Some historic buildings in Los Angeles may soon receive a stay of execution.

A proposal by Councilmember Paul Koretz would require property owners to give the city 60 days of notice before demolishing buildings that are more than 45 years old. That would double the current notification window of 30 days. During this period, an owner must post a notice of their plans as well as inform the district's councilmember. 

The new rule would give the city more time to determine if a building is eligible for landmark status. The landmark designation has already granted some classic buildings a reprieve from the wrecking ball, including the original Hollywood Reporter location on Sunset Boulevard. 
The 30-day notification period came into effect in 2015 after the former Mole-Richardson Studio Depot at 900 North La Brea Avenue was razed by its owner in 2014. The resulting uproar ignited calls for greater protection of the city's historic properties. 

However, Koretz's proposal has also worried housing proponents who fear the new rule could be used by homeowners to stop the construction of new housing projects in their neighborhoods. 
Having received the green light from the planning and land use management committee, the proposed new 60-day notification window now needs the consent of the entire council.

Garbage in, but no garbage out - the city's sanitation trucks are going electric.

LA Sanitation's General Manager Enrique Zaldivar has announced the city's entire fleet will be moving to 100 percent zero-emissions trucks by 2035. This makes L.A. the first major city in the U.S. to commit to such a goal. The bureau is estimated to have more than 750 vehicles. 

At a panel event hosted by the Los Angeles County Electric Truck and Bus Coalition, Zaldivar added that truck procurement will be entirely electric within two years. 

Coalition members, including the Sierra Club, called on the city last summer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The news comes as Los Angeles ramps up efforts to cut air pollution and reduce its carbon footprint. Mayor Eric Garcetti has called for a Green New Deal for Los Angeles that charts a course for the city to be carbon-neutral by 2050. 

Environmental leaders also hope the move by Los Angeles could accelerate the electrification of refuse trucks elsewhere.

The outlook for California commercial real estate is bright, despite warnings of an economic slowdown.

According to a UCLA economic forecast, developers are feeling hopeful about 2022 and are actually anticipating another commercial real estate expansion. 

The Winter 2020 Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast California Commercial Real Estate Survey looks at what the next three years could be like for the office, multi-family, retail and industrial sectors. The report predicts 2022 will be as strong or better than 2019 for all areas, except for retail. Those experts surveyed were bullish about industrial and multi-family projects. Office markets will remain the status quo, they believe.

Plans to make L.A.'s rapid transit network more user-friendly remain on track.

The latest change? Renaming Metro's Red Line, which transports more than 100,000 riders every day, the "B" Line. The move comes after the Blue and Expo lines were rebranded "A" and "E." 

Metro intends to eventually have all rail and bus rapid transit stations updated with letter names. The Green Line becomes "C;" the Purple Line becomes "D;" the Orange Line switches to "G;" the Silver Line will be "J;" and the Gold Line becomes "L." 

The name shake-up comes as the Metro system, anticipating the number of riders to grow, works on projects to reduce ride times during peak hours and introduce roomier new train cars. 

The new "B" Line transports commuters from Union Station in Downtown to North Hollywood, making 14 stops over 16 miles. It will also link to many of the future projects designed to increase rapid transit lines. Right now, the most noteworthy of these is the work being done to extend the "D" Line (formerly Purple) to Beverly Hills and Westwood. 
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After years of planning, the Port of Los Angeles is taking the plunge.

The Harbor Commission has approved the first phase of construction on the $150 million San Pedro Public Market development, the long-awaited overhaul of the Ports O' Call Village. It will include 100,000 square feet for restaurants, 40,000 square feet for retail businesses and 30,000 square feet for offices. With the groundbreaking expected in the spring, this first phase could be finished as soon as the fall of 2021. 

Additionally, work has begun on the L.A. Waterfront town square and promenade, which will link the San Pedro downtown harbor with the San Pedro Public Market. The four-acre town square will include areas for the public, as well as new landscaping and signage. 

Once completed, the 42-acre San Pedro Public Market will feature shops, entertainment, restaurants and a 30-foot-wide waterfront promenade. It is a joint venture between The Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development. The port, the busiest in the country, has so far invested more than $700 million in developing the waterfront.

Getty Center 

1200 Getty Center Drive 
Los Angeles, CA 90049 

CURRENT EXHIBITION: 
Michelangelo: Mind of the Master 

This exhibition uses more than two dozen of Michelangelo's drawings to explore his range as a painter, sculptor, and architect. The sketches include his designs for such timeless projects as the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Medici Chapel tombs. In displaying these and other works, the exhibition hopes to offer viewers a window into the creative process of one of history's true visionaries. It has been organized by the Teylers Museum, Haarlem in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum and The Cleveland Museum of Art.

The Homer Project 

4529 Homer Street 
Los Angeles, CA 90031 

Justin Lowman: Windows-Phase Three of Four 
November 2019 - June 1, 2020 

"Phase Three of Four" is activated by both the stillness and movement of the sun. In other words, what time of day it is when you arrive to the viewing will determine how you experience it. For that reason, The Homer Project recommends you either plan to view the work for an extended period of time or see it multiple times, each at a different point during the day. The work aims to engage with perceptions of both materiality and time itself.