Thanks to all of you who wrote in this week. We're happy to take more questions for next week. Some empty lot, ugly building, or promised new attraction must be making you curious. Ask us and we'll see what we can find. As always, email to la@curbed.com. Now on to our answers...
1) Los Angeles: Surprisingly no one knew the answer to the "6 + 6 + 6" question. Just kidding, actually everyone knew it was an ad for The Omen remake scheduled to open on June 6th. Some of you said:
"Gotta be a teaser for the opening of the remake of The Omen, which is June 6. Same day as the film version of A Prairie Home Companion, which has to be an omen in itself."
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"This is the release date for the remake of the movie "Omen"
Starring Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles and Mia Farrow
Probably gonna suck"
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"666 is the sign of the devil. the horror movie "THE OMEN" starts on 06.06.06."
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"all it is is an ad for the upcoming OMEN movie remake, which opens, yes...wait for it...6/6/06 (get it?). Yawn." Thanks to all of you who emailed. 2) Marina del Rey: A question about the oodles of development in the Marina came up and several of you provided very informative answers. Who are you people and why are you reading this blog? One tipster says:
...specifically the area between The Courtyard and the 76 gas station...The Olson Company is building a new mixed-use residential/retail project there. Plans call for 150 or so condominiums with ground floor retail. Much higher quality than the Archstone condo's. The retail includes new space for the Fedex/Kinko's that's on the site. A new landscaped entrance to The Courtyard is also planned and setbacks on Lincoln Blvd. for future transportation improvements (should the city ever find the money). Unfortunately, the 76 will stay despite calls for the eyesore to be removed. AND, another tipster says: "The "Marina Square" shopping/office building on Lincoln and Mindanao is being
remodeled... can be read about here...
The Callender's, Carl's Jr., Kinko's, and Chan Dara that were part of the Villa Marina Marketplace were closed because they're redeveloping... something about expanding the shopping area and adding condos above stores along an outdoor walking area... Here's a snip from The Argonaut:
"The Olson Company unveiled plans for redevelopment of a portion of the Villa Marina Marketplace adjacent to Lincoln Boulevard in the Marina area at a September 16th meeting of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Committee. Plans proposed 310 condominiums and an additional 9,000 square feet of retail use on a 3.87-acre portion of the shopping center. Maximum height of the project would be 70 feet. Villa Marina Marketplace is currently owned by M&H Property Management." The strip mall that was re-designed by Caruso is called Waterside - www.shopwaterside.com. Many many millions spent prettying up the place, bringing in a few higher rent paying upscale shops, and expanding the Ralphs (when there's another one thirty seconds up Lincoln). Every time I go there, I wonder why they spent so much money to change the look of a shopping center that wasn't that awful to begin with. I go there for Chipotle, CPK, the BofA, and the post office - I must not be their demographic for fixing it up."
Okay, so there's either 150 or 310 condos being planned. Amazing isn't it? All this development happening all over the place and still nothing's happening in Mar Vista.