angelenic: downtown los angeles

No one saw this coming.

Another victim of rising construction costs and a wallowing economy, the Old Bank District’s Medallion project (yes, the one under construction at 4th and Main) has been put on indefinite hold, reports the Downtown News:

“It’s horrendous out there, absolutely awful,” Farkhondehpour told Los Angeles Downtown News last week, referring to the retail and residential rental markets.

“Financing was all arranged; financing is still in place. I had to call the lender and tell him I didn’t want to build something I can’t rent out,” he said. “That’s been the concern for the past seven or eight months as it’s been getting worse every month. The contractor came up with some 20% cost increases and that was like, let’s just shut the damn thing down and forget about it.”

What will come of the site?…

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For those of you who feel DLANC’s community mixers don’t extend beyond pointless boozing, a new social event for business-minded Downtowners called Town Square may be the ideal alternative.

Marc Modrow, organizer of the upcoming Fashion Showcase at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, is establishing the monthly function with economic development in mind.

“I want it to be a useful meeting place for people to make valued contacts to help each others’ businesses. But I still want it to be fun, not dull and dry like a Chamber mixer,” he explains.

Yes, there will be drinks (of course) — the affair is being described as a “fun cocktail party” — but a $20 entrance fee should be enough to keep the focus of the evening on productive networking and business promotion.

More details after the split…

Yes, Russia.

Today marks the beginning of my eleven day vacation to Moscow and St. Petersburg. By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to a place where real estate brokers and and PR releases can’t find me.

For the next week and a half, architecture, photography, art and cheap vodka will be all of my worries.

What does this mean for angelenic while I’m away?

Well, a lighter posting schedule for sure, but things won’t shut down completely. We’ve prepared some (non-news breaking) content to keep the site active, and our champion new contributer, Ms. Ira Lu, will be stepping up as temporary editor to help publish and moderate other posts that may come along before I return. (Thank you, Ira!)

Also, this is an excellent opportunity for any other people who signed up as a contributer to help out!

Though I’m planning to take a break entirely from blogging during my vacation, my workaholic tendencies may not allow me to stay away for more than a couple days at a time. The only thing I can promise is my regular posting schedule will resume on Monday, May 12.

Do svidaniya!

The Valencia Group, the restaurant team behind the upcoming Union Restaurant & Bar, has announced plans to open a Trader Vic’s in Downtown next year.

According to a press release issued today, the company is currently scouting locations near the Nokia Theatre and the Staples Center.

“As Los Angeles natives, we’re proud to be part of the Downtown renaissance,” said Valencia. “There’s a rich history of great fine dining restaurants here and, with the increase in residents and businesses relocating Downtown, we think Trader Vic’s will be bustling.”

[Read more →]

We all knew it was only a matter of time before the influence of Hollywood would creep over the 110 into our little oasis of the city. This Friday, Downtown’s newest destination for beauty, style and body wellness will open its fanciful doors at 6th and Olive near Pershing Square.

Neihulé, named after founders Atouzo and Yvonne Neihulé (which means “to live a happy life” in India’s Angami dialect), will offer the hip urbanites of Downtown a Hollywood-esque retreat for anything related to hair, skin and body.

More details after the jump…

Curbed LA has published new renderings of Related’s San Pedro Apartments (“C” on the Block 8 site plan) under construction in Little Tokyo. The six-story structure, which is currently framing its second level on San Pedro Street just south of 2nd, will shape up similar to other newly constructed mid-rise apartment complexes in the neighborhood.

Architecture firm Thomas P. Cox Architects hopes that swatches of taupe gray and teal with punches of yellow will bring some visual intrigue to a design that looks like Hikari’s trendier brother with a 717 Olympic-style hat.

Work on San Pedro Apartments should wrap next year.

Info on Matsu, renderings and photographs after the jump…

Coffee lovers, Wi-Fi junkies and neighborhood boosters, pay attention!

This Monday, May 5, java guru Ariel Graham is opening her highly-anticipated Lot 44 Coffee during a two-week soft opening event.

The neighborhood coffee bar (located inside the Douglas Building at 3rd and Spring) will serve as the flagship store for the new chain which will eventually expand throughout Southern California.

Graham’s brand is defined by high-quality, handcrafted drink selections utilizing organic, pesticide-free beans imported from estate and small lot purveyors.

“Our espresso beverages are not made with an automatic machine where you push a button. They are skillfully made, old school, where the barista is trained to pull a properly extracted shot and milk steamed to a frothy perfection,” she says.

More info and hours of operation after the jump…

To promote their “Homecoming” tour at The Home Depot Center in Carson on Saturday, May 3, Oscar de la Hoya and Steve Forbes will be holding a “final” press conference tomorrow at the Los Angeles Public Library’s Maguire Gardens.

The two headliners and other fighters from both weekend fight cards will be present at 12:30pm to share their final comments.

Also, De La Hoya and Forbes will head to the scales this Friday in Downtown’s Pershing Square for the official weigh-in.

Since the events are open to the public, fans are encouraged to show up early.

When and where details after the jump…