grand avenue project work begins december 3
After years of planning, delays and complicated teamwork from numerous architects, developers, construction companies, local governments and the resident community, site abatement work on Phase I of the Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue Project is confirmed to begin Monday, December 3.
The angelenic team was contacted by Related Companies‘ Najla Kayyem, VP of Marketing and Public Relations, with the latest information on the $2 billion development, the largest in Downtown and possibly the city.
If you’re anticipating demolition of the tinker-toy parking structure at 1st and Grand to begin early next week, you’ll have to wait just a little longer. Demolition activity — as well as the accompanying star-studded groundbreaking ceremony — will coincide with the official February 7th ground-breaking date.
According to Ms. Kayyem, no “noticeable” work will occur on the Phase I parcel during the two-month abatement period, although cars will not be allowed to park in the structure. Abatement activities generally include soil sampling and demolition engineering. Actual details are still being worked out with the construction team but will be made available shortly.
The company will be debuting a new website for the development, which is being rebranded as “The Grand.” Though just a placeholder site at the moment, the finished product will go live in mid-December.
Funding for the civic park is in place and final plans are still being determined. The date for a public design review will be set in early December.
The park is an integral component of Related’s development, as the Grand Avenue Project’s Phase I certificate of occupancy will not be granted until the new green space is completed.
Project details for Phase I entail 1.3 million square feet of new construction, including a Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Equinox Fitness, mixed-income housing, retail space, 1,400 parking spaces and major streetscape improvements.
Photos of the site’s current tinker-toy parking structure viewable here and here.
Previous coverage: Grand Avenue Project Presentation Update; Grand Avenue Project Model
6 comments
1st and Grand is considered the “Arts District”? Is that not Bunker Hill?
I’m confident they’ll have a totally new website up in the middle of December… hopefully they don’t include that glaring error.
i know what you mean, but on the other hand there is the colburn school of performing arts, and the lausd high school for the visual and performing arts. then there is moca – a museum full of art, and anything that’s going on at disney hall and the music center certainly can be considered art. so there you have it – a full blown arts district. ; )
Can someone provide a link to a map overview of what the project will look like geographically? (I.e., where will the park be, exactly..?)
Thanks!
Nico,
That info is available at the Grand Avenue Committee website, here:
http://grandavenuecommittee.org/overall_vision.html
after digging through some of the older posts here on angelenic i found that exact link–which was just what i was looking for.
thanks again!