When the pandemic struck nearly two years ago, many people wrongly predicted doomsday for urban centers like DTLA. It's a bold testament of DTLA's momentum to see our neighborhoods continue to welcome dense, sustainable housing, become more multi-modal, open new outdoor spaces, reinvigorate historic buildings and successfully complete construction on new projects.  

DTLA is providing new housing at a record pace, ranking as the country's top neighborhood for new apartment construction, which helps alleviate our housing crisis and meet housing production goals. While we know our communities continue to face serious challenges, especially worsening homelessness and rising concerns about public safety, we appreciate that Downtown has continued to evolve this year with many new experiences awaiting all.

Left: Halo; Source: Brookfield Properties. Right: Grand Performances at Cal Plaza; Source: @_sandyaltamirano on Instagram.

DTLA's Transformation Continues During 2021
We welcomed community improvements throughout Downtown. A snapshot of recently completed projects includes:

• Brookfield's Halo at Wells Fargo Center is centering top places to eat, drink and shop along with public art installations and special events.
• The Apple Tower Theatre opening solidifies Broadway as a definitive shopping corridor.
• The Herald Examiner building is now home to Arizona State University and its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
• Yale and Ord Street Park in Chinatown replaces an undeveloped hillside property and provides outdoor seating, viewing platforms and exercise equipment.
• Dedicated bus lanes have been installed on Olive and Grand Avenues and 5th and 6th.
• FABRIC DTLA, an Omgivning project that restored the century-old Norton Building, will provide offices, rooftop space, a deck and restaurant space.
• The Yard at Cal Plaza is the host of Grand Performances and provides open space for workers and tourists visiting surrounding cultural institutions thanks to CIM, Omni, Rising and Gensler.

Left: Rendering of The Grand Courtyard; Source: Related - CORE. Right: Arch rib framework of the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement; Source: Gary Leonard.

Landmark Projects to be Delivered in 2022
Key infrastructure and development projects are expected to come online next year:

• The Grand will provide new housing for mixed income levels, a hotel, public open spaces and much more.
• Metro's Regional Connector, a 1.9-mile subway tunnel, will have additional stops in the Civic Center and Little Tokyo along with a pedestrian bridge.
• The Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement, the largest bridge project in LA history and built by Suffolk, connects the Arts District and Boyle Heights.

Left: Rendering of Convention Center expansion; Source: Populous. Right: Rendering of 2028 Olympics at LA Coliseum; Source: LA 2028.

These accomplishments reflect CCA members' outstanding commitment to DTLA's ongoing transformation and long-term vision as we continue to collaborate on future transformative initiatives ranging from the Convention Center expansion to the DTLA 2040 Community Plan that will guide Downtown's growth and development over the next two decades.

Downtown Los Angeles' future is bright, and we will continue to work with our elected leaders to prepare DTLA to host exciting events like the 2022 Super Bowl's Fan Fest and media center, the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. We will also see future investment in our city for clean transportation infrastructure like the Metro NextGen bus plan, bridging the digital divide, streamlining goods movement, airport operations and more thanks to the federal infrastructure package. While Downtown has experienced many challenges with each new phase of the pandemic, CCA will advocate to ensure that DTLA continues to be the city's center for growth, progress and innovation.