Twin Historic Core Construction Sites Move Forward

Nice shot. From the Tom Bradley Room?

The photo after the jump: with all of the history of cinema shown here, which inhabits this terrain, perhaps the developer of Medallion might consider alternatives - in light of the mortgage situation. After what has occurred over the past year, lenders do not want to hear about housing, period.

The second phase of Medallion is the final chance at engendering pedestrian connections between the Civic Center and Gillville, between Bunker Hill/Angel’s Flight/Grand Central Market and Japan Town. Some sort of nightime/weekend attraction could be programmed into the mix of housing and commercial use currently planned for the second phase. Perhpas the unique historical content of Third and Main can be a starting point for an alternative programming of the second phase. This could include the city’s connection to the Battle of Gettysburg, in addition to early cinema. Although motion picture technology evolved in New York City, Third and Main remains as the birthplace of cinema in the Western World. That ought to be celebrated in the motion picture capital of the world.

Foreground - Tally’s Electric Theater. Middleground - the Wonderland Theater (plus party place for The Killer Angels). Background - Cyclorama of The Battle of Paris.

Medallion is a rental project (not condos) with 190 units. That’s not a lot of units for such a large site, which means either that they are building several low-density, non-contiguous structures with a lot of parking, or they are keeping a lot of open space. I have heard that they are also providing a TON of retail and a park at 3rd & Main.

Perhaps the park can be named or themed in honor of that history, and perhaps some of the retail could reflect that as well. I’d contact the developer and propose they hire you as a historic banding consultant. Possibly even get them to publish your book!

One comment I’d add is how thrilled my two-year old boys are with the construction at the Medallion site. We drive by there every night on the way home from daycare. My boys always scream in delight when they see that huge pile of dirt.

“Daddy! Look! Look! Big!”

There are huge piles of dirt around Piper Technical, opposite the Ramirez side, from excavation of the new jail and police administration buildings.

It will be interesting to see how Medallion addresses Los Angeles and Fourth.

I despise this picture.