Miami Beach Condos In Downtown Los Angeles

The battle over property adjacent to SCI-Arc in a formerly-abandoned area will speak volume about the rebirth of downtown Los Angeles.

1 minute read

July 30, 2004, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Four years ago, the Southern California Institute of Architecture moved its 500 students and 80 teachers into an old freight depot on" the corner of an empty lot near the Los Angeles River. "For the empty lot next door, SCI-Arc envisioned an adventuresome mix of affordable lofts, restaurants and student parking... But the nonprofit school ran into a conundrum: Its very presence and the nearby housing and cafes it helped stimulate drove up the lot's price. Before the school could raise enough money to buy the lot, the owner sold the land to developers who said they wanted to build two 40-story towers housing 400 luxury apartments, based on a model used in Miami Beach."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Read the full story: The Architecture of Rebirth

Sunday, July 25, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

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