Trackside Development Near Expo Line

[Gokhan]

It looks like the foundation of the Washington/National SE-corner TOD is three-stories deep, meaning three-level underground parking:

[Gokhan]

Note that the area south of the tracks where a lot of TOD is happening is the location of the former Hal Roach Studios, where they used to shoot the Laurel & Hardy movies:

wikimapia.org/6431945/Hal-Roach-Studios-historical-site

[Gokhan]

As of today:

[culvercitylocke]

looks like West Adams is the new Mt. Washington:

www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-property-report-20140501,0,6994180,full.story#axzz30Tb1vM41

I'll admit, we might be part of this wave of gentrification. Mt. Washington is more or less 100% flipped and out of reach now, but West Adams is closer to where we want to be and it's still affordable, considering it's still sub 500s.

[bzcat]

You need an account to read it if you are not a subscriber to the print edition.

I read it this morning and I thought was interesting since I know few people that just purchased homes in the area and they all cite Expo line as one of the reason they choose to live in West Adams.

The hot housing market and a rail line push young professionals to the West Adams, Leimert Park areas

Priced out of much of Los Angeles, young professionals are zeroing on several neighborhoods around USC and to the west, as the expanding Expo light rail line delivers new residents to the area.

Communities such as Jefferson Park, Leimert Park and West Adams are attracting buyers — and investors — seeking their relative affordability, location between the Westside and downtown Los Angeles, and the rail link between the two.

The influx comes as the once-struggling communities now see potential for new investment along major boulevards of South Los Angeles such as West Adams, Jefferson and Crenshaw. Prices are shooting up: In the ZIP Codes covering these neighborhoods, the median home price jumped 40.6%, to $450,000, in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, according to San Diego research firm DataQuick.

"There is great potential on a variety of streets," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks, whose district includes neighborhoods west and south of USC. "People are finding what fits their pocket book."

Many of the newcomers once lived in the neighborhoods, or their families did, but moved away, Parks said. "Many of them have ties here ... and decided to reconnect."

Real estate professionals are taking notice. Agent Dino Buiatti is opening a West Adams office in June and plans to staff it with 30 agents.

"In the next five, 10, 15 years, the whole neighborhood is going to change," he said. "There is a lot of money being poured in."

A key indicator of residential activity is the amount of house-flipping taking place — investors buying, renovating and reselling properties.

Of all home sales in these neighborhoods during the first three months of this year, 11.5% were flips, according to research firm DataQuick.

The flipping rate surpassed even investor and hipster haven Highland Park.

"There is an awful lot of activity," said Timothy Braseth, who last year rehabbed 15 homes in the area. "It's gotten very competitive."

Developers are scooping up older Craftsman and Spanish-style homes, fixing them up and selling to new arrivals from the Westside, downtown and West Hollywood.

Jillian Dillon bought a Jefferson Park remodel from Braseth last year. The fashion stylist and her music-industry husband came from Venice, where they rented. The couple scooped up a 1908 Craftsman bungalow for $442,000. It's a mile from an Expo light rail stop, which Dillon predicts will boost their property value in years to come.

"Our home in Venice would easily be a $1.5-million home," the 33-year-old mother said, recalling bidding wars they endured before realizing the Westside was out of reach.

Leimert Park, West Adams and Jefferson Park were among Los Angeles' first suburbs. Their demographic shifts reflect immigration waves that swept Los Angeles over the last century.

Racial covenants kept the area predominantly white for decades. But in 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled those racial deed restrictions unenforceable. Middle- and upper-class African Americans moved in, while many white residents left.

In the 1970s, jobs moved elsewhere and crime increased. The relatively new 10 Freeway now segregated South L.A. from the rest of the city, even splitting West Adams in two.

After a more recent wave of Latino immigration, only Leimert Park remains majority African American. Many new arrivals are white. The neighborhoods — largely west of USC and south of the 10 Freeway — are distinct.

Stately Victorian and Craftsman mansions of West Adams once housed Los Angeles' white, and later, black elite. It is also home to the well-known First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles.

Farther west, off Crenshaw, Leimert Park Village was a lively hub of African American arts and culture, but less so now.

Jefferson Park, centered along Jefferson Boulevard, is home to smaller Craftsman bungalows, brick warehouses, colorful wall murals and small, aging storefronts. Also there is the upscale restaurant Harold & Belle's, a Jefferson Park institution serving Creole specialties in an area once known as Little New Orleans.

Newcomers are attracted to the historic housing stock, falling crime rate, proximity to a booming downtown and access to the region's growing rail network.

The Expo line, running from downtown to Culver City, cuts through the neighborhoods and eventually will reach Santa Monica. Meanwhile, construction is underway on the Crenshaw line, which in 2019 will link the Jefferson Park area to just outside Los Angeles International Airport. It will also stop in Leimert Park Village, where a revitalization effort is underway.

In years past, investors shunned South Los Angeles, and residents watched businesses flee. Even now, Councilman Parks expressed dismay that businesses haven't acted on the unmet demand for nicer restaurants and more retail options.

"New residents coming in are going to bring a list of demands," he said. "Then it's up to businesses."

More investments are coming. USC plans to break ground in September on a massive retail and student housing development on Jefferson Boulevard, across from its campus. A contemporary art gallery opened to hundreds in February at Leimert Park Village. And developer Nick Hadim has leased a collection of old brick buildings on Jefferson to artists and plans to fill corner space there with coffee shops and cafes.

That influx has spurred hopes of economic revitalization, but it has also sparked concerns.

"There are those fearful it will push out current business owners and current residents, and there is equally a large number of people that are tired of driving out of their communities to get what they want," Parks said.

Amid fears the USC retail project would spur gentrification and displace residents, activists secured a $20-million investment from the university for affordable housing, up from the $2 million that USC originally proposed.

But some neighborhood residents and business owners welcome the influx of new residents and the potential for more amenities.

"We embrace the change that is coming," said Heather Presha, a Leimert Park resident and real estate agent. "We want a coffee shop.... I want to be able to go, like in Highland Park, and have a wine."

The owner of the new Leimert Park art gallery, Michelle Papillion, doesn't think the community will have to wait long. In particular, she hopes to see a new health-food restaurant, she said. "I am pretty optimistic that we will have something pretty soon."

[metrocenter]

Bergamot Transit Village canceled by Santa Monica City Council

la.curbed

Santa Monica Daily Press

"The Bergamot Transit Village project was initially approved in a 4 to 3 February vote. Councilmember Gleam Davis, moved by the public protest, changed her mind. Davis’ vote was enough to rescind the February decision in a 4 to 1 vote. There were two abstentions."

[bzcat]

20 years from now, people in Santa Monica are going to bemoan this missed opportunity to reorient the development path in midtown from cars to transit. The irony of the no-growth NIMBY objection of this project (the self-contradictory twofer of not enough parking AND too many car trips!) will come back to haunt them when this parcel is inevitably redeveloped with lots more cars trips and no TOD elements.

[Gokhan]

Yup, it's ironic when people complain about too many cars and then they themselves drive to everywhere, especially to other people's neighborhoods.

[Gokhan]

Progress on the Washington/National TOD:

[f ron]

May 15, 2014 9:45:26 GMT -8 bzcat said:

20 years from now, people in Santa Monica are going to bemoan this missed opportunity to reorient the development path in midtown from cars to transit. The irony of the no-growth NIMBY objection of this project (the self-contradictory twofer of not enough parking AND too many car trips!) will come back to haunt them when this parcel is inevitably redeveloped with lots more cars trips and no TOD elements.

What makes you think this project will be inevitably redeveloped with no TOD elements?

[darrell]

May 15, 2014 11:17:08 GMT -8 f ron said:

May 15, 2014 9:45:26 GMT -8 bzcat said:

20 years from now, people in Santa Monica are going to bemoan this missed opportunity to reorient the development path in midtown from cars to transit. The irony of the no-growth NIMBY objection of this project (the self-contradictory twofer of not enough parking AND too many car trips!) will come back to haunt them when this parcel is inevitably redeveloped with lots more cars trips and no TOD elements.

What makes you think this project will be inevitably redeveloped with no TOD elements?

Issues for the Papermate site are kind of like the Casden project at Expo and Sepulveda (although Casden was more about too much auto-oriented retail). Specific objections to the project included:

* 7,000 new daily car trips
* Violates Bergamot Area Plan (newly-adopted TOD-focused neighborhood plan) and recent city-wide Land Use and Circulation Element
* Too much office vs. residential space (Santa Monica is jobs-rich and housing-poor), and the office part could be built first and without subsequent residential

[bzcat]

May 15, 2014 11:17:08 GMT -8 f ron said:

May 15, 2014 9:45:26 GMT -8 bzcat said:

20 years from now, people in Santa Monica are going to bemoan this missed opportunity to reorient the development path in midtown from cars to transit. The irony of the no-growth NIMBY objection of this project (the self-contradictory twofer of not enough parking AND too many car trips!) will come back to haunt them when this parcel is inevitably redeveloped with lots more cars trips and no TOD elements.

What makes you think this project will be inevitably redeveloped with no TOD elements?

It's apparent the main objection is number of car trips so that's why a large scale project like this (which adds a large number of car trips at once) is doomed to fail when the NIMBY with political power is especially obsessed with car traffic. So the developer will now surely sell the land and it will become many different developments.

However, the size of the project was the leverage that Santa Monica had to demand certain TOD concessions. Like bike facilities, green space, pedestrian amenities, and centrally controlled parking.

Smaller piecemeal development with lower car trip additions will be easier to get through under the radar. But without a concerted TOD planning, they will just be random projects near the train station. Parking will be scattered all over the place and we won't likely get the kind of pedestrian environment from a single project. If you add up all the car trips and parking of piecemeal developments, the end result will be (and I can guaranteed that) there will be net addition of parking and car trips vs. the project as currently proposed. That's the irony I was trying to point out.

[f ron]

May 15, 2014 15:15:53 GMT -8 bzcat said:

May 15, 2014 11:17:08 GMT -8 f ron said:

What makes you think this project will be inevitably redeveloped with no TOD elements?

It's apparent the main objection is number of car trips so that's why a large scale project like this (which adds a large number of car trips at once) is doomed to fail when the NIMBY with political power is especially obsessed with car traffic.

But smaller piecemeal development with lower car trip additions will get through under the radar but without a concerted TOD planning, they will just be random projects near the train station. But if you add up all the car trips of piecemeal development, the end result will be (and I can guaranteed that) there will be net addition of car trips vs. the project as currently proposed.

It's entirely possible that it could go piecemeal and, perhaps, even less efficiently though it's yet to play out but that's beside the point. You inititially said whatever would replace this would have no TOD elements but it seems now you meant concerted TOD planning. Again, we'll see. There's a lot of eyeballs on this parcel of land and rightfully so. They've got one good chance to make something useful of it.

I liked the Bergamot plan for the most part. Could have done without all the retail. Santa Monica has more than enough of that already.

[bzcat]

May 15, 2014 13:56:20 GMT -8 darrell said:

Issues for the Papermate site are kind of like the Casden project at Expo and Sepulveda (although Casden was more about too much auto-oriented retail). Specific objections to the project included:

* 7,000 new daily car trips
* Violates Bergamot Area Plan (newly-adopted TOD-focused neighborhood plan) and recent city-wide Land Use and Circulation Element
* Too much office vs. residential space (Santa Monica is jobs-rich and housing-poor), and the office part could be built first and without subsequent residential

But Santa Monica is able to extract some housing from the developer due to the size and scale of the project. If this now go forward as a dozen smaller projects (which is most likely outcome), each developer will try to maximize his or her economic rent, and that means more office space.

I don't foreseen an economic reality where you could get more housing mix by opposing this project. If the office space goes down, that doesn't mean you will get more housing units. It just means the housing will likely be more expensive per unit, if there is any housing at all.

[culvercitylocke]

yeah, Bergamot will now have more jobs and no housing, meaning it will draw in massively more commuters to it resulting in a lot more car trips than a MU residential focused development would have. Santa Monica has guaranteed themselves more traffic since they're able to repurpose the facilities for more employment as is with no need for permitting.

The best way to reduce traffic in Santa Monica would be to buildmore housing in Santa Monica since then there would be fewer commuters coming into Santa monica.

[darrell]

May 15, 2014 15:30:01 GMT -8 bzcat said:

May 15, 2014 13:56:20 GMT -8 darrell said:

Issues for the Papermate site are kind of like the Casden project at Expo and Sepulveda (although Casden was more about too much auto-oriented retail). Specific objections to the project included:

* 7,000 new daily car trips
* Violates Bergamot Area Plan (newly-adopted TOD-focused neighborhood plan) and recent city-wide Land Use and Circulation Element
* Too much office vs. residential space (Santa Monica is jobs-rich and housing-poor), and the office part could be built first and without subsequent residential

But Santa Monica is able to extract some housing from the developer due to the size and scale of the project. If this now go forward as a dozen smaller projects (which is most likely outcome), each developer will try to maximize his or her economic rent, and that means more office space.

I don't foreseen an economic reality where you could get more housing mix by opposing this project. If the office space goes down, that doesn't mean you will get more housing units. It just means the housing will likely be more expensive per unit, if there is any housing at all.

Ironically Casden didn't see a market for commercial on the Westside (conversation with a lead staffer a year ago) and saw profit in residential. Which matches with the very hot housing market.

New development - whether in large or smaller parcels - would need to match the Bergamot Area Plan specifications now in effect. The main threat Hines is offering is to reuse the existing Papermate building. But I expect Hines will find it more profitable to come back with a revised new TOD project.

[davebowman]

I live a few blocks north of Bergamot Station and am all in favor of developing the nearby area. I don't understand the NIMBY logic that providing more local retail and services will increase vehicle traffic rather than reduce it, and regret not making my opinion known before the SM City Council vote (although I'm not sure it would have made any difference). I predict that after Phase 2 opens and people realize the benefit of TOD, the idea of utilizing all of that empty space around Bergamot Station will become self-evident.

[bzcat]

May 15, 2014 16:07:56 GMT -8 darrell said:

May 15, 2014 15:30:01 GMT -8 bzcat said:

But Santa Monica is able to extract some housing from the developer due to the size and scale of the project. If this now go forward as a dozen smaller projects (which is most likely outcome), each developer will try to maximize his or her economic rent, and that means more office space.

I don't foreseen an economic reality where you could get more housing mix by opposing this project. If the office space goes down, that doesn't mean you will get more housing units. It just means the housing will likely be more expensive per unit, if there is any housing at all.

Ironically Casden didn't see a market for commercial on the Westside (conversation with a lead staffer a year ago) and saw profit in residential. Which matches with the very hot housing market.

New development - whether in large or smaller parcels - would need to match the Bergamot Area Plan specifications now in effect. The main threat Hines is offering is to reuse the existing Papermate building. But I expect Hines will find it more profitable to come back with a revised new TOD project.

Casden didn't have enough room to build enough big square footage office space, which is in high demand on the westside. They went with a highrise residential and retail proposal as the next best alternative because you can go smaller square footage with residential. Bergamot parcel is huge compare to Casden and it had a completely different set of economic opportunities.

There is a huge demand for office space in the west side and that's why Bergamot will inventively end up with more office space and less retail and residential.

[Gokhan]

Washington/National TOD rising fast, lowest-level garage floor being done:

[Gokhan]

Glad to see the University Village to go but here's some nostalgic tour with all the shops having closed their doors as of today. Once there was the 32nd St Market, which then became Superior Groceries:

[culvercitylocke]

Man, the UV going away! I remember when I was a student wondering why USC didn't have better, but for the amount of time I spent there I definitely have enormous fond memories. Can't wait for the new development, it is much needed.

[bzcat]

When I was a student at USC in the 90s, I only went to 32 to buy alcohol. They had a huge selection! I remember the meat section was disgusting - some of the beef have maggots and the fruit section was always infested with flies.

I won't miss the UV... at all.

[transitfan]

Wow, those University Village pics bring back memories! I used to go to the food court often (they had a fairly good pizza place where you could buy by the slice, had a Nathan's (for awhile). Also made many purchases at the Waldenbooks there. Also, there was a record store there (Record Retreat). That was the first place that I bought records after moving to L. A. (until I discovered the Wherehouse and Tower Records!). They gave you a ticket for each record you bought, when you got 10, you'd get a free record (mine was "Brass in pocket" by the Pretenders) I never really shopped at 32nd St Market, as I always lived off campus when I was in school. Glad it is getting a makeover.

[metrocenter]

(This is not really a trackside development, since it's not trackside. But USC is, so I suppose this kinda-sorta counts.)

I visit USC once in awhile, because there are some great resources there for the public (like the USC bookstore). I always thought this shopping center was quite an embarassment, from a design perspective. Kind of like the similar "village" at UCI (one of my alma maters).

Glad to see it go, without any reservations. Looking forward to the replacement, which looks to have a much better design and flow.

[Gokhan]

Well, I guess you can't dispute this one as being a trackside development -- as of this morning:

[culvercitylocke]

oh design and architecture wise it was such a lost opportunity. I Love the new renderings of the look they're going for with the mixed use development that is going in. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Trader Joe's in the new UV.

[Gokhan]

Many Expo TODs are simulataneously happening by the Culver city Station, this one is south of the tracks, across the one I've been posting about. The area used to be Hal Roach Studios (Laurel and Hardy movies):

[thanks4goingmetro]

LA Expo Line Parking Gone?
"BYE BYE FREE Parking. 586 free parking spaces will disappear if the Culver City Council votes to sell the property to Lowes Development for a planned hotel and office and retail complex. The lot is currently full by mid morning with commuter vehicles."

todnews.com/2014/07/03/los-angeles-expo-parking-gone/

[Gokhan]

Some of the many Culver City TODs, which are now starting to block the Expo Line's view in all directions:

[culvercitylocke]

Looks like I was right, Trader Joes is going into the new UV at USC:

www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-trader-joes-usc-village-20140918-story.html