupes has Up much do with talent, but it Sign fortoOur E-News Blasts & Now Playing/Starts Feb 7 goes beyond that, as 27-year company veteran Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets!

Scott Shepherd points out.

“The major difference with this group is time,” he said. “When we take on a script, everything can be questioned because we make the time to take wrong turns or be stubborn about certain things.”

Take, for instance, the development of Cry, Trojans!, which the company is world premiering at REDCAT on Feb. 27. The show runs through photos by Paula Court March 9.

New York’s acclaimed Wooster Group is coming Downtown to premiere Cry, Trojans!, a play adapted from Shakespeare’s Greeks-versus-Trojans tragedy Troilus and Cressida. The show runs Feb. The play is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s 27-March 9 at REDCAT. tragedy Troilus and Cressida, which follows thews nNe tow wn .Do /L.A com ok. ebo Facromance titular characters’ amid the war be“We see interest in their work from a variety isn’t naturalistic,” Murphy said. “They can get to had already begun exploring. tween the Trojans and Greeks. The Wooster Feb 12 of different realms,” Murphy said. “We know the essence of what the themesNow andPlaying/Starts ideas are A second puzzle was translating ShakeGroup twists story and its News themes, on placing it Likethe Downtown Facebook they have a good reputation and we know in a piece.” speare to a modern storytelling form. The comin the context early Native history. & BeofEntered to American Win Movie Tickets! they’ll also draw a new audience to REDCAT The hierarchy of the group is also different pany struggled to make the sophisticated text Most stage shows take about four weeks to that will be a part of other productions. That’s from standard theater companies. Director cast and rehearse, said Shepherd, and that time- sound natural, Shepherd said. A breakthrough something we’ve actually seen happen.”

Elizabeth LeCompte may be one of the group’s came when the company experimented with frame requires a strict schedule. Cry, Trojans!, More shows at REDCAT is just fine with Shepfounding members, but Shepherd acknowlaccents and decided to trade the Greek apmeanwhile, went through more than 12 weeks herd, who particularly enjoys the vibe inside edges that the rehearsal process remains both proach for an early American background. of initial development as The Wooster Group the venue in the back of Walt Disney Concert collaborative and, sometimes, volatile.

“We tried working with a Native American prepared for a collaborative performance with Hall. Still, he wasn’t always as confident as he is “The rehearsals are very raw, and Elizabeth speech pattern, and what had sounded cosmothe Royal Shakespeare Company at the 2012 today. He recalls the first show he performed at has the luxury, if you will, of not knowing exWorld Shakespeare Festival in London. Then the politan became simpler and stronger,” Shepactly where we’re heading,” Shepherd said. “The REDCAT: Poor Theater, a loose autobiography herd said. “References to honor, protecting the group returned to the United States and spent of The Wooster Group that ponders themes of piece develops from our experience together, land and things like that felt more genuine inanother 12 weeks adapting it further. throwing ideas and ingredients around. ” stead of literary and European.”

The almost freeform manner with which The Now Playing/Starts Febcreativity.

21 “We were about to go onstage, and I rememThat unorthodox approach pairs well at REDReal if not Naturalistic Wooster Group’s shows evolve is one of many E BILdefine the company. That’s not 67 ber turning to the other performers and whis8* CAT, and since Wooster Group’s debut here in The Wooster Group’s unique development traits MO that to CLUB Text DTNMOVIE to 55 pering, ‘We’re dead. This isn’t going to play in 2004, the company has nurtured a strong local process has become familiar to REDCAT Execusay the process always proceeds smoothly. Cry, following. While most theater and dance shows L.A.’” he recalled. “As it turned out, L.A. was our tive Our Director Mark Club Murphy, who has hosted the Trojans!, after all, faced several perplexing quesText DTNMOVIE to 55678 to Join Movie favorite audience.” at the venue play three or four times, The company’s six previous shows at the venue, tions in its development. and be Entered to Win Movie Tickets!

He’s optimistic that the success will be reprised Wooster Group often sticks around for two full most recently with Early Plays in 2013. While One was telling the story of Troilus and Cres*Carrier msg & data rates apply. Reply HELP for help. STOP to quit. 4 msgs/month max. with Cry, Trojans! The mutual affection between weeks, Murphy said. Cry, Trojans! will run for 10 avant-garde theater can seem inaccessible, sida without portraying the Greek characters. the REDCAT crowd and The Wooster Group was performances, including two Sunday matinees.

Murphy said The Wooster Group shines when it In the London version, actors from the Royal surprising the first time, Shepherd said.

That makes sense not only because of the fitransforms texts that otherwise feel “overly forShakespeare Company had played the Greek Nowadays? Not so much. nances — it’s not cheap to host the 20-plus actors mal and distant” to audiences not accustomed side, while the Wooster Group took on Trojan Cry, Trojans! runs Feb. 27-March 9 at REDCAT, and backstage personnel, and an extended run to classic literature. roles. The Wooster team didn’t want to play the 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

“They find a way to tell real stories about real helps recoup those costs — but because of the Greeks themselves and instead choose to foeddie@downtownnews.com cus on the Trojan characters’ stories, which they people even though the group’s theatrical style positive exposure the partnership gives REDCAT.

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February 24, 2014

Woof, There It Is South Park Quietly Gets a Dog Park

By Donna Evans hile unpacking boxes at the Ritz-Carlton Residences last week, Sue Davis faced the first challenge of her new urban life: Nellie needed a patch of grass. Right away.

The former La Cañada resident coaxed her nervous Golden Retriever into the elevator and walked the year-old pooch around concreteladen L.A. Live. She found a small artificial turf plot but ambled right past it when something far more attractive came into view: a new, fenced-in, landscaped dog park with benches and water fountains and separated run areas for small and large canines.

“This saved our lives,” Davis gushed on Wednesday morning as Nellie romped with the miniature Schanuzer rescues Alfie and Eva Marie, frequenters of the attraction for the last three months.

Anschutz Entertainment Group quietly opened the L.A. Live Dog Park in November. AEG spokesman Michael Roth said the company meant to hold a ribbon cutting and a grand opening event, but November bled into the holidays and then it was January and it just never happened. AEG folks disseminated some fliers about the quarter-acre amenity, but every time Roth drove or walked by, he saw more and more dogs and their owners hanging out in the park.

Neighbors have been finding the attraction — and each other — organically, he said, which showed Roth that AEG’s vision is working.

AEG turned an empty lot on the west end of L.A. Live into a dog park, with separate fenced-in runs for small and large pooches.

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photo by Gary Leonard

“We wanted to build a community and communities have dog parks, homes and restaurants,” he said, noting that the park was touted as an amenity to potential residents of the RitzCarlton condominiums back in 2010.

One of the park’s most frequent visitors is Ted Trent. The co-owner of both the Schnauzers’ and condo brokerage firm Loft Living LA has resided in the Central City for 17 years. The current South Park resident gave Davis tips for neighborhood walks and even places to grab a bite.

“Strangers with dogs talk to each other. Dogs facilitate community,” Davis said.

She’s not the only one to recognize that. A dog park opened at Fourth and Molino streets in the Arts District in 2010 and Grand Park has a small dog run. Every summer, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District hosts Dog Day Afternoon. The community event at

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Groundbreaking of the Metropolis Project.

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the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels generally draws about 2,000 living creatures, between canines and their human companions.

Easier Than Pasadena The park can be easy to miss in a car. It is alongside the 110 Freeway, separated by a bougainvillea-laced fence and landscaping, on L.A. Live Way, just west of the parking garage behind the Regal Cinemas. Not that it’s desolate: The park is patrolled by L.A. Live security officers, has surveillance cameras and offers an emergency call box. It is within walking distance of several South Park residential complexes, as well as the Vista Montoya condos on 12th Street, west of the freeway.

Other visitors last week were Brue Shin and Guava, a pug-beagle-bulldog mix. Until he discovered the dog park recently while out on a walk, the Vista Montoya resident had been driving to Pasadena to let Guava play outdoors.

Guava, sporting black sneaker socks, panted heavily near the fountain until Shin filled the bowl with water.

“This is great. I love that we can just walk to it,” he said.

Although Trent is not affiliated with AEG or the park, he has become the attraction’s most passionate champion. He built a website, southparkdogpark.com, to make sure people know about it.

Trent also created the South Park Dog Park Facebook page, which has already proved its neighborliness: A woman posted that she lost the USC collar belonging to her dog, Hunter.

Trent found it, posted the photo, returned the item and met another neighbor. So did the Schnauzers, Alfie and Eva Marie.

The L.A. Live Dog Park is at L.A. Live Way, south of Regal Cinemas, east of the 110 Freeway. donna@downtownnews.com

February 24, 2014

Downtown News 35

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews. com

EVENTS

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

Feb. 25: Cathlene Pineda.

Feb. 26: Matthew Stevens residency.

Feb. 27-28: Alan Ferber expanded ensemble.

March 1: Hands On’Semble.

March 2: Laila Bialy Trio.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Feb. 24, 8:30 p.m.: To Kris Bowers’ credit, winning the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Competition is a massive accomplishment.

Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m.: Brighton, England’s own Kins.

Feb. 26, 8:30 p.m.: Bottomless Pit will be making some indie rock for sad people.

Feb. 27, 9 p.m.: Xenia Rubinos’ multi-textured sonic experiments will introduce you to her favorite imaginary friend, Rosa from under the bridge.

Feb. 28, 9:30 p.m.: See if you can guess how the Haden Triplets know each other.

March 1, 9 p.m.: Funk You Very Much is a DJ night with a broad lineup of record spinners without all the pretense of our dear neighborhood electronica venue.

March 2, 8:30 p.m.: The only thing surprising about The Americans’ Los Angeles manufactured hodgepodge of folk and blues is that no one thought to use the band name “The Americans” before.

Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

March 1, 8 p.m.: Samba away the night at the 14th annual Brazilian Carnaval celebration. This year they’ll be getting people Continued on next page

N

obody likes talking about Alzheimer’s Disease. Nobody, that is, incredibly except Dr. Keith Black, the ir of the Neuroscience smart brain surgeon and cha Hospital. Black will Department at Cedars-Sinai os Angeles be on hand at a Town Hall-L 26, to .

Feb ay, luncheon on Wednesd ns of atio plic discuss the cognitive im a for ial ent the disease and the pot nt eve cure in our lifetime. The takes place at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel at noon.

Tickets are still available for those hoping to learn more about the mental condition . and the reasons for optimism 3) (21 At 506 S. Grand Ave., 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

photo by Chris Fanning

or everyone who has ever suffered through the doting whims of an overbearing mother pressuring you to find a suitable mate, East West Players’ latest play A Nice Indian Boy promises a refreshing take on the prospects of love in the 21st century. Centered on a pair of protective parents and their gay adopted son, the show at EWP’s David Henry Hwang Theatre in Little Tokyo opens Wednesday, Feb. 26. The play by Madhuri Shekar explores all sorts of things you probably aren’t expecting, including an Indian-Caucasian culture clash. Additional shows this week are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (Thurs day is pay-what-you-can night). A Nice Indian Boy runs through March 23. At 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org. photo courtesy Chinese American Museum

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

F

T

he historic buildings of El Pueblo will be awash with light on Saturday, March 1, as the 13th annual Lantern Festival takes place.

Sponsored by and centered at the Chinese American Museum and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the free event features live music, folk entertainment, food trucks and, of course, Chinese lanterns. The festival kicks off at noon and runs through 10 p.m., and the live music stage will be jamming after the sun sets. For those over 21, fun, debauchery and important lessons about alcohol tolerance will be available all day at the beer garden. At 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

W

hen Meet the Beatles!, the fabulous foursome’s first American release on Capitol Records, came out in 1964, it stayed atop the popular album chart for 11 weeks and helped launch the lads from Liverpool into the stratosphere. On Monday, Feb. 24, the Grammy Museum will play the original vinyl in mono sound for a listening audience. Once the music ends the lovefest continues, as a pair of Paul-John-George-Ringo experts will talk about the recording and answer whatever questions the presumably awestruck crowd will have. Please, no screaming teenage girls allowed. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

photo courtesy Grammy Museum

Thursday, February 27 Art Talk: Ron Athey at MOCA MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

7 p.m.: This shocking and sometimes grotesque performance artist will teach you the true meaning of discomfiture.

Mindshare L.A. Showcase Talks Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St. or mindshare.la.

7 p.m.: An ever-attentive audience narrowed last month’s competing speakers down to three voices who will again share their mystical perspectives in the hopes of being crowned champion. Contestants are creative designer Sarah Kang, hacker Samy Kamkar and Sabrina Williams of Home & Community fame.

Traveling the Silk Road Lecture Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763DINO or nhm.org.

6:30 p.m.: Terry McCarthy, President and CEO of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, will be lecturing on the Silk Road and Central Asia as they exist today. saTurday, March 1 Los Angeles Lantern Festival Chinese American Museum, 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

12 p.m.: Chinese lanterns are but the tip of this illuminated iceberg as live music, arts and crafts and performances congeal into a day-long celebration of local culture.

f you’ve been up to Grand Avenue lately, you’ve noticed that The Broad museum is coming along swimmingly.

In keeping with the forthcoming museum’s stated spirit of providing artistic stimuli to the masses, the Library Foundation and the Broad Art Foundation are partnering for an installment of the speaker series The Un-Private Collection. On Monday, Feb. 24, the gorgeous Orpheum Theatre will host artist Jeff Koons and filmmaker John Waters as they discuss their respective careers and mindsets. Ticket sales are long photo by Greg Gorman done, but a rush line will be open the night of the show to provide passes first-come first-served at 5 p.m. At 842 S. Broadway, (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. photo cour tesy Keith Black

Wednesday, February 26 Dr. Keith Black at Town Hall-LA Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6288141 or townhall-la.org.

11:30 a.m.: The brain surgeon and head of the Neuroscience Department at Cedars-Sinai Hospital will be discussing the prospects of an Alzheimer’s cure in our lifetime.

I

photo by Michael Lamont

Monday, February 24 The Un-Private Collection: Jeff Koons and John Waters Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:30 p.m.: Aloud teams with the Broad Art Foundation for a talk featuring the prominent artist and the equally prominent filmmaker. Don’t be surprised if things get a little bit salty.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

36 Downtown News

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The PresenT MeeTs The FuTure, ClassiCally sPeaking

I

t’s not often that you get to see the next generation of talented classical musicians play alongside today’s established players. It’s even less common to see such a performance for free. Youth Orchestra L.A. (YOLA), however, is teaming up with Venezuela’s Símon Bolívar Symphony Orchestra to put on a free show on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The common thread between the groups is conductor and Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, who created YOLA and is the music director of the Símon Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. Now you get it. The show begins at 6:30 p.m., and while tickets are free, attendees must reserve seats online.

At 555 W. Temple St. Reserve seats at laphil.com

photo by Nohely Oliveros

Continued from previous page jazzed for the 2014 World Cup with special instructions on how not to get robbed in a favela.

March 2, 7 p.m.: Continuing the veritable smorgasbord of world music this week is Armenia’s own singing sensation Hovhannes Shahbazyan.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

Feb. 24, 9 p.m.: You will know it’s Yonatan performing because he’ll be the one standing on stage.

Feb. 25, 10 p.m.: Boom Boom Boom and Bunny West, musical assassins and reigning champs of the Skidrokyo Tuesday Night hopscotch association.

Feb. 26, 10 p.m.: Orion Walsh plays second fiddle to no one except Alice Wallace.

Feb. 27, 10 p.m.: We’re not sure if Bluebird Bandits got their name from trafficking wild avian specimens on the black market or their proclivity for stealing bird seed.

Feb. 28, 9 p.m.: Closing out February are The Diamond Light and Trevor Menear.

March 1, 10 p.m.: Charlie Chan and the SOBs are reaping the benefits of a life lived in blues.

March 2, 10 p.m.: RT N’ the 44s encourage you to start the week off right by listening to honkytonk music, drinking too much and stumbling home through L.A.’s vaunted bong district.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

Feb. 28, 10 p.m.: Don Diablo.

March 1, 10 p.m.: Danny Tenaglia.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.: Listen to the seminal Meet the Beatles!

LP on mono vinyl and then have a chitchat with Beatles experts afterwards.

Ham and Eggs 433 W. Eighth St. or hamandeggstavern.com.

Feb. 24, 9 p.m.: Controlfreqs.

Feb. 27, 9 p.m.: Matt Jared.

Feb. 28, 9 p.m.: Heavy Pop. Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com.

Feb. 26: DJ Lady Pills.

Feb. 27: DJ Rob Ackroyd.

Feb. 28: Jack of All Tracks.

March 1: DJ Aaron Castle and DJ Morse Code.

Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.: Toni Braxton will be un-breaking hearts while SWV explores human nature at 94.7 The Wave’s Smooth Night Out. One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

Feb. 28, 10 p.m.: AK and Her Kalashnikovs.

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Orpheum Theatre 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

March 1-2, 8 p.m.: They’ll be lining up around the corner for the eminence of Pentatonix’s a capella assault.

Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

Feb. 25: Folks & Company.

Feb. 26: The Do-Its, Jada Wagonsomer and Plesitocine.

Feb. 27: Thursday Night Booty.

Feb. 28: The Stitches, Richmond Sluts, Black Mambas, Beerwolf and Roadside Bombs.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

Feb. 24: Grammy nominated Brandino will be bringing his bass and his friends.

Feb. 25: The Makers know if you’ve been naughty or nice and will gladly express their distaste or approval of your life in the form of intricate improvised jazz.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

Feb. 27: Thieves, Sissy Cobb and LA Fog. Feb. 28: Beach Party, The Flytraps, Batwings Catwings, Twin Steps and Colleen Green.

March 1: The Aquadolls, Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, Contrafang and Thee Commons.

FILM

gerous is trying to be to smuggling what Fast and Furious was to street racing.

Feb. 24, 1, 2:40 and 6:15 p.m., Feb. 25, 2, 5:15 and 7 p.m., Feb. 26, 1, 2:40, 6 and 7:45 p.m. and Feb. 27, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.: From Koyaanisqatsi director Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass comes a further existential exploration of stark, stunning, strange humanity. We call it Visitors.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt.

Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through February 27: 3 Days to Kill (1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:20 p.m.); Pompeii (4 and 9:50 p.m.); Pompeii 3D (1, 1:40, 4:40, 7, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); About Last Night (12, 1:50, 2:30, 4:30, 5:10, 7:10, 7:50, 9:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Endless Love (1:40, 4:20, 7:10 and 10:10 p.m.); Winter’s Tale (1:10, 4:10, 7:20 and 10:10 p.m.); RoboCop (12:40, 3:50, 6:50 and 10 p.m.); The LEGO Movie 3D (12 and 5 p.m.); The LEGO Movie (1:20, 2:30, 4:10, 6:50, 7:30, 9:30 and 10:20 p.m.); The Monuments Men (12:30, 3:30, 6:40 and 9:40 p.m.); Ride Along (1:20, 4, 6:40 and 9:20 p.m.); Frozen (12:50, 3:40, 6:30 and 9:10 p.m.); The Attorney (12:40, 3:50, 7 and 10 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE

Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

Feb. 24-27: If poster font is any indication, Down and Dan-

A Nice Indian Boy East West Players, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000

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February 24, 2014

Downtown News 37

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or eastwestplayers.org.

Feb. 26-March 1, 8 p.m. and March 2, 2 p.m.: Doting Indian parents reach new heights of absurdity in this play about an adopted son and his search for the man of his (and his parents’) dreams.

Billy Budd Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.org.

March 2, 2 p.m.: The operatic adaptation of Herman Melville’s novella exploring betrayal on the high seas finds its land legs with a James Conlon-helmed run at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Through March 16.

Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Feb. 25-28, 10:30 a.m. and March 1-2, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season continues with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

Hamlet Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., #105, (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org.

March 1, 8 p.m. and March 2, 7 p.m.: Willy Shakespeare’s meditation on the rigors of existence and the pain that is family returns to the Downtown stage. Through March 16.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Feb. 25-28, 8 p.m., March 1, 2:30 and 8 p.m. and March 2, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Written by Christopher Durang and directed by David Hyde Pierce, the play presents a dysfunctional family (what play doesn’t) locked in a bit of hysterical tumult. Through March 9.

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews.com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

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To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

SERVICES Health & Fitness

lofts for sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper

213.598.7555

Loft/Unfurnished

Old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts from $1,295 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com

LOFT LIVING

Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

DowntownNews.com

Apartments/Unfurnished SENIOR APARTMENTS 62 + Studio $881 1 Bedroom $937.

Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 O.K. Visit GSL SAN LUCAS.com 213623-2010.

CROSSWORD

February 24, 2014

LAUREN NICOLE (LNPT) is a results-based fitness agency committed to partnering with clients to achieve their fitness goals. Whether your goal is to lose fat, train for a mud run, gain speed, increase strength, or other fitness goals, we provide an individualized plan to assist achieving your goal. www.laurennicolept.com 818-453-2328.

20% discount off services with this ad.

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Cleaning

Legal

CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.

WE KNOW how stressful it is to have a friend or family member in custody Allow us to help during this challenging time by getting your loved one released quickly. We are here to provide state and Federal bail bonds.

License #1B41341. (213) 4832245

Education IN NEED OF A TUTOR who will help you reach your goals? Help with CAT/SAT testing prep? Do you have learning disabilities?

We work with you to overcome them. Teaching & medical background cpr/first aide certified contact: ragamufn care los angeles area 424.288.9272 * prplrasta@gmail.com make learning fun today!!!

Home Improvement Residential Air Conditioning & Heating Services 310-5300504

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING Commercial Carrier Repairs AC 310-530-0504 General Contractors Commercial HVAC Company 310-530-0504

We've got what you're searching for!

DowntownNews.com

LOFT LIVING Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

D ow n t ow n N ew s . c o m

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

February 24, 2014

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL PRE-OWNED

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Over 1000 vehicles on Sale Now!

Nearly Every Make & Model Visit us online

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EMPLOYMENT GENERal

U.S. GOVT JOBS NOW HIRING Civil Service / Postal Clerks No Experience. Job Security. $20-75 an hour and Benefits CALL NOw! (855) 631-0850

PROfEssiONal International Export Supervisor: Min. BS/BA business, economics, related plus exp.

Resume/Ad: American Trading International, 3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 610, Los Angeles, CA 90034.

ANNOUNCEMENTS VOluNtEER OPPORtuNitiEs Do you have flu symptoms? If you are over 18 years old and having symptoms of flu, please call us at 213-261-3680. We are doing a research study testing an investigational flu medicine.

Compensation may be provided.

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LEGAL CiVil summONs LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT NO. BC492507 PLAINTIff: fRANk MAYOR vS DEfENDANT: JON kRAShNA, AND DOES 1 ThROUGh 10, INCLUSIvE NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days.

Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California

Downtown News 39

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away.

If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: Los Angeles County Superior Court Central District 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012-3014 Case Number: BC492507 Dated: January 15, 2014 Mary Flores, Deputy The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: Frank Mayor 424 Bamboo Lane Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-617-7200 NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served as an individual defendant.

Pub. 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, 02/24/2014 SUPERIOR COURT Of CALIfORNIA, COUNTY Of LOS ANGELES, NO. EC061495 PLAINTIff: CROSSChECk, INC. A CALIfORNIA CORPORATION vS DEfENDANTS: vAGhINAk MARTIROSYAN, AN INDIvIDUAL; EAGLE EYE COLLISION CENTER, INC., A CALIfORNIA CORPORATION, AND DOES 1 ThROUGh 10, INCLUSIvE NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days.

Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can

Sakura Spa

find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away.

If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: North Central Glendale 600 E. Broadway Glendale, CA 91206 Case Number: EC061495 Dated: October 09, 2013 The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney is: D. Lilah McLean (SBN 203594) CrossCheck, Inc. 1440 N. McDowell Blvd.

Petaluma, CA 94954 Telephone: (707) 665-2110 NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served as an individual defendant on behalf of CCP 416.10 (corporation).

Pub. 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, 02/24/2014 fiCtitiOus BusiNEss NamE fICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT fILE NO. 20090170655 The following person is doing business as: 1) CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 2) L.A. DOWNTOWNER, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby registered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business

OFFICE SPACE X FROM STAPLES/LA LIVE Above the Palm Restaurant Single offices: 108, 120 & 220 Sq. ft.

Ample parking!

1100 S. Flower St., Suite 3300 Call: 213 896 8900 ext. 122

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name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 06, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, and 03/03/2014. fICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT fILE NO. 20090187396 The following person is doing business as: 1) L.A. DOWNTOWN NEWS 2) LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN NEWS, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby registered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 11, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, and 03/03/2014.

CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 11, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, and 03/03/2014. fICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT fILE NO. 2014019305 The following person is doing business as: 1) ENGRAVING DESIGNS BY ALFRED, 133 S. KENWOOD STREET #310, GLENDALE, CA 91205, is hereby registered by the following registrant: ALFRED GOLBOUDAGHI, 133 S. KENWOOD STREET #310, GLENDALE, CA 91205. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 24, 2014.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on January 24, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years

fICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT fILE NO. 20090189318 The following person is doing business as: 1) LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN SHOPPER 2) DOWNTOWN SHOPPER, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby registered by the following registrant:

the LOFT expert!

from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10/2014.

NamE ChaNGE SUPERIOR COURT Of CALIfORNIA, COUNTY Of LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT ORDER TO ShOW CAUSE fOR ChANGE Of NAME NO. BS144399 Petitioner (name of each): Melisa Rayanne Greenfield, 833 S. Berendo, #103, Los Angeles, CA 90005, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: MELISA RAYANNE GREENfIELD Proposed name: MELISA RAYANNE OWENSGREENfIELD THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

NOTICE Of hEARING Date: 03/27/2014 Time: 8:00 a.m.

Dept.: 20 Room: 310 The address of the court is 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. A copy of this Order

to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in CIVIC CENTER NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA of general circulation, printed in this county.

Prepared by: John A. Clark, Executive Officer/Clerk LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT 111 NORTH HILL STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 Date: Aug. 01, 2013 Hon. Kevin C. Brazile, Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/2014 POliCE PERmit NOTICE Of APPLICATION fOR POLICE PERMIT Notice is hereby given that application has been made to the Board of Police Commissioners for a permit to conduct an ARCADE GAMES / GAMES OF SKILL AND SCIENCE NAME Of APPLICANT: CEC Entertainment, INC DOING BUSINESS AS: Chuck E. Cheese’s LOCATED AT: 2706 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90057 Any person desiring to protest the issuance of this permit shall make a written protest before March 3rd, 2014 to the: LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION 100 West First Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Upon receipt of written protests, protesting persons will be notified of date, time and place for hearing.

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS Pub. 02/17, 02/24/2014

LEASE OffICE SPACE AS LOW AS $250.00 and get one month FREE. 3 blocks west of LA Live and the heart of downtown L.A. Call for details (213) 386-6792 or visit our website www.curacaobc.com

Corporation Bldg. For Lease

TM

Creative Office Space 724 S. Spring St. LA

Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555 TheLoftExpertGroup.com DRE # 01309009

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com BRE #01309009

Voted BEST Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent!

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

• 900 to 1500 sqft.

• Elegant tiled flooring and polished concrete floors • Brand new A/C, bathrooms in each unit • Spectacular views of Downtown • Great Location, restaurant on the ground floor

Please call (213) 627-6913 Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

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Monthly from $600 utilities paid.

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

40 Downtown News

Brookfield Office Properties is pleased to announce the acquisition of 777 Tower, Gas Company Tower and Wells Fargo Center. These premier trophy assets will join Brookfield’s existing portfolio of Bank of America Plaza, Ernst & Young Plaza, Figueroa at Wilshire and FIGat7th in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.

777 TOWER

GAS COMPANY TOWER

WELLS FARGO CENTER

1.0 MSF

1.4 MSF

2.6 MSF

BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA

ERNST & YOUNG PLAZA

FIGUEROA AT WILSHIRE

1.4 MSF

0.9 MSF

1.0 MSF

LEASING INQUIRIES

John Barganski James Malone Marin Rutherford Rachael Zanetos

| | | |

213.330.8027 213.330.8028 213.330.8056 213.330.8043

| | | |

john.barganski@brookfield.com james.malone@brookfield.com marin.rutherford@brookfield.com rachael.zanetos@brookfield.com

brookfieldofficeproperties.com

NEW YORK TORONTO HOUSTON WASHINGTON, DC CALGARY LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO SYDNEY DENVER OTTAWA MELBOURNE PERTH VANCOUVER SEATTLE LONDON

Defining the Skyline

February 24, 2014