reconfigured 1111 wilshire project listed for sale
Expected as a follow up to its 201-unit GLO project, developer Holland Partners wowed City West residents in 2006 with plans to erect a 52-story residential/boutique hotel tower on the opposite corner of Wilshire and Bixel.
Now, like the visions of most builders in a sagging economy, ambitions have been scaled back to a more attainable level — at least, they hope, in the eyes of a new taker.
New information released by real estate company Moran & Company listing the proposed development — known simply as 1111 Wilshire — for sale, indicates the hotel component has been dropped altogether, leaving room for 397 residential units and 6,500 square-feet of commercial space over two downgraded structures.
New details on 1111 Wilshire, after the jump…
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little tokyo mall could get showy new exterior
As lease negotiations with new Korean businesses lead the Little Tokyo Shopping Center toward a future that doesn’t quite fit its name, new owners are hoping to give the complex a fresh identity to mark the times.
New renderings available from SLAB Architects show the bland three-story concrete block building, built in the mid-1980s, with a bright plum-colored facade embellishment — an eye-catcher arguably more suited for the LA Live area than the fringe of the Arts District.
The wrap-around shell, if carried out as shown, would cover a large portion of the elevation along Alameda and extend to the main entrance on 3rd Street. A slightly translucent material and over-sized billboards are part of the design.
And changes wouldn’t stop there.
dionysus would be proud: 10th annual greek festival september 5, 6 and 7
It’s time to get your Greek on at this weekend’s 10th Annual LA Greek Fest. The event is held at the beautiful St. Sophia Cathedral on Pico and Normandie in LA’s historic Byzantine-Latino Quarter. There you will find three day’s worth of all things Greek.
Indulge your voracious hedonistic appetite on Greek food (gyros, spanikopita, moussaka), Greek beer, Greek wine and Greek coffee. Then burn it all off Greek line dancing to traditional Greek music (workshops offered for the uninitiated). Even Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will make an appearance to chair the festivities.
Good news: the Metro Rapid Line 730 runs a route from Union Station down Broadway to Pico, so Downtowners have a convenient way of getting to the event and safely downing libations.
Come on down and have yourself a Big Fat Greek Time!
10th Year LA Greek Fest
Saint Sophia Cathedral
1324 S Normandie Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-737-2424
Friday, Sept. 5 from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, FREE all night
Saturday, Sept. 6 from 1:00pm to 11:00pm, $5 Admission
Sunday, Sept. 7 from 12:00pm to 10:00pm, $5 Admission
See website for $1 off admission coupon
show’s over: lime cafe closed indefinitely
Is three months enough time to judge the success of a new business?
Most of the time the answer is definitely not, though in the case of Lime Cafe, the “not totally authentic” Mexican grill’s travails were particularly well documented. After only twelve weeks, first-time restaurateur Michael Franz has shuttered the operation in the Security Building, telling angelenic that there simply was not enough capital left in the business.
So what went wrong?
Slow service riled some, and others disliked the music. Surely, closing for nearly a month couldn’t have helped cash flow.
But in the end, I believe it was the combination of a lack of promotion and not enough time to let things work that did it in. Most new businesses are money losers for quite some time before ever turning a profit, so it’s up to owners to prepare for that beforehand.
glo gets brighter with new retail tenants
Building on the pedestrian activity ignited earlier this year by Starbucks, GLO developer Holland Partners is busy filling the storefronts of its new mixed-use complex in City West.
Great Steak & Potato Company, an American quick-service franchise self-described as “a true meat and potatoes concept,” is pairing with juice and smoothie shop Surf City Squeeze to take a 1,750 square-foot space along Wilshire Boulevard, only two doors down from Starbucks.
According to Development Manager Taleene Bassenian with Holland, the two retailers are on the fast track and hope to open by December 2008. Active negotiations continue to finalize suitors for the remaining commercial unit on Wilshire, as well as the two spaces at Bixel and Ingraham.
Great Steak and Surf City Squeeze currently operate other Downtown locations inside the Historic Core’s Broadway Spring Center near Spring and 3rd.
-subway sandwiches now serving city west
-waves of change envelop city west’s wilshire corridor
-news brief: glo starbucks opens today
trader vic’s signs lease at la live, takes final space
Polynesian restaurant chain Trader Vic’s has signed a lease to fill the final restaurant space at LA Live!
The announcement comes shortly after developer AEG released info that two other Southern California eateries will be joining the restaurant mix scheduled to arrive this December inside the complex’s Club Nokia building.
Trader Vic’s will host live entertainment, including Polynesian dancers and singers, most nights of the week and is slated to open its doors in spring 2009, according to owner The Valencia Group.
flashy lights in south park? let’s do it
South Park is fast becoming the modern entertainment destination of Southern California. With four major venues, a large hotel and movie complex on the way and the supporting transit infrastructure necessary to keep it all running smoothly, bright signage in the district is the way to go.
The City Council is exploring a partnership with AEG, developer of the massive LA Live complex now under construction at Olympic and Figueroa, that would allow the company to implement electronic advertising on the LA Convention Center in exchange for revenues of over $2 million per year plus royalties to our cash-strapped city, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Ad placement, intensity and size have yet to be determined, but showing these advertisements to passing drivers stuck in traffic is just one way to broadcast what has changed Downtown over the past decade: Where there once was an empty parking lot now sits one of the city’s signature theaters, and an adjacent hotel, dining and museum complex nears completion.
Downtown has proven that its varied neighborhoods can sustain vastly different crowds. As South Park continues its modern construction binge and moves forward with the installation of already-approved digital billboards, spotlights and super graphics, the Convention Center plan is a perfect fit.
origami bistro & bar celebrates grand opening september 10th
After a soft opening a little over a month ago, Origami Bistro & Bar has gotten into the swing of things, working through opening-week issues (to be expected, of course) that had some writing off the place altogether, while others raved about the quality of the Asian fusion menu.
Patio seating has been added to bring activity out onto Spring Street at 3rd, which is still sparsely traveled by pedestrians even during daytime. By bringing some dining outdoors, Origami may have softened the otherwise harsh landscape of the northern Historic Core a bit, but there are too many cars speeding past to be able to enjoy it.
Still, it’s what’s inside that counts. On September 10 from 6:00 to 9:00pm, join Origami for its grand opening (please RSVP: 213-687-8606), menu tasting and open bar. Open bar excludes premium alcohols and is covered in a $10 entrance fee.
A grand opening celebration may be just another excuse to throw a party and build buzz for some restaurants, but in Origami’s case the party’s been happening every weekday from 4:00 to 7:30pm during their happy hour special.
