LA City officials have approved plans for two 55-story skyscrapers next to Capitol Records in Hollywood. Is that the right call?

28 Comments

  • Kerry Crutchfield - 11 years ago

    This project must be scaled down dramatically. Aside from massive congestion, too little parking space and an extremely vague permit that does not even specify what they intend to actually build, there is nothing planned for the aging sewer system, or any infrastructure improvements that would be needed for the increased residents and employees. This needs to be stopped!!! We already have virtual gridlock on a daily basis. Even the construction period of 3 plus years is a nightmare. No No No No!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Dina - 11 years ago

    Just another ego trip by architects wanting their buildings to "over-tower" a beautiful landscape. Get out of town with your horrendous, ugly-looking towers and get your fix somewhere other than in historic Hollywood. And in case you New Yorkers haven't noticed - we live in an EARTHQUAKE state - and we don't need a reminder of the NY twin towers here. Idiots! Can't believe, this project even got this far.

  • Hollywood Resident - 11 years ago

    This hideous monstrosity will benefit no one but the profit-hungry developers and corrupt politicians who do their bidding. Everyone who lives or works in the Hollywood area and surrounding neighborhoods strenuously opposes the Millennium Partners and their ugly project. The city planning commission is just a bunch of toadies who approve anything and everything that destroys the quality of life for residents of our beautiful city. The design of this project is grotesque, and the scale is completely inappropriate for Hollywood. Nothing of this sort belongs here. There is so much space available for development and redevelopment in the downtown area, and that is where new development projects like this one should be sited. Stop trying to make Hollywood as ugly as lower Manhattan!

  • YLW - 11 years ago

    I will comment on those aspects that have not been commented on and I am 100 percent against the Hollywood Millennium Project.
    1. The developers are play a game and here's how the game goes: Submit a project that is way out of line, outlandish, in fact, and ipso facto, the project is passed on a smaller scale and you've circumvented, through trickery, any public outcry that would deny any large development in the area.
    2. Villaragosa has his sights on bigger and better jobs...for himself. He is currying favor with large corporations, the Millennium developers for example, and will use his favors at later date. Maybe he's heading for Washington, maybe the governorship, maybe both.
    3. As those residents involved in litigation and repeals have said: The project cites the growing number of people moving into Hollywood, when in fact, there's been a downward trend over the past 10 years. The statistics are clear on the numbers. This makes the project suspect at the outset.
    4. What everyone knows is that Hollywood cannot handle more traffic than it already has--it can't handle the amount that already exists. The W Hotel, The weird complex at Highland and Hollywood and the Bed, Bath and Beyond mess of a complex, have made driving in any direction from Hollywood, except for eastward, impossible.
    This project is bad for Hollywood.

  • K - 11 years ago

    As a resident of the Hollywood Hills, I am opposed to the Millennium project. The project is way too tall. The Capital Records building is 12-14 stories; any development should not exceed that. Development needs to be sensitive to the historic nature of the area and the iconic, culturally significant Capital Records building. Traffic needs to be studied more completely, as does parking. It is already such a congested area.

  • marc silverman - 11 years ago

    Hollywood has too much traffic already. there's not enough parking. we dont need to create nyc style density if there's no public tranportation to move people without cars. the LA subway goes nowhere but downtown and north hollwood!

  • Michael Drake - 11 years ago

    The ”votes” are evenly split, yet not a single actual comment in favor of the project? Interesting [scratches chin]...

    Count mine as another comment against a development that is absurdly out of sync with the style and infrastructure of the area.

  • TR - 11 years ago

    The overwhelming number of comments against this project proves that the Project people are stuffing the poll votes as no one is commenting for it. How do the mayor and city commission just go ahead and do something that nobody except those profiting from this want? I'm flabbergasted. There should be a way to kick Villeragosa out of office so he is humiliated before his term is up. He is awful,

  • Patty - 11 years ago

    Development is out of scale with historic Hollywood.
    There are intersections that are already overly congested that cannot be mitigated.
    Emergency services are insufficient to handle the increase in density.
    Los Angeles is a car culture. While some may use mass transit, the majority will not.

  • Ian O'Connor - 11 years ago

    This project represents an out of scale leap in height. As a resident of Hollywood I have no objection to reasonable progress. We live in a city, not a quaint historic town. I fully expect that Hollywood will grow as time passes, the Capitol building can't remain the tallest building in the area forever. However the Millenium towers are an absurd jump in scale. They will dwarf everything around them, and as many others have pointed Franklin Blvd. has become a crawling snarl for several hours every afternoon already.

  • jsh mrphy - 11 years ago

    requoting first comment: Too high, completely out of scale with the neighborhood.Unmitigated traffic concerns, it is already impossible to drive down Franklin at all hours of the day.Too dense, these people will not be walking, they will be driving. And even if they were walking there are No pedestrian bridges planned. It is very difficult to make a right hand turn at the corner of Sunset or Hollywood and Vine because there is so much traffic, and so many people crossing the street.Underparking (if the City wants to get people out of their cars why is there no Park-n-Ride element to this project? The developer is providing 10 Park-n-Ride spots. Why isn't the City requiring 100 spots?)the current vacant lots provide 500 parking spots for the community yet those spots are eliminated by the developer.Both Councilmen Tom LaBonge and Eric Garcetti have opposed the height during public comment at the Planning Commission. We want them to put it in writing before the PLUM hearing on this project.

    also....what about blocking the hollywood sign....kooks....it wuld be like putting a walmart in front of the statue of liberty...in terms of what an iconic and profound thing the hollywood sign is to so many people...why kill the dream of the hollywood sign and bury it under yet another apartment complex that will make rich men even richer....enough greed...kooks....the sign to the left/west of the W hotel already blocks the "llywood" portion of the hollywood sign..so all i see is "Ho"...what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee.....what's up with that..whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee......what's up with that..whats up with ...ooooohhh weeee....what's up with that..whats up with ...whats up with that...ooooohhh weeee...

  • Jane Bartel - 11 years ago

    Too high, completely out of scale with the neighborhood.
    Unmitigated traffic concerns, it is already impossible to drive down Franklin at all hours of the day.
    Too dense, these people will not be walking, they will be driving. And even if they were walking there are No pedestrian bridges planned. It is very difficult to make a right hand turn at the corner of Sunset or Hollywood and Vine because there is so much traffic, and so many people crossing the street.
    Underparking (if the City wants to get people out of their cars why is there no Park-n-Ride element to this project? The developer is providing 10 Park-n-Ride spots. Why isn't the City requiring 100 spots?)
    the current vacant lots provide 500 parking spots for the community yet those spots are eliminated by the developer.
    Both Councilmen Tom LaBonge and Eric Garcetti have opposed the height during public comment at the Planning Commission. We want them to put it in writing before the PLUM hearing on this project.

  • Miranda - 11 years ago

    Spread the word.
    MIllennium is TWEETING LIKE CRAZY getting people to do this poll supporting them..

    Forward Petition to others, have them sign
    petition at http://signon.org/sign/opposition-to-the-millennium..VOTERS COMMENT 'NO VOTES IF'
    Email IMMEDIATELY 2 Councilmen and City staffers
    gathering comments:
    Councilman Tom LaBonge tom.labonge@lacity.org...
    Councilman Eric Garcetti eric.garcetti@lacity.org ...
    Cc to:
    cm.public@lacity.org; (goes to the rest of City Council)
    mayor@lacity.org;
    Staffers:
    James Williams.. James.K.Williams@lacity.org
    Luciralla Ibarra.. luciralla.ibarra@lacity.org
    Express opposition to projects as they are now..
    Reference file no. VTT-71837-CN-1A and
    CPC-2008-3440-ZC-CUB-CU-ZV-HD
    OPPOSE!
    Opposition building, keep up the momentum. Don't just sit by...Don't let Hollywood BE BOUGHT like this.
    Commissioners decision was meaningless..had to do what Villa. said to do. Most of the time was spent with smoke screens/questions of planning office about FREE BUS PASSES for Million Dollar Condo owners.. 'WIll they be on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis? To justify the nonsensical TOD justification for these massive projects. AS IF Millionaires in two 55 story skyscrapers will all leave their cars home and use these FREE PASSES and take buses that take an hour to get to you, , trains that go nowhere, and ride bikes, etc. Because they will get SO MUCH done in a day doing that...just like Villa., Garcetti, LaBonge, councilmembers, planning commissioners, and PHIL AARONS all do, every day..NOT!
    Run into any of them on buses? Or riding your bikes?
    Millennium is offering a bicycle repair shop, to get everyone on bikes ..they should offer an ambulance on call too!
    These people are delusional.
    Truth be told they hardly discussed the Elephant in the Room because they HAD NO POWER to vote anything but YES on these things that Villarigosa told them to VOTE YES ON.
    Garcetti, this will KILL YOUR CANDIDACY...IT WILL KILL HOLLYWOOD..BE COURAGEOUS.. STAND UP TO THIS ARROGANT DEVELOPER..Most who spoke supporting the projects were paid by him (including all the union t-shirts, who admitted this)..worked for him, or have accepted contribs from him to their non profits and THANKED HIM when they spoke!
    STAND UP TO VILLARAIGOSA.
    Tom LaBonge DON'T BACK DOWN!
    And WENDY..WHERE ARE YOU??
    STILL SUPPORTING THIS??
    We will vote for whoever opposes this, as proposed, but place no trust in either of you.

  • Tony - 11 years ago

    In addition to all the practical reasons against this monstrosity, we should also be concerned about an intangible: That homeowners in the Hollywood area are being increasingly marginalized by renters. We made long-term commitments to the area by buying homes. We pay healthy property taxes. Yet we have no voice in our own neighborhood. When we present a petition, it is ignored. Many of our residential streets are glutted with parked cars from apartment buildings. Now we must make another concession to appeal to transient renters? Homeowners with roots in the community are also regular voters. We'll remember this come Election Day.

  • Michele Hutchins - 11 years ago

    This project is too much. Too much traffic. Too much height. Too much greed.

  • Erin Lareau - 11 years ago

    the above comments are so correct. the Height is grotesque, the scale is so wrong, the obliteration of the iconic Capitol building, The congestion in that are is already unbearable form 4:40 to 8 pm. Its insane. this is NOT New York.

  • Paul - 11 years ago

    My objections are based on the obvious facts that this "development" is far too dense, and will raise road traffic to intolerable levels. The proposed two high-rise towers are way out of proportion with the whole of the neighborhood and the wider area in general.

    Further, there will be simply not enough parking space to make such a project sustainable, not to mention the need for speedy circulation of ambulance, Fire Department and Police traffic.

    From each point of view, therefore, to recap: massive overdensity; terrible traffic / parking; esthetic ugliness and disproportion.

    I'm not by any stretch a "NIMBY" type of person, but am for responsible, intelligent development, at advanced state-of-the-art engineering and design levels, for example the incredibly sorry state of an overwhelmingly large proportion of the nation's infrastructure, i.e., roads, bridges, water and power, and most emphatically our railways, is - with a few notable exceptions - after 40 years of disgraceful neglect, desperately in need of upgrading to highest levels.

    The high levels of employment in skilled engineering and construction work on such projects - to say nothing of the millions who would be employed in the manufacturing, machine tool sector and support / service sectors, will go far to restoring that future–oriented optimism, which is one of the chief characteristics of our republic

  • Ellen Vinitsky - 11 years ago

    It is outrageous how much opposition there is for the current Millennium project plan and yet it breezes through. It will be a visual and logistical disaster for those of us who actually live here already, not to mention the additional taxes we will be hit with when the streets and sewers and other services are tapped beyond capacity and need replacement or upgrades.

    The Major (who has been the worst in recent history), Garcetti and the developers clearly focus on their monetary benefit versus the public interest and have been systematically been buying the various opponents and neighborhood councils with bull-crap projects like green space and throwing money at the police and firemen and other charity or pet projects to appease and silence them. THOSE WHO SPOKE UP FOR THE RESIDENTS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OF HOLLYWOOD - WHO WILL ULTIMATELY PAY THE TAB FOR THIS - WERE IGNORED.

    What about visual continuity? There are height limitations for practical and aesthetic reasons. Why wouldn't Millennium work within those bounds? Why must they exceed beyond beyond? Immediate profit outweighing long-term impact?

    Why was the voice of both opposition or compromise completely discounted? Why do we the residents have literally no say? Why are City Council meetings during the week when only a few people can go? Why am I paying outrageous property taxes when the city is reducing the benefits of living here in the Hollywood Dell.

    Who is going to ease traffic down the road when it already takes almost 20 minutes to go up Cahuenga or Vine from Melrose? The Millennium project, once completed, could possibly be such a traffic nightmare that it will be easier to go into Studio City for everything versus Hollywood? Navigating the 101 Freeway is already easier than Hollywood; why add to it? And how will the small businesses other than those affiliated with Millennium benefit from traffic being diverted because of the inconvenience? How will this benefit Hollywood? How will home prices be affected when living here is so problematic that three miles down the road is more practical, easier, less expensive, more lively and represents more of a walking reighborhood environment?

    Your response is welcome.

  • Ellen Vinitsky - 11 years ago

    It is outrageous how much opposition there is for the current Millennium project plan and yet it breezes through. It will be a visual and logistical disaster for those of us who actually live here already, not to mention the additional taxes we will be hit with when the streets and sewers and other services are tapped beyond capacity and need replacement or upgrades.

    The Major (who has been the worst in recent history), Garcetti and the developers clearly focus on their monetary benefit versus the public interest and have been systematically been buying the various opponents and neighborhood councils with bull-crap projects like green space and throwing money at the police and firemen and other charity or pet projects to appease and silence them. THOSE WHO SPOKE UP FOR THE RESIDENTS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OF HOLLYWOOD - WHO WILL ULTIMATELY PAY THE TAB FOR THIS - WERE IGNORED.

    What about visual continuity? There are height limitations for practical and aesthetic reasons. Why wouldn't Millennium work within those bounds? Why must they exceed beyond beyond? Immediate profit outweighing long-term impact?

    Why was the voice of both opposition or compromise completely discounted? Why do we the residents have literally no say? Why are City Council meetings during the week when only a few people can go? Why am I paying outrageous property taxes when the city is reducing the benefits of living here in the Hollywood Dell.

    Who is going to ease traffic down the road when it already takes almost 20 minutes to go up Cahuenga or Vine from Melrose? The Millennium project, once completed, could possibly be such a traffic nightmare that it will be easier to go into Studio City for everything versus Hollywood? Navigating the 101 Freeway is already easier than Hollywood; why add to it? And how will the small businesses other than those affiliated with Millennium benefit from traffic being diverted because of the inconvenience? How will this benefit Hollywood? How will home prices be affected when living here is so problematic that three miles down the road is more practical, easier, less expensive, more lively and represents more of a walking reighborhood environment?

    Your response is welcome.

  • Scott Thoelke - 11 years ago

    East coast bastards (developers) making money for themselves while dumping on us.

    Hollywood belongs to us! Stop the greedy jerks from building something that will destroy our historic town.

    Save Capital Records building from becoming a pimple on the landscape. This tower should tower forever! Not fall into the shadows of the monoliths that will bring Hollywood down!

  • Linnea - 11 years ago

    This is a bad idea for so many reasons. Beyond the earthquakes, the extra traffic, the architectural disharmony with the area, and the Manhattanization of Hollywood. To name just two: the promise of 6,000 jobs is nonsense. How does a residential building create jobs? It creates temporary construction jobs (which are counted in job years, i.e., a job for two years = two jobs). The creation of offices, restaurants, etc., doesn't create NEW jobs unless they cause people to move into Hollywood who weren't there before. In which case they are leaving other places which suffer. Is this project going to be so attractive that people will move to it from California who weren't going to be here anyway? Idiotic.
    The second reason is that our energy future is problematic. We need density, yes, like the pre-automobile center cities of Europe and the East Coast. But we also need buildings that are usable when the elevators don't work and the power goes off. We need buildings that are retrofittable and usable 50 years on. Because we won't have the oil to build large again. The skyscraper is dead. Make the developers go back to the drawing board.

  • Double Ply - 11 years ago

    Hollywood is not Manhattan and should not feel the need to compete with Manhattan sized projects. Have we forgotten that this is an earthquake prone region? It's not "if" we have an earthquake, it is "when" we have our next earthquake and Hollywood will be too dense to make sense of it or clean it up.

    The area already has traffic problems. We already know that Angelenos are taking a long time to get used to using the subway system (again, this is not New York).

    Does it even matter that most of the citizens (tax payers) are opposed?

  • laura dodson - 11 years ago

    The Project is out-of-scale and character to the recently approved Hollywood Community Plan and will cause excessive cumulative negative impact on the health, safety, traffic and infrastructure of Hollywood and the neighboring hillside communities.

  • Denny906 - 11 years ago

    This belongs in downtown Los Angeles.

  • Holly - 11 years ago

    This project will completely ruin Hollywood and dwarf our Capitol Records building. The air pollution, traffic nightmare and population density created will be just impossible, not to mention unhealthful. Our fire and police protection will be compromised. The plan needs to be toned down with buildings not over 30 stories high. Even that doesn't fit with the neighborhood. Yucca Ave is a quiet street with mostly low slung buildings, now to be covered with high rises. Skyscrapers on Vine Street will bring such traffic that it will be like trying to drive in Manhattan--definitely not my favorite thing, and nearly impossible. The character of the historical area will be changed into a Manhattan-like, anonymous cityscape. How sad for Hollywood, that is filled with these lovely old historical buildings. Millenium has put money in the right pockets to get this plan passed. Campaign funding pays off even on the local level. So, is this the fate of Hollywood? Sadly, I will no longer be able to enjoy my neighborhood on a quiet Sunday afternoon after all these years. The noise and congestion will fill the air and it will feel so crowded that you cannot breathe. How much 'density' must be built? Do we, as humans, need to live like this? I don't think the planning commission, the mayor, nor the city council give a flying hoot. It's all about the money. Meanwhile, can you imagine 3 years of major construction where part of Yucca will be blocked off as a staging area? Oh, and part of their plan is to discourage driving of carsd by building near public transportation. Now, if you think those who will live in those expensive towers will take public transportation, you're out of your mind. That's a big part of selling their plan, is to take cars out of the equation in Hollywood and eventually L.A.

  • Hollygood - 11 years ago

    How will the addition of thousands of Millennium Hollywood residents/visitors/employees and their cars and service vehicles on a bottlenecked traffic corridor impact our community and its safety? Caltrans has notified the city that environmental impact studies for the project are flawed, and could cause dangerous driving conditions. How will Hollywood's already-strained police and fire services cope with the additional demand for their help and the increased traffic on the community's narrow hillside streets?
    Millennium Hollywood architect William Roschen of the firm Roschen Van Cleef Architects has a dual role in the advancement of the Millennium Hollywood project. Not only does his firm have a major role in the project's design, but he is also the President of the Los Angeles Planning Commission.

    if you oppose please pass this petition to your neighbor

    http://signon.org/sign/opposition-to-the-millennium?source=c.em.mt&r_by=7343547

  • Miranda - 11 years ago

    They are grotesque! Overly bold EXTREME architectural atrocities. Garcetti just CAME OUT OPPOSING..He MUST have FINALLY LOOKED AT THEM! Obliterate what is Hollywood with this? They would not fit in ANYWHERE. What happened to LA planning commission website commitments to building projects that do not conflict with surrounding area? THESE PROJECTS ARE GARBAGE. Not only CONFLICT with HOLLYWOOD. But will KILL it if they get away with it. They are SO HUGE no one will be able to ESCAPE THEM..Not FROM The Hills not TOWARD the Hills.. NOWHERE! Aarons must be an absolutely INSANE EGOTIST. Since Villaraigosa supports, and the commissioners are appointed by him, one can only assume he has been paid off more than the L.A. Ethics commission website reports of his 'acceptable' campaign contribs from Millennium. The commissioners did not seem crazy, stupid, or insane.. and yet they all voted to approve these monsters, denied EVERY APPEAL, based on many illegalities, dismissed everything.What in the world could Villaraigosa have promised them in return for giving this nightmare this DEATH OF HOLLYWOOD support and calling this 'transformative' Hollywood HUH? WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT?. WHO comes here to see UGLY boxes stacked on top of each other 55 stories high, ON A FAULT LINE!? Go back to the drawing board!THIS IS FREAKING HOLLYWOOD NOT THE JETSONS! Which is OUT DATED. HOLLYWOOD is NOT! If you're gonna sell Hollywood off at least sell it to a developer with TASTE.More DENSITY than LA LIVE and STAPLES CENTER plopped on Vine? OMG! No one can get anywhere NOW. Give us a BREAK! SIgn the online petition opposing, with the rest of LA, comment, and don't vote for ANYONE who supports this mess.
    http://signon.org/sign/opposition-to-the-millennium?source=c.em.mt&r_by=7343547

  • vincent dyer - 11 years ago

    the most serious issue is not height. it is the grotesque nature of the design. abysmal. i am an old architect in la and these structures suck.

Leave a Comment

0/4000 chars


Submit Comment