LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
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NEWS Volume 42, Number 20
EBRATING EL
May 20, 2013
YEARS
Since 1972
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
The latest information on 88 residential, civic, business and other projects.
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This One Goes to 1111 A Quiet Neighborhood Is Suddenly Surging, With a $60 Million Apartment Complex Adding to the Residential Base
photo by Gary Leonard
Fiancés Andy Bowland and Denise Nguyen recently moved in to 1111 Wilshire, a $60 million apartment complex in City West. They are shown in the building’s courtyard. by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR
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ome developers like to tout the expansive vistas that can be glimpsed from their rooftops. The just-opened 1111 Wilshire in City West has an amenity-laden roof, but the more impressive view is at street level. That’s because the project sits in the midst of a suddenly bustling residential neighborhood. South of the new 210-apartment complex is the towering 1100 Wilshire, with 228 condominiums. Next to that is GLO, a 201-unit apartment building at 1050 Wilshire Blvd. Just east of GLO is 1010
Wilshire, which holds 227 apartments. There is other nearby activity. The Piero, at St. Paul and Sixth Street, has 560 apartments. The neighboring Bixel House offers 77 rental residences for low-income individuals. In other words, a sleepy neighborhood no one took seriously as a residential area a decade ago is blossoming. It is growing so quickly, in fact, that Holland Partner Group, the Vancouver, Wash.-based developer of 1111 Wilshire, is planning a 2014 groundbreaking for yet another project that’s poised to deliver more than 600 additional units. “We’re really pleased with the way this neighborhood is
evolving,” said Tom Warren, the chief operating officer of development at Holland Partner’s Long Beach office. “We like this location because of its close proximity to the Financial District, to South Park and L.A. Live. The street character here has really improved and will continue to improve.” The $60 million 1111 Wilshire broke ground in June 2011 on a vacant lot on the northwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Bixel Street. The seven-story building holds studio to three-bedroom apartments with rents of $1,570-$4,200 per month. Apartments are 417-1,368 square feet. see Apartments, page 26
Judge Orders Arts District BID to Dissolve Some Fear Ruling Could Lead to Challenges to Other Business Improvement Districts by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR
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Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered the Arts District Business Improvement District to dissolve, capping a long feud between the entity and a group of property owners. The BID has already halted its privately funded cleaning and safety program in the area. The May 10 order from Judge Robert H. O’Brien is a victory for a group of Arts District property owners who argued in a lawsuit that the BID broke state law in its formation and therefore is invalid.
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O’Brien’s order centered on his finding that the BID spent tax dollars on economic development services that did not provide a special benefit to area property owners. “Our claim was basically that the constituency in this district is very diverse, and to claim you’re helping both industrial owners and loft owners and residents, there’s no coherent way to have an agenda to help everyone,” said developer Yuval Bar-Zemer, one of the property owners who brought the case against the city. Estela Lopez, who has run the BID since its formation in 2006, predicted that its dissolution will lead to an uptick in homeless
encampments, street trash, vandalism and minor crimes. Street cleaning and safety constitute the bulk of the BID’s services. What makes the ruling particularly important is that it could set a precedent for challenges to other, larger BIDs in Downtown. Currently the community has seven operating BIDs. All of them provide trash removal, safety officers on bicycles and economic development services. Numerous BID executives are already on edge. The Downtown Center Business Improvement District, which covers 65 blocks, spends about 29% of its an annual budget see Arts District, page 24
YOUR VOTE COUNTS! VOTING ENDS May 25
2 Downtown News
AROUNDTOWN Bowling Alley Opens in Little Tokyo rom the outside, the Little Tokyo Galleria looks as drab today as it did a few decades ago. However, things are changing inside the slate gray, fortress-like structure. On Friday, May 17, a 24-lane bowling alley, sports bar and entertainment center opened. X Lanes is the new focal point of the 25-year-old shopping center at 333 S. Alameda St. The 50,000-squarefoot entertainment center opens seven days a week at 11:30 a.m. and operates until 2 a.m. on weekends, and until midnight MondayThursday and Sunday, said Jay Chun, director of operations for the mall. In addition to the bowling lanes — the first Downtown after Lucky Strike at L.A. Live — there is a 100-game video arcade, a nine-table billiards room, a sports bar and a pizza restaurant. X Lanes is the anchor of an entertainment hub planned as part of a renovation of the mall by owner Three Alameda Plaza. Additional plans for the 250,000-square-foot structure call for the creation of about eight new restaurants and a new look for the exterior. Additional information is at xlanesla.com.
NASCAR Race Could Be Named for Skid Row Cop
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APD Officer Deon Joseph is no stranger to accolades, but the award for which the man who polices Skid Row is currently nominated is, well, different. Joseph is one of five national finalists for a contest sponsored by Canadian whiskey giant Crown Royal that involves renaming an Indiana NASCAR race after the victor. If Joseph gets more online votes than the four other law enforce-
Last Chance to Pick Downtown’s Best
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nyone who has a favorite Downtown lunch spot, wine bar or hotel, pay at-
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tention: This week marks your last opportunity to help your preferred haunts win a Best of Downtown prize. The voting for Los Angeles Downtown News’ annual Best of Downtown issue closes Saturday, May 25. The online ballot, at votebestof.com, has more than 100 categories, everything from places to eat to shopping opportunities to favorite buildings and beyond. There’s another reason to vote in addition to helping the spots you like: Those who complete ballots can enter a drawing to win some big prizes. The grand prize is a weekend in Downtown with a two-night stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, dinner for two at Noé restaurant, $200 cash, dinner for two at Morton’s the Steakhouse and a Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour (yes, one person gets all of that). Other prizes include an iPod Touch and cash.
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Celebrating 40 Years
Happy Birthday
Bill Rosendahl
South Main Street
ment and military professionals, then this summer’s Brickyard 400 will be called the Deon Joseph Brickyard 400. Joseph, who said he is not a NASCAR fan but is nevertheless excited about the award, was nominated by a friend. While Joseph works an area known as a recovery zone for people struggling with alcohol addiction, he said he doesn’t think it is a problem to be affiliated with an award linked to a popular booze brand. “I’m not an advocate of drinking,” said Joseph, who doesn’t drink. “But there’s nothing wrong with it if it’s not done in excess. This is a group that sponsors NASCAR
Downtown LA
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and they wanted to honor people that do good work. I don’t see a problem with it.” To vote for Joseph, visit crownroyalheroes. com. The winner will be announced June 9, and the award will be handed out at the race in Indianapolis on July 28.
Blossom Plaza To Break Ground
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ollowing years of delays, work is finally set to begin on a potentially transformasee Around Town, page 36
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May 20, 2013
Downtown News 3
Celebrating 40 Years
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4 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
EDITORIALS Endorsement Reminder
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
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he workers and residents of Downtown Los Angeles have a tremendous opportunity on May 21. They get to choose their elected leaders. Here is a reminder of the endorsements made by Los Angeles Downtown News in three key races. Eric Garcetti for Mayor: Garcetti is better equipped than his opponent, Wendy Greuel, to tackle the myriad challenges Los Angeles faces and to lead the city over the next four years. He has generally impressed during his 12 years on the City Council, during which time multiple communities in his territory saw big advances, becoming more active and livable. Garcetti has routinely nurtured the gains, knowing when government can help and when it is better to stay in the background and let business or neighborhood groups take the lead. Garcetti also has valuable leadership experience as president of the council for six years. He was on the front lines for some important battles and focused on thorny budgetary matters such as negotiating an early retirement system for city employees. Greuel is a good candidate, and her years on the council and as City Controller provide her with a firm grasp of L.A.’s fiscal situation. However, she has frequently disappointed on the campaign trail, often by being too vague. Additionally, her campaign has at times been unnecessarily bruising to other candidates. Mike Feuer for City Attorney: Feuer is a far more qualified and well-rounded candidate than his opponent, incumbent Carmen Trutanich. Feuer, a former city councilman and state assemblyman who also ran the pro bono legal group Bet Tzedek, arrives with a background and leadership skills that make him uniquely suited to assume the city attorney post. Feuer has a history of taking on matters of importance and was ahead of the curve on gun control. He knows how to lead a staff, deal with politicians and work in the best interests of the populace. He has vowed to expand the neighborhood prosecutor program, and he should. Although Trutanich arrived with reams of potential four years ago, he quickly squandered it through some poor decisions and an often combative approach. We’re also still troubled that Trutanich did his best to leave the office last year by running for District Attorney. These and other shortfalls overwhelm impressive accomplishments such as working to crack down on Skid Row drug dealers. Curren Price in the Ninth District: Both State Sen. Curren Price and Ana Cubas, the former chief of staff to Downtown Councilman José Huizar, have shortfalls. They both moved into the district simply to run for the seat and each worked for last year’s disastrous City Council redistricting. That said, the Ninth, which includes the Staples Center/L.A. Live campus and the Figueroa Corridor, needs a replacement for termed-out Jan Perry, and Price has a good reputation as an elected official, solid ties to the district and longstanding relationships with prominent leaders. We like his aim to create business improvement districts for key corridors such as Central and Slauson avenues, and his plans to tap into the Ninth’s “network of nonprofits” to combat the worsening homelessness situation. Cubas has some good ideas and a compelling personal story, but Price is better situated to advance the district.
No Excuses, Just Vote — Because You Can
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n Tuesday, May 21, approximately 1.8 million registered voters in the city of Los Angeles have the opportunity to choose our next mayor. Those who go to the polls can also select a city attorney, a controller and, depending on where they live, a council representative. Additionally, they can cast a ballot on a few propositions. If this is anything like the March 5 primary election, then most Angelenos won’t vote. According to the office of the City Clerk, just 20.79% of the registered voters opted to make their voice heard last time. About 378,000 people went to the polls or completed a mail-in ballot, while more than 1.4 million chose not to participate. The reasons for the paltry turnout have been analyzed to death, and local political and civic leaders are fretting over what will happen this week. Most prognosticators expect that only about 25% of registered voters will show up. There are plenty of excuses for not voting, but there is a better reason for actually casting a ballot: because you can. Yes, you can get to the polls. Yes, you can make voting fit around your very busy schedule. Yes, you can find a parking spot near the polling place. Yes, you can inform yourself about the candidates and the issues, at least some of them. Start small if necessary. Stop the excuses. You can and should vote. You know it. Granted, some people face circumstances that make reaching the neighborhood polling place before 8 p.m. on Tuesday impossible. Others may be travelling. Still, neither is an excuse not to vote. For all its shortcomings, the city makes plenty of provisions for a lack of election day access in the form of mail-in ballots and early voting at places such as Piper Tech. Los Angeles offer numerous opportunities to participate, to say yes, I’ll be part of this democracy. Let’s be honest: If you’re reading Los Angeles Downtown News, whether in print or online, you’re probably eligible to vote, both in terms of actually being registered, and by having the ability to reach your polling place. According to the demographics study conducted every other year by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (Downtown News is a partner in the survey), most individuals who live or work in Downtown are fairly well off financially and are well educated. These are people who are generally informed about politics and elections. This crowd should be flocking to the polls.
That said, many people in this demographic sector and geographic area didn’t vote in March. Some said they were too busy. Some claimed they weren’t inspired by the candidates for mayor. Some just didn’t care. Many of these individuals, however, showed up at the polls in November to cast a ballot for president. They made time in that case, but not for the city in which they live. We don’t buy the line that the choices for the biggest race, mayor of Los Angeles, are uninspiring. While we lack options that drive people ideologically like Barack Obama-Mitt Romney, in City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti there are two individuals who care deeply about Los Angeles and who have campaigned for years for the job. There are differences between them that one can easily discern. Either Greuel or Garcetti deserves your vote. The other races also matter. The choice for city attorney between Carmen Trutanich and Mike Feuer means picking someone who runs a massive municipal law firm. You are selecting the city’s fiscal watchdog when choosing either Dennis Zine or Ron Galperin. If you’re fortunate enough (yes, fortunate) to have a city council race on your ballot, then you are picking the person who you’ll want to complain to every time something goes wrong in your neighborhood over the next four years. If you’ve ignored the incessant phone calls and the mountain of mailers and don’t know what to do at this late date, use the Internet. You’ll find the candidates there in their own words, along with plenty of people who have opinions about them. If that’s not enough, there are the guilt reasons to vote: The city will be a laughingstock again if we can’t crack 30% participation. Also, we as Americans have the privilege to vote, while people living under totalitarian regimes either don’t get to cast a ballot or are offered only token choices. You’ve heard all the lines before. Still, in this situation, the best reason to vote is because you are part of this city and because you can. You can figure out a way to drop off and pick up the kids and still make it to the polling place before it closes. You can ask/tell the boss that you need to dart out for a bit, leave a few minutes early or arrive a few minutes late because you need to vote. You can learn about the candidates. Really, there’s no excuse. Just vote.
May 20, 2013
Downtown News 5
Celebrating 40 Years
The Good, the Bad and the Politically Weird Remembering 12 Low Points and Highlights of the 2013 Mayoral Campaign by Jon Regardie executive editor
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lot of people are ready for the city elections to be over. They’re tired of the incessant ads and mailers and are turned off by the increasingly nasty campaign between City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti. THE REGARDIE REPORT
If Garcetti wins, it will be in large part because he and campaign svengali Bill Carrick turned that Greuel advantage into a negative, painting her as beholden to the union. The outcome of Greuel-Garcetti 2K13 is still uncertain, but the DWP’s reputation will be forever tainted. By “forever,” I mean an L.A. politics forever, which is two months.
I’m not one of those people. In fact, I’ll miss the War of 2011-13. The race for mayor has demonstrated the worst and best of what local politics has to offer. Often it’s been tense. Occasionally it’s been thought provoking. Frequently it’s been as entertaining as the 11-minute bare knuckles battle between Philo Beddoe and Jack Wilson in the 1980 Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can (minus Clyde the orangutan). The fun will come to a close after the votes are counted on Tuesday, May 21. Thus, I’ve gone through an insane number of mailers, press releases, old stories and attack ads to detail 12 of the best, worst, most notable and weirdest moments and movements of the campaign. They’re in no particular order.
Really, I’m Positive: On May 10, Greuel called on Garcetti to run only positive TV ads. It seems she didn’t like the spot that tagged her as “The DWP’s Mayor.” Of course, this came after months of her below-the-belt savaging of Garcetti and others. The ugliest incident occurred just before the March primary, when Team Greuel smashed Jan Perry with a mailer blaring the phrase “Bankrupt Twice!” The hit piece ignored the fact that Perry’s financial troubles stemmed from the failure of her ex-husband’s law firm. But once the tables were turned, Greuel cried foul. This is like a bully who runs around kicking everyone in the crotch and laughing about it, then someone kicks her, hard, and she cries, “That’s not fair! No more kicking! Only love! LOVE!”
Turning DWP Into a Four-Letter Word: A year ago no one could have predicted that the mayor’s race would become as much about the union representing DWP employees as the actual candidates. If Wendy Greuel wins, it will be in large part because of the millions of dollars that the IBEW, the union representing most DWP workers, spent on her behalf through an independent committee with the sunny name Working Californians.
Watch Him Wiggle: Have you ever tried to hug an eel? It might be easier than pinning Garcetti down on certain education issues. During a February debate, moderator and former mayoral candidate Austin Beutner asked Garcetti if he’d back school board member Monica Garcia in her re-election bid. Garcia is liked by reformers and hated by the teachers union, which endorsed Garcetti. Thus, Garcetti walked a super fine line, man-
photo by Gary Leonard
The worst thing about the 2013 mayoral campaign may have been the unending stream of debates. In the future, there should be no more than four face-offs during the primary and three during the general election. When it comes to picking a moderator, Warren Olney (in center above) is a great choice.
aging to praise Garcia while refusing to actually endorse her. Every follow-up Beutner thrust was met with a Garcetti parry. Grilling for Five: At the same debate, Beutner challenged the then five candidates to state how they’d solve L.A.’s pesky budget deficit, which at the time was pegged at $1.4 billion over four years. When the candidates tried to dodge and veer into slogans, Beutner, probably the smartest guy on a stage of smart people, would turn up the heat. He went down the line. “Billion-four. Where is it?”
he’d ask. No one had a clear answer. It was the scariest moment of the race. There’s Always Room for Booger: Somehow young techie Emanuel Pleitez got himself in the thick of the race. No one I’ve spoken with still has any idea what Pleitez’s play was (say it five times fast) or what he actually wanted when he entered a race where he never had a chance of finishing higher than fifth. A few months after the primary the only things I remember about him are that he ran 100 miles see Election, page 25
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6 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
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May 20, 2013
Downtown News 7
Celebrating 40 Years
Downtown Development Here Comes the Money Tracking 88 Downtown Projects, Including a Roaring Residential Scene rendering courtesy of CityView
by RichaRd Guzmán, Jon ReGaRdie and Ryan VaillancouRt
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nce again, the money is pouring into Downtown Los Angeles. As it does, the face of the community continues to change. This isn’t surprising, as the amount of construction activity in the area has been steadily increasing for several years, having recovered from the depths of the recession. Still, in the past few months, there has been a surge of new investment. Developers, including many with national portfolios, are realizing that the market has room for plenty of additions, particularly in the housing sector. In certain cases, the investment comes in big ways. Geoff Palmer, who has consistently been ahead of the curve in understanding Downtown’s appetite for rental housing, is embarking on plans to build nearly 700 apartments at Olympic Boulevard and Broadway. In the Arts District, Legendary Development is pushing forward on a 472-unit housing complex… right near One Santa Fe, which will create another 438 apartments. It isn’t just housing. Saeed Farkhondehpour recently unveiled plans to bring an eight-screen movie theater, a permanent farmers market and a new restaurant hub to the Historic Core as part of the next phase of his Medallion project. In South Park, developer Williams/Dame & Associates is planning a second hotel tower, even as its first is still a year from opening. Then there’s the business scene, with plans to turn the Desmond Building at 11th and Hope streets into a creative office and retail complex. The investment means a lot of things: More energy for Downtown, thousands of construction jobs and a diversifying residential base. It’s another reminder that the community is in the midst, not at the end, of its growth phase. In the following pages, Los Angeles Downtown News provides the latest information on 88 Downtown projects.
NEW PROJECTS These projects were either publicly announced, were revived or gained prominence in the past three months.
916 GEORGIA ST. TRG, a Century City real estate services firm, bought a threestory apartment complex near L.A. Live in March that it plans to turn into luxury rentals. The firm paid $3.05 million for what it said is a 100-year-old building at 916 Georgia St. The 18,000-square-foot structure is on the same block as the under-construction Marriott hotels complex, north of Olympic Boulevard. TRG plans to spend $1 million on upgrades to the building by next March. The firm is in the planning process for the renovation and has not yet submitted documents to the city, said project spokesman Bruce Beck.
950 E. THIRD ST. Legendary Development is moving forward with plans to build a 472-unit apartment complex on a six-acre site that abuts the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Legendary, which bought the property three years ago out of bankruptcy (it was previously owned by the now defunct Meruelo Maddux Properties), hopes to break ground by the end of the year, said Surjit Soni, the firm’s managing director. The development, which calls for seven structures to rise around a 922-space parking facility, is already entitled. To proceed, the developer needs approval for a site plan change, which it is expected to get. The project at 950 E. Third St. would be comprised of a series of structures of five to six stories each. Once it starts, construction would take about three years, with a first phase of 248 units opening sooner. The project cost has not been finalized.
BARKER BLOCK On April 18, developer CityView and its financial partner, the investment firm Blackstone, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 68-condominium final phase of the Arts District project the Barker Block. Kor Group created the first 242 units in the project at 530 S. Hewitt St., which started opening
back in 2006. The $25 million, 72,451-square-foot final phase will transform a nearly century-old building originally constructed for the Barker Furniture Company. The project will create a mix of lofts with open floor plans, from 650-2,000 square feet, and townhouses ranging from 1,100-1,300 square feet. Interior elements will include steel staircases with wood steps and dual-pane windows. Although price points have not been set, a City View official said the residences will likely go from the low $300,000s to the high $500,000s.
DESMOND BUILDING Lincoln Property Company closed a deal in April to buy the Desmond Building, a 1917 five-story structure in South Park; Lincoln plans to turn the structure at 11th and Hope streets into a creative office and retail complex. The firm is in the planning and design phase and hopes to apply for building permits in the coming months and start construction by the end of the year, said Lincoln Vice President Rob Kane. Lincoln plans to spend about $9 million to convert the building and add a sixth floor. Other work will include updating the mechanical systems and interior finishes and replacing windows. Plans also call for restaurant and retail uses on the ground floor. If construction starts this year, occupancy could begin in May 2014.
FIGUEROA CORRIDOR STREETSCAPE PROJECT The organizers of the MyFigueroa project are finalizing the plan to drastically remake a three-mile section of Figueroa Street between the Financial District and USC. The project calls for bicycle tracks that will be separated from traffic by a new curb between Seventh and 11th streets and 21st Street and Exposition Boulevard. The other segments will have bike lanes with painted buffers. The project, which in addition to reducing car lanes calls for more trees, lighting and wider sidewalks, would also place bus stop shelters on the new cycle track curbs. The project’s scope includes spurs down 11th Street, which would get a new bike lane, and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The final environmental impact report for the plan is slated for release this month, said Tim Fremaux, a city Department of Transportation engineer. The $20 million plan is funded by a state grant that requires the work to be completed by the end of 2014; in order to meet that deadline, construction must begin by next January. Although many support the plan, some Figueroa Corridor stakeholders have raised opposition, fearing that it will snarl traffic. Implementation of the plan will require a City Council vote, which would come only after the public has the chance to comment on the final EIR. At myfigueroa.nationbuilder.com.
FOURTH AND BROADWAY TOWER Izek Shomof, a veteran developer known for turning around old Historic Core buildings, is working on what would be his first ground-up project. Architects are currently preparing designs for a tower at least 22 stories high, with up to 400 units, on the southeast corner of Fourth Street and Broadway, said Shomof, who hopes to submit plans to the city by the
end of this month. He expects the entitlement process to take at least 18 months. The tower would rise where a one-story retail building with rooftop parking now stands. The rooftop lot had long been used for outdoor movie events.
MEDALLION 2.0 Extensive plans for a second phase of the Medallion on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets have been announced. Initially, Saeed Farkhondehpour will spend $4.5 million to make over an underperforming portion of the project. Farkhondehpour is working on signing a lease with Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse to open an eight-screen movie theater. He expects it to debut in about 18 months. The Medallion opened in 2010, and though the 96 apartments filled quickly, only about 20 of the 200 small retail spaces pitched at wholesale and discount retailers were filled. Now, Farkhondehpour intends to pursue the Downtown residential and worker crowd by creating 10 more restaurants, trendy shops and a permanent farmers market. Sushi Zo, which serves traditional Japanese omakase (chef’s selection) meals, and Dr. J’s Café have already signed leases. They are expected to open in June. A later phase of the project calls for three more housing structures with a total of 300 residences.
MERCED THEATRE RENOVATION On April 10, the City Council approved moving the city’s public access station, Channel 35, from its current Little Tokyo home to the 1870 Merced Theatre at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. According to city documents, the project, which would require “significant retrofit and rehabilitation,” including seismic upgrades and an elevator that could accommodate freight and disabled access, could take about three years and cost up to $23 million. The move is intended to save money on rent and lower station operating costs. According to city documents, the annual savings in lease costs would be $341,710. The Merced Theatre, which is currently vacant, is in a two-block section of El Pueblo known as the Pico-Garnier Block. It was the first theater in Los Angeles and has been part of a long-planned restoration effort. Channel 35 airs all City Council meetings and other programs related to city departments and events.
OLYMPIC AND BROADWAY APARTMENTS
A January 2014 groundbreaking is planned for developer Geoff Palmer’s two-building, ground-up apartment project at Broadway and Olympic Boulevard. The project is a partnership between G.H. Palmer Associates and parking lot giant L&R Group. Part of the project calls for a 10-story, 439-unit apartment building on what is now a parking lot between Broadway and Main Street, north of Olympic and directly across from the upcoming Ace Hotel. The second building would be a six-story, 247-unit structure that would rise on the lot on Broadway south of Olympic Boulevard; it would require the demolition of a small building that fronts Olympic. Although Palmer’s projects are known for their see Projects, page 8
8 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Development
Projects
The structural concrete for a two-level underground parking garage was recently poured as part of Avalon Bay Communities’ project in Little Tokyo, according to a company spokesman. Phase one of the two-phase development at the southeast corner of Second and Los Angeles streets will be a six-story building with 104 apartments. It will include 13,500 square feet of retail space and is scheduled to open in late 2014. Work is also underway on phase two, a 176-apartment building with street level townhouses facing a promenade. Completion of phase two is expected in early 2015.
Continued from page 7 Italian Renaissance-inspired design, plans here call for a look that fits with the neighborhood with structures clad in a red brick veneer, with off-white colored podiums and crowns and street-level podiums with columns.
RENAISSANCE HOTEL
GATEWAYS APARTMENTS
AVANT photo by Gary Leonard
In March, Anschutz Entertainment Group announced that it had sold a 60,000-square-foot parcel on the northeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Georgia Street to Williams/Dame & Associates, and the Portland-based developer will build a $200 million Renaissance Hotel on the site. The 450-room establishment is slated to break ground in the first quarter of next year and finish in 2016. It is another major South Park play for the company that created the Evo, Luma and Elleven condominium complexes. Williams/Dame is also building the $172 million project that will bring 392 Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn rooms to a site adjacent to the just announced building.
able, completion of the 290-unit building at 801 S. Hope St. is expected in late 2014. The project by Atlanta-based developer Wood Partners calls for one- and two-bedroom residences with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, balconies, a pool deck and a six-floor parking garage with two underground levels. Plans also call for 5,000 square feet of retail space. Wood Partners purchased the site in 2008 but the project was put on hold due to the recession; it broke ground after the Downtown housing market picked up.
photo by Gary Leonard
AVA LITTLE TOKYO
RESIDENTIAL 12TH AND GRAND Developer Sonny Astani and parking lot giant L&R Group are in the plan check stage for a proposed 640-unit residential complex at 12th Street and Grand Avenue. Astani said the $250 million development is slated to break ground in late 2013. Astani and L&R purchased the land last year for $29 million. The site is bounded by 12th and Olive streets, Pico Boulevard and Grand Avenue. The partnership is planning a two-phase development, with the initial segment consisting of a 300-unit, seven-story structure. The complex, which does not yet have a name, will eventually have 42,000 square feet of retail space. The property currently operates as a parking lot.
1027 WILSHIRE Planning work continues on the effort to create a 376-unit housing complex in City West, said Hamid Behdad of the Central City Development Group. The company, which is partnering on the project at 1027 Wilshire Blvd. with the Amidi Real Estate Group, views the low-rise rental development as the second phase of 1010 Wilshire, a corporate housing complex across the street that Amidi created. Behdad said the focus continues to be on securing financing for the proposed structure. The project 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.
photo by Gary Leonard
1111 SUNSET
Exterior construction is complete up to the sixth floor along Flower Street and to the fourth floor along Figueroa for the first phase of the $154 million Avant in South Park, said Mark Thomton, a project spokesman. A 2013 fourth quarter opening is expected for the building that will bring 247 apartments in a pair of seven-story buildings to two former parking lots at 1360 S. Figueroa St. and 1355 S. Flower St. The structures will be connected by a walkway. Construction on phase two, a third building at 1420 S. Figueroa St. with 193 units, began in late April, with site clearing and prep work currently underway. The plans from developer Century West Partners call for studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as livework units above 11,000 square feet of retail space.
BALTIMORE AND KING EDWARD HOTELS Developer Izek Shomof is in the process of renovating a cluster of residential hotels at Fifth and Los Angeles streets. Shomof has been overseeing a phased upgrade of the 265unit Baltimore and the 150-room King Edward hotels since purchasing the buildings last year. He is implementing a range of cosmetic improvements such as replacing carpet with tile, repairing broken windows and doing some painting. The work is being conducted in a manner that doesn’t displace current residents. Shomof said the upgrades will be completed in 2015.
DA VINCI Work crews are currently laying the foundation for developer G.H. Palmer Associates’ 630-apartment complex in City West, said Geoff Palmer. An opening is expected in about a year for the 578,172-square-foot project at Fremont and Temple streets. It is rising on a 193,000-square-foot lot that Palmer purchased in 2004. The project will have five floors of housing above three levels of parking and 8,200 square feet of street-front retail. The style will be similar to Palmer’s other Italian-inspired apartment complexes in Downtown. At ghpalmer.com.
EIGHTH AND GRAND APARTMENTS Developer Linear City is converting the former Metropolitan Water District headquarters at 1111 Sunset Blvd. into 92 apartments. The façade has been removed and all the structural work has been completed, said company partner Yuval Bar-Zemer. Linear City, which created the Arts District’s Biscuit Company and Toy Factory lofts, paid $6.8 million last year for the seven-story structure just east of Dodger Stadium. Plans in the estimated $15 million development call for taking the horizontal platforms, which jut out a few feet from the façade at every level, and turning them into balconies. Residences will measure 800-1,000 square feet. The 1973 building was originally designed by William Pereira. The project calls for re-glazing the entire structure. Crews are currently installing plumbing and mechanical infrastructure. At linear-city.com.
San Francisco-based Carmel Partners broke ground in January on a 700-unit apartment complex at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue. Crews are currently excavating the site and will start with a three-level underground parking structure, said Dan Garibaldi, the firm’s vice president of development. Carmel bought the three-acre property from Sonny Astani last year for $63 million. Unlike Astani, who planned to erect a project called Angelena in phases, Carmel is building the complex in a single phase, with completion slated for fall 2015. Carmel’s plan features floor-to-ceiling glass and balconies for most units. The building will have 36,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
EIGHTH AND HOPE APARTMENTS Construction continues on a 22-story apartment tower in South Park. According to the most recent information avail-
SRO Housing Corp. remains on pace to finish construction of a 108-unit affordable housing project in August. The development is rising on a formerly vacant 22,000-square-foot lot at Fifth and San Pedro streets. All apartments will be efficiency units with an average size of 300 square feet. The project will aim for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification. Crews are currently installing solar panels on the roof and are doing interior and exterior finishes, said Joseph Corcoran, SRO’s director of development. At srohousing.org.
HELLMAN/BANCO POPULAR BUILDING Neighborhood Effort, a development team run by Allen Gross and his wife Arax Harutunian, remains in the plan check stage for a conversion of the Herman H. Hellman building (also known as the Banco Popular Building) at Fourth and Spring streets, Harutunian said. The company is awaiting city approvals to proceed with the project that would create 212 apartments, 20% of which are slated to be set aside for affordable housing. Plans call for units that would average 610 square feet, with an overall range of 481-1,576 square feet. Once construction begins it would take about 18 months.
JADE ENTERPRISES PROJECT Jade Enterprises, a major commercial property owner with significant holdings in the Fashion District, has submitted plans to build its first Downtown residential project and is still navigating the city approvals process. The company is looking to erect a 419-unit, two-building complex at Pico Boulevard and Flower Street on two side-by-side parking lots, according to plans filed with the city. The project would rise over 42,000 square feet of commercial space. Jade Enterprises’ plan still requires city entitlements. Getting those approvals could take a year or longer.
JIA APARTMENTS Construction continues on the $92.9 million Jia Apartments at the southern entrance to Chinatown. Officials with developer Equity Residential, who did not return calls for comment, previously said that the residences at Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue would open in phases, with the entire building coming online by December. It is unknown if they will still meet that timeline. Work began last year on the six-story building that was formerly known as Chinatown Gateway. When completed, it will house 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and 18,000 square feet of retail. The project at 639-643 Cesar Chavez Ave. is being designed by Thomas P. Cox Architects and will include a plaza, 17-foot wide sidewalks and a 588-car subterranean garage.
LORENZO Move-ins were scheduled to begin May 17 for phase one of G.H. Palmer Associates’ $300 million, 950-unit Flower Street apartment complex, said company head Geoff Palmer. The first phase of the project is on a 9.4-acre lot at Flower Street and Adams Boulevard near USC. It includes 495 units and incorporates the Italian Renaissance-inspired design seen in see Projects, page 10
May 20, 2013
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Development
Projects Continued from page 8 Palmer’s numerous other Downtown projects. The development includes four swimming pools, two indoor basketball courts and a sand volleyball court. Rents for the one- to three-bedroom residences pitched to university students will start at $826 a bed. The second phase of the project is under construction and expected to open in March 2014. At lorenzousc.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
LOTUS GARDEN
Skid Row Housing Trust recently secured financing for a transformation of the Pershing Hotel at Fifth and Main streets. The 69-unit residential hotel will be dismantled in a way that keeps the historic facades and several historic features intact. The project, called the New Pershing Apartments, will maintain the 69 units, though the residences will increase in size to approximately 350 square feet and include individual kitchens and bathrooms; the current rooms average approximately 150 square feet and do not include kitchens or bathrooms. The renovation, which starts this month, will take about 18 months; it is in line with the nonprofit developer’s shift in recent years toward providing larger units for its low-income and formerly homeless tenants. The new building will also have community space and social service offices, as well as an outdoor courtyard in the center of the building. Architect Wade Killefer is handling the designs. At skidrow.org.
OLYMPIC AND HILL APARTMENTS
Exterior work is almost done and windows are currently being installed for the $24 million Lotus Garden, said Katelyn Silverwood, a spokeswoman for developer Affirmed Housing Group. The 60-unit project at 715 Yale St. is on track to open in August. The 63-car garage in which vehicles will be moved vertically and horizontally to allow for a space-saving stacking effect is nearly complete. The eight-story complex is for families earning 30%-60% of the county’s median household income. Rents in the Chinatown development are expected to range from $370 for studios to $1,236 for a three-bedroom apartment. The project was originally slated to open in spring 2012 but ran into delays due to shoring issues. Those have been resolved.
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The Hanover Company recently broke ground on a 284unit apartment complex at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street. Hanover is building seven stories of housing with 12,400 square feet of street-level retail, said Melissa Pastula of Thomas P. Cox Architects, which is handling the designs. The ground floor will also hold three live/work units. Construction is expected to take about one year, with an opening slated for late 2014. Hanover, which developed the nearby luxury apartment tower 717 Olympic, bought the Hill Street site, a former parking lot, from Evoq Properties. At tcaarchitects.com/olympic-and-hill.
ONNI GROUP TOWER The Vancouver-based Onni Group is in the early stage of erecting a 32-story apartment tower at 888 S. Olive St. The company broke ground on the project — the first of three developments it expects to do in Downtown Los Angeles — in February, and vertical construction began this month. A crane has gone up at the site. The approximately $100 million structure will create 283 one- to three-bedroom luxury apartments. Renderings depict a heavy use of glass and balconies
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on most units. The structure, which does not yet have a name, is slated to open in the first quarter of 2015.
PICO AND FIGUEROA HOUSING COMPLEX The city launched a public bidding competition last fall, asking developers to offer plans for a 19,000-square-foot city-owned parcel on the northeast corner of Figueroa and 12th streets, across from the Convention Center. The city hopes to sell the site to a developer that will erect a four-star or boutique hotel. The RFP netted two bids, but the timeline for evaluating the proposals is uncertain, said city Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller. The property is a parking lot that sits immediately south of the building where a Hooters restaurant is located. The winning bidder would have to move the proposal through the city entitlement process. The city has not revealed an asking price for the land, but the adjacent 2.7-acre parcel at 1220 S. Figueroa St. sold last year for $31 million.
PWC FAMILY HOUSING The City West project is about 70% complete, with move-ins expected by October, said Takao Suzuki, a project representative. The 45-apartment project at 153 N. Glendale Blvd., which broke ground in May 2012, is a partnership between the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation and the Pilipino Worker’s Center. The project includes 22 residences for homeless individuals, 54 parking spaces and approximately 4,000 square feet of common space.
RELATED PARCEL M TOWER Grand Avenue project developer Related’s 19-story luxury apartment tower is moving forward. Crews have finished excavation on the site and have started pouring the concrete foundation, said Bill Witte, president of Related California. The $120 million edifice is rising on Grand Avenue, just south of the under-construction Broad art museum. It will consist mostly of luxury units, but 20% of the 271 apartments will be set aside as affordable housing. The tower represents a scaled-down version of what Related received entitlements
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here will be a ringmaster. There will be clowns. There will be lion tamers. On opening night there will be protestors who hate that the circus employs pachyderms. Still, when Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant walks into Staples Center July 11-17 there will be all the cotton candy-colored spectacle, as well as all the cotton candy, that one expects from the world’s most famous circus. This summer’s three-ring extravaganza is titled “Dragons,” in case that matters, and in addition to the acrobats and strong men there will be martial arts masters and the Panfilov Troupe, which has a dozen trained kitty cats. Yes, you can train cats. At 1111 S. Figueroa St., staplescenter.com.
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f you see a menacing crowd of pirates, space fairies and robots in Downtown, then you probably are not on LSD. More than likely it’s Anime Expo time. Set for June 29-July 2, the four-day event at the Los Angeles Convention Center is a celebration of Japanese animation and manga (comic books), and there will be music, screenings, panel discussions, auau tograph sessions, karaoke and a video game competition. It’s also an excuse to dress up, as attendees are all about the costume play and come adorned as their favorite characters. It’s open to the public, and approximately 125,000 people are expected to attend. At 1201 S. Figueroa St., anime-expo-org.
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for in 2007, when it envisioned two buildings of up to 35 stories. Designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, it is slated for a late 2014 completion. Related is in negotiations to bring up to two restaurants to the ground floor of the tower.
ROSSLYN HOTEL APARTMENTS SRO Housing Corp. has started the first part of a threephase project to renovate the 264-unit affordable housing complex at Fifth and Main streets. The nonprofit has relocated 60 tenants who volunteered to take relocation benefits. Another 90 building inhabitants were temporarily moved to other apartments within the building, said Joseph Corcoran, SRO’s director of development. The company, which bought the property in 2010 with help from the Community Redevelopment Agency, is required to preserve the affordable residences in the edifice. The project will take place in three phases, with different segments of the building being upgraded at each stage. Currently, crews are doing lead and asbestos remediation. The work includes the addition of a restroom and kitchenette to all apartments and a restoration of the lobby, during which a now-covered 1,500-square-foot skylight will be revealed. Work is expected to last about 18 months. The project cost, including acquisition of the building, is $33 million. At srohousing.org.
SARES-REGIS LITTLE TOKYO A June groundbreaking is expected for a 240-unit apartment complex at Second and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo, said Mike Winter, senior vice president of development for developer Sares-Regis Group. The company is still going through the city’s plan check process. Completion of the project at 232 E. Second St. should take two years, Winter said. The development will rise on what is now a parking lot.
SB OMEGA Developer Barry Shy is still in the planning stage for a 40-story tower that would rise at 601 S. Main St. The 350unit development would include 35 residential floors over a five-level, 1,200-space parking facility. Shy said he is looking to break ground this year, but the timeline is uncertain. He is currently preparing a geological report required by
Downtown News 11 photo by Gary Leonard
May 20, 2013
the city while an architect works on designs. The building would be Shy’s sixth Historic Core apartment project, but his first ground-up development.
SINGER SEWING MACHINE BUILDING Steve Needleman, who runs the Downtown property firm Anjac Fashion, is overseeing a conversion of an eight-story commercial building into apartments. The Singer Sewing Machine Building at 806 S. Broadway is being transformed into a loft structure with eight large units, one on each floor. Having one residence per level means the apartments will measure 5,000-6,000 square feet. The cost of the project has not been revealed. The building, which rises between the Tower and Rialto theaters just south of Eighth Street, had long been home to garment manufacturers. The tenants have all been relocated to other Anjac Fashion-owned buildings, Needleman said. The ground floor will be converted to a parking facility for tenants. The project is slated for completion by late 2014, Needleman said.
SPRING STREET GARAGE AND APARTMENTS Downtown Management is rethinking plans for a proposed apartment building that would sit above a new garage on what is now a parking lot between the Spring Arcade Building and the Alexandria Hotel. The firm was planning a 12-story project, but is now considering a 20-plus-story structure, said company vice president Greg Martin. The project does not yet have a budget or firm timeline.
STAR APARTMENTS Skid Row Housing Trust’s Star Apartments is 80% complete. Construction crews are currently installing the steel walkways, preparing to start stuccoing the exterior of the building, running electrical cables and installing drywall for interior common spaces. All of the prefabricated residential units are complete with finishes and appliances installed. The Michael Maltzan-designed permanent supportive housing
complex, which is comprised of 102 prefabricated housing units stacked above an existing commercial structure at Sixth and Maple streets, will include a recreation area with a running track and basketball court. The County Department of Health Services will operate a clinic and office in two streetlevel spaces. Another commercial space will be filled by Piece by Piece, an organization acquired by SRHT that teaches individuals to make mosaic art from salvaged materials. The developer expects to get its certificate of occupancy by Aug. 1. At skidrow.org.
THE CHELSEA Construction was set to begin in February, but due to permitting issues it has been pushed back to this month, said developer Nick Hadim. The $5 million project at 216 W. Fifth St. will transform a long-vacant structure into a 28-apartment building called The Chelsea. When work begins the focus will be on the interior of the edifice as crews open up a space for an elevator shaft, Hadim said. Completion on the Historic Core property nicknamed the Ghost Building is expected by early next year with move-ins slated for mid-2014. The sevenstory former hotel was built as an annex to the Alexandria Hotel in 1910. A dispute between property owners led to the annex being walled off in 1934. Since it was an annex, the building has no stairs or elevators. see Projects, page 12
12 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Development percent of the units will be reserved for low-income tenants. The development partners are Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund Investments, the McGregor Company, Polis Builders, Cowley Real Estate Partners and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. Canyon Johnson joined the project as an equity partner in late 2011 and a groundbreaking took place soon after.
Continued from page 11
TITLE INSURANCE BUILDING
THE GRAND
Bel-Air based Capital Foresight is planning a conversion of the Title Insurance Building at 433 S. Spring St. into an asyet-undetermined number of residential units. The company has yet to finalize its proposal but expects to submit plans to begin the entitlement process for the 1913 Art Deco structure within four months, according to a spokesman for the company. The deal is tied in to the adjacent structure at 419 S. Spring St., where an entity called PNK I Group plans to create a hotel. The status of the hotel deal is uncertain, as PNK could not be reached for comment.
Grand Avenue project developer Related is in negotiations to extend a city/county deadline to break ground on a mixed use complex at Second Street and Grand Avenue. The developer was granted an interim extension that ended on May 15 (after press time). Pending a longer extension, Related plans to build a residential tower near the corner of Grand Avenue and Second Street that would likely be bigger than the company’s nearby 19-story Parcel M tower, said Bill Witte, president of Related California. Related is reworking plans for the parcel bounded by Grand Avenue, First, Second, and Hill streets, but the proposed residential tower would be the first component to break ground under the updated program. After the residential building, future structures and uses would be determined depending on market demand. The site, which is across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall, was originally slated to be phase one of the Grand Avenue project, and called for a $2 billion mixed-use complex with hotels, condominiums and retail designed by Frank Gehry. That plan has been officially thrown out.
MIXED USE BLOSSOM PLAZA
WILSHIRE GRAND REPLACEMENT photo by Gary Leonard
A groundbreaking ceremony for the long-delayed $95 million Blossom Plaza in Chinatown is slated to take place May 20, according to Monica Valencia, a spokeswoman for City Councilman Ed Reyes, whose First District covers Chinatown. Actual construction will begin in August, with completion coming by the end of 2005, according to developer Forest City. The project, at 900 N. Broadway, will replace the shuttered Little Joe’s restaurant and include about 240 market rate and affordable rental units, 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 175-space parking garage and a public plaza that would connect Broadway to the Gold Line station.
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Demolition of the old Wilshire Grand hotel is expected to be complete in November, said Chris Martin, whose firm AC Martin is handling the new hotel designs. Martin also helms Martin Project Management, which is overseeing all aspects of the $1 billion development on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets. A groundbreaking on project owner Korean Air’s 71-story structure with 900 hotel rooms and 400,000 square feet of office space is slated for December. The ongoing deconstruction of the building is slated to hit the street level in June; excavation of the site will follow. At the future hotel, high-speed elevators will ferry guests to a top-floor “sky lobby.” A hotel operator has not yet been selected. The project will be the first Downtown high-rise to utilize a sloped roof, instead of a flat surface to accommodate a full helipad. In lieu of the helipad, the tower will include an array of safety infrastructure elements to satisfy fire code requirements. The project is slated to be complete in December 2016 and open in March 2017.
BROADWAY REVITALIZATION
IDS Real Estate Group is selling the 6.5-acre site it had long planned to develop into a major mixed-use complex. The company recently modified its entitlements so that it has approvals to build five towers, instead of the previous four. The site could accommodate up to four hotels and a 420,000-square-foot office tower, according to CB Richard Ellis, which is marketing the site for sale. No asking price has been published. At cbremarketplace.com/metropolis.
Work continues on numerous aspects of the 10-year Bringing Back Broadway initiative, which reached its five-year point in January. In February the Planning Commission adopted the Broadway Streetscape Master Plan, which calls for widening sidewalks, creating more sidewalk dining and increasing loading areas to help businesses. A Broadway façade lighting grant program that will allocate $750,000 to 10 properties on the corridor between Second Street and Olympic Boulevard was announced this year; the money will pay for design, permitting and construction of lighting improvements. Grant recipients will be announced during the summer. Work also continues on drafting a Broadway Sign District to help recreate historic signs and encourage neon and vertical “blade” signs on the street. Additionally, an effort to create a set of guidelines to activate the 1.5 million square feet of vacant space above street level continues, and officials with the office of City Councilman José Huizar said they expect to complete a proposed ordinance this year. More businesses have also opened on the street. In January Maccheroni Republic debuted at 332 S. Broadway. In March Ross Dress for Less opened at 719 S. Broadway.
Work is proceeding steadily on the $160 million One Santa Fe, with steel beam framing already rising. Plans for the massive project just east of the Southern California Institute of Architecture call for a six-story building with 78,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The project is rising on a four-acre plot that is part of a 32-acre property used by Metro for the maintenance and storage of rail cars. One Santa Fe will include 438 apartments, a 15,000-square-foot space slated for a grocery store, a 47,400-square-foot plaza facing Santa Fe Avenue and 802 underground parking spaces. Twenty
A groundbreaking date has not yet been set, though officials hope to begin construction this year on a $400 million federal courthouse, according to project representatives. Officials hope to complete the Civic Center development in 2016. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architects, along with Clark Construction, won the contract to design and build the facility on a currently empty lot on the southwest corner of First Street and Broadway. The 500,000-square-foot building will rise on a 3.6-acre eyesore property that once held a state office building. The project immediately west of the L.A. Times building will include 24 courtrooms, 32 judges’ chambers and 110 parking spots. It would house district judges, jury assembly facilities, offices for the U.S. Marshals service and others.
FIRST AND BROADWAY GRAFFITI PIT
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The city has reached a tentative deal to pay $7.5 million for a long derelict state-owned property in the Civic Center. The fenced-off lot on the northeast corner of First Street and Broadway contains the remnants of an office building razed after the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. The state is looking to sell the plot in order to raise revenue; the city hopes to convert the parcel across from City Hall into a park. The city has allocated $9.9 million to acquire the site, then demolish and remove the remnants of the old office building, including an underground parking facility that is not structurally sound. The site, known by some as the “graffiti pit” because it was once covered with spray paint by vandals, is adjacent to Grand Park. The state Board of Public Works approved the sale on May 10, and the city now has 60 days to close escrow.
CITY MARKET
Peter Fleming, the president and CEO of City Market of Los Angeles, has initiated the environmental analysis for a planned transformation of 10 acres of mostly unused Fashion District produce warehouses into a $1 billion hub of housing, office space, hotel rooms and a college campus. The proposal to reinvent the 1909 produce mart known as City Market would require an environmental impact report and, at the earliest, an initial phase of the project could break ground in late 2014, said project representative Paul Rohrer. The project site comprises the blocks bounded by Ninth, San Pedro, San Julian and 12th streets. The plan calls for a campus anchored by a college-level institution that focuses on fashion, architecture, design, culinary arts or another creative industry. It would also include 945 housing units, 210 hotel rooms, 225,000 square feet of retail and 295,000 square feet of creative office space. The first phase calls for adaptive reuse conversions of two structures. One would create 150 housing units. The other would become an office building. Fleming has said it could take 20 years to complete the entire project. At citymarketla.com.
An August opening is expected for a 500-seat charter high school in City West to be run by Camino Nuevo Charter Academy; classes will start with ninth and 10th grade students. The 55,361-square-foot, three-story institution is at 1215 W. Miramar St. It will house 19 classrooms with 47 underground parking spaces, administrative offices, a dining area, a library and science labs. By 2015 the school will add 11th and 12th grade classes. It is located just east of the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex athletics fields.
photo by Gary Leonard
Projects
CENTRAL REGION HIGH SCHOOL NO. 12
The seismic retrofit of the historic Hall of Justice has been completed and pressure washing of the exterior is underway, said Greg Zinberg, a project executive with Clark Construction, which is teaming with architecture firm AC Martin on the $234 million renovation. Completion is expected by the end of 2014 with an opening in early 2015. The 1925 edifice at 211 W. Temple St. was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and is undergoing a renovation that includes elevator upgrades and new electrical and mechanical systems and the building of an underground 1,000-car garage on the north side of the edifice. The first floor of the structure will feature a display area with some of the property’s historic elements, including a cellblock that once held Charles Manson’s cell. When the Hall of Justice opens it will house the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office.
LAPD PARK REPLANTING The city Bureau of Engineering is overseeing a major replanting of the park and lawn surrounding the $440 million Police
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Administration Building. The work is about 85% done and is slated for completion this month. The project addresses a slate of landscape maintenance mishaps that allowed weeds to proliferate and caused many plants and trees to die. The renovation includes a complete weed removal; improvements to the irrigation system; replacing dead plants and trees; and the replacement of certain plant species that require regular maintenance with heartier varieties. The project cost is $400,000, said Cora Jackson-Fossett, director of public affairs for the Department of Public Works.
plan for the proposed Downtown streetcar, identifying and committing up to $294 million to fund maintenance and operations of the project. The money would come not from the city’s general fund, but rather from the city’s portion of the county Measure R sales tax, according to 14th District Councilman José Huizar’s office. The operational plan would kick in only after the streetcar gets built. In December voters approved a tax of up to $85 million on area property owners (including condominium owners) to pay for a portion of the $125 million project. Los Angeles Streetcar Inc. officials hope to secure $52 million for the project from the federal government’s Small Starts program; that application will be filed this year. A draft Environmental Impact Report is expected to be complete this fall and a final version will go before the city council next spring. The streetcar would run from L.A. Live to the Civic Center with main spines on Broadway and Hill Street. Streetcar officials hope to open the project by 2016.
LOS ANGELES RIVER
METRO BUS FACILITY photo by Gary Leonard
The long, ongoing effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River continues. In February, First District City Councilman Ed Reyes, who is spearheading the project, announced a $2.5 million federal grant to study ways to activate the river in communities such as Atwater Village, Cypress Park and Lincoln Heights. Under a bill approved last year by the state legislature, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District is required to provide public access to navigable sections of the river for recreation and educational purposes. The Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study has been included in President Barack Obama’s 2013 budget. The Environmental Protection Agency has also designated the river as “traditional navigable waters,” which led to supervised canoe and kayak trips down a 1.5-mile stretch in the San Fernando Valley. Additionally, the second annual Los Angeles River Fun Run was held May 5 to raise funds to help restore and protect the river.
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After rejecting proposals from two operators hoping to develop the 1863 Pico House, the city is now working on improving the plumbing in the building. This coincides with an attempt to increase use of the ground floor space for cultural and other activities, such as filming, said Chris Espinosa, the general manager of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Espinosa said there are currently no plans to look for developers to transform the structure. The Pico House, which faces the El Pueblo plaza, was built by and named for former governor Pio Pico. It was the city’s first three-story building.
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Metro is seven months into the construction of a $95 million bus maintenance facility. The Division 13 Bus Maintenance and Operations project is rising on the northeast and southeast corners of Vignes Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, near Union Station. The project is designed to hold 200 buses and will contain a multi-level garage, a maintenance building, a fueling depot and areas for washing buses; the latter will incorporate a storm water reclamation system. The project is intended to meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards and low-maintenance vegetation will be incorporated as part of a green roof. The development will have 397 parking spaces for District 13 employees. McCarthy Building Companies is handling construction. Project completion is expected by summer 2014.
NINTH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A $54 million overhaul of the Ninth Street Elementary School is on track with a fall opening expected for the campus at
REGIONAL CONNECTOR The Metropolitan Transportation Authority continues preliminary construction activities and final design work for the $1.37 billion Regional Connector. Crews have been relocating utilities along the 1.9-mile underground light-rail route. The agency’s next milestone is awarding a design/build contract for the project; that is expected in October. Major construction of the connector, which will entail digging an underground tunnel from Little Tokyo to the Financial District via Second Street, then cutting a trench down Flower Street to Wilshire Boulevard, is slated to start late this year. The project calls for three new underground stations at First Street and Central Avenue, Second Street and Broadway and Second and Hope streets. The project is facing a legal challenge from Thomas Properties Group and the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, which object to plans to build a tunnel with the socalled cut-and-cover method down Flower Street; they say that will decimate business. The tentative timeline calls for completion in 2019. At metro.net/projects/connector. see Projects, page 15
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Officials with the city Bureau of Engineering are still preparing a draft environmental impact report analyzing proposals for razing, replacing or renovating Parker Center. The study on the now empty former LAPD headquarters — the final employees in the building were relocated in January — was slated to be released in April, but it has been delayed by another two months. It is now expected within the next 60 days, said Cora Jackson-Fossett, director of public affairs for the Department of Public Works. The structure at 150 N. Los Angeles St. was mostly vacated in 2009 when the LAPD moved into the new $440 million Police Administration Building. The EIR evaluates five options for the Civic Center site, including reusing the edifice, partial demolition and renovation, and demolition and replacement with a temporary parking lot.
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LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK Los Angeles State Historic Park, the pacific attraction on the edge of Chinatown, could close in January for a major upgrade. It would remain shuttered for a year as part of an $18 million effort to renovate the 32-acre facility, said Sean Woods, a California State Parks superintendent. Funding for the project was included in this year’s state budget. Current plans call for the project to go out to bid in September, with construction starting in January, said Woods. The park has become a busy summer concert venue, with events that lure thousands of music fans. Popular attractions include Hard Summer, the FYF Fest and H2O Fest. The park also holds dozens of other events such as a craft fair, and is a destination for joggers. Woods said he expects many of the events to return in 2015. The plans call for adding a welcome pavilion, a promenade for a farmers market, an amphitheater, wetlands areas and infrastructure improvements such as permanent restrooms. Although some have questioned why the project cannot be done in stages to keep parts of the park open, Woods said that would increase the cost and delay the completion of the project by up to a year.
Ninth Street and Towne Avenue, said Shannon Haber, an LAUSD project representative. The project has replaced old bungalows and created a 450-seat elementary school that will be operated by the LAUSD. The project will include a 405seat middle school that will be run by Para Los Niños.
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FARMERS FIELD
rendering courtesy HNTB
The city in March executed the design contract for the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project with architect HNTB Corp. The contract formalizes the working design, budget and schedule of the replacement of the ailing bridge. With the $400 million project scheduled to require the temporary elimination of the span, the city is planning about 20 intersection improvements in the Arts District and Boyle Heights, primarily along Fourth, Sixth, Seventh and Alameda streets, Whittier Boulevard and Central Avenue. The improvements, which will start in spring 2014, are part of the city’s effort to reduce traffic impacts from the bridge closure during construction. Demolition is slated to start by fall 2014. Construction would take until late 2018. The design team includes prominent L.A. architects Michael Maltzan and the firm AC Martin. A condition known as alkali-silica reaction has caused the concrete in the structure to weaken. Officials have stressed, however, that there is no imminent risk of collapse.
rendering courtesy of Gensler
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Angeles Historical Monument. Renovations that include removal of drywall and other non-historic elements in the 1908 structure are underway and an opening is expected in late 2014. The museum will be on the second floor of the building at 645 N. Main St. The structure’s façade as well as the Main Street storefronts and windows will be restored and seismic upgrades will be implemented. The museum will house a 4,000-square-foot main showroom and multipurpose space and will have exhibits that can be moved to make way for cultural and educational programs and events. At italianhall.org.
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM The effort to erect a 68,000-seat football stadium and renovate the aged Convention Center was thrown into uncertainty in March when Tim Leiweke, the longtime president and CEO of developer Anschutz Entertainment Group, abruptly left the company. At his departure, AEG founder and chairman Phil Anschutz said they will continue to pursue the plan to lure the NFL to Downtown Los Angeles. The $1.4 billion project would raze the Convention Center’s West Hall and erect the stadium where it now stands. A replacement for the lost Convention Center 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. AEG has repeatedly said it would not begin construction until a deal to move a team to L.A. is signed; the soonest a game could take place would be fall 2018. 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. As it pursues football, AEG is also expected to bid on a contract to operate and manage the Convention Center. The city currently operates the facility.
ITALIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM The city is working on a deal with a nonprofit group to run the $4.5 million Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, said Chris Espinosa, the general manager of El Pueblo de Los
A June 9 opening is expected for the Nature Gardens (formerly known as the North Campus) at the Natural History Museum; the 3.5-acre project will create a new “front yard” for the facility, with outdoor exhibits in 11 zones. Becoming Los Angeles, a 14,000-square-foot permanent exhibit that will examine 500 years of local cultural and ecological history, will open July 14. The exhibit will employ artifacts as well as audio and video components. Becoming Los Angeles will mark the culmination of the NHM’s seven-year, $135 million transformation that includes the Dinosaur Hall, which opened in 2011. At nhm.org.
REGENT THEATRE RENOVATION The plan to reactivate the Regent Theatre at 448 S. Main St. is proceeding. After a lengthy permitting process, Mitchell Frank, who also owns the concert promoter Spaceland Productions, broke ground on the renovation project in April. Crews are currently working on structural elements inside the theater. Completion is slated for late this year or early 2014, Frank said. The live music facility will include a restaurant.
SPRING STREET PARK A June opening is expected for the $8 million Spring Street Park, said Mike Shull, a superintendent with the city Department of Recreation and Parks. The grass and playground have been installed at the nearly one-acre attraction at 426 S. Spring St. and a sign has gone up on the park gate. The Historic Core facility features a lawn, plazas with curvsee Projects, page 16
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Projects
CLIFTON’S CAFETERIA Andrew Meieran, the owner of Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria, is in the midst of an extensive renovation that will add three new bars and another restaurant to the historic property at 648 S. Broadway. Meieran said the main construction of the building, including the structural, mechanical and electrical systems, is slated for completion in October. Work on the interior finishes of the venues will take up to nine additional months. Meieran has not set a timeline for opening the venues — they could debut in phases, or all at once. The project involves updating the cafeteria on the ground level without altering its historic character, while adding a bar on the mezzanine. The second floor will become a jazz and blues lounge called The Brookdale, and a speakeasy-style bar will operate in the basement. The third floor is slated to become a tiki bar dubbed Pacific Seas, after Clifton’s other original location (Clifton’s had two outposts, Clifton’s Brookdale and Clifton’s Pacific Seas). A fine dining restaurant will go on the fourth floor and an existing bakery will be renovated and set up to sell wholesale and retail pastry products. Meieran hopes to get the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
ing benches and a fountain. A failed attempt by a nonprofit group to operate the park is getting another try; that came after Patti Berman, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, took the reins of a nonprofit formed in 2011. Berman said she hopes to have an operating contract signed with the city this month. Operating costs would be about $100,000 per year.
THE BROAD The structural elements of the $130 million museum known as The Broad are almost complete and mechanical and electrical systems are now being installed, said Karen Denne, a spokeswoman for The Broad Foundation. The museum is rising on top of a three-level, 370-car garage. Once completed, the museum on Grand Avenue across from the Colburn School will house philanthropist Eli Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. The institution being designed by the New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro was originally slated for a late 2013 opening, though that has been pushed back to mid-2014. The installation of an elaborate, honeycomb-like veil that will shroud the building is slated to start in July. At broadartfoundation.org.
BUSINESS 351 S. BROADWAY Construction is on hold as developers seek additional permits and approvals from the city, said Yasuro Yamaguchi, a project representative for architect and building owner David Gray. Yamaguchi said approvals are expected in about two months. The $7.5 million renovation of the property at 351 S. Broadway will turn the structure into an office building for creative use tenants; completion is expected within two years. The project calls for the addition of a sixth floor and the creation of a ground-floor bar. Crews have already unveiled the original façade, which had been covered for about 60 years. A 12-foot ficus tree growing out of the wall near the roof will be removed as part of the project.
845 S. FIG/SMART & FINAL The State Bar of California is in the process of building out exteriors for its new headquarters at 845 S. Figueroa St. The State Bar bought the South Park building as it was in the midst of a renovation started by former owner L&R Group. The entity will use the upper four floors for its Southern California operations. The State Bar will move in sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a spokesman. Smart & Final is building out its space for a 25,000-squarefoot ground floor supermarket and plans to open in July.
1130 S. HOPE ST. According to the Department of City Planning, development firm BIMHF, LLC’s proposal for a South Park hotel project was slated to go before the Office of Zoning Administration for a hearing May 15 (after press time). According to plans filed with the department, the project would be a 10-story, 44-room boutique hotel with a bar, lounge, meeting spaces and a pool deck. Creating the new building at 1130 S. Hope St. would mean demolishing nearly half of a 76-room, threestory apartment building while preserving the masonry façade. The developer, which did not return calls for comment, has previously stated that $25 million in financing is lined up, but neither budget nor design details have been released.
ACE HOTEL Scaffolding is up on the outside of the building and a fall opening is expected for the Ace Hotel, said Lisa Lavora, a spokeswoman for the Oregon-based hotel operator. The
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The purchase agreement, however, does not require the firm to lease space to clean tech companies. It could also pursue food distributors and garment makers.
photo by Gary Leonard
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project is transforming the 13-floor United Artists Theatre at 933 S. Broadway into a 180-room hotel with a 1,600-seat entertainment space in the theater, a pool, restaurant and bar. The hotel was built in 1927 by United Artists founders D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Before the renovation the property served as the headquarters for televangelist Dr. Gene Scott. At acehotel.com.
ALAMEDA SQUARE Landowner Evoq Properties is moving forward with a fiveyear plan for a renovation of its 1.4-million-square-foot, fourbuilding industrial complex at Seventh and Alameda streets. American Apparel occupies two buildings and 700,000 square feet of space at the complex, but the other two structures have long been mostly vacant. Following last year’s signing of a 10year lease with fashion company VF Corp., Evoq is nearing completion of a seismic retrofit of one of the structures. VF Corp. plans to move the headquarters of two of its brands to the site, filling 80,000 square feet of space, starting this month, said Evoq CEO Martin Caverly. The firm is in negotiations to bring other tenants into the building later this year. When completed, Evoq plans to do similar upgrades to the other vacant building as part of a plan to turn the complex into an active mixed-use center. The timeline depends on when the company can sign additional tenants. Groceries, which has been compared to a young American Apparel because it manufacturers its clothes in L.A., has also signed a deal for 35,000 square feet at Alameda Square. At evoqproperties. com.
CLARK HOTEL The Chetrit Group, the owner of the Hotel Clark, an 11-story building at 426 S. Hill St. that has long stood as an empty eyesore just north of Pershing Square, is nearing completion on a renovation. The opening of the new boutique hotel is pending a final city approval that is up for consideration this month. If the project gets the green light, an opening could happen within six months, said project representative Elizabeth Peterson. The structure is slated to become a 347-room hotel, operated by New York’s King & Grove Hotels, with three restaurants. The project would also hold an 11,500-square-foot banquet space.
CLEANTECH MANUFACTURING CENTER Development firm Trammell Crow is looking to secure entitlements for a $45 million facility that would house manufacturing and industrial tenants on a 20-acre site purchased from the Community Redevelopment Agency in 2012. The firm plans to build three structures totaling 440,000 square feet, said Brad Cox, senior managing director of Trammell Crow. The company expects to secure entitlements this month and begin grading work around June 1. If that happens, completion of the campus would be slated for the second quarter of 2014. The CRA had struggled to sell the site near 15th Street and Washington Boulevard, in part because the land had been contaminated by previous occupants. Trammell Crow bought the property for $15.4 million and has pledged to conduct a $100,000 marketing campaign to attract clean technology manufacturing tenants to the property.
EMBASSY AUDITORIUM Plans to turn the vacant Embassy Hotel and Trinity Auditorium in South Park into a 183-room hotel are currently on hold, said Elizabeth Peterson, a representative of building owner the Chetrit Group. The New York-based firm had been pursuing a plan to turn the historic structure at 849 S. Grand Ave. into the Empire Hotel, with a 7,600-squarefoot outdoor garden, an approximately 2,000-square-foot ground-floor restaurant with more than 200 seats, a lobby bar and a lounge. The project just north of the FIDM campus would also upgrade the approximately 12,000-square-foot theater in the building.
LA KRETZ INNOVATION CAMPUS/ CLEANTECH INCUBATOR A groundbreaking is expected in June for a clean technology business incubator in the Arts District, said Ian Harris, a spokesman for the project at 411 Hewitt St. The campus will open in phases, with the first part coming online within eight months of the groundbreaking and a full opening nine months later. The facility, to be built inside an existing structure, was conceived by a partnership between the now defunct Community Redevelopment Agency and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The campus will house the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, which will encompass a group of clean technology companies working with processes related to sustainable uses of natural resources. The DWP paid $11.1 million for the building on the block bounded by Hewitt, Colyton, Fifth and Palmetto streets. A temporary 3,500-square-foot facility is operating nearby. At laincubator.org.
L.A. HOTEL RENOVATION The $20 million renovation of the former Los Angeles Downtown Marriott at 333 S. Figueroa St. is almost complete, according to a hotel representative. The hotel, currently known as the L.A. Downtown Hotel, is now part of the Hyatt chain. At the end of May it will become the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles Downtown; new signage could go up by July. The renovation includes upgrades to all the guest rooms, along with improvements to the lobby, the meeting and ballroom areas and the restaurants. The work on the guest rooms and meeting space is done and by the end of the month construction will begin on the lobby and on combining the hotel’s two restaurants into one space. The hotel will remain open during the renovation.
LITTLE TOKYO GALLERIA photo by Gary Leonard
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A 24-lane bowling alley, sports bar and entertainment center called X Lanes is expected to open this month at the
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Little Tokyo Galleria, said Jay Chun, president of property manager Kaufman Commercial Group. The 50,000-squarefoot attraction is on the second floor of the 25-year-old shopping center at 333 S. Alameda St. In addition to the bowling lanes and bar, it has a nine-table billiards room, a pizza restaurant and a 100-game arcade. X Lanes is the anchor of an entertainment hub planned at the mall as part of a renovation by Three Alameda Plaza, the owner of the 250,000-square-foot structure. Plans call for the creation of about eight restaurants and a new look for the gray, fortresslike exterior. Proposals for the exterior are being developed, and there is no timeline for when work would begin on that portion of the project.
MARRIOTT TOWER The concrete for the 15th floor of the Marriott Tower is in place, and a topping out of the 23-story South Park edifice is expected in late June. The pre-cast exterior elements and windows have been installed up to the eighth floor and framing and drywall work has begun in the hotel room interiors and corridors. The mechanical, electrical, fire sprinkler and plumbing contractors are installing the main building systems ahead of the finishes. The $172 million project from Seattle-based American Life Inc. and Portland’s Williams/ Dame & Associates remains on schedule to open in July 2014. The 373,000-square-foot development will hold a 174-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 218-room Residence Inn in a high-rise just north of the Ritz-Carlton/J.W. Marriott. The project is being built by SODO Builders L.A., LLC, with designs by Portland’s GBD Architects.
SPARKLE FACTORY Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino and her husband and business partner Alfonso Campos are converting a longvacant 1914 building at 908 S. Broadway into a headquarters for their jewelry empire. Dubbed the Sparkle Factory, the 23,800-square-foot structure will house design and production operations as well as a ground-floor store. Construction on the upper levels was completed in April and the company moved in this month, Campos said. A retail boutique planned for the street level commercial space is expected in the fall. The boutique will sell Tarina Tarantino goods, as well as an array of items by other designers. The company is also in preliminary talks to bring a bar to the building’s basement. The building is known in part for the artwork painted on its side by British street artist Banksy. At thesparklefactory. blogspot.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
URBAN RADISH
Bar-Zemer, who owns the building. The operators of Urban Radish have created a market in an 8,200-square-foot former warehouse across the street from the Biscuit Company and Toy Factory lofts in the southeast portion of the Arts District. The business is housed in a metal building and will have an outdoor patio and tables. In addition to the grocery items, Urban Radish will sell sandwiches, salads, artisanal meats and cheeses and locally baked breads. The large mural of a chipmunk on the exterior will remain and greenery will be added around the building. At urban-radish.com.
WAL-MART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET The 65 jobs at the upcoming Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market near Chinatown have been filled and construction continues, with the pharmacy section completed. The store is set to open this year, but no date has been set, according to Rachel Wall, a company representative. The 33,000-squarefoot business will be on the ground floor of Grand Plaza, a 302-unit senior housing complex at 701 W. Cesar Chavez Ave. The project has continued to face opposition — including protests and legal action — from union groups and others who oppose Wal-Mart’s hiring practices and who fear the store may harm existing area shops.
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ball court and a children’s play area. The building is slated to secure LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
OPENED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS 1111 WILSHIRE
NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY BUDOKAN OF LOS ANGELES The fundraising continues for the Budokan of Los Angeles, the Little Tokyo Service Center’s proposed $22 million recreation center. Project Manager Scott Ito said the LTSC will learn in June whether they will get a $1 million grant from the city for the project. So far, about $7.5 million has been raised, said Ito. Plans call for a 38,000-square-foot facility on Los Angeles between Second and Third streets. The effort would include a four-court gymnasium, community space and a rooftop garden with a jogging track. It would provide space for several sports with an emphasis on martial arts tournaments. A groundbreaking is expected by early 2015 with an opening by 2016. At budokanoflosangeles.com.
GOOD SAMARITAN EXPANSION Officials with Good Samaritan Hospital did not return calls for comment about plans to build a 190,000-square-foot medical office building at Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street in City West. Architecture firm Ware Malcomb was hired to oversee the design while Millie and Severson was charged with handling construction for the $80 million effort. Plans call for building a facility with a pharmacy, an outpatient surgical center and five levels of physicians’ offices. Initial plans called for opening the project in the second quarter of 2014, though little construction appears to have been done, and a specific timeline is unknown. The plan also calls for the building to house Good Samaritan’s specialty medical clinics including cardiology, orthopedics and primary care.
HOPE STREET FAMILY CENTER
A market selling fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy and other items is scheduled to open on May 29, said Yuval
photo by Gary Leonard
Development
Although the $15.7 million Hope Street Margolis Family Center is nearly complete, no date has yet been set for a grand opening, according to a project representative. The four-story, 25,500-square-foot project is a partnership between Abode and California Hospital Medical Center. The building at 1600 S. Hope St. will offer services supporting low-income families and will include, among other things, an outdoor basket-
Move-ins began in March and about 40 apartments are now occupied at the City West apartment complex 1111 Wilshire, said Josh McDonald, a spokesman for Holland Partner Group, the Vancouver, Wash.-based developer of the $60 million building. The 210-unit, seven-story project includes 7,750 square feet of retail space with studio to three bedroom units. Rents range from $1,570-$4,200. The project, part of a cluster of Wilshire Boulevard apartment buildings that have opened in the past few years, contains an underground parking garage with room for 302 cars.
DODGER STADIUM UPGRADES Opening Day was April 1, and with the start of the baseball season came approximately $100 million in improvements to the 51-year-old Dodger Stadium. The most obvious to fans are the new hexagonal scoreboards that harken back to the old days of the Chavez Ravine venue; in addition to video improvements, the stadium’s audio system has been redone, and cell phone and Wi-Fi service have been enhanced. Restrooms on upper levels have been renovated and the number of women’s facilities throughout the stadium has been increased. Additional food concession stands were also opened. There are other improvements that fans can’t see, including the creation of modern clubhouses and an upgraded, larger weight and conditioning room. A second weight room for visiting teams has been constructed.
ROSS DEPARTMENT STORE The Ross Dress for Less at 719 S. Broadway opened on March 9. The 39,000-square-foot business is the first name brand retailer to open on Broadway in decades, and is part of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative. Ross, which occupies the basement and ground floor, fills a space that the Woolworth Department Store had occupied starting in 1920. The Pleasanton, Calif.based retailer signed a 10-year lease and has the option of expanding into the two upper levels of the three-story structure. Along with internal improvements, the store has a new neon vertical “blade” sign that runs from the roof to just above the first floor.
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18 Downtown News
Celebrating 40 Years
May 20, 2013
DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL
photos by Gary Leonard
a special advertising supplement
May 20, 2013
Downtown News 19
Downtown Residential
A Crown For the Ritz-Carlton Residences New Penthouse Dazzles With Sumptuous Finishes and Inspiring Views From the 50th Floor
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he Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE has unveiled a stunning new penthouse model, 50B. The 2,222-square-foot residence, priced at $3.7 million, is one of the few penthouse residences still availFROM OUR ADVERTISERS
able at this iconic property — the best-selling luxury resi-
ing, or in the entire city.” The 224 luxury homes of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE are the most exclusive residences in Los Angeles, on the top floors above The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, in the heart of L.A. LIVE, with expansive views of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline, San Gabriel Mountains, Pacific Ocean and Hollywood Hills. The Residences’ HOA-included services and amenities encompass: 24-hour valet parking, 24-hour dedicated lobby ambassador, dedicated residential concierge, catered conti-
nental breakfast, private Champions Lounge with a wine-tasting room and billiard room, private screening room, private residential fitness center, rooftop swimming pool and spa with landscaped sky terrace, and more. The iconic, elegantly curved façade is Downtown’s newest high-rise. Silver LEED certified, it is sheathed in specially designed glass for maximum transparency with minimal heat gain. For more information visit AllAccessLiving.com or call (213) 622-4242.
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore! dential tower in Los Angeles. Designed by Lana Canova from Design Tec, this east-facing, two-bedroom home embodies the sky-high luxury and glamour offered in Los Angeles only by The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE. The remaining penthouses are the highest elevated homes in Los Angeles, and include six two-story penthouses that are as large as 5,860 square feet. “Finishes throughout the entire building already begin at luxurious, but Canova elevated them even higher from there, which is appropriate for this dramatic, 50th floor perch,” said Vice President of Sales & Marketing Kimberly Lucero. “The design establishes a new sophisticated, neutral palate to highlight the light-filled residence and complement its incredible views.” The hand-crafted finishes include sumptuous wood floors, tile and marble bathrooms, and a kitchen appointed with Molteni & Co designer cabinets and Gaggenau appliances. Twelve-foot-high ceilings create an atmosphere of light, with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows that span the length of the residence. “My goal was to capture an ultra high-end experience that employed finishes that go above and beyond the already elevated approach of the Residences,” Canova said. “All of the homes at The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A LIVE are extremely desirable, but this penthouse is truly the pinnacle home, distinct from anything in the build-
Call Now Fo r
It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes Move-In provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.
Spec ial s
Grand Tower
255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants
Promenade Towers 123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777
Everything You Need Under One Roof
Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking
On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon
TENTEN Wilshire Helps Small Business Thrive in Downtown Los Angeles
museum Tower 225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500
T
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, legal, finance, consulting, real estate and advertising, TENTEN Wilshire provides the perfect blend of amenities and necessi-
Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
ties 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 see TENTEN, page 22
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies
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
20 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Downtown Residential
Where Style and Luxury Converge Cultural Connection Apex Redefines What It Means to Live Well in the City
T
The Towers Deliver a Rich Downtown Experience
here’s a new star in the city skyline. A dazzling new fixture in Downtown L.A.’s most coveted location, APEX pays homage to urban luxury and a modern sensibility. This well-designed collection FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
of one- and two-bedroom residences offers ample space, designer style and the city’s best views, all while placing the best of L.A. at your doorstep. Meticulously planned to anticipate every need, APEX’s world-class amenities and around-the-clock services ensure your life is a charmed one. This 271-unit, 27-story apartment tower is located in the bustling South Park neighborhood. Inside each residence, floor-to-ceiling windows welcome natural light and showcase stunning views of L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. The open, airy feeling continues with spacious floor plans ideal for entertaining and relaxing. An expansive walk-in closet keeps couture tidy in the master retreat, and smart wiring is featured throughout each residence to accommodate home theatres and offices. Select residences feature private terraces ranging from 24 to 286 square feet, as well as a gourmet storage pantry, separate shower, pull-out windows, Cesarstone countertops, European-style appliances and a wide variety of cabinetry colors. Building amenities include a 28,200-square-foot pool deck containing an outdoor pool and spa, fire pit, barbecue entertaining area and free-standing fitness center, as well as an 8,000-square-foot dog park complete with paw-friendly artificial grass. Walking distance to favorite Downtown landmarks such as FIDM, Staples Center, L.A. Live, City Target and Ralph’s grocery store, and a stone’s throw from local favorite haunts including the Original Pantry Café and Yard House, APEX offers a vibrant social scene. Those who don’t want to leave the building can play pool or watch one of the four HD TVs in the Live Here Lounge, host an intimate gathering
in the third floor lounge or enjoy movie night in the APEX Movie Theater. Located just off the Ninth Street exit, blocks away from the 10, 110 and 101 freeways and a three-minute walk from the Metro station, APEX’s central location makes commuting a breeze. APEX boasts 964 parking spaces and an adjacent retail pad capable of supporting 10,331 square feet of commercial space on a very well-trafficked street. The phase two development parcel on Lot 3 is entitled for an additional 281-unit, 28-story tower with 5,485 square feet of ground floor retail, and a 10,331-square-foot free-standing retail building on the busy corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets. There is now a Downtown L.A. address with the kind of classic contemporary style that redefines what it means to live well in the city. Magnificent views, cosmopolitan design and a coveted Downtown location ideal for entertaining make APEX “The One.” APEX is located at 900 S. Figueroa St. For more information call (888) 717-9556 or visit liveapex.com.
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 FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
success, housing prominent firms in impressive architectural sculptures 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 see The Towers, page 22
Hollenbeck “Corner” Apartments Now Available from $2,499 a Month*
& Up to $2,000 Towards your Moving Costs!
ENJOY! A Garden Oasis & City at Your Doorstep
TAI CHI • 8-Acre, Park-like Campus • Enjoy your meals in either the Grand Dining Room or the NEW Skyline Bistro • Transportation to Special Events and Doctors Appointments
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573 South Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90033
323.843.2599
hollenbeckpalms.com
A RETIREMENT OASIS SINCE 1890
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*Limited Time only. “Corner” apartments available from $2,499 a month depending on entry plan for first year. Up to $2,000 towards moving costs. Corner apartments only. CA license #COA212/RCFE 191800001
May 20, 2013
Downtown Residential
Downtown News 21
A HOME LIKE NO OTHER. CENTERED ABOVE EXCITEMENT, IN THE HEART OF L.A. LIVE, ARE THE CITY’S ONLY HOMES WITH SKY-HIGH AMENITIES, VIP ACCESS, AND THE LEGENDARY SERVICE OF THE RITZ-CARLTON. ANNOUNCING THE FINAL RESIDENCES AND PENTHOUSES IN L.A.’S BEST-SELLING LUXURY ADDRESS.
2 & 3 BEDROOM RESIDENCES FROM $1.8M TO $4.5M | SINGLE & TWO-STORY PENTHOUSES FROM $3.5M TO $9.3M IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY | LIMITED AVAILABILITY | 900 W. OLYMPIC BLVD. , LOS ANGELES, CA 90015 213.622.4242 | ALLACCESSLIVING.COM The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE are not owned, developed or sold by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC. Olympic and Georgia Partners, LLC. uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under license from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC. Owned and developed by Olympic and Georgia Partners, LLC, a single purpose entity. Some of the amenities and services described are available for purchase from the hotel and others are provided through one of the two owner associations at no additional cost to residents. The developer reserves the right to make modifications in materials, specifications, plans, pricing, various fees, designs, scheduling and delivery of the homes without prior notice. All dimensions are approximate and subject to normal construction variances and tolerances. Plans and dimensions may contain minor variations from floor to floor. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation to buy to residents in jurisdictions in which registration requirements have not been fulfilled, but is intended for information only. Listing Broker: The Agency, CA DRE #01904054. 3/11/13.
Obtain the Property Report or its equivalent by Federal and State law and read it before signing anything. No Federal or State agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.
22 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Downtown Residential
TENTEN Continued from page 19 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 premises 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 from the center of Downtown, TENTEN Wilshire is an ideal place for meeting people and networking, providing guests and residents an unpar-
alleled 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 established 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.) 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.
A Premier Senior Living Community Hollenbeck Palms Offers Modern Amenities
L
ocated on an exquisite, eight-acre park-like campus, Hollenbeck Palms is the premier senior living community in Los Angeles. Striking panoramic views of Downtown surround this centrally FROM OUR ADVERTISERS
located facility offering independent residential living, assisted residential living and 24-hour skilled nursing. Hollenbeck Palms is a continuing care retirement community offering a wide array of amenities that will provide you and your family the comfort of knowing you not only have a rewarding lifestyle but also one with great opportunities for enjoyment. The Hollenbeck award-winning activities team has designed an exciting social calendar filled with special events, performances and trips. Want to explore the best venues L.A. has to offer? Hollenbeck offers group rates to the Ahmanson Theater, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Staples Center, Del Mar Racetrack and Laughlin. Hollenbeck offers a network of highly skilled physicians offering walk-in access and onsite medical services including general checkups, podiatry, dental and hearing care. Transportation is provided to local physicians and weekly shopping. The modern fitness center, nine-hole putting green, dance classes and billiards room keeps residents busy year-round. Family and friends may also join Hollenbeck’s special events and dining. The Grand Dining Room offers a restaurant-style setting for heart-healthy options from breakfast to dinner. If you’re searching for casual dining, the new Skyline Bistro offers flexible hours located in Magnolia Court. Take in the Italian Riviera
The Towers
WHERE STYLE AND LUXURY CONVERGE. There’s a new star in the city skyline. APEX. A dazzling new fixture in downtown LA’s most coveted location, APEX is an homage to urban luxury and modern sensibility.
liveapex.com 900 S. FIGUEROA ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90015
877.661.6765
Continued from page 20 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
themed dining area or view the L.A. skyline from the al fresco deck. A variety of living arrangements are available to fit your needs. In Magnolia Court, one- and two-bedroom apartments feature a balcony or patio, full kitchen, washer/dryer hookups and walk-in closets. High-speed Internet and cable TV access are available throughout the campus. Invite your family to meet in one of several spacious reception areas including beautiful lounges and fully equipped game rooms. Hollenbeck also specializes in making your move easier. They can help decide what furniture and possessions will look best in your new home and even assist with packing and moving. Call today to learn about Hollenbeck’s corner apartments starting at $2,499* a month and learn how you can earn up to $2,000 towards your moving costs. (*Limited time only for corner apartments at $2,499 a month depending on entry plan for first year. Limited time only for moving costs promotion.) Hollenbeck Palms is at 573 S. Boyle Ave. For more information call (323) 843-2599 or visit hollenbeckpalms.com. 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) 6173777. 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.
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Downtown News 23
Restaurant Buzz Roy Choi’s Chego Opens, a New Gram and Papa’s Chef, Eat a Dessert Burger and Other Food Happenings by Richard Guzmán city editor
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ad to the Indian Bone: A new, and maybe the only Indian gastropub in Los Angeles will hold its grand opening this week. On Wednesday, May 22, Badmaash will have a debut ceremony for its space at 108 W. Second St. (though it actually began serving a few weeks ago). The spot next door to Pitfire Pizza specializes in a mix of bar grub “maash-ups” inspired by Bombay street food. That means dishes such as chicken tikka masala and the Holy Cow! Keema Pow!, made with ground beef chuck and served on a bun (which sounds like a sloppy Joe). Father and son duo Pawan and Nakul Mahendro are the owners of the restaurant. The hours are Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. and until 1 a.m. Friday-Sunday. At 108 W. Second St., (213) 221-7466 or badmaashla.com. Choi’s Chinatown Chego!: Roy Choi’s famous Kogi Korean BBQ Truck is still rolling through the streets, but he now also has a permanent spot in Chinatown. This month, the chef credited with starting the food truck craze opened Chego! in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza at 727 N. Broadway (the restaurant previously was in Culver City). Chego! specializes in rice bowl dishes with ingredients such as pork belly, prime rib and kimchi with spam and fried rice. Yes, spam. Yes, it’s good. At 727 N. Broadway, (323) 380-8680 or eatchego.com. Papa’s Got a Brand New Chef: The Fashion District hole in the wall Gram and Papa’s got a modicum of fame for hosting several installments of chef Ludovic Lefebvre’s immensely popular LudoBites pop-up restaurant nights. Ludo has his own place in Hollywood now and won’t be coming back Downtown any time soon, but his protégé, Cyril Kabaoglu, is now leading the kitchen at Gram and Papa’s full time. Kabaoglu has created new lunch items including a shrimp burger and the restaurant is now baking all of its own bread.
He also started a dinner series called Triptik L.A. It’s a sort of pop-up event that happens on select nights when Kabaoglu partners with other chefs. The menu gets fancy for an up-to10-course prix-fixe dinner. Dishes have included duck breast picatta, aged beef carpaccio and bourride, a garlic-heavy Mediterranean fish soup. Check the website for the next Triptik dinner. At 227 E. Ninth St., (213) 624-7272 or gramandpapas.com. Burger Bonanza: A lot of important things are happening this month. May is National Bike, Fitness, Foster Care and Burger Month. Restaurant Buzz applauds the first three, but the only one he will really celebrate is National Burger Month. Fortunately, there are many places to do this in Downtown Los Angeles. One spot getting into the spirit is L.A. Market at the JW Marriott. The L.A. Live restaurant is serving options including chef Kerry Simon’s Iron Chef Burger, named for the dish he cooked during his appearance on the Food Network show “Iron Chef.” It’s made with an Angus chuck patty, bacon and grilled balsamic onions. There is also, egads, a dessert burger. Available until May 31 is the Chocolate Double Animal (cracker) Style Burger. It is prepared with a brioche bun on top of a “patty” made of chocolate mousse. It comes with strawberries and mint (the lettuce and tomato) and the cheese is crème fraiche. A macaroon bun is on the bottom. Want fries with that? No problem. They’re served on the side and made of puff pastry. Take that National Bike Month. Oh, and May is also National Stroke Awareness Month. At 900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-8630 or lalivemarriott.com. Lunch Perishes: If you’ve been having breakfast or lunch at Casey Lane’s The Parish, it’s time to look for another option. A sign outside the restaurant last week stated that breakfast and lunch service would be suspended at the spot’s patio as
photo courtesy of L.A. Market
L.A. Market, a restaurant in the Convention Center hotel, is celebrating National Burger Month with a dessert that has a “patty” made of chocolate mousse.
work proceeds on a new wine bar and cafe. According to the sign, dinner is still being served upstairs. Parish officials didn’t return calls for comment. There is no timeline yet on when the wine bar and cafe will open. Lane is partnering with bar consultants Proprietors LLC on the new wine bar. At 800 S. Spring St., (213) 225-2400 or theparishaa.com. Real Art: Some say great art comes from great suffering. Restaurant Buzz believes great art also comes from great ingredients, among them tequila, bourbon and horchata, Rosa Mexicano agrees and is proving it with “The Art of Mexican Mixology.” From June 5-30, the South Park restaurant will serve a few new cocktails prepared tableside, adding a little showmanship to the art of mixology. The drinks include a frozen bourbon horchata, a Tequila Sunrise made with house-made pomegranate grenadine and something called pineapple-achiote punch. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd. (213) 746-0001 or rosamexicano.com. Got any juicy food news? If so, contact Restaurant Buzz at richard@downtownnews.com.
24 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Arts District Continued from page 1 of $5.8 million on economic development. “The decision is wrong and will have a very dramatic impact on us in particular because we have the largest economic development function,” said Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the DCBID. The Arts District BID, which has an annual budget of $1.3 million — about 72% is spent on “clean and safe” programs — collected from area property owners, must disband by July 24. While the entity is already taking steps to dissolve, the city may appeal the decision, said Bill Carter, chief deputy city attorney. “I suspect we will pursue an appeal, but that decision has not been made,” Carter said. Question of Benefits O’Brien’s order turns on the question of whether economic development efforts, such as distributing marketing materials to attract investment to the area or touring the neighborhood with real estate investors, constitute what are known as “special benefits.” State law says that cities can only use assessment districts to pay for services that constitute special benefits for the people who pay the taxes. Services that benefit the general public, or those that function generally to raise property values, are not covered. O’Brien agreed that the ADBID’s clean and safe program — that’s the graffiti-scrubbing street sweepers and security folks on bikes in blue shirts — represented a special benefit for the area. Its economic development efforts, however, did not, he ruled. “The court looked at the BID’s activities and said you can’t charge property owners for what is essentially a PR campaign,” said Geoff Stover of the law firm Steinbrecher & Span, who represented the property owners in the complaint. Stover and Bar-Zemer both said the case was not intended as a general attack on other business improvement districts. Rather, the complaint was directed at a specific BID they maintain did not provide special benefits commensurate with
the fees paid by property owners. Bar-Zemer, whose company Linear City developed the Toy Factory and Biscuit Company lofts as well as the apartment complex 7+Bridge, and Frank Novak of the furniture company Modernica, led a coalition of property owners who have been fighting the ADBID since 2011. They’re behind the orange “Rid the Bid” signs posted on several properties in the district. When the BID proposed an expansion two years ago, it drew its new borders to lasso in the Linear City properties and other parcels, in effect boosting its assessment rolls. Representatives of those properties largely opposed inclusion in the BID, BarZemer said. To establish or renew a BID, property owners representing a majority of the land must vote in favor of the self-assessments. In May 2011, the Arts District BID secured signatures accounting for 50.66% of the land in the area (Lopez said they could have gone higher but stopped seeking signatures upon hitting the majority level). According to the lawsuit, however, 17.5% of that land is owned by government entities including Metro and the L.A. DWP that voted for the BID. The property owners’ suit argued that those government agencies are essentially wasting taxpayer money because their buildings don’t benefit from the BID’s services. O’Brien did not address the taxpayer waste claim, however, because his court did not have jurisdiction. It was instead transferred to a separate department for a future trial. For now, the city and other BIDs are left to ponder some unanswered questions about O’Brien’s order. It is unclear whether O’Brien meant to bar special assessments for economic development in general, or only as it applies to the Arts District case. “That’s certainly one of the questions where we will be seeking clarity,” Carter said. In the meantime, the Arts District BID will cease to operate immediately and will stop collecting taxes. Lopez said that 19 people — 14 security guards, four maintenance staffers and one administrative employee — were laid off on Tuesday. Other CCEA employees will take pay cuts, she said. The Central City East Association, which manages the Arts District and Industrial District BIDs, could opt to re-establish
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the ADBID. Or, another entity could seek to create a new BID. Such an effort would require a new management plan that identifies special and general benefits. It would also have to get majority approval from property owners. Larger Impact The Fashion District and Historic Downtown Los Angeles BIDs are both in the midst of renewal campaigns (all BIDs have five year terms and can be renewed in five-year increments). For now, both entities are proceeding cautiously. Kent Smith, executive director of the Fashion District BID, said his group is preparing its plan with extra attention to identifying special and general benefits. Blair Besten, executive director of the HDLABID, said that the city has not advised her to proceed differently in light of the Arts District ruling. The group still plans to make eco-
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Celebrating 40 Years
Election Continued from page 5 during the last week of the race and had a campaign cat named Booger. Oh yeah, and he finished fifth. Pastrami Democracy: Say what you will about the DWP, but the Working Californians ad featuring Bill Clinton and shot during his visit with Greuel to Langer’s deli was probably the best and most effective TV spot of the campaign. Even once you realize that Clinton’s not running for mayor, it’s still good.
photo by Gary Leonard
The Arts District BID, which is helmed by Estela Lopez, must disband by July 24. Last week, Lopez laid off 19 BID employees.
nomic development a component of its services, she said. At the heart of many conflicts with BIDs is a question of responsibility for what many consider to be basic public services. Why pay a BID for street cleaning when the city already does that with tax dollars, critics often ask? “That’s an argument I’ve heard since I began working to establish the first BID in 1987,” Lopez said. “I tell people, you can hold onto that thought as long as you want, but it’s not going to change the situation: The city of L.A. is unable to give you the level of services that you want.” Since January 2011, the Arts District BID has removed 636 tons of trash and its security personnel have responded to 50,567 incidents, according to the CCEA. Under the ADBID structure, condo owners in the Toy Factory and Biscuit Company lofts were assessed about $100$300 per year. Modernica was supposed to pay about $11,000 this year. Under terms of the judge’s order, any taxes already paid to the BID will not be returned, but future assessments are canceled. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.
Former Mayor, Take Three: Mayor Richard Riordan’s legacy in L.A. is strong and secure. Still, during the mayor’s race he was like a Dodger batter, repeatedly swinging and missing. First he showed up in Downtown to endorse Beutner… who would drop out. Then he endorsed Kevin James… who came in a distant third in the primary. Finally, he endorsed Greuel. Is the third time the charm? Super PAC, Thanks for Asking: Super PACs are bigmoney groups that operate independently from a candidate’s campaign and do things like send out attack mailers and create attack ads (detect a theme?). They often have bland names like Working Californians. A Garcetti Super PAC operates under the brilliant moniker Lots of People Who Support Eric Garcetti. Of course, it’s as loaded as any other Super PAC, as the small print reveals that “major funding” comes from a couple big shot labor organizations. But they get two donkey points for the name. No, I have no idea what a donkey point is. It just came to me. No Obama, but…: Garcetti had to be disappointed when he couldn’t nab the endorsement of President Barack Obama, especially in the wake of Greuel’s Clinton endorsement. After all, Garcetti had been on the Obama bandwagon early — he chose the Illinois senator back when Antonio Villaraigsoa was stumping for Hillary Clinton. While Garcetti was shut out, it’s clear now that plenty of
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back-channel support was directed his way. The Garcetti Super PAC repeatedly noted participation from several Obama strategists. Last week, Garcetti held an event with Obama advisor David Axelrod. You think any of that happens without the winking nod of the White House? Nothing Sticks: At a roast of Tom LaBonge in March, Greuel joked that bumper stickers for her campaign were being affixed to all the cars in the parking lot. She remarked that Garcetti adhesives didn’t work “because nothing sticks to Eric.” It was a joke yet oh-so-true, as evidenced by Greuel’s failed attempt to slag Garcetti for his share in a Beverly Hills oil well. Whoever came up with the “nothing sticks” line should get three donkey points. What if They Had a Debate and No One Came?: I’m not the L.A. Admiral of Elections, but if I ever get the job, my first move will be this: There will be precisely four debates during the primary, and three more during the runoff. That’s it. They’ll be moderated by Warren Olney of KCRW, Dave Bryan of Channel 2/9, Conan Nolan of Channel 4 and Carmen Trutanich, solely because the latter event will be utterly wacko, and Nuch will probably have some spare time. If the 2013 election proved two things, it’s that a) Every neighborhood doesn’t need its own debate, and b) About 80% of what the candidates say at these events is always the same. Let’s save everyone the boredom and give the contenders more time to lock themselves in a room and make phone calls to ask for money. Is Something Missing?: Quick, what event hasn’t happened in the last two years of frantic campaigning, money raising and endorsement gathering? Well, Villaraigosa hasn’t chimed in on a preferred candidate. Even more interesting, in the past six months no one has been asking about his endorsement. All I can say is, hmmm, that’s interesting, and wonder how the “Dream With Me” mayor became political Kryptonite. What the heck, someone give AnVil six donkey points. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.
26 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Apartments Continued from page 1 Move-ins began in March and so far more than 65 units have been rented. Warren said they are on track to sign about 25 leases per month and expect to be filled by September. The project includes an underground garage with 302 parking spaces and 7,750 square feet of ground floor retail. So far leases have been inked with Souk Shwarma, a restaurant that specializes in spit-cooked food, a dessert place called Sweet Cream, and a burger and lounge spot that Warren would not identify. He said discussions are also underway with a sandwich shop. Modern Style Like most of its neighbors, 1111 Wilshire has a modern look (the Italian-inspired Piero is the visual exception). The multicolored façade has a mix of light green, yellow, white and brown hues. A red, rectangular ledge frames the Wilshire portion of the building and wraps slightly around to the Bixel side. The modern theme continues indoors. In the lobby a dark gray wraparound couch sits under a dark wood-paneled wall. Metal orb-like sculptures are on the floor in the opposite corner. The first floor of a two-level gym is visible from the lobby, as is the second floor mezzanine, which leads to an outdoor courtyard. It boasts a small saltwater pool, a Jacuzzi, a fireplace, barbecue area and a poolside lounge with a billiards table. The property also has a 24-person screening room. The units are true apartments, as opposed
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The company also spent $4 million to rehab the 77-unit low-income Bixel House, which sits just north of 1111 Wilshire. It covers the City West development requirement that 20% of a project’s residences be set aside as affordable housing. Warren said that nearly half of the Section 8 tenants who had to move out of Bixel House during the renovation have moved back in. The building reopened in summer 2011. The batch of buildings near 1111 Wilshire have created about 1,500 condominiums and apartments in a small area. “It’s exciting to see the growth in that area,” said Downtown developer Hamid Behdad. “It’s way overdue, to be honest.” Behdad, who helms the Central City Development Group, hopes to add to the growth. His company has partnered with Amidi Real Estate Group (which created 1010 Wilshire) to build 1027 Wilshire, a 376-apartment complex. He is trying to line up financing. Behdad said several factors make the area attractive to renters, including being close to the Financial District, yet still somewhat
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removed from the heavy traffic and congestion in that area. The City Target that opened at the FIGat7th shopping center in October is also in walking distance. While Holland Partner is now a major player in the City West development scene, Warren acknowledges that getting here wasn’t easy. The company initially envisioned a 398-condominium high-rise for the site, but changed course when the economy soured. “If it wasn’t for the downturn we would have finished this in 2010,” he said. “We had to wait through the worst of the recession.” Now, the company is looking to expand its footprint. Warren said Holland Partner plans to break ground next year on a $125 million complex with 600 apartments on the same block as 1111 Wilshire. Plans call for transforming a vacant, 1923 medical office building at Sixth and Lucas streets into 42 residential units, then building another structure with 600 apartments. He hopes to open within three years after construction begins. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
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to open-design lofts. The residences contain stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and a washer and dryer. The studio to twobedroom units have hardwood and polished concrete floors while the three-bedroom apartments are carpeted. Then there is the rooftop patio, with a fireplace, Jacuzzi, grill, open shower areas and a ping-pong table. “We designed 1111 Wilshire to appeal to urban professionals, students and folks who appreciate the urban vibe,” Warren said. Former West Hollywood residents Andy Bowland and his fiancé Denise Nguyen are the type of residents 1111 Wilshire is targeting. Bowland, a 31-year-old bartender and actor, and Nguyen, a 25-year-old fashion stylist, were set to sign a lease for a Studio City apartment when an online search lead them to the City West project. “The building is beautiful,” Bowland said. “It’s brand new, and it’s in an area where everything is up and coming.” Big Builders Founded in 2001, Holland Partner Group is comprised of five companies that focus on new development as well as property management. The company manages more than 20,000 units in states such as Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and California. It has built more than 40 high-rise developments and more than 15 buildings under nine stories, including 1111 Wilshire. Holland Partner has prior experience in City West. The company built the 201-unit GLO apartment complex, across the street from 1111 Wilshire, in 2007. It sold the property in 2011 to Equity Residential for $65 million, Warren said.
photo by Gary Leonard
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Downtown News 27
Celebrating 40 Years
photo by Lisa Rose
CALENDAR The Street Food Cinema brings about 1,800 people to Downtown, mainly at Exposition Park, for movies, music and food. It screens Stand by Me on May 25.
This Summer Downtown Has Not One, But Four Outdoor Movie Series
APR 29
by RichaRd Guzmán
Park and View It seemed the credits were set to roll last summer when Morgan Night announced he would shut down the Devil’s Night Drive-In, which had taken place for seven years on a roof at Fourth Street and Broadway. The series did end, but like all those zombies that the kids love these days, it came back from the dead after being purchased. It was renamed the Electric Dusk Drive-In. Then, unlike the zombies, it was forced to move to the Fashion District. Now Electric Dusk runs at City Market of Los Angeles, an
in will be July 13, when The Princess Bride is on screen, and July 27 when E.T. finds his way to Downtown. The closing film, on Aug. 31, is Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. StartsDusk MayDrive-In 3 & 10 is Although the Electric a drive-in, a car is not a requirement. An Astroturf area has room for about 225 people. There is also a snack shack selling hot dogs, burgers and drinks. At 1000 San Julian St., (818) 653-8591 or electricduskdrivein.com. Street Style The Street Food Cinema combines three
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also the opening act and will be performing with his band. hen it comes to enjoying a night On June 1, Tom Cruise dances in his at the movies in Downtown Los underwear in 1983’s Risky Business. It also Angeles, people don’t have to put screens at Exposition Park. up with the confines of four walls, a roof and It’s family time at Grand Hope Park in s ew N n w nto om/L.A.Dow paying $6 for South Park on June 8, with the animated book.cpopcorn. Faacesmall This summer, Downtown movie fans can Escape From Planet Earth. take advantage of four outdoor movie series. The series shifts to Los Angeles State Like Downtown News on Facebook The events offer everything from classics to Historic Park on July 27 with the absurd & Be Entered Win Movie comedies to familytofriendly fare. Tickets! comedy Monty Python & The Holy Grail. Some even throw live music and food trucks Another highlight is Skyfall, with the blond into the mix, and one series is free. Here is a Bond back at Exposition Park Aug. 17. The rundown of the al fresco film action. Street Food Cinema is also dog friendly. Check Our Website for Full Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com Friday Flicks Exposition Park is at 700 Exposition Park Over at Pershing Square, the free Friday Drive. Los Angeles State Historic Park is at Night Flicks series has been going on since 1245 N. Spring St. Grand Hope Park is at 919 2008. This year’s lineup launched May 3 and S. Grand Ave. At streetfoodcinema.com. continues through October with more than Hear It, See It, Eat It 25 films. The directions are pretty clear at the series Starts May 10 So far only the movies through June 28 sponsored by cable channel Showtime. The have been announced. The month m of May Eat See Hear movies run through Sept. 14. co nNews.Screening ntow features flashback films. Eight of the films in the Saturday series E-NEWS 1980s ow D t a p u n SIGN UP Sig May 24 is John Hughes’ 1986 comedy Pretty will be in Downtown at either Los Angeles in Pink, starring a young Molly Ringwald. It State Historic Park, where people can sit on Sign Up for E-News Blasts & also features JonOur Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, the grass, or in a drive-in on the rooftop The new Eat See Hear series utilizes a number of al fresco locations across the city, including the roof Be Entered toeven WinAndrew Movie“Dice” Tickets! James Spader and Clay. of a parking lot at Los Angeles Trade Tech of a parking structure at Los Angeles Trade Tech College. Films showing there this summer include The following week is a further flashback, College at Flower Street. Risky Business. all the way to the 1950s, thanks to Michael J. “We want to marry the three quintessential Fox and the time-traveling DeLorean in Back old produce warehouse complex. most people love: food trucks, mu- L.A. things,” said Sharon Sperber, co-owner Check Our Website forthings Full Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com to the Future. “It’s great, we’re really liking it,” said drive- sic and movies. The venue-hopping series and co-producer of the series, referring to the The vibe changes in June with what park in owner Eric Heusinger of their new, bigger returns for its second year, running May 25- mix of movies, food and music. officials tout as “camp” films. That’s wacky location, where they can hold 110 cars, up Sept. 21. The movies are projected on a three-and-acamp, not summer camp. There is also plenty from the previous 80. The majority of the weekly films take place half story tall, 52-foot-wide screen. Events start of music in movies including The Adventures The summer season is sporadic, though at Exposition Park. Other Downtown lo- at 5:30 p.m. with food trucks, the bands play at of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, about two films are usually shown on the weekends cations include Grand Hope Park and Los 7 p.m. and the movies begin at 8:30 p.m. drag queens and a transsexual who get a gig through Aug. 31. They range from classics to Angeles State Historic Park. The next Downtown event is June 15 at the Starts May 17 & 24 in the desert. It screens June 14. The John action to cult hits and mostly run at 8 p.m. “Exposition Park is kind of our home base, State Park with the bloody Brad Pitt action Travolta-Olivia Newton John classic Grease but we love Downtown,” said Heather Hope- thriller Fight Club. Risky Business gets another 678* is The screen is 24-by-18 feet. OBILE21. MOVIE to 55 N T D onMJune The next installment is Sunday, May 26, Allison, one of the event producers. local screening on June 29 at Trade Tech and t x e B T LU C Films at Pershing Square are shown on with the 1950 All About Eve, which stars Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for every event. Bill Murray’s Stripes plays a week later at the Text DTNMOVIE to 55678 to Join Movie a 40-by-20-foot inflatable screen and Our Bette Davis and won six Oscars. Things There is lawn seating for nearly 1,800 people State Park. Downtown is also home to the Downtowners to bring blankets, completely different June 9 with the (bring your own chairs and blankets). There final event, with Molly Ringwald (again!) as Club andarebeinvited Entered to Win Movieare Tickets! lawn chairs and picnic baskets. No booze al- 1995 comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for are also usually more than a dozen food part of the Brat Pack cast of The Breakfast lowed. Everything! Julie Newmar. It features Wesley trucks. A live band performs at 6:30 p.m. and Club at the park on Sept. 14. Movies start at 8 p.m. and dogs are welcome, Snipes, John Leguizamo and Patrick Swayze the movie starts at 8 p.m. L.A. State Historical Park is at 1245 N. *Carrierasmsg & data Replyand HELPdon’t for help.sing STOPtoo to quit. 4as msgs/month max. Checkacross Our Website Moviebegins Listings as long they arerates onapply. a leash drag queens traveling the coun-for Full The season May 25LADowntownNews.com with the coming Spring St. L.A. Trade Tech is at Flower and W. loudly during “You’re the One That I Want.” try. They end up stranded in a small town. of age hit Stand by Me at Exposition Park. For 22nd streets. Information at eatseehear.com. Pershing Square is at 533 S. Olive St., (213) Wackiness ensues. fans of Corey Feldman (stop laughing), the Contact Richard Guzmán at 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. A good time to take the family to the drive- night will be a double treat, since the actor is richard@downtownnews.com.
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28 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
A Musical About Chess Is Still About, Well, Chess East West Players’ Version of 1980s Show Comes off Laborious by Jeff Favre contributing writer
L
ondon’s hit 1980s musical Chess, revised in 1988 for Broadway, earned scathing reviews in the United States. It likely would have faded into oblivion if not for spawning the quirky radio hit “One Night in Bangkok.” The New York redo was tossed in mothballs, but the original pops up occasionally, usually performed as a concert. East West Players has mounted a fully staged U.K.-style version of Chess. Under the direction of EWP leader Tim Dang, it has an eclectic, dynamic ensemble of vocalists. Still, there’s little the impressive cast can do to overcome the monotonous score. Unfortunately, it calls for more shouting than singing by unsympathetic characters. Chess also has one of musical theater’s dullest, most emotionless plots. Yes, you can make a musical about any topic, but the fatal flaw that has always existed is that Chess is about, well, chess. Those who only know “One Night in Bangkok” or possibly “I Know Him So Well” shouldn’t be fooled by the creative team’s pedigree. The ABBA composing brain trust of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson teamed with lyricist Tim Rice of Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar fame. Rice’s talky style works only when the music has great hooks and melo-
dies, and while ABBA albums contain plenty of infectious pop music, this is not Mamma Mia. It’s an attempt at seriousness, and the result is laborious. Musicals rarely recover after a weak first few scenes. That’s precisely the situation here, and it’s too little, too late when the second act finally finds a heart and a few memorable songs. Long before those positive moments, the two-and-a-half-hour trip back to the era of the Soviet Union versus the USA plods with heavy feet. The opening number, a bland “The Story of Chess,” is exactly what the title suggests. It’s followed by “Merano,” one of a couple of numbers that sound like pale homages to Gilbert and Sullivan. “Merano” is a travel guide piece on the Italian town where the World Chess Championships pit bad-boy American Frederick Trumper (Victor E. Chan) against Russian Anatoly Sergievsky (Elijah Rock). Each has an assistant, known as a second. For Frederick, it’s the Hungarian-born Florence Vassy (Joan Almedilla), and their relationship is more than strictly business. Anatoly’s second is Alexander Molokov (Ray A. Rochelle), who also is a KGB agent. Yes, Chess is set in the thick of the Cold War. The simplistic plot mostly concerns each of the four characters getting what they want in life, and how their choices impact everyone else. Expect plenty of negative repercussions.
photo by Michael Lamont
East West Players brings back Chess, which debuted in the 1980s. It runs through June 9.
The other key characters are Anatoly’s wife Svetlana Sergievskaya (Carey Rebecca Brown), and the show’s de facto narrator, known as the Arbiter (Ryan Castellino). Chess also deals with media and its impact on society. That is highlighted with the use of video cameras that project press conferences, as well as the chess matches that take place on the upper level of Adam Flemming’s twostory, minimal set. There’s no way to make pantomiming chess playing interesting, so Dang puts the first matches on the upper level, while having human chess pieces move below, along with a pair of tango dancers. The problem is that splitting focus makes it difficult to either enjoy the dances, choreographed by Marc Oka, or to follow the plot of the game. That’s a small quibble, though, to what is otherwise Dang’s typical smooth, wellpaced direction. It’s too bad he didn’t schedule one of East West Players’ famed Stephen Sondheim musicals, because using these
singers — in particular the always-impressive Almedilla — on most of these songs is a waste. Forgettable numbers stack up in the first act until Almedilla delivers “Someone Else’s Story,” one of perhaps three songs that work because they can easily be lifted from Chess and delivered as a love ballad. Then there’s “One Night in Bangkok,” made famous by the one-hit wonder Murray Head. It remains as catchy as ever, and serves as a reminder of what Ulvaeus and Andersson can do with the pop genre. Chan’s style works best with harder edged numbers, and Rock’s voice soars, but simply singing well and giving honest emotion are merely frustrating when there’s no character development or compelling melodic themes. Checkmate. Chess runs through June 9 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St. (213) 6257000 or eastwestplayers.org.
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Celebrating 40 Years
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30 Downtown News
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photo by Hussein Katz
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image credit “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, art/adaptation by Eran Cantrell
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In conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, Little Tokyo’s Japanese American National Museum is hosting the new exhibit Portraiture Now. The just opened show builds on the broad axis of Asian American identity in the 21st century to create a diverse patchwork of styles and outlooks. Seven visual artists take on the immigrant experience, pan-ethnic perspectives and cultural assimilation, and try to mix it all together in a way that avoids stereotypes and trite convention. Participants include Roger Shimomura, whose twist on Hello Kitty is shown here. Portraiture Now runs TuesdaySunday through Sept. 22. At 100 N. Central Ave., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.
Friday, May 24 Signs, Martyrs and Holymen at the Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7 p.m.: Author Larry Foundation presents his latest collection of L.A.-based short fiction, Martyrs and Holymen.
Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. May 21: The Joyce Kwon Quartet with Ross Garren, Jonathan Richards and Jake Jamieson. Also there is Joon Lee with Putter Smith and Joey Sellers. May 22: Larry Golding’s residency features “A Grooveable Feast.” May 23: The Brent Carter Group. May 24-26: Christian Scott Quartet. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. May 20, 8 p.m.: Criminal Hygiene, a residency for indie music and soap enthusiasts. May 21, 7:30 p.m.: More stylish pastiche from the Postelles. May 21, 11 p.m.: If you’ve only gotten into electronic music in the past 12 months and have no ability to distinguish between a hype machine and actual groundbreaking music, you may just love this Sony-sponsored listening party for the new Daft Punk album Random Access Memories. May 22, 8 p.m.: Kitsch style and poor Facebook promotion collide with Tele Novella. May 23, 8 p.m.: Soulful melancholic journeys up Speck Mountain. May 24, 8 p.m.: Vocal delights as the Silver Lake
an ohnson listings eDitor
In this era of political partisanship, gridlock in the halls of government has never been greater. Fear not Downtown, because the Westin Bonaventure Hotel is hosting a new order we can all get behind. From Wednesday-Sunday, May 22-26, the International Salsa Congress will fill the patterned carpets of the cylindrical futurist hotel with spicy rhythms and hot hot hot dancing. For 15 years the salsa community has been gathering in a panoply of music, film and workshops. Participants from more than 40 countries will be on hand to enjoy this kinetic testament to dance and fun. Performers include Joan Soriano (shown here). At 404 S. Figueroa St., (310) 445-9705 or mysalsacongress.com.
ONE image courtesy of Flomenhaft Gallery, New York, copyright Roger Shimomura
Thursday, May 23 Art Talk: Cyril Kuhn at MOCA MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org. 7 p.m.: Frequent MOCA collaborator Cyril Kuhn offers his perspectives on Urs Fischer’s work. Eve Ensler and Jody Williams at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Vagina monologues author Eve Ensler and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams spark a conversation centered around “Bodies, Women, the World.” Please leave your Lady Gaga T-shirt at home.
L FILM a T N E IM r E p x E , E c N HOT HOT Da gwaLD IN r y L L O M F O r E v O aND THE TakE D J , calendar@downtownnews.com
Tuesday, May 21 The Graphic Canon at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: The Aloud series hosts celebrated graphic novel illustrators Frank M. Hansen, Milton Knight, Sharon Rudahl and Zak Smith in a discussion of classic adaptations. Wednesday, May 22 International Salsa Congress Westin Bonaventure, 404 S. Figueroa St., (310) 4459705 or mysalsacongress.com. May 22-26: Representatives from more than 40 countries will come together to celebrate the kinetic possibilities of salsa dancing. Temple Grandin at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Celebrated author and autism activist Temple Grandin discusses “The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum,” a topic made more intriguing by the fact that Grandin herself has autism.
T ' N O D E H T T S I L S S I M
3 In the Middle Ages, monastic orders would take great works from the world of literature and adorn them with gold filigree and vivid illustrations. Centuries later, the booming graphic novel trend finds equally monkish graphic designers laboring to translate narratives into stunning visual works. On Tuesday, May 21, at 7:15 p.m., the Aloud series at the Central Library hosts some truly extraordinary artists in a panel discussion. “The Graphic Canon: Illustrating the World’s Great Literature” features Frank M. Hansen, Milton Knight, Sharon Rudahl, Zak Smith and Russ Kick. They’ll discuss the process of adapting work from the likes of Zora Neale Hurston and David Foster Wallace. At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.
Be sure to sit down before you read this: Molly Ringwald, the fire-follicled ’80s ingénue, is making music now. On Monday, May 20, the gal who was pretty in pink will stop by the Grammy Museum to tout her new album Except Sometimes. The disc features an evocative selection of vocal jazz tracks and even a cover of the Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me,” because both Ringwald and the song appeared in The Breakfast Club. If you can’t make the show, be sure to check out 1986 Ringwald when Friday Night Flicks at Pershing Square screens Pretty in Pink. The Grammy Museum, is at 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum. org. Pershing Square is at 532 S. Olive St. or laparks.org/pershingsquare.
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It’s easy to lose sight of the transcendent possibilities of film, what with the ceaseless cavalcade of board game adaptations, ’80 remakes and Vin Diesel “vehicles.” It’s a different approach on Monday, May 20, when REDCAT focuses on the work of Phil Solomon, who has made a career experimenting with lucid juxtapositions of phantasmagoric imagery. It’s not easily digestible, but the dude analyzes and skewers the modern condition with an abstract aplomb. From the Bible to 9/11 and the artificial cityscapes of Grand Theft Auto, Solomon’s work disassembles the visual lexicon to construct new meanings. Trust us, that’s a good thing. At 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.
Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.
image courtesy Phil Solomon
SPONSORED LISTINGS L.A.’s Largest Mixer XV Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 W. 32nd St., (323) 230-5656 or lamixer.com. July 18, 5-9 p.m.: Join Los Angeles area chambers and business organizations for the ultimate business networking event. Mix and mingle with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of business people representing industries and companies in and around Southern California. L.A.’s Largest Mixer XV is a great opportunity to reach small to large companies, meet new clients and learn how the different chambers of commerce and business organizations can make your business grow. Mixer admission: $20 per person (no credit cards).
photo courtesy International Salsa Congress
EVENTS
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
photo by Mario de Lopez
hat do electronic dance music and big green expanses of grass have in common? Find out from 2-10 p.m. on May 26, when Sunday Sessions takes over Grand Park. Electronic music guru Eduardo Castillo from The Elechtech oversees an afternoon and evening of beats in the 12-acre space, with food trucks and cocktails by Pattern Bar. There will be DJ sets from Castillo, Wolf + Lamb with Baby Prince, No Regular Play, Garth, Jeniluv and Wiseacre. Grand Park is between Spring, First and Temple streets and Grand Avenue. More info at grandparkla.org.
May 20, 7:30 p.m.: Cornelius Herring on piano. May 21, 7:30 p.m.: Down Home Blues Jam Session. May 22, 7 p.m.: N’Tense Soul. May 23, 7:30 p.m.: The Villines Quintet. May 24, 7 p.m.: Big Papa TCB Blues Swing Band. May 25, 7 p.m.: Sam Webster Group. May 26, 11 a.m.: Sunday Brunch with Jay Jackson. One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com. May 21, 7 p.m.: Alex Reznik pop up dinner with big band Olive and the Mob. May 22, 9 p.m.: RT N the 44s, spreading their honky tonk joy. May 25, 10 p.m.: AK and Her Kalashnikovs. May 26, 9 p.m.: Nate Weiner and the L.A. River Band. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. May 21: Paper Sails and Rocky Punch. May 22: John La Fayette Ramsey & The Orchestra. May 23: The Obsessed, Backbiter and Ultra Electric Mega Galactic. May 24: Blackwater Jukebox, Fathers & Suns, Burly Temple and Grit. May 25: RVIVR, Toys That Kill, Benny the Jet Rodrigues and Indigenous Robot. May 26, 3 p.m.: Trotsky Icepick. May 26: Labretta Suede, Lightnin’ Woodcock and F.U. Marylou. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. May 20: The Ron King Quartet is back again to spread their love of glamour poses and trumpet based jazz. May 21: The Makers are looking mighty mayoral with their inclusive brand of improv jazz. May 22: Two stepping jazz and funk amalgam outfit The Vibrometers are back. The Smell 247 S. Main St., alley between Spring and Main
streets, thesmell.org. May 23: Battle Show V pits So Many Wizards vs. Palm Reader, Stab City vs. Batwings Catwings, Heller Keller vs. The Meow Twins and TxxxxFxxxxR vs. Exotic Dancer Feline. May 24: Xiu Xiu, Moses Campbell, Whitman and Michael Vidal. May 26: The Beets, Colleen Green, Sea Lions and Corners. Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com. May 20, 8 p.m.: Still going strong, the Rolling Stones’ wealth and prestige are the greatest refute to anti-drug rhetoric we’ve seen since Michael Phelps.
FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. May 20, 5, 7 and 9 p.m., May 21, 5 and 7 p.m., May 22, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. and May 23, 3 and 5 p.m.: Terence Nance’s debut feature, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, documents the relationship between Terence and a lovely young woman as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic. May 23, 7 p.m.: Mindshare LA Presents Beauty
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Is Embarrassing. In conjunction with the screening will be a Q&A with the filmmaker and his subject, artist Wayne White. May 24, 5:30 and 7 p.m., May 25, 3:30 and 5 p.m., May 26, 7:45 p.m., May 27, 5:10 and 6:45 p.m.: In Shunji Iwai’s Vampire, our undead protagonist works as a teacher so he can search for suicidal female students and seduce them before sucking their blood. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 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. Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 485-1645 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare. May 24, 8 p.m.: Molly Ringwald’s second appearance Downtown this week as Pretty In Pink screens. REDCAT 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org. May 20, 8:30 p.m.: Experimental filmmaker Phil Solomon’s catalogue and his “Elegiac Visions” get the
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Chorus takes the stage. May 24, 9:30 p.m.: Phil Beaudreau showcases his electronic sensibility and instrumental chops. May 25, 9 p.m.: Stornoway is further proof that the United Kingdom has discovered Prozac. May 26, 7 p.m.: Hannibal Buress: Carthaginian name, New York sense of humor. Broadway Bar 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or broadwaybar.la. May 23, 10 p.m.: HM Soundsystem says relax, Urban Outfitters. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. May 25, 8 p.m.: The ’80s soul crooner Will Downing will be laying down the smooth. Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. May 20, 10 p.m.: Yonatan & Friends: improvised jazz band or new kids’ show? You decide. May 21, 10 p.m.: Bunny West and Boom Boom Boom, habitually improving Tuesdays with the freshest of live music. May 22, 10 p.m.: Drew Dixon and Trip Rezac, the bards of Boyd Street. May 23, 10 p.m.: Blues on tap with Wicklow Atwater and Downtown Train. May 24, 9 p.m.: Trevor Menear and Johnny Moezzi, very dedicated six string strummers. May 25, 10 p.m.: Randy Violin joins Charlie Chan and the S.O.B.’s in this clinic on dominating a corner stage. May 26, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s, performing every Sunday to help assuage your guilt about abandoning the religion of your upbringing! Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. May 24, 10 p.m.: Ben Gold is back to spin another awakening. May 25, 10 p.m.: The staggering onslaught of washed out EDM press photos with their trite trappings of well coifed hair, dead behind the eyes stares and pseudo profundity have us very weary. Not that any of it is Gareth Emery’s fault. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. May 20, 8 p.m.: You may remember Molly Ringwald from Not Another Teen Movie. Well, guess what? The actress is a singer now! Grand Park 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org. May 26, 2 p.m.: Local electro guru Eduardo Castillo offers an afternoon and evening of music from Wolf + Lamb, Baby Prince, No Regular Play, Garth, Jenniluv and Wiseacre. Mayan Theatre 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com. May 21, 7 p.m.: Murky indie rock from the Black Angels. Nokia Theater 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6020 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. May 24, 8 p.m.: California Latino recording sensation Lupillo Rivera. May 25, 8 p.m.: We’re not sure how Colombian singer Juanes is going to make good on his promise of being both loud and unplugged, but we love to be surprised! May 28, 8 p.m.: Fans of Spanish music will be enthralled to discover Raphael still hasn’t taken a last name. Nola’s 734 E. Third St., (213) 680-3003 or nolasla.com.
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Celebrating 40 Years
The Talented Mr. Wilson photo by Craig Schwartz
Continued from previous page star treatment in this program sponsored by Cal Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies. Through May 23: Star Trek Into Darkness (12, 1, 2, 3:30, 4:30, 7, 8, 9 and 10:30 p.m.); Star Trek Into Darkness 3D (11:30 a.m., 12:30, 3, 4, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 10 and 11 p.m.); The Great Gatsby (11:40 a.m. and 3:20, 6:50 and 10:10 p.m.); The Great Gatsby 3D (12:50, 4:10, 7:40 and 10:50 p.m.); Peeples (11:50 a.m. and 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m.); Iron Man 3 (11:50 a.m. and 1:20, 2:50, 4:40, 6:20, 7:50, 9:30 and 10:50 p.m.); Iron Man 3D (12:40 and 3:50 p.m.); Pain & Gain (12:10, 3:10, 6:20 and 9:20 p.m.); Oblivion (12:20, 3:40, 6:40 and 9:40 p.m.); 42 (12:10 and 3:20 p.m.).
THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Beautiful Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris 489-0994 or thelatc.org. GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin May 23-25, 8 p.m., May 26, 3 p.m.: Beautiful is a ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie one-woman play about a young girl, an island, and citY Editor: Richard Guzmán a secret told through the spoken word poetry of JoLos Angeles Downtown News stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt zanne Marie. 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese Chess coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 Los Angeles Downtown News Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213)realpeople@downtownnews.com 680-0392 or Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, web: DowntownNews.com • email: 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 loftensemble.com. Marc Porter Zasada facebook: twitter: phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 May 23-25, 8 p.m. and May 26, 2 p.m.: From the Art dirEctor: Brian Allison News DowntownNews web: DowntownNews.com lyricist ofL.A. JesusDowntown Christ Superstar and the composers of AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa oe Turner’s Come and Gone, part of August Wilson’s 10-play series on the African American experience, one of the best pieces of theater email:is realpeople@downtownnews.com ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins Mamma Mia!, Chess is the tale of a romantic triangle to hit Downtown in years, thanks to a standout cast (in particular Glynn Turman) and strong directing from Phylicia Rashad. The show at the between top chessSue players Editortwo & PublishEr: Laris— an American and facebook: PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard Mark Taper Forum centers on a group of steady, happy, ever-changing residents of a Pittsburgh boarding house who are shaken by the arrival a Russian and a woman who manages one and GENErAl— MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin L.A. Downtown News of the mysterious and intense Herald Loomis. Shows this week are May 22-24 at 8 p.m., May 25 at 2:30 and 8 p.m., and May 26 at 1 and 6:30 AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt falls in love with the other. All of this takes place ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie p.m. Joe Turner runs through June 9. within the context of the Cold War. Through June twitter: AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin citY Editor: Richard Guzmán 9. See review p. 28. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org. DowntownNews clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt Bob Baker’s Something to Crow About AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese Sol Ortasse The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez newspaper for to Downtown Los Angeles and isin disInside the keyhole-shaped door, tough-as-nails St.,Kristin (213)Friedrich, 250-9995Howard or bobbakermarionettes.com. Located next the Orpheum Theatre the Platt Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Marc Porter 850-2000 Zasada or laphil.com. tributed every Monday throughout the offices and May 23 and 25, 7:30 p.m.: Gustavo Dudamel con- circulAtioN: Derby DollsJessica vie forTarr elbowroom with crusty old bar Building, May 21-22, 10:30 a.m. and May 25-26, 2:30 p.m.: the Broadway Bar’s blue neon sign beckons residences of Downtown Los Angeles. Art dirEctor: Brian MANAGEr: Salvador guys and a steady stream of OldIngles Bank District inhab- patrons Come join Mama andAllison Papa Goat and 100 more of ducts this comical Mozart scored/Da Ponte adapted distributioN inside to its 50-foot circular bar. The casualOne copy per person. Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa distributioN Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla itants. VelvetAssistANts: señoritas, deer heads with sunglasses, a chic spot is based on Jack Dempsey’s New York bar, theAssistANt Bob Baker marionettes for a musical “Day on libretto. ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins wooden Indian and Schlitz paraphernalia plaster the with low lighting and a dose of ’40s glam. There’s a theProductioN Farm.” Think everything from dancing scarePhotoGrAPhEr: Garybullfrogs Leonard warbling “Shine On Friday, May 24 red walls. There’s no shortage of entertainment, with patio upstairs with nice views, and a jukebox. crows to tap dancing Horszowski Piano Trio the funky dance room, great DJs and the occasional Caña Harvest Moon.” Call for reservations. AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt & PublishEr: Larisbooth, you can capture Doheny Mansion, 10 Chester Place, (213) 477-2929 or Editor rock band. In the Sue photo Fuente Ovejuna: The Legend of Lauren Lopez 714 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-7090 or GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastinblack and white. Open AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin dacamera.org. your mug in old-fashioned REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or canarumbar.com. clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway 7:40 p.m.: The Da Camera Society presents work from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. redcat.org. In the Caribbean, “caña” is slang for sugarcane. Editor: Jon Regardie AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Sol Ortasse Big Wang’s May 24-25, 7:30 p.m.: The CalArts Community by Saint-Saens, Shostakovich and Dvorak in the his- ExEcutivE Rum is made from sugarcane. Therefore, Caña citY Editor: Richard Guzmán sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez 801 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2449 or bigwangs.com. Arts Partnership (CAP)/Plaza de la Raza Theater torical splendor of the Doheny Mansion. serves premium handcrafted rum cocktails in an stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr Ovejuna, a 17th century Wings, beer and sports: That’s the winning recipe intimate, elegant environment featuring live Caribprogram transposes Fuente coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador saTurday, May 25 at this sports bar. The Downtown outpost, the third bean and tropical Latin music. play by Félix Arturo Lope de Vega, Ingles to a fictional high coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, distributioN AssistANts: Colburn Chamber Orchestra for the Hollywood-based bar, has everything the Casey’s school in East Los Angeles. Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla Pub Los Irish Angeles Downtown News Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or other locations have, plus a comfortable patio with Joe Turner’s Come and Gone 613 S. Grand Ave., (213)Los 629-2353 or CA bigcaseys.com. 1264 W. First Street, Angeles, 90026 Marc Porter Zasada The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles outdoor flat screens. Mark Forum, N. throughout Grand Ave., (213)and 628phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 With its worn brick staircase, tin ceilings and dark and isTaper distributed every 135 Monday the offices residences colburnschool.edu. of Downtown Los Art dirEctor: Brian Allison Angeles. web: DowntownNews.com 7:30 p.m.: The talented bow wielders over at Col- AssistANt Bonaventure Brewing Yumi Company 2772 or centertheatregroup.org. wood decor, it’s easy to see how this neighborhood Art dirEctor: Kanegawa realpeople@downtownnews.com 404 S. Figueroa (213) 236-0802 or Maycopy 22-24, 8 p.m., May 25, 2:30 and 8 p.m. and burn coalesce for a night of intimate chamber music. ProductioN bar email: and grill still works its Irish charm. Regulars One per person. ANd St., GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins bonaventurebrewing.com. May 26, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: With so many forces at cozy up to the 60-foot mahogany bar with a pint of sunday, May 26 Where can Gary you Leonard get a drink, order some de- Guinness and a plate work — mystical, emotional, financial — and the of bangers and mash. Casey’s PhotoGrAPhEr: facebook: cent bar food, sit outdoors and still feel like you’re has a full menu with looming fear that Joe Turner will spirit them back to Dudamel Conducts Mozart and Mendelssohn beers onNews tap and a selection L.A. six Downtown Downtown?Ashley It’s a tall order to fill, but this bar in the of Belgian ales and microbrews. the oppressive south, an unlikely family of strangers Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) AccouNtiNG: Schmidt Bonaventure Hotel does it admirably. Come by for must forge new identities together in an August Wil- 850-2000 or laphil.com. twitter: DowntownNews 2 p.m.: Penderecki’s Ciaccona, Mozart’s Sinfonia AdvErtisiNG Steve Nakutin a taster set dirEctor: of award-winning ales crafted by Head son play directed by Phylicia Rashad. Through June 9. AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway Concertante, K. 297b and Mendelssohn’s Sym- clAssiFiEd Brewer David Blackwell. Sure, the hotel is vaguely Tosca ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, phony No. 5, Reformation comprise this Dudamel AccouNt ’80s, and you’ll probably encounter some conven- Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things LA Opera, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0711 or Sol Ortasse helmed evening. tion goers tying a few on, but it only adds to the fun. to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found laopera.com. sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez The at Losladowntownnews.com/calendar: Angeles Downtown News is the must-read Rock, online Bona Vista Lounge May 26, 2 p.m.: A fiery prima donna is forced to for Downtown Los Angeles and is disPop newspaper & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 624-1000 or play a role she never imagined when she becomes tributed every Monday throughout the offices and circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr Film;residences Sports; ofArt Spaces;LosTheater, thebonaventure.com. trapped between her allegiance to her rebel lover Downtown Angeles. Dance and Opera; distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles Classical Music; Museums; and Tours. Located in the heart of the Financial District in the and the scheming of a treacherous police chief who The Association One copy per person. distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla 610 S. Main St., (213) 627-7385. landmark Westin Bonaventure Hotel, this revolving will stop at nothing in his lust for her. Carved out of the area that used to belong to cocktail lounge offers a 360-degree view of the city. Cole’s, the bar in front, the Association is a dimly-lit, Bottlerock swank little alcove with some serious mixologists be- 1150 S. Flower St., (213) 747-1100 or bottlerock.net. Tuesday, May 21 hind the bar. Look for a heavy door, a brass knocker Situated on the ground floor of the Met Lofts in American Paderewski Piano Competition and a long line. South Park, this wine bar features a vast range of Thayer Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or Barbara’s at the Brewery bottles from around the world and a price range colburnschool.edu. 620 Moulton Ave., No. 110, (323) 221-9204 or equally as wide. Wines by the glass start at around May 21-26: Youngsters compete to tickle the bwestcatering.com. $8, but if you’re feeling overcome by oenophilia ivory in just such a way as to reverberate with the On the grounds of the Brewery, this bar and res- (or just deep-pocketed) there are some first growth 4 wEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar memory of the late great Polish pianist Ignacy Jan taurant in an unfinished warehouse is where local Bordeauxs for more than $1,000 for the bottle. And 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com Paderewski. residents find their artistic sustenance. Fifteen craft if you don’t get your fill while at the bar, which also beers on tap, wine list and full bar. features a rotating crop of artisanal beers and a full Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days Thursday, May 23 Bar 107 dinner menu, the bar also sells bottles at retail. prior to publication date to be considered for print. Mozart/Da Ponte Trilogy: The Marriage of Figaro 107 W. Fourth St., (213) 625-7382 or Broadway Bar Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) myspace.com/bar107. 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or broadwaybar.la.
J
MORE LISTINGS
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2
Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin
Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com
facebook: L.A. Downtown News
twitter: DowntownNews
ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Marc Porter Zasada
EASy wAyS TO SUBMIT yOUR
EvENT INfO
AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Sol Ortasse sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins
The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.
PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard
One copy per person.
May 20, 2013
Downtown News 33
DowntownNews.com
CLASSIFIED
place your ad online at www.ladowntownnews.com FOR RENT
l.a. downtown news classifieds call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ad Deadlines: thursday 12 pm REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lofts for sale
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“Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign. Shop around for rates.”
EMPLOYMENT general
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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.
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for a complete list of our pre-owned inventory, go to www.dTLAMOTORS.com aUtos Wanted DONATE YOUR CAR- Fast Free Towing 24 hr. Response - Tax Deduction. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Providing Free Mammograms & Breast Cancer Info 888-792-1675 (CalSCAN)
DONATE YOUR CAR, truck or boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 888-9026851. (Cal-SCAN)
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cleaning CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183. insUrance SAVE $$$ on auto insurance from the major names you know and trust. No forms. No hassle. No obligation. Call ready for my quote now! Call 1-888-706-8325. (Cal-SCAN)
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34 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years Continued from previous page
THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
Misc. Services
Travel/Vacation
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Misc. Items
Notices
Personals
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Fictitious
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STATEMENTS:
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(213) 481-1448
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Do you have something to sell?
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Name: Address: City Phone: Cash $ Credit card #: Exp. Date:
FREE! $11.50 $14.00 $16.50 $19.00
12 words, 2 weeks 15 words 15 words 15 words 15 words
All ads run for 2 weeks. Ads may be renewed after two weeks for 50% off the original price of the ad.
With a circulation of State Check $
Zip Credit Card $
47,000,
our classifieds get results!
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
May 20, 2013
Downtown News 35
Celebrating 40 Years papers.
LEGAL
NOTICE OF IMPENDING POWER TO SELL TAX-DEFAULTED PROPERTY Made pursuant to Section 3361, Revenue and Taxation Code
legal notice NOTICE OF DIVIDED PUBLICATION Made pursuant to Section 3381, Revenue and Taxation Code
Notice is hereby given that real property taxes and assessments on the parcels described below will have been defaulted five or more years, or, in the case of nonresidential commercial property, property on which a nuisance abatement lien has been recorded or that can serve the public benefit by providing housing or services directly related to low-income persons when three or more years have elapsed and a request has been made by a city, county, city and county, or nonprofit organization that property
Pursuant to Sections 3381 through 3385, Revenue and Taxation Code, the Notice of Power to Sell Tax-Defaulted Property in and for Los Angeles County, State of California, has been divided and distributed to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such news-
will become subject to the Tax Collector’s power to sell.
actual sale of the property by the Tax Collector.
The parcels listed will become subject to the Tax Collector’s power to sell on JULY 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m., by operation of law. The Tax Collector’s power to sell will arise unless the property is either redeemed or made subject to an installment plan of redemption initiated as provided by law prior to 5:00 p.m., on JUNE 28, 2013. The right to an installment plan terminates on JUNE 28, 2013, and after that date the entire balance due must be paid in full to prevent sale of the property at public auction.
All information concerning redemption or the initiation of an installment plan of redemption will be furnished, upon request, by Mark J. Saladino, Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, 225 North Hill Street, First Floor, Los Angeles, California 90012.
The right of redemption survives the property becoming subject to the power to sell, but it terminates at 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before
The amount to redeem, in dollars and cents, is set forth opposite its parcel number. This amount includes all defaulted taxes, penalties, and fees that have accrued from the date of tax-default to the date of June 28, 2013. I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct. Dated this 2nd day of May, 2013.
West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012. MARK J. SALADINO TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA PARCEL NUMBERING SYSTEM EXPLANATION The Assessor’s Identification Number (AIN), when used to describe property in this list, refers to the Assessor’s map book, the map page, the block on the map, if applicable, and the individual parcel on the map page or in the block. The Assessor’s maps and further explanation of the parcel numbering system are available in the Assessor’s Office, 500
The real property that is the subject of this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows: PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2010 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010 3744 $320.23 DEL GIZZI,DANA M AIN: 5535025-002 3748 $15,681.84 ARMENIAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION SITUS:4709 LEXINGTON AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90029-1657 AIN: 5540-017-009 3749 $23,995.89 ARMENIAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION AIN: 5540-017-
011 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2008 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007-2008 3165 $492.05 TONG,WILLIAM P SITUS:880 W 1ST ST NO 623 LOS ANGELES CA 90012-2474 AIN: 5151-016-124 3166 $24,817.81 DEVITO,NICK INC SITUS:800 W 1ST ST APT 0801 LOS ANGELES CA 90012-2447 AIN: 5151-027-030 3746 $1,700.75 LINARES,RONY A SITUS:811 N EDGEMONT ST LOS ANGELES CA 90029-2519 AIN: 5538-014-027 3747 $307.37 PEREZ,MILTON AND ROSA SITUS:542 N VIRGIL AVE LOS ANGELES CA 900042316 AIN: 5539-029-026
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NEW ’13 Chevy Volt
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Plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $5359 due at Signing. (Excludes taxes, title, other options & dealer fees). Residual $14,280. Model # 13113. $0.15/mile over 12,000 miles/year. 5 At this Price.
39-month closed end lease, $0 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, options and dealer fees) Jetta S with manual transmission based on MSRP of $17,515 (including destination charges) Residual $9,282.65. $0.20/mile over 39,000 miles and excessive wear and tear. Offered to highly qualified lessees on approved credit by Volkswagen Credit Additional charges may apply at lease end. VIN 283197 Offer ends May 31, 2013.
Plus tax 39-month closed end lease on above average tier approved credit., $2999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 12,000 miles/yr. 1 at this offer # C130048/008216.
36 month closed end lease on approve credit “S tier” credit through US Bank $2810 down payment plus, license dealer and government fees due at signing. Tax, license and fees are not included. Includes $4250 CCR rebate plus $1000 competitive lease conquest cash. $0 security deposit .25 cents per miles over 10,000 miles per year. Base on MSRP of 39,995 See dealer for details. 5 at this payment
2002 Nissan Altima Sedan ................
2005 Honda Civic EX Coupe .............
2011 Mitsubishi Galant Sedan ........
2010 Chevy Aveo LT ..........................
$6,999
$8,271
Only 87K miles, Looks and Runs great, N130239-1/2C197821
Auto, Silver/Black, VTEC, ABS, AC, CD. V131107D-1 / L0100006
2007 Nissan Altima Sedan ...............
2005 VW Jetta Sedan .........................
$13,999
$8,822
Only 42,000 Miles, Must See, N130227-1/7N418393
2005 Nissan Armada SE ................... 5.6L V8, Silver/Black, Leather, 38K miles, NI4111/5N706134
$15,999
Plus 296 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
ToYoTA
Downtown L.A. 800-574-4891 1600 S. Figueroa St. • toyotadowntownla.com
NEW ’13 Toyota Prius Lease for only
$259
Platinum Gray, Auto, Tiptronic, ABS, CD, AC. ZV2091-1 / M622840
2007 VW New Beetle .........................
Silver, 2.5L DOHC, Low Miles, ABS, AC. V131239D-1 / M512214
$10,258
Plus 392 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
$10,995
White Pearl, Auto, 30MPG, CD, AC. CUO924R / BE020746
2011 Chevy Aveo LT 4 Dr .................. Silver Ice, Auto, 1 Owner, 35MPG. CU0992R / B248522
$12,498
2007 Toyota Solara Coupe ...............
3.3L V6, Blue, Auto, Low Miles, Leather. CU0984P / 7U132881
$14,991
Plus 311 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
AuDI
Downtown L.A. Motors
MeRCeDeS BeNz
888-319-8762 1801 S. Figueroa St. • mbzla.com
NEW ’13 Mercedes C250 Lease for only
per month for 36 mos
$319
of Downtown L.A. 888-583-0981 1900 S. Figueroa St. • audidtla.com
NEW ’13 Audi A4 2.0T Lease for only
per month for 27 mos
$369
Red/Gray, Auto, 35MPG, Spoiler, AC. UC320R / B046138
$11,995
2006 Chevy Impala ........................... Gray/Gray, Only 32,778 Miles. Won’t last long. F13900-1 / 9354581
$12,995
2010 Chevy Impala ............................ Black/Gray, Low Miles, Loaded. Great Condition. F14024-1 / A1242498
$14,995
Plus 198 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
PoRSCHe
of Downtown L.A. 888-685-5426 1900 S. Figueroa St. • porschedowntownla.com
NEW ’13 Porsche Boxster Lease for only
per month for 42 mos
$599 per month for 24 mos
Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on approved above average credit. In lieu of factory rebate. $2,669 due at signing. $25,220 MSRP, $15,246 residual. 36K total miles, with 15¢ per excess mile. Model # 1223. Offer ends June 3, 2013.
27 Month closed end lease on approved credit Tier 1 credit. $2,899 CAP reduction + first payment, Tax, License, acquisition fees. Total due at signing $4,461, $0 security deposit. 25¢ per mile in excess of 10,000 mi/year. MSRP $38,755. 5 To Choose.
+ tax 42 mo. Closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $0 Down plus first month payment, license and registration, and bank acquisition fee. Must qualify for the New Owner Appreciation or Audi Loyalty Rebate of $1000. $0.25 per miles over 10,000 miles/ year. 2 at this offer DA175839, DA175793.
Plus tax 24 month closed end lease on approved credit. $3,015 Down plus tax, 1st month payment, acquisition fee, lic, doc fee. Residual $46,773. 5000 miles per year. Only 1 available at this price DK112039. Not all applicants will qualify for either the lease or the Welcome to Porsche rebate.
2011 Ford Focus .................................
2011 Mercedes C300 Sedan .............
2012 Audi A4 2.0T .............................
2011 Cayenne S ..................................
$15,888
$28,980
$29,995
$61,898
Gray/gray, alloy wheels, Sirius sat. radio, 53K miles. TU0205R/152869
2012 Jeep Patriot Sport .................... Gray/gray, solar control glass, 5-spd trans., 27K miles TU0190R/722475
$18,888
Certified Pre-owned, Low Miles, 1.99 APR Available. 6625C / BR141745
2011 Mercedes GLK 350 ...................
Certified Pre-owned, Navigation, Low APR Available. 6612C / BF533821
$31,989
Black/Black, Turbo, Auto, FWD, Only 17K Miles. A13971-1 / CN00082
Certified, Blk/Blk, 4.8L V8, One Owner, Only 34K Miles. ZP1588 / BLA42966
2011 Audi Q5 Quattro ......................
2010 911 Carrera S Cpe .....................
$34,995
$69,898
Black/Black, Turbo, AWD, Only 24K Miles. A14042D-1 / BA059639
Certified, Slvr/Gray, Only 38K Miles, Bose, PDK. ZP1564 / AS720527
2010 Honda Accord EX-L ..................
2011 Mercedes S550 ........................
2011 Audi A5 Quattro Cab ...............
2011 Panamera Gran Turismo .........
$22,888
$74,982
$36,995
$73,891
Blk/Blk, alloys, pwr. moonroof, prem. sound, 50K miles. TU0179/002569
Plus 500 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
Certified Pre-owned, Only 13K Miles, Prem. 2 Pkg. 6623C / BA382764
Plus 419 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
Certified, Silver/Black, Only 15K Miles. ZA10417/ BN019891
Plus 150 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
Certified, Slvr/Gray, 20” Whls, Burmester Sound, 27K Miles. P13281-1 / BL060773
Plus 112 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
36 Downtown News
May 20, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
The Central City Crime Report A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities
I
n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.
Other Side of the Knife: A man was sleeping on the street near Sixth and San Pedro streets on May 6 at 6:10 p.m., when another man placed a knife on his neck and removed his belongings from his pockets. Later in the day, the suspect allegedly told the victim that he could have his property back if he paid him $50 per week. The victim agreed and asked the suspect to follow him to his room. The victim then called the police. The
suspect, who was on probation, was arrested at the scene. Unhappy Meal: On May 8 at 1:50 a.m., a man wearing a fake beard entered a McDonald’s at 201 W. Washington Blvd. via an unlocked door and ordered the employees to lay on the ground. He then told the manager to open the store’s safe. Once it was unlocked, he took the money and fled out the rear door, triggering an alarm. Hat’s Off: A man approached an outdoor clothing stand at 256 E. Sixth St. at 8:50 a.m. on May 9 and grabbed some
hats that were for sale. The proprietor confronted the man, who in turn pulled out a drill bit and slashed the shop owner. The victim suffered a four-inch facial laceration, but refused medical treatment. Dogsploitation: A man carrying a four-foot wooden stick in one hand and leading a gray pit bull in the other threatened and frightened a man into giving up his cell phone. The incident occurred at 5:05 a.m. on May 10 at Sixth and San Julian streets. Talk About a Hangover: A man exiting the King Eddy Saloon at Fifth and Los Angeles streets at about 11:30 p.m. on May 10 was approached by five women, one of whom asked the man if he wanted to buy drugs. The man said no, but was then kicked from behind by one of the women, while another struck him in the face. One of the suspects cut the man’s pants pocket and grabbed his wallet. The victim said he did not get a good look at the women. —Ryan Vaillancourt
Around Town
“Being affable, honest and capable are three attributes that have kept my patients happy and healthy through the years. St.Vincent Cardiac Care Institute is at the forefront of Cardiac Care with a superior level of compassion along with its comprehensive services.” Harry Balian, MD, FACC, FSCAI Specializes in Interventional Cardiology and Treatment of Arterial and Venous Diseases
Delivering Integrated
Heart Care St. Vincent Medical Center’s nurses, cardiovascular specialists, cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiac surgeons work together to provide patients with confidence and convenience for their heart care needs. The Cardiac Care team offers the patient a unique integrated heart care experience, by delivering comprehensive heart care all from one location.
Continued from page 2 tive $95 million Chinatown project. A groundbreaking ceremony for Blossom Plaza is set for 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 20, said Monica Valencia, a spokeswoman for First District City Councilman Ed Reyes. Actual construction on the project, by development firm Forest City, is set to begin by August, with completion expected by late 2015. The project at 900 N. Broadway will replace the shuttered Little Joe’s restaurant. Plans call for about 240 market rate and low-income rental units, 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 175-space parking garage. There will also be a long-desired public plaza that would connect the Gold Line Station to Broadway and the heart of Chinatown.
Green Tops
I
n an effort to create a greener skyline, the city will try to convince more developers to plant gardens on their roofs. City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th District encompasses most of Downtown, introduced a motion this month directing the City Planning department to come up with a vision to implement a Rooftop Garden Program. It would offer land use incentives to developers who build rooftop gardens, green spaces or install environmentally friendly technology on top of their buildings. “I understand the need for more green space in the center of our city,” Huizar said in a statement. “This is a creative solution that allows developers and building owners to provide this amenity.” The motion is set to go before the Planning and Land Use Management Committee. The date has not been determined.
Last ChanCe to Vote T
VOTING ENDS May 25
H
OIC EV
DOW NT OW N
E OF
2013
Learn more about the Heart Care experience at St. Vincent Medical Center 213.484.7800 | StVincentHeart.com 201 S. Alvarado, Suite 321 Los Angeles, CA 90057
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