L.A. Live

Coordinates: 34°02′40″N 118°16′00″W / 34.04444°N 118.26667°W / 34.04444; -118.26667

Aerial view of L.A. Live and Staples Center at night

L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Staples Center and Los Angeles Convention Center.

L.A. Live was developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Wachovia Corp, Azteca Corp, investment firm MacFarlane Partners, and with tax deferments paid by Los Angeles taxpayers. It cost approximately US$2.5 billion to build.[1] The architectural firm responsible for the master plan and phase two buildings was Baltimore-based RTKL Associates.[2]

Features

L.A. Live has 5,600,000 square feet (520,257 m2) of ballrooms, bars, concert theatres, restaurants, movie theaters, and a 54-story hotel and condominium tower on a 27-acre (10.9 ha) site.[3] The complex became home to AEG and the Herbalife headquarters in 2008.[4]

Microsoft Square

Microsoft Square is a 40,000-square-foot (3,716 m2) open-air plaza that serves as the central meeting place for L.A. Live. The Square provides a broadcast venue featuring giant LED screens as well as a red carpet site for special events.[3] Microsoft Square hosted the first WWE SummerSlam Axxess event on the weekend beginning August 22, 2009, leading up to the 2009 SummerSlam event on August 23 at Staples Center. On June 24, 2010, the Square was the location for the official red carpet premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[5]

Microsoft Theater and The Novo

Main article: Microsoft Theater
Main article: The Novo by Microsoft
The completed Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre) from Chick Hearn Court

Microsoft Theater (previously the Nokia Theatre) is a music and theatre venue seating 7,100, while The Novo (previous Club Nokia) is an intimate venue with a seating capacity of 2,300 for live music and cultural events.[3][6] The theatre has hosted the ESPY Awards since 2008. The first scheduled event held at Microsoft Theatre was a concert featuring The Eagles and The Dixie Chicks on October 18, 2007.[6] National events hosted since have included the American Music Awards on November 18, 2007.[6] The venue has also hosted the finale of the seventh, eighth and ninth seasons of American Idol on May 21, 2008, May 20, 2009, and May 25, 2010, respectively. Recording artist John Mayer's live album Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles was recorded at the Microsoft Theatre. On March 11, 2008, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced with AEG that the venue would be the home to the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony from 2008 until at least 2018. The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards were held at Microsoft Theatre on September 12, 2010.[7]

Grammy Museum

The entrance of the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live
Main article: The Grammy Museum

On May 8, 2007, it was announced that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences would establish a museum dedicated to the history of the Grammy Awards.[8] The museum opened on December 2008 for the Grammy Awards 50th anniversary. It consists of four floors with historical music artifacts.[9][10] It has featured a number of exhibits, including the John Lennon Songwriter Exhibit, which was open from October 4, 2010 to March 31, 2011. Embedded on the sidewalks at the LA Live streets are bronze disks, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring each year's top winners, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

Marriott's Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels
L.A. Live at night from Figueroa Street

Hotels and residences

The centerpiece of the district is a 54-story, 1,001-room two-hotel hybrid tower, constructed above the parking lot directly north of the Staples Center.[3] Designed by Gensler and built by Webcor Builders, the skyscraper contains both an 879-room JW Marriott hotel on floors 3 through 21 and a 123-room Ritz-Carlton hotel on floors 22 through 26. Floors 27 through 52 hold 224 Residences at the Ritz Carlton condominiums.[11] The tower's architectural design evolves from a "geometric pattern of glittering, blue-tinted glass."[12] Thirty-four different types of glass were installed to create the uniquely patterned facade.[13] Groundbreaking for the tower took place in June 2007.[11] The project was completed in the first quarter of 2010.

In July 2014, Marriott Hotels opened a second two-hotel hybrid tower with 393 rooms just north across Olympic Boulevard with a Marriott Courtyard and a Residence Inn.[14] The project was built using funds from the EB-5 visa program.[15]

In March 2015, AEG announced that they would add 755 rooms to the J.W. Marriott by constructing a high-rise on the north side of Olympic next to the Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn building. The new building would be connected by a bridge over the roadway and when completed, the J.W. Marriott would be the second-largest hotel in California with 1,756 rooms.[16]

ESPN Zone and broadcasting studios

The second phase of development included a 12,300-square-foot (1,140 m2) ESPN broadcasting studio, as well as an ESPN Zone restaurant built on the corner of Figueroa Street and Chick Hearn Court. In an effort to expand coverage of West Coast sports, ESPN began broadcasting the 1 AM ET (10 PM PT) edition of SportsCenter from the studio on April 6, 2009.[17][18][19] The ESPN Zone restaurant closed in July 2013 and was replaced by a Smashburger restaurant.[20]

Regal Entertainment Group

The $100 million, 140,000 square foot, Regal Entertainment Group movie complex includes 14 screens and 3,772 seats.[21] It includes a three-story art-deco-style atrium and an 806-seat theater called the "Regal Premiere House" intended for "lucrative" premieres.[21] The theater complex became the West Coast flagship location for Regal, the largest theater chain in the United States.[21] The Michael Jackson film This Is It was the opening film at the theater.[21]

Restaurants

L.A. Live is also host to a set of mid to high scale dining including Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Katsuya, Lawry's, Rock'N Fish, Rosa Mexicana, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and Yard House.

Timeline

Initial construction at L.A. Live began in September 2005.[22] The first phase opened in October 2007 and contained Microsoft Theatre, the Microsoft Square, a retail plaza, as well as an underground parking garage, holding a fraction of the project's expected total of 4,000 parking spaces.[22]

Phase Phase description Scheduled opening
Phase I 7,100-seat Microsoft Theatre and Microsoft Square Completed[3]
Phase II ESPN studios and ESPN Zone restaurant/arcade complex, restaurants, Grammy Museum, Club Nokia, Lucky Strike bowling alley, and The Conga Room Completed[3]
Phase III 54-story Ritz-Carlton/JW Marriott hotel and the 14-screen West Coast flagship theatre multiplex operated by Regal Entertainment Group. Completed[3][23]

Farmers Field & future expansion

Plans are being developed for the NFL to return to Los Angeles with a new stadium being planned on the campus, to be called Farmers Field. The Los Angeles City Council approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AEG in a 12-0 vote on August 9, 2011.[24] This non-binding MOU clears the way for AEG to start the next phase of the project, which is completing a development application and obtaining environmental clearances. The development application will include schematic designs of the stadium as well as an Environmental Impact Report. Once completed, the development application will be submitted to the City of Los Angeles for its consideration and possible approval.

The Los Angeles Downtown News reported on November 11, 2009, that AEG plans to submit significant expansion plans to the Planning Department on November 12. It includes "332,618 square feet (30,901.2 m2) of office space and a 269,182-square-foot (25,007.8 m2) broadcasting studio that could accommodate a nationwide cable television network, a 275-room hotel and a 25-story residential building with 65 units adjacent to the L.A. Live campus."[25]

With the termination of the proposed sale of AEG and the departure of Tim Leiweke, which were announced on March 14, 2013, the construction of Farmers Field appears unlikely.[26]

School zoning

The Ritz Carlton residences are zoned to the Los Angeles Unified School District.[27] Zoned schools include Olympic Primary School (Kindergarten), 10th Street Elementary School (1-5), John H. Liechty Middle School (6-8), and the Belmont Academic Zone (9-12) which includes Belmont High School and other schools.[28]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Nokia Theatre L.A. Live Launches New Era For Live Entertainment" (Press release). Anschutz Entertainment Group. 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  2. ↑ Hawthorne, Christopher (3 December 2008). "It has no place". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Nokia Theatre L.A. Live-About L.A. Live". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  4. ↑ Regardie, Jon (2007-10-22). "Nokia Gets Strong Reception". Los Angeles Downtown News. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  5. ↑ Tracy Rosenfield (16 May 2010). "Summit Entertainment Announces Camp-Out Dates for "Eclipse" Premiere". Hollywood News. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Microsoft Theater – About". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Emmys Will Move To New Venue". Associated Press/USAToday. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  8. ↑ "Grammy Museum Set To Open In September" (Press release). The Recording Academy. 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  9. ↑ Bream, Jon; Ken Viste (April 16, 2009). "Museum in a Minute: Grammy Museum strikes a chord". Star Tribune. San Jose Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190: San Jose Mercury News. Star Tribune. 12158930. Retrieved April 29, 2009. The country's newest music shrine — the Grammy Museum, which opened in December — fits in downtown Los Angeles like another cowboy hat in Nashville.
  10. ↑ "Our Mission" (PHP). 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015: The Grammy Museum. 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2009. The GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment.
  11. 1 2 Richardson, Eric (2009-05-15). "L.A. Live's Ritz Tower Nearly Done With Glass". blogdowntown.com. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
  12. ↑ Hawthorne, Christopher (February 13, 2010). "Architecture review: the tower at L.A Live". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ↑ http://www.enclos.com/project/la_live_tower_residences/
  14. ↑ Kim, Eddie (June 30, 2014). "Marriott's New Downtown Project Is Two Hotels in One". Los Angeles Downtown News. Civic Center News, Inc.
  15. ↑ Shyong, Frank (August 30, 2014). "Visa program for wealthy investors maxed out by Chinese demand". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ↑ Vincent, Rover (March 5, 2015). "AEG to add 755 rooms to Marriott complex at L.A. Live". Los Angeles Times.
  17. ↑ "SportsCenter In L.A.- From ESPN". Sports Media Journal. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  18. ↑ Levine, Stuart (2009-04-06). "ESPN's 'SportsCenter' heads West". Variety.com. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  19. ↑ Pucin, Diane (2009-04-06). "ESPN's studio in L.A. debuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  20. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/15/business/la-fi-0715-new-restaurants-20130715
  21. 1 2 3 4 Richard Verrier [A Hollywood opening for downtown cinema]; AEG hopes its $100-million Regal movie complex will capture lucrative premiers October 24, 2009, B1 Los Angeles Times
  22. 1 2 "Nokia Theatre L.A. Live-About". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  23. ↑ "JW Marriott". LA Live JW Marriott. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  24. ↑ "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. August 9, 2011.
  25. ↑ "AEG Plans Staples/LA Live Expansion". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27.
  26. ↑ Sam Farmer, NFL probably won't like this Philip Anschutz, Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2013
  27. ↑ "Overview." The Ritz Carlton Residences at L.A. Live. Retrieved on December 25, 2012. "900 West Olympic Blvd. #30G Los Angeles, CA 90015 Entrance on Georgia St."
  28. ↑ "School Finder." Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved on December 25, 2012. Enter the street address into this locator.
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