A Look Inside SB Main

SB Main had their Open House this weekend. The adaptive reuse building is finally ready for move-ins. There are 220 units in the historic building. There were as many as 20 different floorplans to choose from. Rental prices range from $1,200 to $3,700 per month. Square footage range from 450 sq. ft. to 2,200 sq. ft. Many of the units had built walls to divide bedrooms, but some of the walls did not reach the ceiling. Most of the finishes were well done but evidence of cutting corners were apparent here and there. Most of the units had a central air unit that was hidden in a closet, much better than Barry Shy's other conversions. The problem was that there no air conditioning ducts installed just a small duct with no vent sticking out of the closet it is housed in. Maybe they are not done installing the ducts, or they are planning to install ducts, I am not sure. It was just odd. Also, some units had the typical hotel air conditioner/heater that is seen in Barry Shy's other buildings. All the units had exposed brick and large windows. The floors were painted and then an epoxy finish was applied. The ceilings were very tall, and in some units there was room for a 2nd story or mezzanines. Many units were spacious and open. Some of the layouts were odd, for instance, closing one door in order to open another. Some of the units had all in one washer dryers while others had a stackable washer dryer. Many of the interior units were dark as expected, but still had some light. The units had built in closets in the bedrooms. All units come with track lighting and all appliances. All appliances are electric. The prices were reasonable for the amount of space you can get. The deal breaker is parking. Limited underground parking is available for $200 a month for 1 car. $300 a month for tandem parking for 2 cars. They also have outdoor parking in an adjacent lot for $120 a month for 1 car. The building is huge and there are quite a few floorplans to choose from. The penthouse units usually are 2 story and have access to the roof with a private terrace with a gas line hookup. The amenities include a pool and spa, and a small gym. All in all I have to say the conversion was well done with the exception of the air conditioning/heating, and the cost of parking.

































More pictures available at inLAonLA's flickr page.

Great Republic Lofts Grand Opening

Great Republic Lofts held their grand opening sales event this weekend. The building is on Spring Street bordering 8th Street and Main Street. The building will have 72 for sale lofts ranging in size from 649-981 square feet. 20 lofts were released for sale this weekend with an average price of $484 per square foot, which is reasonable. 72 parking spaces will be available in the parking lot next door for residents. The developer owns the parking lot. Each loft had quite a bit of light and all units had exposed brick. From the 5th floor models that were available to see all had views of downtown, either facing east or west. The finishes were well done, bathrooms have glass tile on the tub surround. Kitchens also had a mosaic glass tile back splash. Each unit will come with appliances with the exception of the washer/dryer.

The sales staff were beyond welcoming and were very patient with countless questions from potential residents. There will be retail on the ground floor and they are trying to secure a French cafe to open.

www.greatrepubliclofts.com

More pictures at inLAonLA's Flickr page




























































Update: First Release Price List

NCT Lofts All Lit Up....Well, Almost...

The NCT Lofts building is showing some light. The bottom lights shining up on the building have just been turned on in this adaptive reuse project. It is great to see this building lit up at night after being dark for so long. The top portion lights are not on but should be on soon. According to the Downtown News development issue, the building should welcome its new tenants in two months. The building will have 93 apartments ranging from 650-1700 sq. ft.

http://www.nctlofts.com/

The Fashion District Balls Are ON!!!!

This isn't Angels Knoll Park, Angels Flight, or an Automated Public Toilet, these are lit up balls! Something actually got done in this great city of ours. The Fashion District balls are on! The lit up balls can be found at Spring St./Main St. and 9th St. I just can't believe that this project was complete in a reasonable amount of time. (sorry for the bad pictures, still learning how to shoot at night...)

Sunset Junction 2008

It's hard to believe that it cost 20 bucks to get into Sunset Junction these days. Was it worth it? Yes and No. The festival food in itself is worth it to me, gyros, polish sausage sandwiches, any meat you can think of on a stick! Also, Broken Social Scene were playing and that is worth it, but the technical difficulties made it unbearable. It wasn't the band's fault but rather the stage hands. Microphones kept going out while the band was in the middle of a song. All in all I felt ripped off. So... not worth it. Sunset Junction continues Sunday with !!!, The Germs, Black Keys, Kinky, Jeffrey Osborne, and Stephanie Mills playing. Also, don't drive! Take the Metro 2 or 4 bus from downtown which drops you off just steps from the entry gates. Get off at Sunset and Maltman. You can also take Metro Red Line to Vermont/Sunset, or Vermont/Santa Monica stations and walk it.


What's up with Sunset Junction and lube?



















Broken Social Scene

9th Street Lofts/Emil Brown Building Conversion

It's great to see another conversion happening here in the Fashion District. The Emil Brown Building, built in 1922, architect John M. Cooper is being converted into 37 loft apartments. The building is located at 9th St. and Santee St. The roof will be used to house penthouse units with private rooftop decks. The roof will also include a large landscaped deck for the tenants. The ground floor retail already includes a Starbucks and a Quiznos and several clothing retailers such as Shoe Monster! The conversion architects are David Gray Architects. They are behind conversions such as Great Republic Building, National City Tower Lofts, The Judson, Tomahawk Building, and the Orpheum Lofts. Judging by those conversions this building will surely look just as great.











Rooftop rendering and floorplans via architect's website.





The following picture is from the USC Digital Archives:
Birdseye view of Los Angeles from 1024 Santee Street, June 1, 1929.

You can see the Emil Brown Building in the middle right of the picture.

Slow Progress on the Medallion Project

Is it just me or is this project moving at a snail's pace? The Medallion project will eventually have 192 residential lofts. It will also have 203,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 700 parking spots. The project practically encompasses an entire city block bordering 4th St, Los Angeles St., Main St. and 3rd St.







Renderings via architect's website. I wish they could have gone taller for these buildings: