Times Finds Out About Park Fifth
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Downtown News was talking about the Park Fifth project two and a half weeks ago (and so were we), but the Times just got the story out today. It's mostly the same information, but take a look at the included render. I certainly don't recognize that tree-covered spot where Pershing Square should be.
Update (Tuesday): A friend just pointed out a bit I had passed by when I first read this article:
The project is drawing its doubters from people who wonder whether there is a market for another huge housing complex downtown.
Adding downtown housing is a risk, market observers said. "There is a huge supply that far exceeds demand" at the moment, said real estate broker Stephen May of Downtown Residential Real Estate, who estimates that more than 400 units are for sale.
That's why so many of these buildings keep selling out, right? Seems to me that great buildings are selling fast and the ones with issues are going a bit slower, just like they should in any market.
eecue on May 07, 2007, at 05:17PM – #1
That's obviously a render of how the park looked in the '20s
shannon on May 07, 2007, at 09:09PM – #2
i think i'd rather that lot stay a parking lot...
dj ernie pearl on May 07, 2007, at 09:15PM – #3
Wow ! Amazing. Those towers will fit in perfectly with the area.Glad to hear Pershing Square will be done back to it's 1920's look instead of what it looks like now. An enclosed,badly designed park. This area smack dab in the middle of where historic meets modern will be another great spot in downtown.
Whitman Lam on May 07, 2007, at 09:22PM – #4
Bet you $20 that tower will be finished before the pay toilet on Fifth St. actually works.
Benjamin Pezzillo on May 07, 2007, at 10:01PM – #5
How is that tower going to be built atop the Red Line Station? I'm no engineer but from this arm chair's view I'm skeptical the foundation area is going to be adequate for that high of a tower.
dj ernie pearl on May 07, 2007, at 10:28PM – #6
They didnt say on top, I read the building was going to have its' own entrance to Pershing Square Station. Which is cool cause after dining or shopping or even being lucky enough to know someone at the residences, you can take the metro to Hollywood/Pasadena/Long Beach and East L.A. If you know the path of the subway, you can see how it goes directly diaganally into Persing Square from Civic Center (Hill&1st)and on to Fiqueroa and 7th. The tunnels are near the Park /5th not over it. They seemed to have no problem with the towers above in the Figueroa/Flower/ area.
Sodha on May 07, 2007, at 10:34PM – #7
It should be no problem building above the Metro station. This is very common in New York, London, etc.., where they actually do have parking garages underground w/ Metro further underground. Even L.A. does it w/ the Roosevelt building at the 7th Street station.
dj ernie pearl on May 08, 2007, at 01:30AM – #8
Can you imagine the noise and construction mess that those people living inside The Title Garrauntee Building will have to endure? Especially the lofts facing the north and west side because Park/5th will wrap itself around The Title Garrauntee Building.
Urban Bruin on May 08, 2007, at 09:40AM – #9
From the Times article it seems that the developer hopes to fund improvements to Pershing Square along with their project. For those who have been to San Francisco, Union Square would be a good example of what Pershing Square could become if developed correctly. It is the hub of activity with underground parking, above ground greenery and concrete steps for shoppers and visitors to sit. Or maybe we'll get really lucky and they’ll build a smaller version of Millennium Park in Chicago, another good urban design.
EllisonLB on May 08, 2007, at 01:23PM – #10
"Can you imagine the noise and construction mess that those people living inside The Title Garrauntee Building will have to endure?"
Couldn't be any worse than the asphalt wasteland that currently sits north and west of their building.
Benjamin Pezzillo on May 08, 2007, at 04:56PM – #11
There's engineering train tunnels around existing buildings and underground infrastructure and then there is engineering a building atop existing train tunnels.
If you can picture the placement of the Pershing Square station underground, it is right underneath this proposed tower site. All you have to do is think about how you take the escalator down from 5th and Hill and make a right to go into the station (or visualize the entrance from 4th and Hill).
LIke I said, I'm not an engineer, but I think there will be an issue once the contractor starts to excavate the foundation for the tower.
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on May 08, 2007, at 05:17PM – #12
Ben: I actually don't think you're correct on the station location. All of the Red Line station boxes were cut and cover, and done in either roadway or Metro-owned plots of land. I think the station box for Pershing Square is actually just under Hill street.
Ted on May 08, 2007, at 05:51PM – #13
I believe there may be several well-built 1925 subway levels under at least part of the site of the new buildings. The handsome Title Guarantee will still anchor its corner, with architectural connections to the new buildings. Metro 417's bland south face will be obscured, but its much nicer Hill Street facade will look beautiful next to something much nicer than a parking lot.
Benjamin Pezzillo on May 08, 2007, at 06:00PM – #14
You could be right but even so the tower's foundation will, at a minumum, border that. I just think there's gonna be an issue.
Tim on May 09, 2007, at 09:58AM – #15
But does anyone LIKE these new buildings? I think they are ugly. I love library tower and gas company tower. But these two new buildings are ugly.
Ted on May 09, 2007, at 05:46PM – #16
I like the shorter one. It has interesting horizontal elements at the base, extending into the tower. There are appealing open spaces between it and the Title Guarantee, which it treats with some respect.
I can't relate to the tall one at all.
Dan in LA on May 11, 2007, at 01:33AM – #17
Tim writes: "But does anyone LIKE these new buildings? I think they are ugly. I love library tower and gas company tower. But these two new buildings are ugly."
the archs are trying to do a cool thing. they are creating open "neutra" type spaces all stacked one on top of the other. living facing out. if it works, it could look amazing, at least at night. and doing almost anything will help persing square.