Steven Sharp WELCOME HOME

Last month, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club officially broke ground on its new stadium in Exposition Park. Now, the team wants Angelenos to watch its $350-million home take form. A live camera perched in Exposition Park is currently capturing the demolition of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the historic but dilapidated structure which must make way for the LAFC project. After crews have finished tearing down the mid-20th century building, construction will officially commence for the 22,000-seat replacement venue, which will be known as the Banc of California Stadium.

A new environmental report offers up additional details on Shenzhen Hazens Real Estate Group’s proposed redevelopment of the Luxe Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The L-shaped property at 1020 S. Figueroa Street, currently developed with a mid-rise hotel and associated parking lot, is located directly across the street from Staples Center and the L.A. Live complex. Under plans from the Chinese developer, the existing structures would be demolished for a trio of high-rise towers featuring hotel rooms and condominiums above approximately 80,000 square feet of commercial space.

In North Hollywood, construction is nearing completion for a mixed-use development just west of Lankershim Boulevard. The project, located at 11424 W. Burbank Boulevard, consists of a five-story structure offering 124 apartments, 750 square feet of ground-floor retail space and parking accommodations for 138 vehicles and 136 bicycles. According to architectural drawings by Alan Boivin indicate that the building will feature a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a business center and a swimming pool.

Real estate firm Bolour Associates is revising its proposal for a mixed-use development in the Arts District. Yesterday, the Beverly Hills-based firm filed updated plans with the City of Los Angeles for a 1.34-acre property at 527 S. Colyston Street. According to a case filing from the Department of City Planning (LADCP), the project would consist would feature 310 residential condominiums, 11,375 square feet of retail space, 11,700 square feet of production space and a 394-car garage.

After nearly one year of construction, exterior work is in full swing for Hollywood’s Argyle Hotel. Located at 1800 N. Argyle Avenue, the project consists of a 16-story hotel featuring 220 guest rooms, restaurant space, and ancillary features such as meeting rooms, a swimming pool and a parking garage. The 184-foot tall building is being designed by San Diego-based ACRM Architects and developed by the Robert Green Co. City records indicate that San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels has signed on to operate the hotel.

Later this week, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans for a mixed-use complex in Reseda. The proposed development, slated for the southeast corner of Sherman Way and Etiwanda Avenue, would consist of two four-story buildings featuring 115 residential units, approximately 10,500 square feet of retail space and a 228-car garage. Floor plan diagrams on file with the Department of City Planning (LADCP) indicate that the project would offer a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as swimming pools and rooftop decks.

Local real estate firm Jamison Services Inc. has unveiled a rendering for the 4+N Lofts, an upcoming multifamily residential complex in Koreatown. The proposed development, planned for a roughly one-acre property at at 411 S. Normandie Avenue, would consist of a seven-story structure featuring 224 apartments, as well as amenities such as a pool deck, a club room a gym and a courtyard. Plans also call for a 373-car parking garage to be located beneath the building.

A rendering has emerged for 700 Manhattan, an upcoming residential-retail complex from Jamison Services Inc. Located one block south of Metro’s Wilshire/Western Station, the project would consist of a seven-story building containing 160 residential units above 10,300 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Plans also call for approximately 17,000 square feet of amenities, including multiple lounge areas, a pool deck, a dog run and outdoor screening areas. The project, designed by GMP Architects, is portrayed as a contemporary podium-style development.

An upcoming presentation to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission has unveiled new renderings for the Hollywood Ivar Gardens Project, R.D. Olson development’s proposed hotel at 6409 Sunset Boulevard. The project, intended for the current site of a Jack In The Box restaurants, would consist of a 21-story building featuring 275 guest rooms, 1,900 square feet of ground-floor retail space and accessory functions. Proposed guest amenities include a terrace garden, a rooftop swimming pool, a fitness center and four levels of underground parking for 135 vehicles.

This past Saturday, all eyes were focused above the Downtown skyline, as Turner Construction raised a steel tube 1,100 feet above street level to complete the Wilshire Grand’s architectural spire. When all was said and done, the 73-story hotel and office tower had officially claimed the title of the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Our friend and frequent collaborator Hunter Kerhart captured the entire saga from the rooftop of Ernst & Young Plaza.