From the Newsroom

Everyday

CRA Gives Thumbs Up on Alexandria Rehab

By Eric Richardson — November 16, 2005

I don’t know if I’ve just been out of the loop, but this report from the CRA (PDF) is the first I’d heard of a rehab deal being in place for the Alexandria Hotel. The document is dated October 31st, but didn’t make it into the Council referral document until today. Basic gist is that currently there are no requirements on the Alexandria...


Everyday

Cornfield Porn?

By Eric Richardson — November 15, 2005

Interesting article in today’s LA Times about accusations of porn filming at the Not a Cornfield project. I think this opening line is a little too cheesy even for porn dialogue: It was an accusation of porn in the corn that aroused Aaron Landy’s scorn. When Kathy and I were at the Cornfield a week and a half or so ago we had a security guard...


Everyday

Smoothing Those Downtown Roads

By Eric Richardson — November 14, 2005
1 Comment

Sooner Schooner and a Zamboni

I’m not sure exactly what they were shooting on that end block of Wilshire this past weekend, but it involved a zamboni (pictured), the Sooner Schooner, bicycles, and a monster truck. If I were to take a guess I’d assume it to be a commercial for either ESPN or Mountain Dew. Keep an eye on your television for the results.


Everyday

Weekend Shorts

By Eric Richardson — November 13, 2005

A few quick things from the past days… This weekend the WTA Tour Championships were at Staples Center. In my building, and I assume most others, there was a sheet posted offering mid-week tickets to Downtown residents for $10 (from a regular price of $48). I think that was a great gesture on the part of AEG in engaging the community. There’s...


Everyday

New Life at St. Vibiana's

By Eric Richardson — November 13, 2005

Lots of press today about last night’s benefit for St. Vibiana’s. The LA Times quotes Tom Gilmore as saying that the preservation process has been a difficult one. Making the former cathedral into an arts center, said Tom Gilmore, the developer who bought St. Vibiana’s in 1999, has been a lesson in “extreme preservation.” &...


Everyday

Art Walk by Bike

By Eric Richardson — November 10, 2005
1 Comment

Today is the November edition of the Downtown Art Walk. Yesterday on blogging.la eecue posted that he’s planning to do the walk by bike and wants others to join him: Downtown Art Walk Ride : The monthly art walk will be taking place again in Downtown LA from noon ‘till 9PM. Here is a map courtesy of Bert Green Fine Art. I will be attempting to see...


Everyday

Time to Settle the Question of Fashion District Geography

By Eric Richardson — November 09, 2005
1 Comment

I think it’s time the newspapers get straight the location of LA’s Fashion District. There’s a piece in today’s New York Times that says So despite the sewing and cutting that still takes place out of sight on upper floors, the garment district has been trying to reposition itself as the Los Angeles fashion district. Situated to the...


Everyday

Reimagining DASH

By Eric Richardson — November 09, 2005
3 Comments

I’m a few days behind the times here, but this week’s Downtown News article on the upcoming DASH study quotes me. “The geography is so much different from the last DASH study because of all the projects that have come online since then,” said Eric Richardson, a member of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Transportation and...


Everyday

1100 Wilshire Invents New Ways of Making Money

By Eric Richardson — November 08, 2005
1 Comment

One of the most effective measures in LA’s Adaptive Reuse Ordinance was the reduction in parking requirements for converted buildings. It costs a lot of money to put the traditional 1.5 or 2 spaces per unit into a historic building, and one would like to think that in an urban environment there really wouldn’t be a need for that many automobiles....


Everyday

Breaking: Attempted Armed Robbery at Jewelry Theater Building

By Eric Richardson — November 07, 2005
5 Comments

DSC00505

I got a flat tire on my way back from USC a little before 2pm, so I was sitting changing it at the corner of Olympic and Figueroa when I saw an LAPD motorcycle officer fly through the intersection up Fig. I continued to hear sirens, and when I was done changing the tire there were multiple LAPD choppers flying over the intersection of 7th and Hill. As you can...