Axis Becomes Mozaic, Switches to Rentals

Downtown needs more rentals in the midst of this condo boom. - You're so right!

I think we all knew at some point there would be adjustments. Cities tend to grow in spasms. Market conditions change and depending on how adroit a developer is sometimes projects in the pipeline are completed and may end up standing empty since they now don't pencil out. Ironically the condo boom was facilitated by converting office space that was cheap and leftover from the surplus stock of space created during the tail end of the last building boom downtown.

I agree this change from condo to apartment may merely signify that this project needed an adjustment and that downtown is still a sellers market. But it must be admitted things will cool off to some extent over time. That is just the nature of things.

Funny how we've already reached a "lull" in the development cycle, when, in my personal opinion, most of the important developments, both new and reuse, haven't even opened yet! Here's what's still being constructed, and has been for YEARS:

Brockman, Coulter, Mandell, Roosevelt, Title Guarantee, Rowan, Valuti, El Dorado, Mercantile, Bank of America (7th and Broadway), Evo, Luma, Market Lofts, Hanover, Concerto, Pan American, Victor, one on 4th and Broadway (forgot the name), Jewelry Trades, Garland, 1100 Wilshire, Eastern Columbia, 9th and Hill (forgot name), Artisan, Blackstone, Textile, and part of Santee Village.

This is not including the block around Sixth and Spring purchased recently by Barry Shy (5 buildings). He hasn't had much time to work on those, but the buildings have been cleaned out.

I'm not including buildings that haven't even been started yet like Figueroa Central, Zen, the Ritz-Carlton, etc.

Here's a list of buildings that have been finished, with people living in them, since 2000: Hellman, San Fernando, Continental, Pacific Electric, Subway Terminal, Higgins, Pegasus, Douglas, Elleven, Met Lofts, Reserve Lofts, Packard Lofts, Flower Street Lofts, Shybarry Lofts, Santa Fe, Santee Village, Medici, Orsini, Visconti, Toy Factory Lofts, Little Tokyo Lofts, Savoy. Axis coming on line now.

I must have forgotten some. But my point is, there's much more to come than have already been completed.

In my opinion, they are just taking too long with all these buildings. For comparison: the Empire State Building went from hole-in-the-ground to finished in 15 months.

The delays likely reflect the huge esculation in construction costs during the past year or so, mostly due to Katrian reconstruction and the boom in China. That was cited to explain the delay in the new Ralphs being built.

I have secondhand information from someone connected to the LA LIVE project. he says the primary reasons for delays in construction in DTLA are...

Shortage of workers. If construction markets soften in other west coast cities (namely Vegas), this may become less of an issue.

City Inspections. The system is changing and inefficient to this point.

Shortage of steel. Apparently, there is a 7 month delay in getting steel.

Oh and I never undestood the appeal of the Axis building. People interested in living downtown want to live in a more urban or metropolitan environment. Axis is suburban style architecture in what is basically only a downtown adjacent location.

I feel Union Station is one of the most "urban and metropolitan" parts of Downtown. The architecture itself is fairly unique and impressive in this city, and it's functionality as a transit hub goes along with Antonio's "transit village" concept. I hope the units rent and developers bring more to Union Station an the adjacent areas for those residents. I really believe that with more residential units in that area and some mixed-use development it could be a great part of Downtown, similar to what is happening with South Park.

Well technically very few (if any) places downtown currently meet the requirments for the terms "urban and metropolitan" beyond aesthetics. It's all a "could be" in my mind. I live in the South Park district and beyond some early 20th century architecture, trendy lofts, and some tall office towers adjacent, there's not much urban or metropolitan happening outside of my loft after 7pm. But I think Peter was talking about aesthetics anyways, so he's right about that, Union Station doesn't LOOK as urban or metropolitan as say the historic core or south park.

I love the architecture of Union Station itself. It's a beautiful builiding. But I just don't see that area as being what the DTLA buyer is looking for. As a DTLA buyer, I would never have considered Axis. It's too far from where the density is going to be and with denisty come all the trappings of the "urban and metropolitan" living experience. We're not they're yet and the area still closes down at 7, but it's getting better every day as more people move in and more retail opens.

Axis condos didn't fail because of the "soft real estate market". Blame the designers, Axis was not a true Transit Village, it had no ground floor retail space, was not high density residential enough to make a profit, and was not connected with the surrounding community. I pass that cold-empty place everyday on my Goldline commute to Pasadena. This sort of Suburban complex might have flourished in Glendale or Irvine, but this is Downtown L.A. People want Urban Lofts, not gated Villas. In South Park, Luma and Evo sold out immediately, and that was only 6 months ago.

I'm a little surprised by the characterization that Union Station is not downtown. Clearly, this point is debatable. In my mind, Union Station is a vital part of downtown. It is a major reason why I live here.

I'm also taken aback by the 'snobbery' about what's in the immediate area. I think it is a little brusque to say there's 'only' Olvera Street and Chinatown. I think Olvera Street is actually one of the more inviting public spaces downtown. Obviously, it is not for everyone. It has some fine historic architecture, plenty of Mexican folk art, and awesome churros. I can't wait until the mural on the roof of Italian Hall is opened to the public. I bet most people haven't visted the histroic adobe. (Very well hidden and oddly satisfying.) What about Placita de Olvera? I just got my twins baptized there last month. Olvera Street is one of the few public spaces downtown which is alive with crowds throughout the day and early evening. Quite often there are public events, parades, cultural celebrations and the like. I also really like how they are modifying the space along Alameda to better connect with Union Station. My only gripe is the restaurants are pretty mediocre and overpriced (for what you get).

As for Chinatown, I also think it has a lot going for it, too, particularly if you like Chinese food. There's plenty of retail and those fancy galleries along Chun King Road. Philippe's on Alameda & Ord is a classic place and somewhere I don't get to often enough. There's a lovely little library in the neighborhood and a great community center. Both of these places are bustling with life and activity. While most of the street life in Chinatown shuts down in the evening, I understand there are a couple of very nice bars in the neighborhood. (Mountain anyone?) I also think residents can look forward to the new Cornfields park. Of course, who knows when that place will be completed? Still, I think Chinatown has a lot to recommend it, too.

I think the criticisms of the Axis project's architecture and layout are valid. I agree the lack of retail is a significant failing. It would have added immensely to the project. I also agree the project is more of a suburban compound. It is not flat out ugly, but it doesn't really connect with its surroundings. The corner at Alameda & Cesar Chavez is pretty forbidding. It really looks like it was designed to maximize the number of units on the lot with the least amount of effort.

The major missed opportunity was to not connect it to what is unique about the location: Olvera Street. If the project had been designed as more of a dense village with cobblestone lanes, multi-story homes and places for restaurants and retail (basically, part of Olvera Street), I think it could have been a very attractive design. Too bad. We're now saddled, for at least a generation, with some dull hulking suburban apartment complex which walls itself off from the street. I wish someone in the city's planning department had been able to see the possibilities of the site.

This problem with Axis walling itself and turning its back to Olvera Street can be somewhat calmed by merely building a pedestrian bridge over Alameda Street linking the two areas.

Notice, please, I said SOMEWHAT calmed. Not a solution, but would help a bit.

I disagree. All a ped-bridge will do is help people walk from one side of the street to the other without touching the sidewalk. How does this do anything to mitigate the fact that Axis is a walled-off compound?

There is nothing at Axis that a tourist would want to see. The only pedestrian movement across Alameda that is worthwhile (in my opinion) is between Union Station and Olvera Street. I think there are improvements that could be made to that crossing. And I think the new, more welcoming entrance to the Plaza is already making a difference there. But I think a ped-bridge would not do any good, and would only reduce the little streetlife there already is around the entrance to El Pueblo.

Axis is a place for luxury housing, plain and simple.

It was not the intention of Standard Pacific or the architects to build a transit village, a visual masterpiece, a tourist destination, or a community centerpiece.

It's just a place to live, and in this tight apartment market that's all you can hope for. The wealthy people who will move into Axis/Mosaic will appreciate it for what it is, a decent place to live. Just like the Medici, Piero, Visconti.... it has luxury amenities like a pool, spa, and gym. It is not a working man's crib, just a place for upper level execs to roost and maybe have orgies with beautiful young blondes.

Anyways if you want to see a real TRANSIT ORIENTED VILLAGE. Check out the Wilshire Vermont station apartments at http://www.wvstation.com

Speaking of transit oriented development, I wonder why the MTA didn't make a real effort to make this a showcase example? It is literally right in their backyard.

Rental units have not been as profitable as for-sale condos. For sale lofts and condominiums make enormous instant profits upon opening (Not the case for Axis/Mosaic, as it was a tougher sell). The developers probably got MTA to tout their "transit friendly" condo units more aggressively, so that people won't even consider the possibility that it might be cheaper to rent than buy. If you look at the transit developements throughout Southern California, only a handful are rentals, the majority are for sale because of the growing construction costs and capital investment.