westlake theater mixed-use project conceptualized
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Back in February, news announcing the Community Redevelopment Agency’s plans to initiate redevelopment of the parcels around the historic Westlake Theatre caught the attention of area supporters hoping to see the disadvantaged MacArthur Park neighborhood receive some much-needed investment dollars.
The agency is currently seeking a developer to restore the landmark venue to its former glory as a movie and performing arts space as part of a 97,000-square-foot, mixed-use development encompassing affordable housing, retail and parking.
Utopiad — a local development collective specializing in a mixture of adaptive reuse and new construction — is proceeding with design concepts for the project through dialog with the CRA.
Preliminary models and massings by Utopiad for the large-scale development, illustrate two major complexes of mixed-income housing above retail (and parking) replacing low-density structures between the existing theater and 9-story Wilshire-Westlake Building.
The main structure (illustrated in the massing above) is visualized as a 12-story pyramidal-shaped tower intended to preserve views of the historic Westlake Theatre neon sign from the corner of Wilshire and Alvarado. Approximately 7,300 square-feet of high-end retail (including 17 kiosks ), 105 market rate two-bedroom and studio residences, and 35,000 square-feet of office space would comprise the tower, set to supplant the existing Beef Bowl restaurant.
Fronting Westlake Avenue at the rear of the project site, would be a new mid-rise building designed to emulate stacked cubes (integrating eco-friendly features) containing 88 affordable housing units, 450 parking spaces, and 5,300 square-feet of mid-range retail, allowing for 12 shops to line the street going up the hill.
Furthermore, a retail paseo with an atrium containing an additional 4,400 square-feet of retail and 22 swap meet kiosks would link the two proposed complexes.
Complementing the new construction is a planned adaptive reuse of the existing commercial structure at Wilshire and Westlake into 63 lofts enhanced with upgraded ground level retail. Like the historic Westlake Theatre, the building (also known as 2700 Wilshire) has surprising architectural appeal camouflaged by decades of neglect.
Once a developer is on board to see the project through, refined designs and construction details will become available.
Thanks to Utopiad.org for the project images and information.
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-macarthur park gentrification efforts gain traction
Westlake Theatre Project Site Aerial
Westlake Theatre Project Primary Massing
Westlake Theatre Project Grade Level Plan
Westlake Theatre Project Second-Level Plan
Preliminary Massing and Renderings of Affordable Housing Structure with Parking on Westlake Avenue
Preliminary Renderings of Affordable Housing Structure with Parking on Westlake Avenue
Updated Massing of The Atrium Retail Area Viewed from Wilshire
Aerial Massing of The Atrium Retail Area
5 comments
It looks great. The area need a breath of life, and a power wash. If thery get rid of the “screaming-preachers” and their megaphones it would be even better.
Ugly.
But that’s a historic Yoshinoya! It was built all the way back in the 1990’s! Doesn’t anybody around here have any respect for the past? (/facetious)
Well, Mr. Mercer, you’d be surprised at the vitriol thrown at preservationists. None of it facetious. On a related note, I’m glad no-one cares about the fact that they’re demolishing the 1922 Tudor home with the half-timbering and bay window at 633 S. Westlake or the 1902 Edwardian foursquare at 627.
And to the Mr. Keans, I understand you’d like to cleanse the area, but this ain’t gonna do it:
Writing over and over and over again that there’s going to be “high-end retail” does not, magically, equal high-end retail. It’s just, you know, writing borne of magical thinking. If the taxpayers subsidize a Bed Bath & Beyond, fine, there’s your high-end retail. Otherwise it’s going to be the same retail you have there now. Heck, they’re even including kiosks in the plan. More cheap electronics and acrylic athletic socks in bulk.
The only thing the taxpayers are going to subsidize is the construction, since there’s 88 units of “affordable,” which is all property-tax-funded County Sec. 8. (There’s something I’ve always thought curious about Los Angeles. It’s the only place in America where it’s taboo to say “projects.” Seriously, why is that? I’ve been in projects all over LA that in no way differ from those I’ve traveled to in Gary or Algiers or Camden, but you can’t say the WORD. Weird.)
Oh, and about eco-friendly? Building anything is not eco-friendly. Try that one on for size.
As many and realtor Mr. Kean certainly well understand, the rehab of historic structures (and there are a lot of positive things to say about this project in that regard, which I fully realize and celebrate) is key.
But as an architectural historian (who get almost as much vitriol tossed at them as do the poor preservations) let me say this (in conjoint with fellow poster Tim): this project will without a doubt win every future award for being the most ungainly, overscaled, clumsy, ridiculous and just plain ugly thing in town. I mean, honestly, even if it does somehow incorporate Alabama-style fire hoses that blast those dreaded megaphony preachers off the sidewalk, it will still desperately need to be torn down, its only saving grace being that it perfectly exemplified that sad period of LA architecture “when they built all those godawful schools.”
We are going to look awfully silly to generations hence.
Looks like a butt-ugly mess.
“High-end retail”? Doubtful. Not alongside the proposed “retail paseo” filled with 22 more “swapmeet kiosks”.
IMHO, this neighborhood already has a very cluttered aesthetic, with seemingly random signage, noise and retail spilling out into the streets. What the area needs is more form, not more chaos.
Trust me, I’m not saying the Yoshinoya should stay, or the theater should remain in its current state of decay. I’m all for them redeveloping the lot in this area that could really use some help. I’m just saying, the design should be focused on improving the aesthetics of the community, rather than making an architectural statement.