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37-536: The Grand Avenue Project was a government lead revitalization effort for the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles on Grand Avenue and centered around Grand Park , its surrounding county government buildings and its parking lots. It was administered by the Grand Avenue Authority, a joint powers authority consisting of Los Angeles County and City . The first task was to improve

74-617: A 19-story tower marketed to older adults that includes an affordable housing component. The Broad , a contemporary art museum, opened between the Disney Concert Hall and the condo tower in 2015. The final phase of the project, on a lot directly east of the Disney Concert Hall, has two skyscrapers, a 45-story residential tower and a 25-story tower featuring apartments and the Conrad Hotel. The development

111-616: A French-Canadian immigrant, and Stephen Mott purchased a majority of the hill's land. Beaudry's land purchase ranged from present-day Hill Street to Olive Street and 4th Street and 2nd Street. Mott's land purchase ranged between 4th Street to Temple and Figueroa and Grand. Because of the hill's excellent views of the Los Angeles Basin and the Los Angeles River , he knew that it would make for an opulent subdivision. Beaudry employed surveyor George Hansen to help divide up

148-419: A bargain price when the failed Mojave Desert firm found itself unable to pay for goods purchased from Beaudry's store, though his investment failed when the mining enterprise was destroyed by fire set by disgruntled Californian Indian tribe member workers. Beaudry then decided to use his savings to buy inexpensive, undeveloped parcels of land on Bunker Hill above central Los Angeles which featured views of

185-483: A film in 1956 called Bunker Hill about the displacement of the residents who had to make way for construction. Another film by Mackenzie that was set in the area —his neo-realist and semi-documentary feature The Exiles (1961) — depicts the lives of a tribe of urban Indians on Bunker Hill in the late 1950s. Bunker Hill is the setting for much of Robin Robertson 's 2018 verse narrative The Long Take which won

222-593: The Disney Concert Hall , designed by architect Frank Gehry as part of the Grand LA . The towers have since been named The Grand by Gehry residences and the Conrad Los Angeles hotel. Official website Bunker Hill, Los Angeles Bunker Hill is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California . It is part of Downtown Los Angeles . Historically, Bunker Hill was a large hill that separated

259-534: The Pasadena Freeway , built to bring shoppers downtown, was taking more residents out. Additional postwar freeway construction left downtown comparatively empty of both people and services. The once-grand Victorian mansions of Bunker Hill became the home of impoverished pensioners. Over time, these tenements became more prominent, and apartment buildings started being built alongside these houses. As more and more people crowded into these cheap housing units,

296-486: The Related Companies , has 271 units, of which 216 are leased at market rates. The other 55 units are at subsidized rates to tenants whose annual incomes are less than 50% of the local median, which was $ 42,700 for a family of four in 2014. The 60-foot wide (18 m) double stairway public art installation Library Steps was designed by Lawrence Halprin in 1989. It physically and symbolically connects

333-529: The Victorian-era Downtown from the western end of the city. The hill was tunneled through at Second Street in 1924, and at Third and Fourth Streets. In the late 20th century, the hill was lowered in elevation, and the entire area was redeveloped to supplant old frame and concrete buildings with modern high-rises and other structures for residences, commerce, entertainment, and education. In 1867, two wealthy developers, Prudent Beaudry ,

370-724: The 2011 Video Game set in 1947 Los Angeles, features a close recreation of the area in that period. In the 1940s and 1950s, Bunker Hill was a popular film setting, especially in the film noir genre, because of its Victorian homes, its rambling hillside apartments and flophouses, its Angels Flight funicular, and its mean (or at least mean-looking) streets. It was used extensively in such crime films as Cry Danger (1951), Kiss Me Deadly (1956), Criss Cross (1949), Joseph Losey 's M (1951), and Angel's Flight (1965). Director Curtis Hanson re-created Bunker Hill in another hilly neighborhood altogether in his Oscar Award –winning L.A. Confidential (1997). Kent Mackenzie made

407-463: The 2018 Goldsmiths Prize . The book includes a map of the old Bunker Hill neighbourhood. Robertson discussed his fascination with the district on BBC Radio 4 's The Film Programme in March 2019. Dreams from Bunker Hill (1982) is the last novel written by John Fante before his death. On April 8, 2010, the day of the 101st anniversary of the writer's birth, John Fante Square was inaugurated at

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444-786: The Angelino Heights and Arcadia areas. Beaudry served on the Los Angeles Common Council from 1873 to 1875, and was elected as mayor in 1874. Coincidentally during this time, his brother Jean-Louis Beaudry was mayor of Montreal . He died on May 29, 1893, in Los Angeles, but was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. The L.A. Times praised him as one of the most visionary men in Los Angeles. Following his will, his body

481-514: The Canal and Reservoir Company Several new streets were created, one of which—Bunker Hill Avenue, named in commemoration of the Battle of Bunker Hill —eventually gave its name to the new neighborhood. Beaudry developed the peak of Bunker Hill with lavish two-story Victorian houses that became famous as homes for the upper-class residents of Los Angeles. The dominant architecture of the community of

518-649: The Community Redevelopment Agency in 1948, and also the Bunker Hill Urban Renewal Project in 1959. The California Community Redevelopment law of 1945 allowed counties and cities to create and implement these agencies to help deal with the redevelopment of local cities. Until 2011, these Agencies held much power and were still around, until Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills to dissolve them. Along with those political factors, other things which led to

555-612: The Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the project, and officials originally hoped to break ground in December 2007. The project has been developed in stages due to the recession between 2007 and 2009 . On July 26, 2012, Grand Park opened to the public as the initial phase of the project, In October 2014, The Related Companies completed The Emerson,

592-620: The area, which was designed to encourage residents and visitors to enjoy a family-friendly green space in downtown Los Angeles with musical events and other park activities. The project also included a redevelopment of the Music Center Plaza, the Broad Museum designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro , and a redevelopment and refurbishment of the Los Angeles Music Center plaza. Two towers were built across from

629-421: The bottom of the 33% grade and down again. Colonel J. W. Eddy petitioned the Los Angeles City Council to establish an electric cable railway, which was approved ten days later signed by the mayor, Meredith P. Snyder . The first railways which was established and operational was on Third Street, from Hill Street to Olive Street. Initially a residential suburb, Bunker Hill retained its exclusive character through

666-656: The city at its base and the Pacific Ocean, and an undeveloped hilltop he named Angelino Heights . At both locations, Beaudry developed prestigious, upscale residential districts. He also bought property near the Sierra Nevada , and built an aqueduct to redirect several mountain streams to his properties. He owned a great deal of real estate in Downtown Los Angeles , located for the most part around Temple Street, Bunker Hill, Bellevue Road, and in

703-482: The conclusion of the blighted neighborhood came from some of the government offices. The Los Angeles Police Department called the area a "high frequency crime area", due to the fact that the area's apartments catered to known offenders. The health department of Los Angeles also called the area a health hazard for its city. It wasn't until the CRA had won an ongoing court case against the residents of Bunker Hill. This loss for

740-514: The east end of the 3rd Street Tunnel, was dismantled in 1969, relocated approximately 300 feet (91 m) further south and rebuilt in 1996 to connect Hill Street with California Plaza. Contributing to the resurgence of Bunker Hill has been the construction of public venues, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art . The Broad modern art museum opened next to Disney Concert Hall on September 20, 2015. L.A. Noire ,

777-554: The end of World War I . Around the 1920s and the 1930s, with the advent of the Pacific Electric Railway and the construction of the freeway, and the increased urban growth fed by an extensive streetcar system, its wealthy residents began leaving for enclaves such as Beverly Hills and Pasadena . Bunker Hill's houses were increasingly subdivided to accommodate renters. Bunker Hill was at this time "Los Angeles's most crowded and urban neighborhood". By World War II ,

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814-596: The houses of Bunker Hill was Queen Anne and Eastlake style. The geography of the Hill allowed these residents to escape the hustle and bustle of the city as it slowly grew around at the flatland at the bottom of the hill. Some notable residents during these times are: After the introduction of the horse carriage to the Bunker Hill neighborhood, the iconic Angel's Flight was proposed. Angel's Flight, now dubbed "The World's Shortest Railway", took residents homeward from

851-421: The inclusion of all income levels into the residential mix. Some examples include incentives for the creation of affordable housing (rather than market-rate housing), the preservation of existing affordable housing, the development of affordable housing by the city itself (rather than waiting for private developers), and others. The city has written documentation regarding the development of affordable housing. On

888-559: The intersection of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue. The Los Angeles Police Department 's Central Community Police Station serves Downtown Los Angeles, including Bunker Hill. The Los Angeles Fire Department 's Central Bureau serves Downtown Los Angeles, including Bunker Hill. The LAFD operates Fire Station 3 (Civic Center/Bunker Hill) in the area. The area is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District . Prudent Beaudry Prudent Beaudry

925-539: The land into 80 plots to sell to individual buyers. Beaudry started to build his house on the top of the hill, a modest two-story structure. He needed the infrastructure set up to reach the top of the hill, such as the water pipes. He asked the Los Angeles Water Company to help build the water pipe up the hill. Due to the nature of the hill and their initial concerns about the plan they denied his plea. As result, he built his own pipes and also formed

962-619: The main entrance of the Los Angeles Public Library at Fifth Street with Hope Place and the Kechum-Downtown YMCA to the north. The double stairs flank a cascading river rock "stream" that flows from the pool surrounding Robert Graham's 1992 public art sculpture Source Figure, and terminate at Fifth Street with a fountain element and seating. The 1901 Angels Flight funicular railway, originally connecting Hill Street and Olive Street immediately south of

999-409: The plan made by the CRA. The project is the longest redevelopment project in Los Angeles history. The majority of the skyscrapers on Bunker Hill were built in the 1980s, with a new skyscraper or two being finished nearly every year. However, the momentum died down in the 1990s, shortly after the 52-story Two California Plaza was finished. In 1999, the vacancy rate for downtown commercial skyscrapers

1036-483: The population of the hill increased 19%, most of whom were low income. In 1955, Los Angeles city planners decided that Bunker Hill required a massive slum clearance project. There were a couple of major political events which led to the "removal of the blight" and redevelopment of Bunker Hill. The California Community Redevelopment Law of 1945, the Federal Housing Act of 1946 and 1949 , the creation of

1073-453: The residents of Bunker Hill led to the displacement of many families and removal of many of the low income residents of the area. This victory for the CRA led to them being able to buy land to redevelop as they saw fit. Within the plans for the redevelopment, there was a section for the rehabilitation of the buildings of Bunker Hill. The section was slated to preserve the historical buildings of Bunker Hill, but instead were demolished since there

1110-545: The shape of a large and assured fortune. Of such stuff are the men who fill great places, and who develop and make a country. To such men we of this later day owe much of the beauty and comfort that surround us, and to such we should look with admiration as models upon which to form rules of action in trying times. Beaudry Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles is named for him. The street is on the far west side of his 1874 Bellevue Terrace Tract property, west of Olive Street and north of Sixth Street. The Los Angeles State Normal School ,

1147-400: The streetscape of Grand Avenue. The second element was to upgrade the 12-acre (4.9 ha) Grand Park in 2012 with a refurbished fountains, lawn furniture, walkways and the planting of native gardens. And lastly, constructing several residential buildings, including a two-tower complex on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and 1st Street, designed by Frank Gehry . On February 14, 2007, both

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1184-419: The topic of building affordable housing for very low-income to moderate-income, Principal City Planner Jane Blumenfeld said, "We are trying to make it attractive to build [downtown] and get this added affordable housing that we normally wouldn't have. We need an adequate amount of lower income housing so that in 20 years Downtown doesn't become an exclusive neighborhood." The Emerson apartment building, owned by

1221-463: Was 26%, one of the highest in the nation for that time. Planned office towers were canceled, including California Plaza Three. A sign of the success of the downtown renaissance was the lower office vacancy rate for the fourth quarter of 2004 at 16%, compared to 19% for 2003, and 26% for 1999. While developers are primarily building market-rate housing on Bunker Hill today, Los Angeles has very strict laws, rules, and ordinances established that promote

1258-585: Was born in Mascouche, Quebec , Canada , in 1819. He started a business in Montreal and during his career he visited Europe multiple times. He immigrated to the United States in 1850, and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1852. He worked as a merchant in Los Angeles until 1867, and afterwards became active in real estate. Beaudry acquired the Slate Range Gold and Silver Mining Company at

1295-422: Was brought back and buried in Montreal. Los Angeles County praised Beaudry in these words: Prudent Beaudry has the record of having made in different lines five large fortunes, four of which, through the act of God, or by the duplicity of man, in whom he had trusted, have been lost; but even then he was not discouraged, but faced the world, even at an advanced age, like a lion at bay, and his reward he now enjoys in

1332-598: Was designed by Frank Gehry . Construction began in December 2018 and completed in 2022. Grand Park is 16-acre (6.5 ha), stretching between the development's two boundaries: City Hall and the Department of Water and Power building. The park was designed to be pedestrian friendly and connects Bunker Hill to the Civic Center . The park includes tree-shaded sidewalks, fountains, plenty of street lights, benches, and kiosks to encourage walking and exploration of

1369-479: Was no actual rehabilitation planned. The development of Bunker Hill caused much controversy. The creation of the Public Works Administration and the 1949 U.S. Federal Housing Act helped quickly to clear and acquire the land on which "slum and blighted" areas of Downtown's Bunker Hill were situated. The city cleared the land and sold this land to private and public development according to

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