Trinity Auditorium to become the Empire Hotel in South Park Downtown LA
Back in December last year, there was speculation swirling that the Chetrit Group-owned Trinity Auditorium — a beautiful Beaux-Arts structure built in 1914 located at 9th and Grand Ave — would become a second King & Grove operated hotel. In case you missed it, we found out earlier that month that King & Grove would operate the Hotel Clark near 4th and Hill (also owned by Chetrit Group). Now, thanks to readers Rob DeFrancesco and Cara who both sent me a Notice of Public Hearing they received in the mail (as DTLA residents), more details have been revealed about the Trinity Auditorium hotel project, including its new confirmed name: Empire Hotel.
According to the Notice of Public Hearing (NPH), the Empire Hotel will consist of 183 rooms within the 9-story historic structure. There will also be a variety of restaurants, bars/lounges including a 7,600 square foot rooftop bar and pool deck, two health spas, as well as the permitting of “public dancing” in the original Trinity Auditorium.
In addition, a “9-foot decorative wall” will be erected along the 9th Street and Grand Ave corner (currently an unattractive dirt lot) to provide privacy for the future hotel garden that will have a new “restaurant consisting of 2,095 square feet of indoor area and 989 square feet of outdoor area seating 248 patrons.”
Some of us in Downtown LA remember when the Trinity Auditorium was set to become the Gansevoort West, out of New York’s Meatpacking District. In September 2005, the LA Times reported that plans were to bring the trendy Manhattan hotel to Downtown LA within 18 months. The current dirt lot at 9th and Grand, that will now apparently become a hotel garden, was to be a new building with a unique feature. Hotel Chatter wrote:
“Of course, there will be rooftop pool but this has a little twist. It will be a 48-foot outdoor glass bottom rooftop pool, featuring underwater lights and music, stretching over one of two restaurants. Yes, this means as you do your daily breaststroke the diners eating breakfast can see everything you do underwater.”
The assumption is that King & Grove will still be the operator of Empire Hotel. However, there is currently no definitive timeline on when the hotel will actually open.
The Trinity Auditorium is rich with history, including the first home of the LA Philharmonic
In the near future, I hope to see this long-empty building activated with life once again
The corner lot at 9th and Grand will become a part of the hotel garden
A closer look inside the current dirt lot that will become a part of the hotel garden where a “9-foot decorative wall” will be erected around the perimeter
A peek inside the still-unfinished lobby area of the future hotel
The Notice of Public Hearing Regarding Empire Hotel
Notice of Public Hearing regarding Empire Hotel (Photo: Rob DeFrancesco)
Notice of Public Hearing regarding Empire Hotel (Photo: Rob DeFrancesco)
King & Grove’s Newest Hotel in New York, LA Next Up
Downtown LA will likely be the next King & Grove location after New York (Photo: King & Grove)
Why a 9 foot wall, this is going to be the same disaster of hatred like the Sunset Junction wall. I would rather put a nice 9 foot iron worked fence, so atleast pedestrians on the outside can have a nice view of the garden. Actually that’s a perfect corner for an open cafe full of table seating.
Is this hotel the same concept as the Empire Hotel in Manhattan? Sort of like how Kimpton has a Hotel Monaco and a Hotel Palomar is many cities? Or do they just share the same name?
I don’t think they’re related. The Empire Hotel in NYC is operated by Amsterdam Hospitality (http://www.amsterdamhospitality.com/) while this one in Downtown LA looks like it may be operated by King & Grove, which isn’t confirmed yet though.
I agree with Sebastian. Some visual contact between garden & sidewalk will be good for our sense of community. Interesting name, “Empire,” like that hotel in Hitchcock’s “Vertigo.” But what actual “empire” does it commemorate?
Sebastian – maybe a solid wall part way up, then some iron work above, to protect both the clientele dining in the restaurant patio as well as the garden itself. Have a plant material cover the street-side solid wall to protect against graffiti as well as provide a nice touch of green in a jungle of concrete.
What’s the traffic speed and noise like here compared with 7th St. or Spring St. where the traffic flow is relatively slow and pedestrians are out in large numbers? I just wonder if this wall is less about privacy from the sidewalk, and more about blocking out the noise of cars.
I was at the Silver Lake neighborhood council meeting after the Sunset Junction wall went up, and any mention of lowering the height, or using different materials like ivy or an iron gate to open up the space visually to the sidewalk was met with valid criticism from the owner regarding the level of traffic noise from all the cars and buses flying down Sunset at 40mph.
It seems to me that as long as the traffic engineers keep designing our streets to function like miniature freeways for commuters, business owners will continue to privatize their building facades and patios to block out the excessive noise.
The Neighborhood Council supported this project with a condition that the garden does not turn its back to the sidewalk and street. This is across the street from FIDM and a block east of Ralph’s, new Starbucks, Panini, and Coffee Bean, and soon to open Towne which all have sidewalk seating/dining facing 9th Street.
We will be watching to make sure they do not create a fortress with solid 9′ walls at the back of the sidewalk. Downtown Design Guidelines require uses on the street with a minimum frontage and transparency requirements.
BTW, my office at Skylofts has a great view of the rooftop and have been watching the progress. I’ll send you some photos.
It has been more than 20 years since I was inside this building in the late 1980′s when concerts were promoted at the Embassy Hotel but, as I remember it, the large auditorium theater was on the ground level and not on the top floor as stated in this article.
Thank you, I have corrected my mistake. I believe you are right that it’s on the ground level. For some reason I mistook the rotunda on top of the building to be the rotunda in the auditorium, which is not the case!
@ SImon, if The Neighborhood Council supported this project with a condition that the garden does not turn its back to the sidewalk and street, what difference will it make if there is a 9′ wall there.
@ sebastian- we do not support the project with a 9′ solid wall. The garden must be visually or physically connected to the public right of way. If the garden must be secured, it can have fencing similar to FIDM park. I think it’ll be better if there was access off the sidewalk directly into the garden without having to enter the building.
Simon – I am hoping that the 9-foot fence around the garden will be see-through like Grand Hope Park by FIDM. Did the Chetrit Group give any indication what this “decorative wall” will look like?
It was a solid wall when they presented. We asked to change the design.
Good to know, sounds fun. This is a nice building. USC once operated a dorm for grad students at the Embassy; it’s where I first lived when I moved to LA (without a car, pre-Metro Rail).
Hi Simon – Do you have any details about the interior designer, and also the architect for the project?
It appears everything has come to a standstill. There hasn’t been any activity at the property in some time. Did they decide against moving forward?
Its owned by the same horrible people who own Giannini Place & Hotel Clark. Trinity is getting just as much love as those other two are (none).
I’d be surprised if this project is a go. I’ve lived in Downtown since 1984 and have seen several developers announced plans for Trinity only to disappear. Briefly there was a lovely sidewalk cafe where the wall is planned. If the current project is a go, I hope the 9′ wall is not a go. A wall is a wall, so this block will be “dead” on both sides since FIDM’s garage entrance faces 9th so there will be no retail, etc. to add interest to the block. I find it hard to believe that the City of L.A. would allow a 9′ solid wall along the sidewalk. Let’s keep our eyes open!
It will actually be named The Embassy Hotel. Yes, the owners are the same owners as The Empire Hotel in NYC.
Is this project a go? What is the projected opening date?
I haven’t seen any work there for a while.
I don’t understand HOW it will be possible to operate this as a hotel as there is absolutely NO parking for it.