The skyscraper, developed by Thomas Properties and financed by Korean Air, required a new signage district and a TFAR transfer. The development will provide a link between the Financial District and the emerging Figueroa Entertainment Corridor.
The article features excerpts of testimony in support and opposition of the project from the public and members of the City Council at one of the project's full council approval hearings.
"Additional urban infill projects, such as the Wilshire Grand, are necessary to ensure the continued vitality of, not only the area, but of the city, so that we have an adequate number of hotel rooms to continue to increase our tourism numbers. Wilshire Grand is key to our redevelopment." -City Councilmember Jan Perry
"Korean Air has negotiated a fair agreement with the hotel staff that protects housekeepers and cooks and all the hospitality. We signed a project labor agreement with the building trades. This is a model, and there are so few models in Los Angeles, so few models across the country. We ask you, to not only support it, but to hold it up as an example that we want all employers and all developers to follow." -Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary, AFL-CIO
"...there is one aspect of the Wilshire Grand proposed sign district that is particularly and especially troubling. And that is the permission to install electronic, off-site signage on the Francisco side that faces the Harbor Freeway 110 traffic. In this, you have abdicated your responsibility to protect our safety from these signs that are designed to catch the attention of all who pass." -Barbara Brady, the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight
Thanks to James Brasuell
FULL STORY: ‘Skyline Changer’—Wilshire Grand Hotel— Wins Approval

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie