You kids really wear us out with your questions. So many questions. Our plants are dying and all you have are questions. We still love you unconditionally. However, we need to establish some ground rules, okay. One question per reader per week. That way we'll have new content for you every week and we can spend some quality time watering our plants. Thanks. Now back to R&B. Please send your q's, a's and f's to la@curbed.com. We care.
1) Hollywood: A reader queries:"What is being built at Selma Ave. and Ivar Ave. in Hollywood? Used to be a parking lot. In the last months a brown brick building has risen."
2) Downtown: We're racking our brains because we seem to remember reading something about this. "What's the deal with the Alexandria Hotel? I heard back in October, Amerland Group was planning to purchase it with a $55 mil bond and renovate it. From what I heard it was supposed to remain "affordable"...Anyone know if the deal fell through, or is on track??? Any time lines?"
3) Santa Monica: "What's being built on the south side of the 3100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica? It used to be Hornberg Cars but the new building looks like it could be a Walgreens." It's probably a Walgreens.
4) West LA: We know we read something about this too, but can't quite remember."...I'm wondering what's going on with the West Annex of Westside Pavilion over on Pico. I went by there yesterday for the first time in, like, forever, and I saw the whole thing was gutted. I know the whole thing went bust a few years ago (zero occupancy except the Barnes and Nobel), but I hadn't heard that any changes were planned, nor have I seen anything online."
5) Westwood: More Trader Joes desire. "In the midst of the Santa Monica Transit Project which I own a front row seat for (condo on beverly glen) we've heard rumblings of a Trader Joe's somehow going on the empty lot on the south west side of Beverly Glen and Santa Monica Blvd. It was a gas station long long ago I think. Has been a xmas tree pumpkin patch for some time. Does anyone know anything?
6) Atwater Village: Yes! Atwater Village has a question. "Anyone know what's going to happen to that quasi restaurant/nightclub dump that is La Strada on Los Feliz (across from Tam O'Shanter)? Last week boards appeared on the pseudo-windows and a padlock appeared on the door. Hopefully someone will turn it into a decent place to eat."
7) Downtown: Orange suited park builders or oompa loompas? You decide. "I heard almost a year ago that there will be a new 12 acre park with a lake called "Vista Hermosa" built right adjacent to the Belmont Learning Center complex site on the corner of First Street and Belmont and I saw some guys in orange suits up there yesterday. Does anybody know whether this is in the works?"
8) Mid-City: In the City of LA there is a place called Mid-City. A reader has a question about it. "pico/sanvicente/venice... What are they building there? I have heard rumblings of Home Depot or Costco."
9) Highland Park: A question about unfinished blight in your eye. "There is a roughly 10 unit condo complex, recently (almost) completed in Hermon/Highland Park at the corner of Monterey Road and Via Marisol. It has been 95% completed for about 6 months, but has been sitting empty, as far as I can tell. Despite the "In Escrow" signs hanging on some of the units, I don't think anyone believes that they are, in fact, in escrow. The weird thing is that, by not even going the last mile on finishing the units (front steps, trim etc), I'm sure they will have a harder time selling any. My questions - what is going on? Why is this project seemingly on hold? Isn't the developer losing $'s by the day? They seemed overpriced to begin with ($540,000), but it doesn't even seem like they're trying to sell them anymore."