LAX people mover testing, LACMA reviews are in, and more

New legislation aims to streamline and incentivize the construction of high-rise residenital housing in California's largest cities. 

AB 2074, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney and backed by California YIMBY, would require California's largest cities (including Los ANgeles and Long Beach) to designate regional transit districts with 150-foot baseline heights, and heights of at least 450 feet allowed district wide. While much of Downtown Long Beach and Downtown Los Angeles already permits high-rise construction, the bill would also include a provision to create a new state-backed loan fund which would offer low-interest loans to projects that meet required affordability standards and employ prevailing wage labor.

Here's what we're reading this week:

Getty gets a facelift in 2027 "The Getty Museum will be sunsetting – for a year at least – in March 2027, as it prepares to reinvent itself for the world." (Beverly Press)

LAX’s long-awaited train to hit the rails as testing begins "The Automated People Mover system began construction in 2019 and was initially slated to open to the public in 2023." (LA Times)

FIFA World Cup events to close Wilshire through MacArthur Park for two days in July "The viewing parties will be the first taste locals get of a reconnected MacArthur Park, which some hope will bring new life to the troubled space." (LA Local)

Peter Zumthor on criticism of LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries, and how L.A. changed his practice for good "The Pritzker Prize-winning architect addressed long-standing criticisms of the building and answered questions about his craft. He noted that the structure is a rejection of the overly 'slick' architecture he believes defines the present moment, and shed light on the building’s early development, describing a contained process in which the concept was shaped before being presented to the public." (LA Times)

Daring and Dazzling, a New LACMA Floats Above Los Angeles "After $724 million and a decade of battles, the pugnacious David Geffen Galleries reassert the city’s role as a petri dish for experimental design." (NY Times)

Like a concrete aircraft carrier: was LA’s giant new $724m gallery really worth all the carbon emissions? "Built on tar swamps and two tortuous decades in the making, Lacma’s latest addition used twice as much metal as the Eiffel Tower. How did America supersize revered architect Peter Zumthor?" (The Guardian)

Nearly $90 Million in Federal Transit Funding Headed to LA Ahead of 2028 Olympics (Westside Current)

Silverstein’s US Bank Tower in DTLA signs leases for 53K sf "Law firm King & Spaulding expands footprint, while Zurich relocates to skyscraper" (TRD LA)

On Location LA Establishes 2028 Olympics Hub With 445 S. Figueroa Street Lease "CBRE has announced that it has facilitated a 108,272-square-foot lease at 445 S. Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles on behalf of Washington Capital. The tenant, On Location LA, a global premium experiential hospitality company, will occupy six floors in the building, establishing its Los Angeles headquarters ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games." (LA Times)

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