Los Angeles Dreaming

The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has issued construction permits for the proposed adaptive reuse of an office tower near MacArthur Park. 

The 13-story building, located at 2500 Wilshire Boulevard, is owned by Jamison Services, Inc., one of the largest private landlords in Los Angeles.  Jamison Services intends to transform the upper levels of the 230,000-square-foot structure into 248 residential units while retaining existing ground-floor retail offerings.

The project's construction permits are valued at $17.6 million, according to the Department of Building and Safety.

City records indicate that Corbel Architects is designing the project.

The 2500 Wilshire development sits directly across the street from the Zinc Apartments, a 152-unit mixed-use building now under construction.  Jamison Services is planning a ground-up development of its own on a parking lot which abuts the current office tower.

The past five years have seen Jamison Services gradually convert its underperforming office buildings along the Wilshire corridor into apartments, part of the company's larger pivot towards residential development.

• Wilshire Office Towers to Become Apartments (Urbanize LA)

Los Angeles derives much of its charm from its diversity, both of its people and its amenities—rolling hills here, lovely architecture there, a national forest to the north and legendary beaches to the west. But much of it is in trouble: Sea level rise is coming for Los Angeles County and its 74 miles of coast.

According to a new report from the New York Academy of Sciences, it’ll take LA as much as $6.4 billion to fortify itself against an impending increase in coastal flooding, with moves such as nourishing its beaches with extra sand and elevating its ports. The tricky thing about sea level rise, however, is the uncertainty. Climate models are getting better at predicting how high seas will rise and how quickly, but no model can deliver guarantees. Maybe sea levels will rise by a foot by 2050. Or the water might end up rising 7 feet, but not for another 200 years.

“The key threat is actually the acceleration,” says climate scientist Jeroen C.J.H. Aerts of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, coauthor of the study. If sea level rise accelerates, infrastructure improvements might not be able to keep up, especially considering the magnitude of the engineering required to, say, raise the elevation of a whole port.

One scenario is that the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will get knocked offline by storm surges from future nasty weather events—and could eventually stop functioning completely if waters rise high enough. Together, these ports handle half of the containers coming into the United States, infusing the California economy with more than $60 billion a year and the national economy with $230 billion. Losing them to sea level rise would have staggering economic effects, so the only option is to adapt.

“If the port is one day or two days out of business, that means that trains cannot run in the direction of Utah or Nevada,” says Aerts. “And it means all other businesses that rely on the port are out of business as well.” We’re talking about a hit of a billion dollars each day the ports are out of commission.

But how do you fight back against a force like the sea? “What we suggested for the Port of LA and Long Beach is actually that they expand the ports toward the sea and raise those new facilities to anticipate future sea level rise,” says Aerts. You could then turn the old port facilities into a residential area, which would itself be lifted to stay dry.

Then there’s the matter of people. Think of Malibu and you think of rich people, who may well have the money to pay for seawalls or to retrofit their homes. But many lower-income folk also live near LA County’s 74 miles of coastline, and their homes may one day be in danger of inundation as well.

Coastal businesses, too, are likely suffer. California’s legendary beaches rake in $40 billion a year up and down the state. But here there’s actually a proven way to fight back: beach nourishment. The idea is to supplement eroded beaches with sand dredged offshore to keep them from washing out to sea. It’s a constant battle, as you have to keep adding sand that then gets washed away, but nourishment works to maintain the bulwark that is a healthy beach. That keeps infrastructure and homes safe from the ravages of the sea.

The problem in Southern California, though, is that engineers have already dammed the rivers, cutting off a major source of sand, which typically gets washed out to sea, thus replenishing coastlines. A workaround is to dredge harbors and other places where sand tends to build up and relocate it to a beach, replicating the natural process of rivers depositing new sediment on beaches.

Engineers are also getting better at figuring out exactly where to focus their efforts as sea levels rise. Researchers, for instance, build models of how waves will look in a particular area. “From comparing the model to how it performed over the historical data, we can sort of get a sense of is this model performing in a realistic manner,” says Sean Vitousek, an engineer at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “And then we can use various projections in terms of sea level rise and wave heights going forward to sort of extrapolate where the shoreline might be over a long period of time.”

These sorts of models will be essential tools to sustain the many ports, wastewater treatment facilities, world-class beaches, and other necessities that all hug the coasts. “The best solution would probably be to get the heck out of the way,” says Vitousek. “But with all the infrastructure in place and all the money involved in this, I don't see that ever happening.” (Up in San Francisco, a massive campaign, which includes beach nourishment, is underway to save a new wastewater treatment plant from marine destruction.)

What works in LA, however, might not do as much good elsewhere. Miami, for example, is built on limestone that’s susceptible to groundwater flooding. Yet as LA experiments with self-defense, other cities are bound to take note. “My advice is be flexible,” says Aerts, coauthor of the new report. “That means if you want to protect a port, raise it and build your facilities such that it is still possible to raise it in the future. That's the key, I think, for adapting to sea level rise, because we simply do not know exactly how big sea level rise will be in the future and when the acceleration takes place.”

The oceanic reckoning is coming for coastal communities. But by closely watching what cities like Los Angeles and nations like the Netherlands do to save themselves, the rest of the world might learn a thing or two about keeping our heads (and ports) above water.

More Great WIRED Stories

And now… the PARTY!!!! Our ceremony could not have been sweeter but the reception was my favorite part! From our incredible soloist, Freddy Leone who set the mood, to all the twinkly lights and romantic florals, the scene was my dream! Annddd our friends and family came ready to DANCE! From the moment G and I walked in, until the hotel staff kicked us out, everyone was on the dance floor! We only took a break so my dad could deliver a sweet toast!

I wore the Carolina by Pronovias for our reception and felt like I was walking on a bed of roses all night long!! Dramatic, a bit sexy, and light enough to dance the night away! Designed by @moreau.herve for their Atelier Pronovias 2019 presentation, I was so excited to have the privilege of being the first to wear it straight off the runway!

Before we headed down to the reception, G and I took some time to just connect and reflect on our vows and ceremony. Kim, our Four Seasons Liason arranged for us to get ready for the wedding in the STUNNING hotel penthouse so we could get the most epic balcony shots overlooking the island (coming soon in our Youtube video!). These were some of my absolute favorite shots from the whole day!

The ambiance at the Four Seasons Oahu was beyond perfect and turned out even better than I had hoped! When planning the wedding, we knew we wanted the reception outdoors and envisioned tons of string lights and soft lighting on the palm trees, creating a beautifully intimate and romantic atmosphere. For florals, we did all white centerpieces of different types of native blooms, then mixed in greenery and tropical foliage along with layers of candlelight to create a soft glow and tie in with the string lights above.

I was so in love with our stunning cake from A Cake Life!! Loved the semi-naked buttercream and textured buttercream designs throughout each layer.

The incredibly talented Freddy Leone serenaded us down the aisle and all of our guests during cocktail hour while we took family photos and did my dress change! He was the sweetest and really wanted to make sure he set the mood, so he learned some of our favorite songs. He really made our night! Thank you so much Freddy!  

Welcoming our guests and thanking them all for making the long journey in to celebrate with us!

First Dance �

#DreamTeam � Don’t even know where to begin or how to thank these three!

Julia, our partner in crime, became our wedding planner and couldn’t have done a better job! Every detail was perfection! She put in so much overtime and heart to the whole wedding, don’t know what I’d do without her! Love you JULIA!

Matt, our videographer and editor, worked so hard to capture the most epic scenes and intimate moments and created a wedding video that makes me cry every time I watch it! We’ll be sharing the full wedding video this week on my YouTube channel so be sure to head over to watch! Thank you Matt!

And Asha! Ugh Asha….what an incredible talent! She captured the whole party just like it felt in life, and we’re so obsessed with her we’ve been shooting with her ever since! Thank you Asha, we <3 u!

We danced the night away until the Four Seasons kicked us out lol!!

Stay tuned for our official wedding video coming to my Youtube Channel this week!! Thank you always for being a part of this journey, our wedding, and our daily lives! We love you! 

Vendor Details: 

Location: Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

Photography: Asha Bailey Photography 

Dress: Pronovias 

Floral Design: Yvonne Design

Cake: A Cake Life 

Live Music: Freddy Leone 

(Copyright ©2018 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.)

Cracking the formula of what makes an ideal button-down can leave one positively knackered. Turns out, equal parts British craftsmanship and West Coast cool are the winning combination. To illustrate, we turn to California Tailor’s first look book. Because a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Double-faced plaid shirt, $168.

so, l.a has a new best building. i say that objectively. the tea house in griffith park.  

it’s as flawless a building as exists anywhere in l.a. it’s an art project, a beautifully constructed little tea house in a very remote part of griffith park (which, by the way, is the largest urban park in the world, so by ‘remote’ it’s actually truly 'remote’).

it was built surreptitiously by artists, using redwoods that were damaged in one of the griffith park fires. it’s a calm, humble, beautiful little tea house.

and it’s l.a’s best building (i also say that hoping that somehow using a little hyperbole will keep it from being torn down).

and to that end, please do what you can to keep it from being torn down.

here’s a petition:

https://www.change.org/p/david-e-ryu-keep-the-griffith-park-tea-house-standing

and if you want to find it, well, go to dante’s view near the top of the park and keep going.  it’s on the north side of the park about a mile or so due east of the hollywood sign.

it’s worth the trip, honestly.

moby

The midterm election is (almost) heeeere! It's go time on Tuesday, Nov. 6, which means this is your last weekend to study up on democracy. But first, are you fuzzy on your voter status? Double check that you're registered. If you're not, you can still "conditionally register."

For all the candidates, issues, tips, guides, procedures, questions, coverage and a sample ballot to practice your picks, check out the KPCC/LAist Voter Game Plan.

Or do your research with laser focus with these handy links:

THE RACES

PROPS

YOUR BALLOT

YOUR QUESTIONS

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Every Friday, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across US and international news outlets. Here’s what you may have missed:

The importance of fashion for political protests

Protesters wearing yellow vests have taken France by storm since November. Initially motivated by a sharp increase in diesel taxes, the movement has grown to express a much broader discontent on the part of the lower middle classes living in the country’s smaller cities. From factory workers to the retired elderly, the yellow vests have come to represent all the French who struggle to make ends meet.

The protests are already jeopardizing holiday sales. Last weekend, fashion retailers such as Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Zara and Mango were forced to evacuate stores and shut their doors because protesters were vandalizing shops at Paris’ most luxurious avenue, Champs Elysées. Masked groups also depredated monuments, burned cars and clashed with the police, which resulted in the arrest of more than 250 people. As more protests are set to take place this weekend, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Citadium already decided to shut their doors on Saturday and only resume operations on Monday. Consequently, many consumers have been opting to stay home, causing sales to drop 35 percent compared to the same period in 2017, according to the French Ministry of Finance.

The announcement of a U-turn on fuel taxes failed to quiet the movement down, which prompted many news outlets the world over to delve into who the yellow vests are, what they want and how the French government can take control of the situation. But the most interesting piece of the week was published by the New York Times. The American newspaper turned its eyes to the yellow vest itself, attributing the success of the movement to this powerful visual symbol. In fact, sartorial choices have been crucial to several political movements throughout History, from the Sans-culottes during the French revolution to the tie-dye of the hippie generation and the pink pussy hats worn by the Women’s marches against Donald Trump in 2017. Click here to read their look back at the most iconic pieces of protest fashion.

2018, the year of Virgil Abloh...

It’s safe to say this has been the best year in Virgil Abloh’s meteoric career. Six years after launching streetwear label Off-White, Abloh is becoming one of the most influential names in fashion. Everybody wanted to associate their brands with him this year. He was appointed Creative Director of Menswear at Louis Vuitton in March. His sneakers with Nike are one of the year’s most sought-after items, with shoppers willing to pay above retail price on resale websites. A collaboration with luxury luggage label Rimowa was equally successful. A rug collection with Ikea is in the works for 2019. He even designed limited-edition champagne bottles for Moët & Chandon and has been appointed Creative Advisor for Sustainable Innovation Design at Evian. Yes, Evian, the mineral water brand owned by Danone. Last but definitely not least, Abloh was the topic of two exhibitions this year, one at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and another at Ssense’s retail space in Montréal.

One cannot help but wonder: is Abloh’s image moving towards a saturation point? Even if it is, that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. This week, Abloh shared details about his creative process in a candid interview with Dazed. “Art and fashion are just places where a dialogue on reality should be captured and expressed, the means to an end”, he told the publication. Read the interview in full here.

...And ugly fashion

Dad shoes, Birkenstocks, fanny packs, glitter and, of course, Balenciaga’s meme-inducing creations. 2018 was the year of ugly fashion, either because shock value works in the age of social media, or because consumers are just tired of trying to conform to unattainable beauty standards. An interesting piece published on Vice’s Broadly this week argues for the latter. “The popularization of previously abhorred garments is a representation of a cultural flight from the illusion of sanity. We know we’re not OK, we know we’re not attractive”. Read it here.

Want to stay up to date about the latest developments in the fashion industry? Sign up for FashionUnited’s newsletter!

Photo: Thomas Bresson on Flickr; courtesy of LVMH

MIAMI, Oct. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented move, OneUnited Bank, the largest Black owned bank in America, unveils the "Take A Knee" Campaign with a stunning masterpiece, Last Man Standing, by internationally acclaimed artist Addonis Parker. The protest art evokes the importance and burden of activism in America, featuring three football players kneeling during the national anthem. The Take A Knee Campaign is a nod to the national #TakeAKnee movement started by Colin Kaepernick and followed  by over 180 football players including Eric Reid and Kenny Stills in which they refused to stand during the national anthem and instead took a knee in silent protest of police shootings of unarmed Black people and the need for criminal justice reform.

OneUnited Bank unveils Last Man Standing and the #TakeAKnee Campaign to take the #BankBlack and #BuyBlack Movement to the next level. The Bank will donate to the American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU and to BMe Community, in honor of Leon Ford, a BMe Community Genius who is a survivor of police brutality, for each new customer that opens a checking account between October 25, 2018 and December 31, 2018. The Bank will also extend an invitation to all OneUnited Bank customers to become a member of the ACLU and donate to BMe Community.

"Throughout history, art has been used to raise awareness about social issues and affect positive change. We are honored to unveil 'Last Man Standing' and support the ACLU and BMe Community as we continue to support the #BankBlack and #BuyBlack Movement and advocate for social justice," says Teri Williams, President & COO of OneUnited Bank.

OneUnited Bank will make a $25,000 minimum contribution to each organization. For more information on how to participate in the Take a Knee Campaign visit www.oneunited.com/takeaknee.  

Media Inquiries: Suzan McDowell, Circle of One Marketing, [email protected], 305-576-3790 or 305-490-9145

OneUnited Bank 
OneUnited Bank (www.oneunited.com), a Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), is a ten time recipient of the U.S. Department of Treasury's Bank Enterprise Award due to its community development lending. Its mission is to be the premier bank serving urban communities by promoting financial literacy and offering affordable financial services. OneUnited has grown through a combination of organic growth and by acquiring community banks that share its mission, including Boston Bank of Commerce in Boston, Massachusetts, Founders National Bank and Family Savings Bank in Los Angeles, California, and Peoples National Bank of Commerce in Miami, Florida.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 
The ACLU (www.aclu.org) is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Since its founding in 1920, the nonprofit, nonpartisan ACLU has grown from a roomful of civil liberties activists to an organization of over 1.84 million members, with offices in almost every state. The ACLU fights to end mass incarceration, obtain voting rights for returning citizens and reform the criminal justice system and other social justice issues.

BMe Community
BMe Community (www.BMecommunity.org) is a network of innovators, leaders, and champions who invest in aspiring communities. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, BMe has satellite offices in Akron, Baltimore, Detroit, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. BMe Community has earned 67 prestigious awards for innovation, storytelling and social impact. Its 4-part model is: Asset Framing, Genius Fellows, Community Builders and Story Sharing to its 40,000 subscribers.

SOURCE OneUnited Bank

Related Links

http://www.oneunited.com