Roosevelt Chronicles

Mixing Modern with Classic

By Eric Richardson — June 15, 2007 — 15 Comments

Eric Richardson

If you haven't been on Wilshire lately to take a look at the backside of the Roosevelt, I encourage you to make a special trip. It's a great example of how a historic structure can be combined with some interesting modern architecture.

Everyone's familiar with the classic stone front the building presents to its 7th and Flower street sides. What you may not realize, though, is that the back was built very plainly. The two lightwells were plain brick with small windows.

The conversion tore out much of that brickwork and has replaced it with a much more modern glass and concrete look. They cut the space diagonally, increasing square footage and making the units seem like they'll be much more open.

This meld of modern and historic works because the two aspects aren't ever in view at once. The changes are visible via an alley off Wilshire (pictured), far from the views of the classic front. It's a smart architectural decision, and a cool way to handle a historic structure.

Fakeblogging Development at the Roosevelt

By Eric Richardson — June 07, 2007 — 18 Comments

Eric Richardson

I guess it was inevitable, and, heck, it's probably been done elsewhere, but the Roosevelt Lofts' fake blog is just sad. Ed wrote about this over on View from a Loft and I just had to mention it here. Consider this breathless tone from the first posting:

As I cruise the hallways of the prestigious Milbank Real Estate offices located in close proximately to one of their newest developments, The Roosevelt Lofts located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, I can't help but feel like I want to share all of the inner secrets of construction, and permitting, and progress associated with the project. There is talk of cornshells and courtyard wall sconces, VIP services for buyers and doggie day-care specials. When can buyers enter the building to see the units? When can buyers enter into escrow? Will buyers enter into escrow site unseen? So many questions.

Well, here's one question that apparently wasn't asked: Is this really a good idea? Simple answer: no, it isn't.

Whoever thought this up in the marketing department really didn't know a lot about blogs. With exceptions, a reader is attracted to a blog because of the author's voice. That voice encompasses both authenticity and authority. The two are really tied up in each other -- authenticity helps establish authority.

A blog that's written in syrupy marketing speak by a fake persona establishes neither authenticity nor authority. There's heavy use of the first-person pronoun, but no identity. That's simply not going to cut it.

I'm sorry Roosevelt, but I'm going to have to call this attempt a bust.

Photo taken out in front of the Roosevelt back in January and discussed here.

Surveying the Roosevelt Rooftop

By Eric Richardson — May 15, 2007

Eric Richardson

If you go to the website for the Roosevelt you can find an impressive render of how the building's roof will look. It's certainly a scene far different than what the roof used to look like, or even how it appears today.

This evening I took a few shots of the current state of rooftop construction. It's been fascinating to watch as they've cut holes in the roof and then started building on top.

I wish I could similarly cover other projects, but the Roosevelt happens to be the only one being constructed beneath my window.

Rooftop Construction

By Eric Richardson — February 09, 2007 — 1 Comment

Eric Richardson

In trying to find some more bandwidth for the office, I've found out the MCI Building has some definite downsides. A nice upside, though, is getting to look down on the construction occurring across the streets at the Roosevelt Lofts. I've seen a pair of fires, a large crane and the day to day stuff of construction.

One of the interesting things about the Roosevelt is all the plans they have for their rooftop space. They don't have shots up on their website, but the roof is slated to include penthouses, garden space and a pool.

Today they look to be getting ready for a concrete pour on the original elevator structure. They've been cutting holes in the roof for a while now, but this is the first time they've looked to fill any of them.

If you're interested, I also took a wider shot that unfortunately includes a reflection of me in it.

Sidewalk Not a Walkway?

By Eric Richardson — January 10, 2007 — 1 Comment

Eric Richardson

This sign showed up outside the Roosevelt Lofts building the other day. It's attached to the construction scaffolding that stands over the sidewalk on both the building's 7th street and Flower street sides.

And it's right in the middle of the sidewalk.

What are they trying to say? Don't walk to the right of the sign? Don't pass this way? Pass at your own risk? It's a sidewalk -- it has no role other than to be a pedestrian walkway.

From a practical perspective the sign's doing absolutely nothing. People walk right by it constantly. That doesn't excuse its utter lack of message, though.

Perhaps the Roosevelt just has safety on its mind at the moment. The very impressive on-site sales center has waffled between open and closed but is currently down thanks to the city's Building & Safety department.

Shame on the Carpenters?

By Eric Richardson — October 27, 2006 — 2 Comments

Eric Richardson

Earlier today one of the guys I work with asked me "So what's the deal with that labor dispute with the Roosevelt?" He had seen the sign outside on 7th street, where it's been held for the past few days.

It was an easy answer: "There isn't one."

You've more than likely seen these same signs all over. "Shame on XXXXX" in big red letters, with "Labor Dispute" in black around the edges. I know there have been two active just in Downtown over the past week or so: one at the Roosevelt and one in front of Pegasus.

All of these signs seem to be the result of a single union: the Carpenters. — Continued Inside...

Roosevelt Fast-Tracking Retail?

By Eric Richardson — October 02, 2006 — 4 Comments

Eric Richardson

Development on the Roosevelt Lofts has been moving steadily since they got started (at least externally) back in January. In the last two weeks the retail spaces seem to have been put on overdrive, as all of a sudden the building went from where you could see straight through it to today having glass on the front.

This is a welcome change from so much other residential development Downtown, where the retail lags the housing by months (or more). I'm hoping for something in the way of fast food. I know the Roosevelt wants to "upscale" their former tenants (La Salsa and Great Steak and Potato), but we're running out of fast food over here. Qdoba's great, but I can't eat there every day. — Continued Inside...

Reverting the Roosevelt Entryway

By Eric Richardson — June 27, 2006 — 3 Comments

Eric Richardson

I don't know if you've been by the Roosevelt Building at 7th/Flower recently, but work is going ahead full-bore on its conversion to condos. Much of that work happens inside where you can't see it, bt within the last week a cool external change has taken place on the building.

Late last week workers took sledgehammers to the brown metal and tinted glass that had framed the three arches on the building's front and tore them out, exposing the recessed entryway. Instantly a fairly anonymous ground level became much more intersting and stately.

Old photos of the building show these open arches, obviously covered up sometime later to "modernize" the structure. It's very cool to see them returning to their intended state. This isn't quite as bad as skins like the one on Clifton's, but looking back it's hard to see what people were thinking when they did this sort of work.

Curbed Discovers Roosevelt Condo Details; One of Two Remaining Retail Tenants Closes

By Eric Richardson — May 17, 2006 — 2 Comments

Eric Richardson

Curbed.LA yesterday wrote about the Roosevelt Building going condo to which I sort of say, yes, we've known that for a while. The details they point to -- 223 units, prices starting in the mid-$450k range -- have also been available if you looked up the building on the Downtown Interactive Map. Interior demolition has been ongoing since January. Particularly fun was the big crane they used in March.

More imediately relevant is that Joe's Place, the minimart on the ground floor, has finally succumbed to the construction and closed. Walking into Macy's Plaza a few minutes ago I watched a worker filling the gap in the construction scaffolding that had allowed access to the store. Still open for the moment is Marie's Cafe, though I doubt it'll survive the entire time.

Roosevelt Chronicles: One Big Crane

By Eric Richardson — March 18, 2006

Eric Richardson

Today's Roosevelt Lofts update involves the biggest crane I've ever seen on the back of a truck. My office is on the 19th floor of the MCI Building, and as you can see from the photo this thing's taller than that. I have no clue how the operator can actually see what he's doing when he reaches into the building. Each time I think he's going to bang into the top of the wall, but he never does. I suspect he's done this before.

They're using the hole cut in the equipment room roof on Thursday to lift out large chunks of metal. I'm not sure if they're bits of elevator equipment or old water pumps, but I can say that they're large and heavy-looking.

A couple other views: the base of the crane; looking down; and a street shot.

Taking off the Roof

By Eric Richardson — March 16, 2006

Eric Richardson

The ongoing renovation work at the Roosevelt Lofts is providing me with a lot of material these days. First I discovered it was right below me, then it had a small fire.

Now workers are tearing away the roof of a structure that sits on top of the building. If I had to guess I'd say this was the housing for the elevator machinery, and that they're going to build onto it to allow elevator access to the roof itself. They've also been tearing out air conditioning equipment, likely hoping to open up space for fun rooftop uses.

If you look at a larger view you can also see that they're tearing out a portion of the external wall (not the front face... in the back finger portion). While the external face of the building is great, these hidden walls are pretty plain and it'll be fun to see what Killefer Flammang has in store for them.

Fire at the Roosevelt

By Eric Richardson — February 28, 2006

Eric Richardson

It doesn't look all too serious at this point, but lots of trucks have responded to a fire in Roosevelt Building at the corner of 7th and Flower. The building is currently undergoing residential conversion, so the flames are likely the result of work being done. You can see some smoke starting to rise, but right now it's pretty wispy.

As you can see, the ladder is up on the front of the building but the smoke seems to be rising from the rear. I may head down and see if I can grab some more pictures.

Update (10:53): They killed this one pretty quick. The trucks are packing up and the smoke seems mostly gone. I'm sure Brian will have more information on the LAFD blog sometime soon.

Lofts Beneath My Very Nose

By Eric Richardson — January 28, 2006 — 1 Comment

Eric Richardson

Sometimes residential projects Downtown just sneak up on me. For instance, earlier this week I saw some wooden overhang go in over the sidewalk of the building across the street from work. I wondered what kind of construction they were doing.

Turns out that the building at the NE corner of 7th & Flower is actually the future "Roosevelt Lofts" with an estimated completion in Q3 2007. The conversion's being designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, who apparently either have been or will be responsible for the designs on like half of Downtown's Adaptive Reuse conversions.

From the exterior that's a beautiful building, so I hope the interior conversion is just as impressive. There are a couple renderings on the Architects' website, but the exterior ones don't make a lot of sense to me by themselves.