Editor’s Memo: In the Eye of the Beholder

CITYWATCH TODAY—Rick Caruso and Dick Platkin disagree. Caruso is a builder. He conceived and built the popular Grove and at the time there were those who thought his vision was a mismatch for the neighborhood. Adjacent to the Original Farmer’s Market and across the street from the landmark Park LaBrea Towers and Townhouses. The Grove now competes with Disneyland for the Most Visitors crown. 

Platkin, in addition to writing about planning for CityWatch, was a highly respected Los Angeles city planner for a lot of his life. So, when he eyes a development plan and says it ‘doesn’t fit’ the ‘hood he does so with a fair amount of wisdom and expertise. In Today’s CityWatch, the successful builder and the successful planner are at odds. 

The Grove Chief has a 21-story high rise in mind for La Cienega and Burton Way … his second in the Mid-City West neighborhood … and the planning guru says the design Caruso has in mind is out of sync with the community. Out of context, he says. Same old, same old, he says … just like a lot of LA developers. 

Caruso feels that his new vision is in perfect context … if you consider his other nearby complex. This is today’s CityWatch lead. Take a look. Let us know what you think. 

Planning and much more. In today’s CityWatch.

Ken Draper-Editor,CityWatch

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