[image via OC Register; writing via us]
ORANGE COUNTY - Our least popular topic ever, the Orange County Great Park, generates an email from a person that actually lives in the OC. "On my way to work this morning I noticed that the first orange balloon is up at the southwest corner of the "park". Some activity has been going on in that area of the base for a few months now. From what I can tell, all the runways and buildings are still intact, though. Still seems a long way off from actually being a park." Yes, indeed. A long way off. But the balloon gets its official launch tomorrow. Somebody should go and applaud with mock earnestness. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIRACLE MILE - More details than you could ever, ever hope to receive about a building, courtesy of a resident of the Miracle Mile. For those keeping track, this is the southeast corner of the intersection of Wilshire/ La Brea." I am a renter on Detroit St. near Wilshire and just got a Notice of Preparation of EIR and Public Scoping Meeting for the big project on Wilshire and La Brea... The building sadly is not going to the 27 floors we had heard about, but is going to be a 13 floor tower and a 6 floor tower situated a top a 40 foot podium. The tallest point will be 190 feet tall. The plan is 5 stories of parking with 1219 spots (two above grade, two below grade, one at street level). 36,500 sf of retail space plus 5000 feet of restaurant space. 64,000 sf of "open space" (does this include private roof gardens for residents?). 645 units ...
I hope some of those parking spaces can be made available to neighbors for overnight parking when the retail shops are closed up because this neighborhood is a parking fiasco. New development has not been opening up the retail parking in the area (Blockbuster and Starbucks require their lots to sit empty overnight while the neighbors all get to wake up at 6:30 to move our cars off La Brea.) [CurbedWire Inbox]