The Next Big Thing

Last Thursday I shared some of the hype surrounding L.A. Live, a "mega-project" coming soon to the parking lots surrounding the Staples Center in Downtown. It just so happens that the official "ground breaking" occurred on that day, and the Los Angeles Downtown News was there to capture the moment, a politician's "photo op" dream (just look at the smile on Mayor Villaraigosa's face):


Link to article here (text follows below)

It's interesting to compare this article to the Daily News article from last week; as you might image, the Los Angeles Downtown News is unabashedly "boosterish" when it comes to L.A. Live and is largely uncritical of the City subsidies being provided to support the project, especially the Convention Center hotel. However, the following political cartoon (from the same issue) speaks to to the idea that perhaps a City subsidy to a development intended to raise the fortunes of the flagging Convention Center may be a case of "tossing good money after bad":

I am extremely excited to see this mammoth development come to fruition -- it truly will be our city's answer to Times Square. I certainly hope it will be more urbane than Universal City Walk or Hollywood & Highland, two previous mega-projects that didn't connect with their urban contexts and could easily be considered "tourist traps" with little relevance to most Angelenos. I was especially depressed to see that developer Anschutz Entertainment Group bragged about bringing in P.F. Chang's; there's nothing "special" about a chain restaurant, as it will not bring a unique experience to Downtown. If L.A. Live won't offer anything that can't be experienced in other parts of the city, there's no reason to think it will draw the kind of crowds necessary to support the ongoing "renaissance" in South Park.

I noted that the below rendering of the project explicitly and prominently features a Starbucks. Don't we have enough of those in this town?

I have high hopes for both L.A Live and the Grand Avenue project, both slated to change the face of Downtown. There has been some talk that the two massive efforts are in competition, but I don't think they are...each project will offer different experiences oriented towards different segments of the population. Downtown can accomodate them both, and the entire metropolis will benefit from the addition of compelling, urbane environments to our somewhat moribound core. The city's future is bright indeed.

<<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<<>>>><<<>>><<<>>>

It's A-Live!

AEG Breaks Ground on $1.5 Billion Entertainment District

By Kathryn Mase
City Editor

Amidst a throng of civic and business dignitaries, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) last Thursday broke ground on a long-anticipated, $1.5 billion entertainment district next to Staples Center.

At the event marking the beginning of construction for L.A. Live, AEG revealed details about some of the cultural attractions and restaurants that will fill the sprawling 4 million-square-foot venture. The project has been likened to a Times Square for the West Coast.

A performance by musician Poncho Sanchez, a regular at the Conga Room, hinted at the announcement of one new tenant. AEG officials said they negotiated a deal with the upscale salsa club to relocate from its Miracle Mile digs.

The plan also calls for eight new restaurants to activate the streets along Figueroa, Olympic and 11th. The arrivals will include Gladstone's, P.F. Chang's and Chaya Brasserie.

"It's like taking downtown Long Beach and putting it next to Staples Center and building it all in one shot," said Tim Leiweke, AEG president and chief executive. He predicted that the project will become "a long-term economic juggernaut" for Downtown.

The development will fill existing surface parking lots with flashy lighting, sidewalk dining, red carpet events and advertisements projected onto the side of the 55-story Convention Center Hotel. According to L.A. Live backers, the project will serve not only the growing numbers of tourists and convention goers, but will fill the void of amenities in the burgeoning Downtown Los Angeles residential community.

Surrounding the project will be at least half a dozen high-rise condominium and apartment towers with more than 4,000 units. In total, more than 19,500 units are under construction or in the planning stage, with 29,000 people expected to move in over the next four years. Downtown leaders said the commitment of marquee tenants will promote retail growth in other parts of the Central City, which has struggled to draw business to the thousands of square feet of vacant ground floor retail.

"Business follows people and people are flocking to Downtown," said Carol Schatz, president of business advocacy group the Central City Association.

The first element to open in the flashy district will be the 7,100-seat Nokia Theater Los Angeles and the 2,400-seat Club Nokia, which will feature live music, bands and cultural shows. A museum of Grammy history will also rise; Leiweke predicted that it will draw more than 1 million people annually.

Construction of the 1,200-room Convention Center hotel would start no later than October 2006, with completion in four years. Last month the Community Redevelopment Agency approved the $412 million Hilton-run high-rise, which the City Council is expected to green light in the coming weeks.

Tourism officials said the hotel will boost the city's paltry convention business, and bring business meetings to other hotels.

"We're only one of two major cities in the United States without a convention center hotel," said Lew Wolff, who is co-developing the hotel. "That's been the missing link with our Convention Center."

Officials announced that, after two years of negotiations, ESPN has signed a deal to create a 70,000-square-foot, five-story television and radio studio, along with an ESPN Zone with retail, a two-level restaurant and an arcade. The structure is expected to be complete in 2009 at the corner of Figueroa and 11th streets. The deal will allow the cable network to produce live sports programming and broadcasts with Downtown as the backdrop. It will be the West Coast headquarters for the company that has 4,000 employees.

Also planned is a Lucky Strikes bowling alley, as well as a venue to be developed by the owners of the Sunset Strip clubs Prey and Shelter, and a 15-screen movie theater complex to be run by the Regal Entertainment Group on Olympic Boulevard next to the 110 Freeway. AEG officials hope it will draw star-laden red carpet premieres to Downtown.

L.A. Live, which will anchor the southern portion of Downtown, will join another mega project - the $1.8 billion Grand Avenue development to the north that will include shopping, hotels and residential. Leiweke said the two projects would not compete but complement each other.

"This is going to be one key part of Downtown, and Grand Avenue will be the other," he said. "If we were to invest in the area along Broadway we could create a link to L.A. Live."