Category Archives: Infrastructure

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

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With the move over to increased use of electric vehicles in California, infrastructure needs escalate. As such, close to $768 million is being invested into the region’s infrastructure by the California Public Utilities Commission over the next five years.  The other focus of the financing will be put toward fighting against traffic and air pollution as well as reaching the goal of 5 million zero-emission cars by 2030.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is joining this venture providing $136 million of the money that will be used to offer rebates to approximately 60,000 customers to install home charging stations.  230 direct current fast-charging stations will be built by Pacific Gas & Electric for approximately $22.5 million. PG&E and Southern California Edison are also making substantial contributions.

Enhancing LA

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There have been some moves to alter some of the infrastructure in LA.  The question is, are these ultimately going to beneficial?  The reason this question is posed is due to the recently  CoolSeal project.  This substance is being painted on many streets in LA as a way of potentially “cooling the city down and fighting global warming effects.”

With a $40,000 price for LA taxpayers per mile (LA having 6,500 miles of road), one really has to look at if this is a good idea even if not all of the roads are painted.  In addition, the effects only last 7 years so the process must be repeated at this time.  Still, if it does decrease the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, then it might be worth it…

Two new laws were recently approved by the LA City Council which would help homeless issues.  One is that projects intended for homeless will be able to avoid the oft-difficult City Hall process that delays matters.  Parking requirements would also be eliminated and “permanent supportive housing” projects would be built higher/more solid than otherwise permitted.  This would result in an additional 200 units of homeless housing annually with government funds.  According to proponents of the homeless this will sustain around 200 extra units of homeless housing every year with government funds.

Cycle-Friendly LA?

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LA has never been known for being cycle-friendly.  Hollywood fame?  Yes.  Glamor, fashion and wealth? Absolutely?  Pretentiousness?  You bet.  But cycling?  Absolutely not.

But before you bemoan the City of Angels for its lack of cyclability (is that a word?), let’s take a closer look at any developments that have been made in this realm recently.

Because it should be.  Everyone knows that in a city congested with traffic cycling has to be a good thing.  So what exactly is the city doing to encourage it?

For a start there is a new (tongue-in-cheek) hashtag #LAsucksforcycling which has become a kind of meting place for views and treks in and around the greater LA area.  Also, safe-cycling lanes – initially introduced in New York – was one of the other cities that quickly jumped on the bandwagon. And then there was the Santa Monica scooter startup Bird which fast expanded across Los Angeles.  And Limebike, the Lime-S too.

So there is movement (excuse the pun) to encourage cycling and related-ways of travel in LA.  And more is likely to come as start-ups battle for success.

 

Downtown LA: The New Place to Be

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We have seen already in the last few years – and increasingly over the last few months too – the rise in popularity of DTLA.  There is so much construction going on in the area, while at the same time, there are a ton of extra people moving in.  as such, the area is becoming quite the hub for technical companies which are moving headquarters to the area. There are more offices being leased and rent growth has increased.  With all this, there is a lot more developed planned for the near future.

So why the popularity?  Is it sudden?  What’s the story?  Some people in the commercial real estate industry are actually tracing it back to a new addition that occurred around 10 years ago – the opening of Ralphs Grocery Store on Ninth Street.  According to Peter Johnson, OUE Limited Senior Vice President of Leasing said that Ralphs was needed as there was “residential growing [but a severe lack of places] to go shopping.”  Ralphs seemed to be the answer – a store that really was able to “promote downtown residential life.”

Construction work is set to begin later this year on Frank Gehry’s renderings of ‘The Grand.’  This is to be a ‘mixed use development’ featuring dining, entertaining, hotel, residential and retail components.  A public plaza will offer five levels of parking.

LA: Watch This Space

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New project proposals are cropping up in the Los Angeles area and will be in the pipeline over the next few years.  One example is Angels Landing, in downtown Los Angeles. Over the next 5-10 years it is hoped that the area will house Western America’s tallest building, as well as two new hotels, apartments and condos and a charter elementary school.

For 2018, there are other projects that should start (and even be completed).  These include:
At Mateo (designed by Edge Architecture in partnership with the County of L.A.) building brick and glass structures with 50,000 square feet of office space, 130,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, and a 540-space parking structure for tenants and customers.  The La Plaza Cultura Village which will comprise arts and historical spaces providing an educative endeavor on the city for visitors.

And as pointed out by Mary Holland in a recent article, the growth of DTLA (downtown Los Angeles) that began in the late 1990s has really started to gather pace, transitioning a few years ago “from bleak badlands to vibrant cultural mecca.”

LA: News on Structural Developments

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There are some impressive new structures in various stages of development/renovation in the LA area right now.  The ones we are going to review briefly here are: Silver Star Apartments, 1249 S. Grand Avenue, Elysian Lofts complex, Capitol Milling Building (renovation) and College Station.

In terms of being environmentally friendly, the Silver Star Apartments is exceedingly impressive.  LA is now able to offer its very first Zero Net Energy  project, featuring houses that are affordable as well! The way it works is by using a Solar Photovoltaic system which covers the project’s roofs.  It also features vertical solar facades which are aesthetically pleasing and can be viewed from the courtyard.  What’s even more amazing is that homes and supportive services will be provided through this project for veterans who have, until now, been homeless.

Moving over to 1249 S. Grand Avenue is 4D Development CEO David Pourbaba who is leading the construction of 115-apartment E (featuring studio and two-bedroom apartments).  This is the company’s first Downtown LA project and is using AFCO Architects designers.  Based in the Beverly Grove neighborhood, each unit will feature: hardwood floors, marble showers, a NEST thermostat system, washer and dryer.  Each unit ABOVE the ground floor will also have a balcony.  Average prices are approximately $3.20 per square foot.

At the LA State Historical Park, there are some major renovations happening within Chinatown, Canyon and Solano neighborhoods. This has the potential to transform the area – that to date has been working-class industrial – into “mid-rise urbanism.” This includes: the Elysian Lofts complex (which is being handled by Lincoln Property Company, S&R Properties, and Newman Garrison + Partners), the restoration of the  Capitol Milling Building and the creation of a mixed-use complex – College Station which will feature 770 dwelling units, 51,000 square feet of ground floor commercial spaces, and parking for 1,179 cars and 899 bicycles.

LA: Construction Workers Needed

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Thankfully, one industry that usually has work for skilled people in the industry is construction.  So for those who are skilled laborers, this is a very comforting notion.

However, currently the situation in LA has been reversed in the sense that there are simply not enough skilled laborers to fill positions in the construction industry.  Indeed, according to a recent survey compiled by the Associated General Contractors of America, 75% of construction firms in commercial real estate working throughout western America have been encountering difficulties filling vacant positions, including: bricklayers, carpenters, painters, etc.

With such chronic labor shortages in the region, there could be substantial negative economic impacts.  In order to reverse this, it has been suggested that a greater investment is made in technical and career-industry education.

During the time of the survey, California added almost 50,000 construction jobs comprising 34,000 in Southern California. An additional 9,200 construction jobs were added in Los Angeles County according to the state Employment Development Department.

LA River: Revitalization

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In this video we learn from 7 different locally-based architecture firms how they would “reinvigorate” the LA River should they receive the bid for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Project. In an attempt to transform the dreary area into one featuring active play areas, kayaking opportunities, cycle paths and more, each architecture firm were given a mile-long stretch along the Downtown area’s waterway as a “test.”

LA Infrastructure Advancements

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A proposal was recently revealed by city planners that would advance infrastructure development in Hollywood. What made this newsworthy was that it came more than three years after a plan indicating faulty growth assumptions was thrown out by a judge.

This plan is more focused on keeping single-family homes in neighborhoods while keeping tools for historic preservation such as overlay zones, height limits for buildings (that are near historic preservation zones) and more.  As Mitch O’Farrell, Hollywood Councilman explained:

“The update to the Hollywood Community Plan will create the necessary tools to preserve our historic structures, promote transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly development, encourage production of affordable housing, and provide the ability to re-imagine and re-purpose our surface parking lots to make Hollywood more livable and more walkable.  I encourage my constituents to participate in the public process and provide input that will help create a plan that benefits every stakeholder in Hollywood.”

The real goal is to preserve the single-family homes as well as entire hillside areas. That will hopefully lead to bolstering “smart development and investment in the community.”

LA: A Solution for Traffic Nightmares?

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Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic issues. People have complained about it for years and even left the region as it’s become so burdensome. Indeed, earlier this year with the report from INRIX finding that locals spent a total of 104 hours stuck in traffic in 2016, with that and congestion adding up to a price of “$2,408 each and the city as a whole $9.6 billion from direct and indirect costs. Direct costs relate to the value of fuel and time wasted, and indirect costs refer to freight and business fees from company vehicles idling in traffic, which are passed on to households through higher prices,” LA was officially given the title of ‘World’s Worst Traffic.’

Now however, it is possible that there might actually be a real solution to that. Today, Waze is launching a carpooling app throughout the state of California which will give drivers the opportunity to offer rides to people traveling the same general route. The way it will work is for those interested in joining an already-driving car, through the Waze Carpool (separate) app they will be able to request a ride.

The other benefit of this app is that no commission is taken (like comparable services Uber and Lyft). This has been developed purely for the use of the consumer and in a general effort to ease terrible traffic issues. Instead, users just chip in to cover the cost of gas.

Let’s hope this is at least the start of a solution to a truly now out-of-control situation.