Mayor Garcetti, Eli Broad, and architect Frank Gehry join Related Companies for the official groundbreaking of The Grand

Government officials, Eli Broad, architect Frank Gehry and the downtown Los Angeles community today joined developers Related Companies and partner CORE USA to celebrate the start of construction on The Grand, a mixed-use development bringing new shops, restaurants, entertainment, open space, residences and an Equinox Hotel^® to the neighborhood.

Located at the epicenter of The Broad museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Colburn School of Music and the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Grand is designed to become a dynamic destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment, as well as a paradigm-shifting place to live. The Grand will include over 176,000 square feet of retail space anchored by chef-driven restaurants and a collection of shops; a movie theater complex; an Equinox Hotel^®; and more than 400 luxury residences, 20% of which will be affordable rate units. The development will also include a large, vibrant public plaza with a series of landscaped open terraces.

“Los Angeles has always been a creative capital, and we see that story told through generations of landmarks—from the LAX Theme Building to Griffith Observatory,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The Grand will build on this tradition as a bold expression of the future. It will bring investment, create jobs and embody the ingenuity that runs through the heart of our city.”  

The Grand and the Grand Avenue Redevelopment are the result of a collaborative public-private partnership, guided by the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority, a joint powers authority comprised of the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles and the former Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). The Grand will generate broad community benefits including an estimated 10,000 new jobs, much-needed affordable housing, $397 million in revenues to the City of Los Angeles and $68 million in revenues to the County of Los Angeles over the next 25 years. The destination will attract thousands of visitors from across the nation and around the world, along with downtown residents and visitors from other communities throughout the region.

Stephen M. Ross, chairman and Founder of Related Companies, said, “The redevelopment of Grand Avenue has been nothing short of transformational, and we are thrilled to celebrate both the start of construction of The Grand and an unprecedented public, private and civic partnership. Today, we build on the great progress already achieved with the success of Grand Park and The Emerson. We are grateful for the unwavering support and vision of Eli Broad and the deep partnership of city and county leaders and their teams. Our long-term focus and tenacity of effort ensured Frank Gehry’s architectural majesty and a destination befitting this great city. The Grand is a crescendo to downtown’s cultural renaissance and will bring not only tremendous economic benefits, but culinary creativity, new shopping and entertainment experiences, a unique hotel and brilliant residences for all income levels.”

“This project required bold vision, and we saw the opportunity to create something truly special for the city,” said Kenneth A. Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, the mixed-use division of Related, and managing partner of this transformational project. "Today is a landmark day as The Grand moves forward. Executing at the highest level with exceptional architecture, we will work with chef-driven creative culinary concepts and innovative retail partners to ensure The Grand will stand out as the dynamic destination for living, shopping, dining and entertainment we collectively envisioned."

“With The Grand, we’re not just building buildings, we’re building places,” said architect Frank Gehry. “We are trying to make a place for people not only to live, but also to gather after concerts or performances, and my hope is that it will spawn other growth in the neighborhood. My dream is that from time to time, we will be able to close Grand Avenue and have street parties with projections on Walt Disney Concert Hall. The project is meant to complement and enhance the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Colburn, The Broad and the other buildings that make up the rich and exciting cultural district that is emerging on Grand Avenue.”

The Grand seamlessly connects multiple areas of the redeveloping downtown area of Los Angeles and is organized around several key urban design principles. The design offers a strong presence on Grand Avenue and relates to the cultural corridor. It responds to the need for porosity into the development with connections from Grand Avenue, Olive Street and 1st Street. Lining the surrounding sidewalks with restaurants and other active uses creates a friendly pedestrian experience. The organization of the building massing breaks the typical mixed-use template by integrating podium areas into the overall building design. This allows the towers to meet the ground, humanizing the base of the building for pedestrians, and crafts a distinctive identity for the development. Each tower is clearly differentiated in height to modulate the massing and better relate to the surrounding context. The landscaped public areas play a key role in the character of The Grand, and greenery is integrated at all public areas in the lower portion of the development. 

The Grand is being developed by Related Companies in partnership with CORE USA. The start of construction is the most recent milestone achieved by Related in the Grand Avenue redevelopment, which included funding and completion of the iconic 12-acre Grand Park (completed 2012), and the opening of widely heralded The Emerson residential tower (completed 2014). AECOM is serving as the construction manager and The Grand is expected to be completed in 2021.

The Grand capitalizes on Related’s vast place-making expertise and its track record for developing large-scale mixed-use neighborhoods, which include Related Santa Clara in Northern California; Time Warner Center and Hudson Yards in New York City; The 78 in Chicago; CityPlace in West Palm Beach; and Brent Cross South and Tottenham Hale in London.

“The Grand is the crown jewel of the Grand Avenue development, which began 40 years ago in 1979 with MOCA, then The Colburn School of Music, followed by the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Grand Arts High School and Grand Park—all of which helped Los Angeles become a world-class cultural capital, together with Paris, London and New York,” said philanthropist Eli Broad. “No four block stretch in any city has as many examples of world-class architecture as Grand Avenue: Arata Isozaki’s MOCA, Jose Rafael Moneo’s cathedral, Wolf Prix’s arts high school, Liz Diller’s The Broad and Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall—and soon, The Grand. Today, we reach an important milestone with the formal start of construction on The Grand, and we are excited to see the vision for Grand Avenue moving forward.”

“Through its proximity to arts institutions, The Grand will anchor this downtown corridor as a vibrant cultural and entertainment destination,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “Its projected completion aligns with the opening of a new Metro transit hub, demonstrating our commitment to accessibility for everyone. The Grand is a testament to the County’s innovative approach to economic development, housing and improving quality of life for all.”

“The only thing that matches the epic vision, scale and accessibility of Frank Gehry’s design of The Grand is the effort, tenacity and collaboration it took to get us to this groundbreaking,” said LA City Councilmember José Huizar, who serves on the Grand Avenue Authority City/County board overseeing the project. “The end result of our public/private partnership, years in the making, will bring much-needed economic development, affordable housing, jobs and services that will serve Angelenos for decades. For downtown Los Angeles and all of Southern California, The Grand represents the newest and most significant addition along Grand Avenue while further cementing The Grand corridor as Los Angeles’ preeminent mecca for arts and culture.”

The Grand has incorporated sustainable and innovative features throughout the development. The Grand exceeds energy efficiency requirements with high-efficiency heating, cooling and hot water systems, LED lighting, Energy Star equipment and appliances and smart controls. Use of the city's potable water supply is reduced through significant rainwater collection and reuse for irrigation systems and water-efficient fixtures. The Grand also offers residents and visitors access to sustainable and unique amenities including EV charging stations, on-demand electric vehicle car sharing and over 150 bicycle parking spaces. The Grand's site design enhances the neighborhood fabric with mixed uses and an activated, pedestrian friendly streetscape.

Today’s events commemorate both the historic occasion, as well as the unprecedented collaboration of visionary leaders from both the public and private sectors. The day began with a groundbreaking ceremony that included L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti; L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis; architect Frank Gehry; philanthropist Eli Broad; Related executives Stephen Ross, Jeff Blau, Kenneth Wong, Kenneth Himmel, Bill Witte and Rick Vogel; and CORE executives Xiong Shengquan and Wang Qiang. Guests enjoyed performances from a number of cultural partners including the LA Phil’s Brass Ensemble and the neighboring Music Center, as well as a traditional shovel and hardhat ceremony with the project’s ardent supporters.

Rick Vogel, senior vice president at Related, said, “We are very excited to be working with such visionaries in their respective fields and are so fortunate to have the support of the local community. Breaking ground on this project represents a culmination of over a decade of hard work and determination, creating a new destination that will reinvent the vibrancy of downtown LA.”

The surrounding community joined the festivities with a neighborhood block party to welcome the anticipated project. Downtown residents and workers experienced musical performances from the neighboring Colburn School and Music Center, an art installation from locally rising artist Petra Cortright, culinary delights by Belcampo, Ma’am Sir, Howlin’ Rays, Redbird, Ms. Chi and Bakers Kneaded, and a live DJ experience from KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole.

For more information about The Grand, please visit www.thegrandla.com and @thegrandla on Instagram.

High-resolution renderings and interview footage from Frank Gehry are available at https://related.box.com/s/fupvci3927h74qbmlhd189w7wy6895xq.

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About The Grand:
The Grand is the latest phase of The Grand Avenue Project, a visionary public-private partnership with the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority to revitalize downtown LA's cultural and civic core with a mix of commercial, retail, cultural and residential uses stitched together with great public spaces and world class architecture. This multi-phased master planned development is re-envisioning and re-developing underutilized government-owned parcels directly adjacent to the Civic Center and key cultural institutions such as the Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Colburn School of Music, and the Museum of Contemporary Art to form a dynamic mixed-use district fitting for the cultural center of Los Angeles.

About Related:
Related Companies is a global lifestyle company defined by innovation and the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. Formed over 40 years ago, Related is a fully-integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and major developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Florida, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and London, and boasts a team of over 3,500 professionals. With over $50 billion in assets owned or under development including the 28-acre Hudson Yards neighborhood development on Manhattan’s West Side, Related was recently named to Fast Company Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World. For more information about Related, please visit www.related.com.

About CORE USA:
CORE USA is a joint venture of China Harbour Engineering Company and CCCG Overseas Real Estate (CORE). China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) was established in the 1980s and became a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) in 2005. Recently, CCCC was named as one of the top five Global Contractors by Engineering News Record (ENR). As CCCC’s international arm, CHEC has more than 80 branches and representative offices located in 98 countries with more than 15,000 personnel undertaking international projects valued at more than USD 20 billion.

CCCG Overseas Real Estate Pte. Ltd. (CORE), founded in Singapore in 2015, is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Group Ltd. (CCCG). CCCG is a leading integrated global infrastructure service provider with business presence in more than 150 countries, ranking 91st on the 2018 Fortune Global 500 list. CCCG has developed more than 300 million square feet of real estate assets valued at more than USD 28 billion.