Juanito on January 30, 2008, at 02:09AM – #1

The site of both the Title Insurance Building and the garage had once been the Grand Pacific European Hotel constructed in the mid 1890s in Second Empire mode. Before demolition of this builing, the hotel had been moved across the street into the green terra cota building now being redeveloped. There is a great pic of the original facade of the garage in the Central Library's Security Pacific Collection - much more fine than that of the Times'.

David Kennedy on January 30, 2008, at 08:58AM – #2

Wow. Corporate America is on the march. Coming to the Historic Core no less. Great and astonishing news. Hard to believe.

Fingers crossed. I look forward to the impact on the street and the overall neighborhood.

David Kennedy on January 30, 2008, at 10:30AM – #3

This development also makes me wonder about the impact upon my mother-in-law who works in garment manufacturing on Spring at 4th. I'm sure most people are unaware of this kind of business activity. The building she works in once housed the central library on a temporary basis in the late 80s and early 90s. It is packed with these businesses.

jim winstead on January 30, 2008, at 10:50AM – #4

most holiday inns are independently owned. i wonder who is actually behind this?

it sounds like a great addition to the historic core.

LAofAnaheim on January 30, 2008, at 12:08PM – #5

Wow....an office bldg that replaced a parking garage! Heck yeah!

Metro Local on January 30, 2008, at 01:22PM – #6

Intercontinental operates the Holiday Inn chain although there are many that are franchised.

My presumption is that the location was a calculation of the cost benefit of available, suitable properties. Maybe it was second place to the corner that burned last year?

Either way, so long to filming at 433 S. Spring as that parking lot, at a minimum, will be unavailable for production parking off hours.

Desert Bruin on January 30, 2008, at 03:22PM – #8

hmm... why don't they also take the s.e. corner of 4th/Broadway plus the s.w. corner of 4th/Spring for a larger development, rather than a boutique sized affair? Then there would be pressure to develop the north side of 4th. Create some e-w momentum instead of all n-s.

John Crandell on February 02, 2008, at 02:37AM – #9

Something doesn't look right with this. The corridors would need to be against the south wall of the building given that it abutts the former Title Insurance Building. Rooms or suites would then have windows facing either onto Spring or towards the parking lot on the southwest corner of the 4th Street intersection, a lovely view - as is the parking lot on the north side of 4th. With the original ornamentation deracinated so long ago, what's left to look at? Perhaps the idea is to continue use as a garage - parking for a new hotel building at the corner. A new structure would accommodate the number of rooms mentioned in the Times article. Parkinson's Angelus Hotel stood at this location.