Downtown real estate club gives annual prizes and rebukes
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The group that annually ranks the best and worst of downtown Los Angeles real estate scolded government Thursday for making its buildings so unfriendly to pedestrians and heaped praise on new restaurants, bars and housing complexes at the Downtown Breakfast Club’s 30th annual Roses and Lemons Awards breakfast.
The Lemon was lobbed at state, federal and local buildings for their ‘visually polluting’ security barricades, many of which have been ‘temporary’ for nearly a decade. ‘These barricades inspire vandalism and generally create an underworld aura of economic and social chaos,’ said developer Tom Gilmore, presenter of the Lemon.
Most of the awards were more upbeat, of course. The $2.5-billion LA Live complex next to Staples Center got special recognition for enhancing downtown. Roses were handed to the Factory Place Arts Complex, a factory-turned-rental-loft-apartments and to the New Carver Apartments subsidized housing. Bottega Louie was the best new restaurant, and the Must wine bar got the nod as a choice place to drink.
Also recognized for their community contributions were the Grammy Museum and groups helping the homeless: Beyond Shelter, Chrysalis, Lamp Community and the Skid Row Housing Trust.
-- Roger Vincent
