L.A. Live

L.A. Live, the $2.5 billion entertainment complex rising next to Staples Center, is home to the Nokia Theatre, the GRAMMY Museum, Club Nokia, Conga Room, Lucky Strike, ESPN Zone, New Zealand Natural Ice Cream, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, Lawry's Carvery, Yard House and Rock'N Fish.

Coming in 2009 are Katsuya, Rosa Mexicana, Trader Vic's, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill and Regal Cinemas.

Another Boring Swipe at Downtown

By Eric Richardson — December 13, 2006
19 Comments

I really am getting tired of the laziness and bias that goes into some of the comments against Downtown there days. Kevin Roderick over at LA Observed takes another of his swipes at Downtown development this morning. 'Like living two blocks off of Times Square' That's what a Forest City developer says of condos near L.A. Live -- but wouldn't it only be true...


LaBonge Wants to Go Talk About LA Live in London

By Eric Richardson — August 11, 2006

Each year the World Leadership Forum hosts an event appropriately called the World Leadership Awards. This year Councilman Tom LaBonge thought it might be a good idea to submit an LA entry highlighting Downtown. The World Leadership Forum Ltd. of London, England, conducts an annual worldwide competition to identify exceptional leadership in cities, and to use...


It's Official: Ritz at LA Live

By Eric Richardson — June 13, 2006
1 Comment

The news first broke a couple weeks ago that the LA Live hotel would sport Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Marquis brands, but today the official stories run: LA Times, press release, Hospitality Net. LA Live is definitely moving full speed ahead. The second half of the parking lot is torn up now and foundations are making a big appearance in the first hole.


Will the Daffodil Bloom Again?

By Eric Richardson — December 04, 2005
3 Comments

Shots Around Downtown

David Kennedy dropped me an email this afternoon mentioning that the daffodil air raid siren from the corner of Figueroa and Olympic had been taken down as part of LA Live! construction. I had always been a bit puzzled by what that thing was. I hadn't realized the flowery bits were added in 1996 as a public art piece by Michael Tansey titled "Daffodil Metamorphosis...


LA Live! Hotel Equity Partner Backs Out; Newspapers Make a Fuss

By Eric Richardson — November 23, 2005

The Downtown News today reports what's been in various stories over the past few days, that Apollo Real Estate pulled out of the LA Live! hotel deal. Apollo Real Estate Advisors, which had agreed to finance the Hilton-operated hotel to the tune of $60 million, has backed out of the arrangement over escalating construction costs, according to sources close to...


City Council Approves Convention Center Hotel Financing

By Eric Richardson — October 01, 2005
2 Comments

City Council yesterday agreed to the subsidy plan put together for the convention center hotel to be part of the LA Live! project. The LA Times covers that story today, writing that the Bonaventure plans to keep fighting. The Bonaventure's owners plan to pursue an existing lawsuit against the city challenging the deal as well as take the matter to the ballot...


LA Live! Groundbreaking Gives Kotkin Another Chance to Badmouth Downtown

By Eric Richardson — September 17, 2005
4 Comments

Lots of new coverage on the LA Live groundbreaking. The Downtown News runs a piece, while the LA Times yesterday wrote that ESPN will have a studio as a part of the project. My favorite bit of coverage, though, is in the Daily Breeze, who gives some ink to the always entertaining Joel Kotkin. Calling the project's concept "more appropriate to Cincinnati,"...


LA Times Talks LA Live vs. Grand Ave.

By Eric Richardson — September 15, 2005
2 Comments

A piece in the LA Times today titled "2 Projects, 2 Visions of Downtown's Future" talks about the differences between the LA Live and Grand Ave. projects, and includes some quotes from DLANC Board member Russell Brown. "If the two projects were more similar, they would be competition," Brown said. "But being at the opposite ends of the spectrum," he said...