Terra-Petra Assists on Final Phase of Dana Strand Development in Wilmington

September 21, 2016
, , , , , City of Los Angeles, DMBI, Enivronmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Inspections, Los Angeles Economy, Uncategorized

Terra-Petra has recently completed its role on Phase 4 of the Dana Strand project in Wilmington, California. Our team of environmental engineering professionals has been involved with this project since its inception, having worked on Phases 1, 2 and 3.

Earlier this week, nonprofit developers Abode Communities and Mercy Housing California convened in Wilmington to celebrate the groundbreaking of Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar, a new collection of 176 affordable homes.

In addition to housing, the $71 million development will offer 35,000 square feet of open and recreational space, as well as features uch as a computer lab, bicycle parking and on-site social services.  The property also is located in close proximity to the Wilmington Waterfront Park.

The projects are considered the fourth and final phase of the Dana Strand Village redevelopment, which has repurposed a 20-acre post-war military housing site.  A full buildout of the New Dana Strand, the culmination of a process that began in 2000, will provide housing for approximately 750 people.

Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar were through both public and private sources, including U.S. Bank, low income housing tax credits and tax exempt bonds from the City of Los Angeles.

Completion is expected in 2018.

Terra-Petra’s Abode Communities and Mercy Housing Project to Break Ground in Wilmington, CA

August 18, 2016
, , , City of Los Angeles, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Uncategorized

Terra-Petra has been honored to be a part of this incredible development in Wilmington, California. Abode Communities and Mercy Housing will celebrate their Vista del Mar and Camino del Mar Groundbreaking on September 14, 2016.

Terra-Petra Adobe Communities project, Wilmington CA 2016

Terra-Petra performs subterranean waterproofing inspections for new Academy Museum project

June 27, 2016
, , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Construction Industry, Enivronmental Engineering, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Terra-Petra heads environmental engineering and waterproofing design, inspection and systems for the new $300-Million Academy Museum project at Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue which is slated to complete in 2018. 

STEVEN SHARP
June 14, 2016 for Urbanize.LA.

Even June Gloom failed to put a damper on construction at the LACMA campus on the Miracle Mile, where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) long-awaited museum is well underway.

The $300-million undertaking, located at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, will create a showcase for AMPAS' vast collection of filmmaking artifacts, including tens of thousands of still photographs, screenplays, production and costume design drawings, manuscripts and storyboards.  These assets will be displayed through a series of galleries, exhibition spaces, educational spaces and on-site theaters.

The museum, designed by the famed Italian architect Renzo Piano, will restore the May Company Wilshire department store, a Streamline Moderne structure built  in 1938.  North of the historic building, the project will add an eye-catching spherical glass structure, replacing a surface parking lot and a 1946 annex to the department store.

Completion of the Academy Museum is expected in Spring 2018.

Terra-Petra designs subterranean waterproofing on DTLA Oceanwide Plaza

April 15, 2016
, , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Enivronmental Engineering, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Uncategorized

Working closely with Oceanwide Plaza, LLC Vice President Peter Lai (featured in the video below), Terra-Petra designed the subterranean waterproofing  (which Terra-Petra is also still currently inspecting).on the walls of Oceanwide Plaza project site – easily seen via the aerial camera shots in the video. Lendlease, an international property and infrastructure company, recently announced the completion of the initial mat foundation pour for the Oceanwide Plaza development in Downtown Los Angeles to allow for vertical construction of the project to begin. Read the article here. 

Read the full article here.

Terra-Petra Environmental Engineering Helps Developer with Pico Gateway Apartments Project Success

March 29, 2016
, , , , , , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Enivronmental Engineering, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Uncategorized

Terra-Petra designed the environmental engineering designs and waterproofing systems for this multifamily property in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood just sold for $22.4M a few years back. As always, Terra-Petra is quite proud to be a part of the revision and revamping of land that was up until today, unusable. The revitalization of the LA Basin continues with environmental engineering being a key component of developers' success stories. So now, in what is becoming to be known as an increasingly popular Westside area, this building is being described as a “very high-quality property in a great location." 

This Week's LA Deal Sheet

The fully occupied Pico Gateway Apartments location offers 48,275 SF of rentable space, including 7,500 SF of ground-floor retail, 39 apartments and more than 135 underground parking spaces. Just two blocks from Beverly Hills, which is also a draw, apartment amenities include double sinks for preparing kosher meals, maple hardwood floors, double-paned windows to block out street noise and appliances. 

There is also an optional Shabbat elevator for residents to use on the Jewish Sabbath. Projected growth in the area is making the neighborhood increasingly popular. A recent study shows the population on the Westside could grow by 3.4% over the next five years. 


Read the full story about this properties sale at: Bisnow.com

Terra-Petra Supports Los Angeles Micropolitan Project General Contractor

March 24, 2016
, , , , , City of Los Angeles, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized

Terra-Petra supported Frymer Construction to successfully ensure the environmental integrity of the Micropolitan at Urban Lights Multifamily Community project — located near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the up-and-coming LA Metro Purple Line station in Downtown Los Angeles.

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The Micropolitan is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

The Micropolitan is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

LOS ANGELES — A private 1031 exchange investor has purchased The Micropolitan at Urban Lights, a 45-unit multifamily community in the Miracle Mile submarket of Los Angeles, for $27.1 million. The community is located at 739 S. Ogden Drive.

The Micropolitan was built in 2015. It is situated near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is within a two-minute walk of the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line station, which will soon debut.

Ron Harris and Paul Darrow of Institutional Property Advisors represented the seller, Micropolitan, a subsidiary of Psomas, in this transaction.

 

Park Fifth development in DTLA will break ground in April

February 23, 2016
, , , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Employment News, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Inspections, New Projects, Uncategorized

Based on its intimate knowledge of the City of Los Angeles plan checking requirements, Portland-based architects, Ankrom Moisan brought in Terra-Petra environment engineers to work with the firm's in-house design team to help with design as well as consult on code-complaint systems for the Park Fifth project. The mixed-use development will replace parking lot near Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles and is scheduled to break ground in April. 

Read more about this exciting project on Urbaniz.LA.

The project is being designed by Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Architects, and will be

Terra-Petra contributes to new projects transforming Downtown LA

January 26, 2016
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Los Angeles Economy, Methane Barrier Installation, Methane Mitigation Design Projects, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

As one of the most well-known environmental engineering and building waterproofing companies in the Los Angeles basin, Terra-Petra is currently working on or has completed some very high-profile projects in the Downtown LA area. Some of the most notable projects, among many others, include:

The Wilshire Grand Tower – the Wilshire Grand skyscraper will one day be the tallest west of Chicago. (Terra-Petra photo of project start to the right.)

The Metropolis, a $1B development is one of the largest mixed-use projects under construction on the West Coast.

Oceanwide Plaza will break ground in spring 2015. This $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms.

South Park Mega-Project (Chinese developer Shenzhen Hazens) is a three towers along Figueroa Street across from L.A. Live. A 30-story hotel tower would rise at the northwest corner of Flower and Eleventh streets. A 30-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Eleventh streets, and a 42-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Olympic.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), the "flurry of activity" in the recent years is defiantly the biggest construction boom they have witnessed since the 1980s.

However, LADBS does say that it is yet to be seen if it's the biggest boom in history or not. 

Stay tuned.

4 DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL TRANSFORM FIGUEROA
Los Angeles Mixed-Use Jan 14, 2016 Jerry Liu, Bisnow, LA

We already told you about some of the mega-projects that will reshape Sunset Boulevard, perhaps one of the most famous thoroughfares in the world. But if you're really following what's hot in LA, it's all about Downtown. So we decided to take a look at some of the developments that will reshape the future of one of Downtown's most notable streets:

1. Circa
Location: 1200 Figueroa Players: Hankey Investment, Jamison Services, Falcon California Investments, Highlands Capital, Harley Ellis Devereaux, LendLease. Completion date: Late 2017. The $500M project will build twin 35-story towers housing 648 luxury condos on top of a seven-story retail podium. There will also be 48k SF of retail and 1,770 parking spaces. This project broke ground in summer 2015 and features a curved glass look that offers a panoramic view of LA, and many other neighboring high-rises, including the Metropolis. Bisnow chatted with Hankey president Scott Dobbins this week to get the latest status update on the development.

2. Oceanwide Plaza
Location: Figueroa and 11th Players: Oceanwide Real Estate Group. Completion date: 2018, condos hit the market in 2017. Breaking ground in spring 2015, this $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms total. Chinese firm Oceanwide had previously acquired the development from New York City-based Moinian Group. This will be the first real estate venture for Oceanwide outside China.

3. Shenzhen Hazens
Location: Entire block bounded by Figueroa, 11th Street, Flower Street and Olympic Boulevard Players: Shenzhen Hazens, Gensler Completion date: After 2020. It's no secret Chinese firms are transforming the LA landscape. Shenzhen Hazens will add to the mix with a $700M redevelopment in the Luxe Hotel area. The project plans to break ground in 2017 and will be split into two phases. Phase 1 would build two 30-story towers, one residential and one hotel. Phase 2 would completely replace the Luxe Hotel with a 42-story residential tower. Expect the finished mega-project to have 650 luxury condos, 250 hotel rooms and 80k SF of retail space. We caught up with Shenzhen Hazens Group executive project director Sonnet Hui recently to get more on the company's plans.

4. MyFigueroa
Location: Four miles of streets from Downtown LA to South LA. Players: LADOT, Troller Mayer Associates, Melendrez, GEHL Architects. Completion date: 2017. Promising to make it easier for transit and bicycle users, this project will start in late spring 2016 and complete in 2017 under a $20M budget. It will link USC and Exposition Park to Downtown LA with better signals, signage, crosswalks, transit platforms, bikeways and trees. There will be on-street, fully separated bike lanes on each side of Figueroa for 27 signalized intersections. There will also be a lot more accommodations for public transit, including for the Silver Line and the upcoming streetcar service.

Terra-Petra Partners with Law Firm Wactor & Wick in Downtown Los Angeles

April 27, 2015
, , , , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Enivronmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized

With an increase in the amount of expert environmental work requested by law firms throughout California in recent months, Oakland, California environmental law attorneys, Wactor & Wick LLP recently hired Terra-Petra to perform a methane soil gas investigation for a Methane Buffer Zone site in downtown Los Angeles.Terra-Petra was selected based on its expertise and knowledge in the field of methane soil gas and upon its prior work on numerous projects throughout the Los Angeles Basin over the last 25 plus years.. 

CEM 75 Drill Rig in action at the project site in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWactor & Wick LLP was founded in 2002 by two former EPA enforcement attorneys. The firm provides cost-effective solutions to reduce environmental risks to clients such as property owners, developers, manufacturers, retailers, lending institutions, mining companies, attorneys and consultants. Wactor & Wick is rated as a Pre-Eminent law firm and both partners have earned the Highest (AV) Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, the Super Lawyer rating (top 5% of all lawyers), the Superb rating from Avvo and have been named in The International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers.

According to Vice President and GM, Justin Conaway, Terra-Petra determined that the use of a CME 75 Drill Rig was imperative in reaching our designed depth of 50 feet below surface grade in the gravel like soils at this specific site (based on the Wactor & Wick's due diligence on the project), Terra-Petra also determined that typical direct push probe drilling equipment would not have been able to reach a depth of even 15 feet given the specific conditions of the site.

"We had a great experience collaborating with Wactor & Wick and are looking for more opportunities to work with other such accomplished law firms in this industry," said Conaway, "Wactor & Wick is extremely knowledgeable about environmental regulations; they are very diligent in their effort to coordinate this investigation. We really appreciate working with a law firm that is dedicated to getting the job done right."

 

Terra-Petra congratulates newest DMBI inspectors

February 20, 2014
, , , , , , City of Los Angeles, Construction Industry, DMBI, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Terra-Petra Company News, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized

Terra-Petra congratulated its newest DMBI inspectors, Dave Akers, Kevin Costa, and Hector Flores earlier this month. On Monday, February 3rd, 2015, the three newest members of the Terra-Petra Deputy Methane Barrier Inspection Team successfully passed the written and oral portions of the DMB) examinations issued by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Dave Akers, whose history with Terra-Petra dates back to 2005, passed the test for a second time.

The addition of three new DMBIs to the Terra-Petra inspection team is a testament to the company’s exciting expansion and its efforts to continue to grow as an industry leader. As the onslaught of construction projects continues, Terra-Petra continues to stay prepared and flexible to meet clients’ inspection demands. Terra-Petra leads the environmental engineering industry, now, with 10 Deputy Methane Barrier Inspectors on staff. The extension of the design division will ensure that Terra-Petra retains its competitive edge. 

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