Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza plans massive expansion

A promotional display has popped up in the middle of the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza mall. On it are pretty renderings that depict what one developer hopes the downtrodden mall can transform into. The revitalization project, which is still in early planning stages, hopes to add 2.5m sf of retail, residential, office, and hotel to the existing 1m sf mall. The new mall would resemble more of an "urban village" with pedestrian pathways and access to the planned Crenshaw corridor lightrail.

In the CEQA "Notice of Preparation" document compiled by the CRA, the plan calls for 1.8m sf of retail/entertainment, 150k sf office, a 400 room hotel and about 1000 dwelling units. The majority of the newly constructed buildings would be built on what are now surface parking lots, and all parking would be concentrated in two large structures at the southwest corner of the site. From the looks of the proposed site plan, the developer is aiming for an LA Live South, complete with "public plazas," restaurants, and an "entertainment district." This will be an ambitious, even dubious, feat. Rios Clementi Hale Studios prepared the initial architectural designs. The developer is Capri Capital Partners of Chicago, who has owned the property since 2006.

The LA Sentinel reports that support for the mall addition is strong in the local area, likely because it will add investment and jobs to a part of the city that has long lacked both. But projects of this magnitude rarely get off the ground in the current economic climate, and unfortunately this project's location poses a huge hurdle to its financial feasibility. LA Live barely scraped through on its final phases, and that was with lots of public money and a pre-recession groundbreaking. The Grand Avenue project, one of the largest and most exclusive mixed-use proposals out there, is on the back burner and running out of steam. But perhaps Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza can take advantage of its under-market status. When Macy's moved out of the historic Broadway department store building in the late 1990s, Wal-Mart was quick to fill the void, and remain's the only Wal-Mart in Los Angeles and the only 3-story Wal-Mart. Developers must be careful to improve the center in a lucrative and prestigious way, while preserving the African-American identity and pride of place the mall has come to embrace.

East LA Braces for Gold Line Opening

The Metro Gold Line eastside extension - connecting East LA to Pasadena via Downtown - is set to begin operation in September, just a couple of months after the initial scheduled opening. Metro is currently working on last-minute cosmetic details, removing construction equipment, and testing the mechanics of the 6-mile extension. The line is projected to carry 13,000 passengers per day in the first year, but every prior rail opening in the city has far surpassed rider expectations. Primary in pre-opening considerations is safety, according to MTA, especially in the underground segment of the line - the dual tunnel system that has been constructed under Boyle Heights.

Pedestrian and vehicle safety workshops are being conducted in the communities that the new line will serve, especially those that may not have been exposed to light-rail transit, namely the largely Spanish-speaking communities east of the LA River. In addition, MTA has employed safety ambassadors to stand outside of the stations for the next 6 months, answering questions and giving instructions to curious passers-by. MTA has proven extremely diplomatic in its approach to the construction and introduction of this line, having also assisted nearby small businesses maintain customer traffic despite construction inconveniences. This is an approach MTA will want to retain for public relations with South LA communities that will be affected by the incoming Expo Line. Some residents there have fought immutably to block ground-level crossings. Residents will also want to watch for safety statistics on the new Gold Line.

And drivers take warning: cameras will be placed at every train crossing, ready to ticket those imprudent drivers who make illegal turns.

Moss' "Glass Tower" Revived by Expo Line

Eric Owen Moss' eccentric tower, which was previously stalled by financial constraints, has enjoyed renewed interest thanks to the Expo lightrail line that will connect Downtown with Culver City in 2010. The first rendition, which was approved in 1999, was composed of two towers and claimed to be the "only high-rise proposal in South Central...the location for two urban riots in the last 50 years." We won't tell them La Cienega at Jefferson isn't anywhere near South Central and is actually adjacent to affluent, suburban Culver City.

Program calls for about 210,000 sf of office space split across 16 floors of varying height, in addition to parking both above and below grade. The exterior ribbon structural system allows for an open, column-less interior. The project is being developed by Samitaur Construct, the company behind the office complex of the same name, another Moss design that was completed to thunderous acclaim in 1995.

The site is located on a large tract bordered by the lightrail line on the north and the Ballona Creek on the West. It is near the beginning of National Blvd, where Jefferson Blvd turns due south. The La Cienega lightrail station is located less than a block away, and is the second-to-last stop before the terminus at National and Washington near downtown Culver City. In the 1990s Moss made a name for himself in nearby Culver City with his designs for the massive redevelopment of Hayden Tract, a gaping expanse of industrial land that was repurposed for office and manufacturing space. The land, home to offices including Ogilvy & Mather, Kodak, and Smashbox Studios, has since quintupled in value. So maybe Moss does have the Midas touch for blighted real estate, but isn't this just another pricey vanity box, albeit in a not-so-desirable part of town?

Mixed Decisions on Expo Lightrail Crossings

California Public Utilities Commissioner Rachelle Chong ruled last week on a pair of controversial street crossings for the Expo light rail, under construction between Downtown and Culver City. Her decision allows for an at-grade crossing to be built at Harvard Boulevard, but rejects the Expo Metro Line Construction Authority's request for the at-grade crossing at Farmdale Avenue. The majority of the line's 38 crossings have been approved, but these last two were met with strong opposition from community members who feared for the safety of the students at local high schools.

'Fix the Expo Rail Line' is the community organization created to protest the seemingly dangerous light rail-street crossings near Dorsey High School (Farmdale Avenue) and the Foshay Learning Center (Harvard Boulevard), in South LA. This decision marks a half-victory for that team, as only one of the two crossings was denied. Grade separation is the act by which the right-of-way for the light rail is either dug below street level into a trench or raised above the street on an elevated rail. Both methods of grade separation are prohibitively expensive, and the Metro construction authority has pleaded that they simply cannot afford the changes, and that they will delay the project indefinitely.

Already included in Metro's plan were two above-grade stations (La Brea and La Cienega) and one short underground passage (corner of Jefferson Blvd. and Flower St.), both implemented because of heavy automobile traffic in those areas. They were built into the initial construction budget and planned for. While it is encouraging to learn that the voice of the community is not mute in this project, the delay of the already too-late rail line to the Westside will be unpleasant to builders, financiers, riders, and neighbors. The slow-moving light rail trains will arguably pose little additional threat to the existing dangers of high-speed local boulevards Exposition and Jefferson. And while protesters have made it clear they want to "fix" the line, rather than oppose its implementation, the transit linkage of Downtown with West LA will be a net gain for residents of those nearby areas. All you have to do is look at the traffic on the 10 anytime between 6 am and 9 pm to understand the desperate urgency of this project.