Plans for the development have touted it as a Los Angeles counterpart to the Champs-Elysees in Paris or Rockefeller Center in New York. They call for up to 1,000 residential units, 1 million square feet of office space, 600,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and restaurant space, and possibly a 400-room hotel.
"It's a dream team," Gehry said of his group, which also includes architect Henry Cobb and the Santa Monica-based architectural firm Daily, Genik. "My fantasy is we can each hold our own and respect each other but play off each other.
"For me, it's not important if I do a building -- I've got Disney Hall. I'm more interested in the urban planning," Gehry added. Among the challenges, he said, is to create an area accessible to everyone. "To create another elitists' enclave is not" the goal, he said. "We've already got Beverly Hills."
Of the four parcels neighboring the new concert hall and now used as parking lots, two east of Grand are owned by the city and two on the west side of Grand are owned by the county.
In September, the city and county agreed to the power-sharing arrangement to develop a comprehensive plan for the area. Of the projected $1.2-billion cost, about $300 million would be needed for public infrastructure improvements and about $900 million for real estate development, according to the committee.
"What this means is that Grand Avenue is about to become a premier boulevard," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who serves on the Grand Avenue Authority. "It's more than just the buildings, because I think this is a defining moment in how we approach the next phase of downtown."
With the recent construction of Disney Hall, the cathedral and many downtown lofts, the development is an opportunity "to create something terrific," said Martha Welborne, managing director of the Grand Avenue Committee, which is advising the authority. "There's so much happening downtown. It's just a great time, and we're building on all that."
Welborne acknowledged the "challenges of the office market right now. But of course you build for the future."
She added that the power- and revenue-sharing agreement between the city and county gave the plan "a real leg up."
In the past, the city and county have fought over development downtown, with the county suing the city to prevent county property-tax revenue from being used for redevelopment in the downtown business district.
The agreement approved in September calls for the city and county to each have two representatives on a five-member board of directors to oversee the project, with a nonvoting director to be appointed by the governor.
The chosen developer or development team will have to take on all four parcels and develop a comprehensive plan by September 2005.
