Historic Core WELCOME HOME

Earlier this year, residents of Downtown Los Angeles began thinking “development,” when Mai’s Mexican Restaurant unexpectedly closed its doors. Those suspicions have now been proven correct. According to a case filing from the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, a new hotel tower is planned for the slender .21-acre property at 631-635 South Spring Street. The project would consist of a 28-story building, featuring 176 guest rooms, approximately 1,600 square feet of ground-level commercial space, and restaurants on its second, third and fourth floors.

Just two months after renderings were revealed for their upcoming Spring Street apartment tower, Holland Partner Group (HPG) is cooking up plans for a follow-up project across the street. Yesterday, the Vancouver, Washingon-based developer filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to construct a 24-story residential tower at 732 South Spring Street. The project, slated for a .93-acre parking lot which abuts the Great Republic Lofts, would consist of 308 apartments and approximately 7,200 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

During Downtown’s mid-2000 development boom, the bulk of construction work within the Historic Core consisted of converting derelict office towers into residential space. With most suitable buildings now spoken for, developers have set their sights on the neighborhood’s limited supply of surface parking lots. One such parking lot between Main and Los Angeles Streets is the site of Topaz, a mixed-use development proposed by Fashion District landlord Jade Enterprises. Topaz would rise seven-stories, containing 159 apartment units and 23,000 square feet of commercial space on its ground floor.

Environmental documents published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning have revealed new information about 633 South Spring Street, a new hotel planned in the Historic Core by developer Lizard Capital. The Spring Street hotel, slated for a .21-acre surface parking lot, would consist of a 28-story building featuring 176 guest rooms and a variety of food and beverage venues. Plans call for approximately 6,100 square feet of restaurant space, 1,570 square feet of retail space, 1,250 square feet of conference space and a 3,310-square-foot rooftop bar.

Update 10/19/15: The original version of this article included an outdated rendering of the proposed development. Updated images provided by asap/adam sokol architecture practice pllc can be can be seen below. A project data page on the Los Angeles Department of City Planning website has revealed a rendering for a 28-story hotel tower in Downtown’s Historic Core. The image portrays the 325-foot tall building as consisting of a jagged structure soaring high above the Spring Street.

Today marks the beginning of a new running feature here at Urbanize LA: Throwback Thursday. With so much development happening across our city these days, we thought it might be fun to start taking a look back at how far we’ve come. Today’s TBT comes from photographer Hunter Kerhart. The before photo was snapped in January 2013, and the after photo was taken September 2015. The before/after shots highlight several new projects (and renovations…hint, hint) throughout downtown.

The following post is an editorial and contains the personal opinions of its authors. One of the characteristics which makes Downtown Los Angeles unique in the context of Greater L.A. is how receptive the community is to new development. The self-selected Downtown population has long been sold on the benefits of an urban lifestyle, and is generally welcoming to the revitalization and amenities brought by new construction. While other neighborhoods have played host to anti-density battles over high-rise development or even calls to limit growth altogether, most Downtown projects have proceeded swiftly and controversy-free.

An upcoming presentation to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) has revealed new information about developer Lizard Capital’s plans for a slim hotel tower at 633 S. Spring Street. The proposed 28-story building, designed by asap/adam sokol architecture practice, would contain 176 guest rooms above a podium featuring approximately 6,000 square feet of restaurant space, 1,500 square feet of retail space, 1,250 square feet of conference space and a 3,300-square-foot rooftop bar.

After years of dormancy, plans for an expansion of the Medallion complex in Downtown Los Angeles have quietly come back to life. Last week, an environmental impact report was filed with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning for the second phase of the mixed-use development at 3rd and Main Streets. According to a 2013 report from the blog DTLA Rising, the project was slated to feature up to 400 residential units in four 13-story towers linked by a skybridge.

This Tuesday, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC)’s Planning and Land Use Commitee will review updated plans for the Alexan, an upcoming high-rise complex at the northeast corner of 9th and Hill Streets. The proposed 27-story tower, which would feature 305 residential units, did not receive the approval of the committee during its initial presentation last year due to the excessive height of its above-grade parking podium. Developer Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) and architecture firm RTKL have since revised the shape and layout of the tower to comply with the Downtown Design Guide and address criticism from residents of the adjacent Eastern Columbia Building.