Building Up Los Angeles

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

“Development” was the word of the week in Los Angeles, as a number of project took steps forward.

Perhaps the biggest announcement concerns the immediate vicinity of the Capitol Records Tower at 1750 Vine St. in Hollywood. The owners of the protected landmark, Millenium Partners and Argent Ventures, plan on developing a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use project comprising two towers, the taller of which would be 48 stories high. The Handel Architects L.L.C.-designed towers would rest on two spaces that are currently parking lots. One lot is right next to the Capitol Records Tower, while the other is across Vine Street next to the Avalon nightclub.

Approval from the city of Los Angeles could take as long as two years, while the actual construction could take another three years. The project, valued at about $1 billion, is planned for an initial 492 residences and 200-room hotel, with 150,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 retail-destined square feet to be created by the end of construction.

In green development news, home builder KB Home has announced that its new residential development will feature a host of eco-friendly technologies and fixtures. The move, which involves introducing “cool roofs,” bicycle storage space and electric-car charging stations, is part of the company’s recently announced policy of energy efficiency and environmental awareness. According to a Los Angeles Times article, Primera Terra will be one of the largest developments of its kind to receive LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council’s certification program.

Finally, Los Angeles developers are incorporating old landmarks into new property, as evidenced by plans for expansion of The Americana at Brand, a popular Glendale destination for shopping and dining. According to a Los Angeles Daily News article, the project will include a 50-foot-wide façade built using brick from an 83-year-old former furniture store and UPS warehouse. The landmark will be evoked not only by recreating the façade but also by using the original steel sash windows as showcases for photographs of the area’s past.