L.A. Live

L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center.[1]

L.A. Live
Aerial view of L.A. Live and Crypto.com Arena at night
LocationSouth Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States
Address800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Coordinates34°02′40″N 118°16′00″W
StatusOpen
GroundbreakingSeptember 2005 (2005-09)
OpeningLate 2007 – Early 2008
Websitewww.lalive.com
Companies
ArchitectRTKL Associates
Structural engineerJohn A. Martin & Associates
DeveloperAnschutz Entertainment Group
Wachovia Corp
Azteca Corp
MacFarlane Partners
OwnerAEG Worldwide
Technical details
Costapproximately US$2.5 billion
Size5,600,000 square feet (520,257 m2)

L.A. Live was developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) (which Anschutz is based in and L.A. Live is the flagship of), Wachovia Corp, Azteca Corp, investment firm MacFarlane Partners, and with tax deferments paid by Los Angeles taxpayers. It cost approximately US$2.5 billion to build.[2] The architectural firm responsible for the master plan and phase two buildings was Baltimore-based RTKL Associates.[3]

With the adjoining LA Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, LA Live will be part of the "Downtown Sports Park" cluster for the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games being held in Los Angeles.

Timeline

Initial construction at L.A. Live began in September 2005.[4] The first phase opened in October 2007 and contained Microsoft Theatre, the Xbox Plaza, a retail plaza, as well as an underground parking garage, holding a fraction of the project's expected total of 4,000 parking spaces.[4]

LA live was initially decried by architects as not being openly pleasing to the neighborhood streets and a metal looking fortress when it opened. The architect Nate Cherry of CallisonRTKL, the designer of the project wanted to create narrow walkways to lure visitors into the plaza from the street, thus creating alleyways lined with restaurant, similar to a European style public plaza.[5]

LA Live brought in a renaissance to the neighborhood surrounding Crypto.com Arena and billions in economic activity to downtown Los Angeles. Thru the years, the success of LA LIVE! has created mirrored versions or renovations of districts adjacent to sports venues, including TEXAS LIVE in Arlington, Texas, KEMBA Live! at the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio, Kansas City Live! in Kansas City, Missouri, Titletown District in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Patriot Place outside of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, and the American Dream Meadowlands near Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey.[5]

Phase Phase description Scheduled opening Status
Phase I 7,100-seat Microsoft Theatre and Xbox Plaza October 2007[6] Completed[6]
Phase II ESPN studios and ESPN Zone restaurant/arcade complex, restaurants, Grammy Museum, Club Nokia, Lucky Strike bowling alley, and The Conga Room October 2008[6] Completed[6]
Phase III 54-story Ritz-Carlton/JW Marriott hotel and the 14-screen West Coast flagship theatre multiplex operated by Regal Entertainment Group. Late 2009[6] Completed[6][7]

Explored expansion

In 2020, AEG proposed a $1.2-billion public-private partnership that would add as much as 700,000 square feet to the convention center, which AEG operates, and a $700-million, 861-room addition to the JW Marriott hotel.[8] Plans were approved in 2022. Three years of construction is scheduled.

For a time prior to the return of the Los Angeles Rams in 2016, plans were being developed for the NFL to return to Los Angeles with a new stadium on the campus, to be called Farmers Field. The Los Angeles City Council approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AEG in a 12–0 vote on August 9, 2011.[9] AEG abandoned the project in March 2015, after the three most likely NFL teams all proposed their own stadium plans in the event they were to relocate to Los Angeles.[10]

Features

L.A. Live has 5.6 million square feet (520,257 m2) of ballrooms, bars, concert theatres, restaurants, movie theaters, and a 54-story hotel and condominium tower on a 27-acre (10.9 ha) site.[6] The complex became home to AEG and the Herbalife headquarters in 2008.[11]

Event Deck

The west outdoor parking garage, top level roof is used as event space, called "Event Deck". The 90,000 square foot roof has no obstruction pilers and can easily accommodate large scale tents and platforms. It was used for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards during the COVID-19 pandemic as they could accommodate an indoor and outdoor setting for safety protocol. Also used for the world premiers of the Hunger Games franchise and other Hollywood afterparties. The event space can hold up to 5,000 guests.[12]

Peacock Plaza

Peacock Plaza[13] (formally Microsoft Square & Xbox Plaza) is a 40,000-square-foot (3,716 m2) open-air plaza that serves as the central meeting place for L.A. Live. The Square provides a broadcast venue featuring giant LED screens as well as a red carpet site for special events.[6] Xbox Plaza hosted the first WWE SummerSlam Axxess event on the weekend beginning August 22, 2009, leading up to the 2009 SummerSlam event on August 23 at Staples Center. On June 24, 2010, the Square was the location for the official red carpet premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse among other world premieres.[14] The 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game red carpet was held at the plaza.[15]

Peacock Theater and The Novo
Main article: Peacock Theater
Main article: The Novo by Microsoft
The completed Peacock Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre & Microsoft Theater) from Chick Hearn Court

Peacock Theater (previously the Nokia Theatre before June 2015 and Microsoft Theater before July 2023[16]) is a music and theatre venue seating 7,100, and The Novo (previous Club Nokia) is a smaller venue with a seating capacity of 2,300 for live music and cultural events.[6][17]

The theatre has hosted the ESPY Awards since 2008,American Music Awards, Primetime Emmys, Radio Disney Awards, Billboard Music Awards and other leading ceremonies in the entertainment business.,[17] The theater is so commonly used, on March 11, 2008, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced with AEG that the venue would be the home to the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony from 2008 onward.[18]

The venue has also hosted the finale of the seventh, eighth and ninth seasons of American Idol. The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards were held at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2010.

The first scheduled event held at Peacock Theatre was a concert featuring the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks on October 18, 2007.[17] Recording artist John Mayer's live album Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles was recorded at the Peacock Theatre.

Grammy Museum
The entrance of the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live
Main article: The Grammy Museum

On May 8, 2007, it was announced that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences would establish a museum dedicated to the history of the Grammy Awards.[19] The museum opened in December 2008 for the Grammy Awards 50th anniversary. It consists of four floors with historical music artifacts.[20][21] It has featured a number of exhibits, including the John Lennon Songwriter Exhibit, which was open from October 4, 2010, to March 31, 2011. Embedded on the sidewalks at the LA Live streets are bronze disks, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring each year's top winners, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

Marriott's Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels
L.A. Live at night from Figueroa Street

Hotels and residences

The centerpiece of the district is a 54-story, 1,001-room two-hotel hybrid tower, constructed above the parking lot directly north of the Crypto.com Arena.[6] Designed by Gensler and built by Webcor Builders, the skyscraper contains both an 879-room JW Marriott hotel on floors 3–21 and a 123-room Ritz-Carlton hotel on floors 22–26. Floors 27–52 hold 224 Residences at the Ritz Carlton condominiums.[22] The tower's architectural design evolves from a "geometric pattern of glittering, blue-tinted glass."[23] Thirty-four different types of glass were installed to create the uniquely patterned facade.[24] Groundbreaking for the tower took place in June 2007.[22] The project was completed in the first quarter of 2010.

In July 2014, Marriott Hotels opened a second two-hotel hybrid tower with 393 rooms just north across Olympic Boulevard with a Marriott Courtyard and a Residence Inn.[25]

ESPN broadcasting studios

The second phase of development included a 12,300-square-foot (1,140 m2) ESPN broadcasting studio, as well as an ESPN Zone restaurant built on the corner of Figueroa Street and Chick Hearn Court. In an effort to expand coverage of West Coast sports, ESPN began broadcasting the 1 AM ET (10 PM PT) edition of SportsCenter from the studio on April 6, 2009.[26][27][28] The ESPN Zone restaurant closed in July 2013 and was replaced by Tom's Urban 24, Smashburger and Live Basil Pizza restaurants.[29]

Regal Cinemas

The $100 million, 140,000 square foot (13,000 m2), Regal Entertainment Group movie complex opened in 2009 and includes 14 screens and 3,772 seats.[30] It includes a three-story art-deco-style atrium and an 806-seat theater called the "Regal Premiere House" intended for "lucrative" premieres.[30] The theater complex became the West Coast flagship location for Regal, at the time of its opening, the largest theater chain in the United States.[30] The Michael Jackson film This Is It was the opening film at the theater.[30]

Restaurants

L.A. Live is also host to a set of mid- to upper-scale dining including Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Katsuya, Lawry's, Rock'N Fish, Rosa Mexicana, Cleo, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and Yard House.[31]

  • L.A. Live during Construction
    L.A. Live during Construction
  • The hotel on Olympic Blvd. under construction in November 2008
    The hotel on Olympic Blvd. under construction in November 2008
  • The completed Ritz Carlton Residences at LA Live
    The completed Ritz Carlton Residences at LA Live
  • Regal Theater and Marriott under construction summer of 2008.
    Regal Theater and Marriott under construction summer of 2008.

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to L.A. Live.

References
  1. Dimassa, Cara Mia (10 December 2008). "L.A. Live Head Hints at Another Downtown Hotel". L.A. Now. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  2. "Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE Launches New Era For Live Entertainment" (Press release). Anschutz Entertainment Group. 2007-10-17. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  3. Hawthorne, Christopher (3 December 2008). "It has no place". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  4. "Nokia Theatre L.A. Live-About". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  5. "Its design has been scorned, but L.A. Live has been crucial to downtown's resurgence". Los Angeles Times. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  6. "Nokia Theatre L.A. Live-About L.A. Live". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  7. "JW Marriott". LA Live JW Marriott. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  8. "J.W. Marriott expansion at L.A. Live takes a step forward". 7 September 2022.
  9. "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. August 9, 2011.
  10. "AEG shuts down plans to build downtown Farmers Field for NFL team". Los Angeles Daily News. March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  11. Regardie, Jon (2007-10-22). "Nokia Gets Strong Reception". Los Angeles Downtown News. Archived from the original on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  12. "L.A. LIVE Event Deck". Discoverlosangeles.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  13. BRAD STEPHENSON (13 February 2019). "Microsoft permanently renames Microsoft Square to Xbox Plaza ahead of E3 2019". OnMSFT. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  14. Tracy Rosenfield (16 May 2010). "Summit Entertainment Announces Camp-Out Dates for "Eclipse" Premiere". Hollywood News. Archived from the original on 19 May 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  15. "The 2022 MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet arrivals". 20 July 2022.
  16. Barnes, Mike (9 June 2015). "Microsoft Takes Naming Rights to L.A.'s Nokia Theatre (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  17. "Microsoft Theater – About". Anschutz Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  18. "Emmys Will Move To New Venue". Associated Press/USAToday. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  19. "Grammy Museum Set To Open In September" (Press release). The Recording Academy. 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  20. Bream, Jon; Ken Viste (April 16, 2009). "Museum in a Minute: Grammy Museum strikes a chord". San Jose Mercury News. Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2009. The country's newest music shrine — the Grammy Museum, which opened in December — fits in downtown Los Angeles like another cowboy hat in Nashville.
  21. "Our Mission". 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015: The Grammy Museum. 2008. Archived from the original (PHP) on April 18, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2009. The GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  22. Richardson, Eric (2009-05-15). "L.A. Live's Ritz Tower Nearly Done With Glass". blogdowntown.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
  23. Hawthorne, Christopher (February 13, 2010). "Architecture review: the tower at L.A Live". Los Angeles Times.
  24. "L.A. Live Tower & Residences Architecture Project | Enclos". Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  25. Kim, Eddie (June 30, 2014). "Marriott's New Downtown Project Is Two Hotels in One". Los Angeles Downtown News. Civic Center News, Inc.
  26. "SportsCenter In L.A.- From ESPN". Sports Media Journal. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  27. Levine, Stuart (2009-04-06). "ESPN's 'SportsCenter' heads West". Variety.com. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  28. Pucin, Diane (2009-04-06). "ESPN's studio in L.A. debuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  29. "Smashburger, Tom's Urban 24 and Live Basil Pizza Set to Open Fourth Quarter 2013 at L.a. Live | L.a. Live". Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  30. Richard Verrier [A Hollywood opening for downtown cinema]; AEG hopes its $100-million Regal movie complex will capture lucrative premiers October 24, 2009, B1 Los Angeles Times
  31. "Eat | L.A. LIVE". Lalive.com.
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