This week, crews at South Park’s upcoming modern Latin resto-lounge Rivera were busy adorning its Flower Street frontage with new metal grillwork, soon serving as the background for the restaurant’s outdoor signage.

The design concept — part Asian minimalist, part 1960s American modern –  may be a departure from the sleek industrial facade of the Met Lofts Building, but along with wood fixtures and planned sidewalk planters should create a welcoming pedestrian space among all the raw concrete.

Inside, drywall and plywood is shaping up into a series of contemporary rooms set to include a “crystal wall” of tequila, bar area with community dining tables, rows of bronze tasting chairs, a 40-foot foot video screen, and Samba Room lounge promising a club-like atmosphere.

Head chef and owner John Rivera Sedlar and his construction supervisor maintain all of this will be in place by November 1, but final inspections and permitting processes may delay actual opening.

Around the corner, Bottle Rock is finally making progress.

Since signing its lease back in 2006 (even before Tranquility Base inked its deal at Sky Lofts), the wine bar has encountered extended delays prompting some Downtown residents to question whether it would ever become a reality.

Nathan Lieble, property manager for Met Lofts, explains the Culver City-based venue recently obtained a variance from the Planning Department to overcome obstacles for interior build-outs. Much of the space remains barren, but framing of the bar area and a new etched Bottle Rock sign appearing in the window is more movement than we’ve seen in the last two years.

While encouraging, any estimates for completion at this point would be false hope, but things should be picking up now.

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-winos rejoice: bottlerock ready in two months?

Rivera Restaurant Construction Photos

Bottle Rock Construction Photos