South is quickly growing as one of the most popular residential neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and as a premiere example of modern design and planning.
With so many recent milestones, we thought we would reintroduce you to the South neighborhood and vision.
For those new to the neighborhood, South is a collection of high-rise residences being planned and built from the ground up. South currently includes five residential towers, featuring extensive amenities, street-front retail and connecting park spaces. They are all united by a theme of contemporary architecture, new-construction, eco-friendly materials and design, and accented by greenscaping and a pedestrian-centric environment. Elleven, the first of the South residences, is complete at the corner of 11th & Grand. Elleven has a total of 176 units and has brought nearly three hundred full-time residents to the South Park neighborhood. The retail component at Elleven also includes the first Starbucks in South Park, a convenient salon, as well as two more retail suites.
Luma, the second South residence is nearing completion and will be finished in spring 2007. Luma will add 236 new residential units and additional retail tenants to the neighborhood. Following this will be Evo, the third of the three South residences on the block of 11th & Grand. Evo is well under way and will complete this block with unified greenscaping and a retail-lined streetscape across Grand, 11th and Hope streets.
Even as we are watching these towers rise and transform the neighborhood, we are looking down the street to the future. Our most exciting and ambitious project yet is being planned for Figueroa and 12th street, directly across from STAPLES Center. This ultra-luxury residence will rise 32 stories and be located just steps from LA LIVE and STAPLES.
Altogether, South is helping create true city living in South Park. And we look forward to the continued growth and future of this remarkable neighborhood.
Much of this vision is on display at the South Sales Center, located at 707 South Grand. We invite you to stop by and see more, along with a few new faces. Dominique Smith, Randelle Green and Jerri Won have just joined the South sales team and are on-site for questions and personal tours.
It’s not by chance that Elleven, Luma and Evo are so centrally located with easy access to Metro buses and rail. A large part of The South Group’s smart growth and sustainable building approach is focused on creating residential developments with exceptional access to alternative transportation. This includes building in central locations that are close to major work centers, public transportation like Metro bus and rail lines and finding new ways of efficient transport like Flexcar.
We recently provided free Flexcar memberships for all of the Elleven residents, giving them convenient access to the shared-car program and helping to create an efficient city living environment. It’s been great to see everyone embracing these programs, giving life to the South vision and moving toward a smart and sustainable neighborhood.
So, here’s to the future.
The Mexican holiday of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), when families build festive altars as memorials to departed loved ones, takes place November 1 and 2. Bright, bold and eclectic, the illustrations and artwork that define Dia de Los Muertos set a candid and playful mood for this Halloween counterpart.
Dia de Los Muertos will be celebrated throughout the city, but Olvera Street will surely be the epicenter for onlooking, shopping or taking part in the holiday. And the Central Library is already celebrating with their exhibition of Puro Muerto: Contemporary Imagery of the Day of the Dead, on display through May 4 at the library's Getty Gallery. You’ll get your share of skeletons through the show's more than 100 works of art, ranging from printmaker José Guadalupe Posada's black-and-white illustrations to bright, colorful, modern images.
At street level, Starbucks is now open! In one of the other retail spaces, Salon Elleven is finalizing its construction plans and will be opening in the near future. Together, these first two retail businesses will begin the street-front retail presence that will soon wrap the block from Evo to Elleven to Luma.
If you haven't been to the construction site lately, Luma is rising quickly. We just completed the fifteenth floor concrete and we expect to top-out the building in the latter part of December. Construction continues with the installation of pre-cast column covers and glass and aluminum windows through the ninth floor, along with partitions and other components of the interior suite construction. We hope to begin construction walk-throughs and hard-hat tours in the next few months, giving buyers a first look at their units and towering views of the surrounding city and skyline.
Construction at Evo has now reached the fourth floor deck with columns forming for the fifth and sixth floors. Just south of Elleven we are placing reinforcing steel and concrete for the north wall of Evo's underground parking. Excavation continues here as the concrete structure is built upward. If you remember, Evo is using an innovative top-down construction technique, which works downward and upward at the same time, saving months in construction time.
This month, we would like to introduce you to Mark Edlen, a founding partner of Gerding Edlen Development. The South Group is a partnership between Gerding Edlen Development and Williams and Dame Development. Together this team is leading the way in sustainable, modern, high-rise communities across the West Coast. Mark has been a driving force behind the vision and realization of these highly-successful and standard-changing developments.
South: Mark, tell us a little about your background. When did you begin in development?
Mark: I was always interested in real estate and got my start in office leasing with Cushman and Wakefield where I spent 15 years, which was excellent training in providing superior customer service. This of course is crucial to our efforts in Los Angeles today. While at Cushman and Wakefield I met my co-founding partner Bob Gerding. We started Gerding Edlen over ten years ago. When we started we didn't have a business plan nor did we have an organizational chart, and I’m pleased to say we still don't – as we always want to be entrepreneurial and most importantly responsive to our customers. Today we have almost 40 employees in Portland, Los Angeles and Seattle.
South: The South Group is well known as a leader in sustainable building. Where did this vision and ideal come from?
Mark: Our vision for sustainability really came from our love of the outdoors and all it has to offer those of us living on the West Coast. We always believed that the right thing to do was and is to develop buildings that do no harm to our environment, and to leave our communities in a better condition than we found them. We believe that these buildings will have a very long life span and that we have the opportunity to leave behind a very positive legacy for our children and grand children.
South: Beyond a business goal, The South Group seems to live and breathe green. What are some of the ways your company is championing sustainability and eco-responsible working and living?
Mark: In our own Portland office we have incorporated as many sustainable features as possible such as operable windows, the use of non-toxic materials, light shelves and many other features. Additionally we reimburse any of our employees $400/month should they purchase a vehicle that achieves over 40 mpg. We also pay for bike passes, provide secure locked storage for bicycles as well as shower rooms.
South: How does all of this affect your projects? What will we see and experience in one of your buildings that represents this commitment to green?
Mark: We believe that by developing in a sustainable way that we really provide a framework from which our buyers and tenants can live in a more sustainable fashion. Not only do they enjoy lower utility bills but they also have the satisfaction of knowing that they are part of a very large movement that is truly trying to make the world a better place to live.
South: The South Group is also a leader in new-construction. Your projects tend to be very advanced and modern. What are some recent projects that are pushing boundaries?
Mark: We have many projects under construction that are very exciting. Two that jump to mind are the numerous buildings that are forming the South Waterfront neighborhood (Portland, OR), and The Casey condominiums (Portland, OR), which are anticipated to be the first high-rise housing to achieve the LEED Platinum rating. Additionally, we just completed the Gerding Theatre (Portland, OR) at the Armory (named for my partner), which just open last week and also achieved a Platinum rating. Along with these, all of The South Group residences in Los Angeles are seeking LEED certification.
South: Speaking of Los Angeles, where did the vision for South come from?
Mark: In Los Angeles we really saw the opportunity to provide people with an option to live, work and play all within walking distance. With the transportation challenges Los Angeles faces as well as the entertainment venues that are coming to fruition, in particular at LA LIVE, we saw the opportunity to create a 24-hour environment that will result in one of the country's most dynamic communities.
South: Mark, thank you for your time. We’re looking forward to a sustainable future.