Related Cos. has unveiled a 3-D model of The Grand, the $1-billion Frank Gehry-designed tower complex that is set to break ground in Downtown Los Angeles later this year.

The project - which would span a full city block bounded by Grand Avenue, 1st, 2nd, and Olive Streets - calls for the construction of two high-rise towers, including a 39-story residential building and a 20-story Equinox Hotel.  A full buildout of the project would create 436 apartments - 89 of which would be reserved as affordable housing - and 314 hotel rooms.  Plans also call for over 200,000 square feet of commercial uses within a retail podium, including a movie theater, shops, and restaurants.

The Grand is designed as a complement to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the iconic performance venue across the street which was also designed by Gehry.  A large public plaza fronting the towers will offer gathering space in front of Disney Hall, and a gap between the buildings will allow views from it from south down Bunker Hill.

Construction of the project is expected to begin this Fall, with completion tentatively scheduled to occur in 2021.

The Grand, originally envisioned as anchor development to jumpstart investment in Downtown Los Angeles, instead comes in the wake of the central city's largest construction boom since the 1920s.  While other aspects of the project have already been completed - including the 12-acre Grand Park, the 19-story Emerson apartment building, and the Broad Museum - the project's signature towers have remained unbuilt well over a decade after development plans were announced.

Related Cos. received a much-needed shot in the arm in 2016 with a $290-million investment from the Chinese real estate firm CORE, finally putting the Grand on track to begin construction.  Gehry, who had designed the original iteration of the project in 2007, was also brought back into the fold after his firm was temporarily replaced.

The Grand will eventually be one of three Gehry-designed landmarks on Bunker Hill.  The Colburn School recently announced plans for an expansion at 2nd and Olive Streets, which will also be designed by the venerable architect.