LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
NEWS
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The Must to return, Art Walk updates, and other happenings Around Town.
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Another day, another divisive rent proposal at Olvera Street.
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
March 28, 2011
Volume 40, Number 13
INSIDE
Culture of Picasso
From Beer to Eternity Downtown’s Pint Runneth Over as the Neighborhood Enjoys a Craft Brew Revolution by Richard Guzmán city editor
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Are you ready for more football talk?
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A win-win on Winston Street.
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A truly hardcore workout.
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Five great entertainment options.
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ou’ve never had to walk far to get a beer in Downtown Los Angeles. Even before the residential revolution led to a wave of bars and nightspots offering an array of adult beverages, there were plenty of places to grab a cold one. Glasses and bottles of brews such as Budweiser and Heineken could be found everywhere from McCormick & Schmick’s to Hank’s Bar. Even craft beer has a history in the Central City, with the Bonaventure Brewing Company and Weiland Brewery making their own liquid manna well before the new denizens arrived. Now, things are changing again, and Downtown Los Angeles has tapped a new beer revolution. Angel City Brewing opened this month in a 100-year-old building in the Arts District, and in April the Los Angeles Brewing Company will debut its 100-beer menu on Broadway and Eighth Street. Also new to the pour wars is Public School 612, carved out of the Daily Grill restaurant. They follow arrivals such as Wurstküche in the Arts District, the Down ’n Out in the Historic Core, and L.A. Live’s Yard House, all of which offer a number of beers you’ve probably never tried. “Craft beer has been growing in popularity, especially in the last couple of years,” said Ralph Verdugo, a longtime club owner and the proprietor of the Los Angeles Brewing Company. “Downtown has a clientele that loves to try new things, new artisan, local products like craft beers.” According to The Brewers Association, a trade group representing thousands of brewers nationwide, craft beers emerged from home brewers in the late 1970s who wanted higher quality beer than what the local bars offered. They evolved into microbreweries with a focus on character and quality rather than volume. Microbreweries have steadily increased in the United States, with annual growth in sales of 6%12% every year from 2004-2008. The Brewers Association reports the number of American craft see Beer, page 14
Let There Be Lights Wilshire Grand Replacement Plan Could Lead to Illuminating Three Blocks of Figueroa Street by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer
Architect chosen for Farmers Field.
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photo by Gary Leonard
Michael Bowe, the owner of Angel City Brewing, a 27,000-square-foot brewery in the Arts District. It is one of a flood of new Downtown spots focusing on craft beers.
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he $1 billion plan that comes before the City Council this week to build two skyscrapers in place of the Wilshire Grand hotel, and deck them out in digital billboards and “architectural lighting,” is poised to change the face of Seventh and Figueroa streets. But if the plan is approved, it could also spark a bright makeover of at least three more blocks of Figueroa Street. Backers of a proposal to add lights and signage to the corridor say it would be an artful addition to the streetscape. They’ll have to convince skeptics who are wary that it will just lead to a proliferation of electronic billboards.
On Tuesday, March 29, the council is slated to give final approval to the hotel project. At the same time, it will vote on a proposal from Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry to direct the Planning Department to study a special Figueroa Street sign district between L.A. Live and the Wilshire Grand. Under the proposal, hotel owner Hanjin International and its development partner, Thomas Properties Group, would pay $400,000 to cover the city resources needed for the study. The sign district would allow developers — and existing property owners making renovations — to incorporate digital signage beyond what the city generally allows, as well as see Signs, page 10
The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles
rendering courtesy Thomas Properties Group
Urban Scrawl on a shaking city.
The new Wilshire Grand towers would hold architectural lighting, shown here, and digital signage capable of featuring animated advertising. The technology is poised to expand along Figueroa Street.